- 1983 - The Bucs had to put on their rally caps at the Astrodome to overcome a late 2-1 deficit and take home a 3-2 win against Houston. The Buccos leadoff hitter in the final frame, Dale Berra, smacked a homer to tie the game. Lee Mazzilli’s two-out knock sent Lee Lacy home with the game-winner after he had reached on a forceout and then stole second. Rod Scurry showed off his nasty curve for the win, striking out four ‘Stros in his 1-1/3 IP while leaving a pair stranded in the bottom of the ninth. Rick Rhoden and Alan Ashby started the contest before handing the ball off to the bullpens to determine the outcome.
- 1983 - Major League Baseball, ABC, and NBC agreed to terms of a six-year television package worth $1.2B. The two networks continued to alternate coverage of the playoffs, World Series, and All-Star Game through the 1989 season with each of the 26 clubs receiving $7M per year, up from the last package that netted each club $1.9M per campaign according to BR Bullpen.
- 1984 - The Dodgers banged out nine hits, but they couldn’t get on the scoreboard, losing 3-0 to the Bucs at Dodger Stadium. Pitchers John Candelaria and Don Robinson had something to do with that, but not as much as Amos Otis, who brought back a potential Steve Yeager homer and threw out two LA runners at second. Tony Pena caught another left coaster stealing; it was no wonder Big Blue was a little gun shy on the basepaths. The Pirates got a run in the fourth when a pickoff try went astray, allowing Marvell Wynne to come all the way around from first. They iced it in the seventh on Dale Berra’s two-run bloop single. It appeared to be a sure double off the bat, but Berra hit the brakes when he reached first. “I saw four guys thrown out at second (Johnny Ray had also been caught stealing),” Dale explained, “and I wasn’t going to be number five.”
- 1995 - Camp opened late and the Bucs had one last piece of business to attend to: signing LHP Denny Neagle, the only arb-eligible player they hadn’t tied up. He agreed to a one-year/$720K deal, a nice bump over his 1994 salary of $220K. The Pirates also cut loose three veterans: CF Andy Van Slyke, OF Lloyd McClellan and IF Tom Foley. AVS joined the Orioles, Foley went to the Expos and Lloyd landed a minor league deal with Cleveland and retired after the year.
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| Hoy Jun Park - 2022 Topps Gallery |
- 1996 - IF/OF Hoy Jun Park was born in Seoul, Korea. He signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2014 and spent most of his time in the minors, getting one at bat with the New York nine. He came to Pittsburgh in 2021 as part of the Clay Holmes trade and spanked a double during his debut Bucco at bat for his first MLB hit. He went north with the team the following season, earning a roster spot as a versatile bench guy. Hoy got into 23 games, hitting .216 while playing short, second, third and right field for the big club. He was DFA’ed during a November housecleaning, leading to a trade with the Red Sox. Hoy was then part of a Bosox swap with the Atlanta Braves, became a free agent after the season and is now part of the Oakland Athletics organization.
- 1999 - It was a party night in Pittsburgh with an hour of speechifying featuring Senator Rick Santorum, Governor Tom Ridge, Mayor Tom Murphy, County Commissioners Mike Dawida & Bob Cranmer and owner Kevin McClatchy, a 10-minute fireworks display and a laser show with rock music to celebrate the groundbreaking of PNC Park. The cherry on top was the renaming of the Sixth Street Bridge to the Roberto Clemente Bridge (the consolation prize for not having the Stadium christened for the Great One), with wife Vera and sons Luis & Roberto Jr. present along with Dick Groat, Bob Friend and Willie Stargell.
- 2001 - Two days before Willie Stargell died, his statue was unveiled at the Pirates' new stadium, PNC Park, as part of the opening-week ceremonies. Chuck Tanner and former players Bobby Del Greco and Nellie Briles were on hand, as was Vera Clemente and her & Roberto’s two sons, Luis and Roberto Jr. Pirates GM Cam Bonifay, Pittsburgh City Councilman Sala Udin and the statue's sculptor, Susan Wagner, were also there to unveil the 12-ton statue on Federal Street.
- 2008 - The Pirates lost the first Home Opener of the Frank Coonelly/Neal Huntington era, dropping a 10-8 decision to the Cubs at PNC Park in 12 innings. The Bucs fell behind, 7-0, rallied to tie the score, and were set to win it in the ninth when Jose Bautista laid down a squeeze with Brian Bixler at third. Bix inexplicably lost his nerve and retreated back to the bag, costing Pittsburgh its last grab at the day’s brass ring. Rule 5 reliever Evan Meek walked four batters in the 12th frame, gifting Chicago two runs without a hit, to earn the giveaway loss.
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| Jeff Karstens - 2012 Topps |
- 2012 - Jeff Karstens and four relievers held the Phils scoreless for 9-2/3 innings to take a 2-1, 10-inning decision at PNC Park. After Juan Cruz stranded a pair in the top of the final frame, Rod Barajas led off the tenth with a double. Mike McKenry ran for him, and a hustling Alex Presley brought him home by legging out a bleeder to third with two outs for the walk-off win.
- 2017 - It was more like hockey weather than baseball in Pittsburgh’s 5-4 Home Opener victory against Atlanta. The game-time temperature of 37 degrees was the coldest for a Pirates Home Opener since the 2007 but 36,484 fans were announced as braving the elements at PNC Park. David Freese and Francisco Cervelli went back-to-back in the fifth frame to give the Bucs a lead they’d not relinquish. Andrew McCutchen had three raps while Starling Marte and Jordy Mercer chipped in with a pair apiece. Ivan Nova allowed one unearned run over six innings for the win while Tony Watson picked up the save, tossing a scoreless ninth after the Bravos put up three eighth-inning tallies against Wade LeBlanc and Daniel Hudson to draw within a run of the lead.
- 2022 - Pending his physical, the Pirates and 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes agreed on an eight-year/$70M contract extension with club option (2022-23, $10M; 2024-27, $7M; 2028-29, $8M; 2030, $12M club option; $6M buyout), eclipsing Jason Kendall’s six-year/$60M deal from 2000, the largest deal in team history before today The contract was officially announced when the Pirates returned home on April 12th. The good vibe didn’t carry over to the season’s kickoff; Ke left the game in the first frame with a wrist cramp and the Pirates suffered their worst Opening Day defeat since 1922, losing 9-0 to the Cards and nemesis Adam Wainwright at Busch Stadium. This loss was deja vu all over again. The other drubbing a century before was also at the hands of the Redbirds, 10-1, at Sportsman’s Park.
- 2023 - Pitching was not the name of the game in the Pirates Home Opener (Rich Hill started, AJ Burnett/Russ Martin formed the first-pitch battery and governor Josh Shapiro tossed a ceremonial ball) against the Chicago White Sox, but a sellout gathering of 39,167 fans, the biggest crowd at the park since 2016’s Home Opener against the Cards, still went home happy. The Bucs outpunched the Chicago White Sox, 13-9, behind Bryan Reynolds, who went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and a bases-clearing triple good for six RBI/three runs scored. Connor Joe added four hits, Jason Delay and Ji Hwan Bae chipped in three more (that's 10 hits for the 7-8-9 hitters!). Dauri Moreto got the win while Wil Crowe earned the save. The two teams combined for six dingers and 30 hits. Petrina McCutchen set the stage for her son Andrew’s first PNC Park game in a Bucco uni since 2017 when she sang the National Anthem. Plate ump Ryan Willis suspended the pace-of-play rules in the first frame when Cutch stepped up to allow for the raucous welcome-home ovation, and he delivered a single to right. #22 had two hits, went on to bat .256 over the year while posting his 2,000th career knock and then re-upped for another go-round in 2024.
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