- 1874 - OF John Ganzel was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He began his seven-year MLB career in Pittsburgh in 1898, getting into 15 games and batting .133 after being purchased from Grand Rapids of the Western League. John was sold to the Detroit Tigers in May, spent some time seasoning on the farm, and then played for the Chicago Cubs, New York Giants, New York Highlanders, and the Cincinnati Reds. After his 19-year pro career ended, he managed twice in the majors (Cincinnati Reds & Brooklyn Tip-Tops) and skippered for 16 seasons in the minors. The six-footer went by the moniker “Long John.” Baseball was in his blood; John also had four brothers who played pro ball.
- 1879 - C Art “Buck” Weaver was born in Wichita, Kansas. In his second MLB campaign as a 24-year old, he was released by St. Louis in early June and the Pirates claimed him as depth behind Ed Phelps and backup Harry Smith. As the third wheel, he got into 16 games and hit .229. Weaver got in two more MLB seasons and soldiered on in the minors until 1914, signing with high-altitude clubs like Denver and Salt Lake to help him combat his lifelong battle with asthma. Beside being one of several Buck Weavers, the scrawny catcher was dubbed by the baseball press as Scissors, Stilt, the Human Hatpin, and Six O’Clock Weaver, because when he stood, he resembled clock hands pointing at six per SABR’s Bill Lamb. After surviving his asthma and a plant explosion during his post-baseball days, Buck died at age 37 from peritonitis following appendicitis surgery.
- 1882 - The Alleghenys played their first game as a major league club (albeit the American Association), a free exhibition match at Exposition Park against a collection of amateur baseball and cricket players, with the Allies romping to a 32-4, eight-inning win in front of 3,000 mostly curious fans. OF Ed Swartwood was the first big-league Allegheny batter in history; he was also the Allies’ leadoff guy on May 2nd for the first official MLB game against the Cincinnati Red Stockings at the Bank Street Grounds. The two sides staged a rematch the next day and the Alleghenys again ran away with a 20-1 win over their pick-up foes.
- 1887 - RHP Jack Ferry was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He worked sparingly for Pittsburgh from 1910-13, posting a 10-6 record with a 3.02 ERA in 160-2/3 IP and then closing out his career on the farm in 1916. Ferry’s claim to fame: he was the first Seton Hall grad to play MLB.
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| Arky Vaughan - 2023 Panini Prizm Old Ball Game |
- 1932 - The Pirates obtained the rights to SS Arky Vaughan from Tulsa of the Western League through a working agreement between the clubs. The Hall of Famer spent the next 10 years in Pittsburgh, winning All-Star honors for eight consecutive years while piling up a .324 BA. He and Honus Wagner may be the best 1-2 punch at short for one franchise in the sport’s history.
- 1933 - OF Bobby DelGreco was born in the Hill District. He spent two years with the Pirates in 1952 and 1956, hitting .219. His big league career spanned nine seasons with six teams, and he played regularly with Philadelphia and Kansas City. Delgreco was one of the game's top glovemen in center field, but his .229 lifetime BA kept him from everyday work during his MLB travels. After finishing his playing career, his new day job was as a delivery driver for the Pittsburgh Press and he moonlighted by tossing batting practice for the Bucs into the nineties.
- 1954 - 1B Dale Long announced that he wouldn’t take his demotion to the Hollywood Stars sitting down. He filed a protest with Commissioner Ford Frick, as the 28-year-old reigning PCL MVP said he had been claimed on waivers by the Kansas City Athletics and should be in their big league camp instead of the minors. The appeal didn’t pan out for him, but he was back with the Bucs in 1955 after hitting 27 bombs for the Stars to begin a nine-year MLB run, including a record-setting eight-game home run streak in 1956 which has been equaled (Don Mattingly, Ken Griffey Jr.) but never topped.
- 1958 - Bill Mazeroski reported to camp after six months in the military, 10 pounds lighter and apparently Army Strong. The 21-year-old second-year starter played in 152 games, hit .275 and made his first All-Star appearance while also earning his first Golden Glove during his breakout campaign.
- 1964 - Shea Stadium in New York opened for its first regular season game, with the Mets facing the Bucs. Pittsburgh spoiled the Home Opener for the New Yorkers in front of over 50,000 fans by a 4-3 tally. Willie Stargell’s homer, double and two RBI gave Bob Friend, who went the distance, just enough support for the victory as the Pirates had 16 hits, but stranded 13 to keep it close. Pops had four hits while Donn Clendennon and Roberto Clemente added three each.
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| Willie Stargell - 1964 Topps |
- 1966 - Bob Purkey, who began his career with the Pirates before being dealt to Cincy, where he bloomed, came back home. The 36-year-old Mt. Washington knuckleballer’s contract was bought from the Cards, where he was the odd man out in a youth movement. He slashed 0-1-1/1.37 in his final MLB season. Purkey then worked briefly as a sportscaster for KDKA before opening an insurance brokerage. He died at age 78 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.
- 1970 - After eight consecutive Opening Day defeats, the Mets finally won a lidlifter by beating the Pirates, 5-3, at Forbes Field. It took 11 innings, but Ron Taylor, with a Tug McGraw save, whipped Chuck Hartenstein after ex-Bucco Donn Clendenon singled home a pair of runs off Joe Gibbon. Joe had relieved Hartenstein to face a pinch-hitting lefty who NY skipper Gil Hodges then yanked for Clendenon. The starters,Tom Seaver (eight IP) and Steve Blass, who went 10 frames, left the game to the bullpens. New York became the first team to have won a World Series (1969) before winning a season opener. The Pirates fans were also faring poorly, throwing odds and ends on the field before some kids took a sprint across the diamond to cap a bad day at the office.
- 1972 - Richie Hebner wore #3 for the first time (it was during a workout during the 1972 player’s strike) instead of his usual #20 out of deference to 3B Pie Traynor, who had passed away three weeks earlier. Although Traynor had told Hebner that he wanted him to keep his old number throughout his career, Richie said that “I just couldn’t do that after Mr. Traynor died.” He was the last to wear it as the number was retired on April 18th. Hebner wore #3 through 1976 before leaving for Philly, and was issued #10 when he returned to the Buccos in 1982.
- 1977 - Danny Murtaugh’s #40 was retired on Opening Day in front of 35,186 fans at TRS the year following his December death. He won a pair of World Series and was twice Manager of the Year. Known for his dry wit, The Whistling Irishman attributed his success to “brilliant managerial thinking and dumb Irish luck.” The game wasn’t much of a testimonial, though, as the Bucs lost, 12-6, to the Cards in what was the last time St. Louis played a home opener in Pittsburgh until 2016. It was also the home debut of Chuck Tanner, who watched Jerry Reuss, Larry Demery and Terry Forster serve BP to the Redbirds. The bats weren’t bad, though, as Duffy Dyer homered while Rennie Stennett and Dave Parker each banged out three hits. The season wasn’t a wash, either, as the Pirates finished second to Philadelphia in the NL East with a record of 96–66.
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| Candy Man - 1978 Topps |
- 1978 - The Candy Man tossed a seven-hit shutout to thwart Rick Reuschel and the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, in the Pirates Home Opener at TRS. Bill Robinson was the hero; his hard slide into second after a Willie Stargell grounder broke up a potential inning-ending DP and allowed Frank Taveras to score the game’s only run. The Bucs collected just three hits in front of the 39,082 fans who got home happy and quickly; the game took one hour and 52 minutes to complete.
- 1979 - The Pirates traded LHP Jerry Reuss to the LA Dodgers for RHP Rick Rhoden after a week’s delay as the pair first worked out new contracts. Both sides got dependable starters out of the deal, as Rhoden won 79 games for Pittsburgh between 1980-86 (he was injured in 1979) and Reuss notched 84 victories in LA from 1979-85. Rick also earned an All-Star nod as a Corsair and won three Silver Sluggers; he hit .251 as a Bucco and banged five long balls. In other news, Dave Parker shared the cover of The Sporting News in its “Baseball Is Back” issue with the Padres’ Gaylord Perry, Boston’s Jim Rice and the Yankees’ Ron Guidry. It was well-deserved ink for the Cobra, who hit .310 w/25 HR, was an All Star, Golden Glove awardee and World Series champion. The tabloid couldn’t have come out on a more copacetic day, as Parker had two hits, a walk and scored the winning run during the Bucs’ 7-6 walkoff win against Montreal at TRS.
- 1979 - Steve Nicosia banged his first MLB homer (and hit) as the Pirates were gifted with a 7-6, walk off win against Montreal. Pittsburgh blew a ninth-inning lead at TRS when three pitchers allowed four Expo tallies to fall behind, 5-4. But never say die - with two outs and runners on first and second, Willie Stargell won the game, not with a majestic blast but a one-hop comebacker to pitcher Elias Sosa. He threw the ball away, allowing Matt Alexander and Dave Parker to score, with the Cobra seemingly dead at home before he knocked the ball loose from catcher Gary Carter to earn the Bucs the win. Grant Jackson, who had been tagged for a two-run two-bagger in the top of the frame, was credited with both a blown save and victory for his efforts. Parker and Bill Robinson also banged long balls.
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