1/5 From 1980: Martin, Rich, Esteban, Gary & Ravello Sign, Gravedigger Goes, Bert HoF, FO Hires; RIP Phil, HBD John & Danny

• 1984 - Richie Hebner signed a two-year deal with the Cubs which was made official on the 17th, marking the second time he left Pittsburgh via free agency. “I wanted to end my career in Pittsburgh,” claimed the 15-year vet. He said GM Pete Peterson was working on clearing a bench spot for him, but with camp approaching “They never got back to me and the Chicago deal came up.” The Grave Digger hit .264 over his last two years. He lost his job in 1986 after he signed up for one more campaign with Chicago but was released before the season ended and never caught on elsewhere. 
• 1990 - OF Danny Ortiz was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. A fourth-round draftee of the Twins in 2008, he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates during the 2015 off season. Danny got into nine games in 2017, going 1-for-12. He left after the 2018 campaign and since spent his career in the Latin leagues. Danny’s thrived there with a .272 BA in 13 seasons of Mexican and Puerto Rican ball. 
• 1993 - 1B John Nogowski was born in Tallahassee, Florida. The Bucs bought him after the Cards DFA’ed him in July, 2021, when injuries thinned the first base spot. Nogo hit just .096 in 20 games for St. Louis, but he got off to a hot start with Pittsburgh, collecting 21 hits in his first dozen contests for a .438 BA, then cooled off in his last 21 games, hitting just .127. He was released in September, claimed by the Giants, and later moved to Atlanta. From there, the Nats later claimed him in mid-season. In 2023, he signed with the indie Sioux City Explorers, served a stint in the Mexican league, and is a free agent this campaign. 
• 1994 - The Pirates signed LHP Ravello Manzanillo and OF Gary Varsho to minor league contracts. Manzanillo, who had been on a two-year hiatus from baseball, got into 51 games over the next two seasons, with a line of 4-2-1/4.19, and that was his last MLB slash. For Varsho, it was a return to the Pirates, where he played in 1991-92, and he said “There’s no place else I wanted to go.” He hit .256, used mostly as an extra outfielder and pinch hitter, before moving on to Philly for his final campaign in 1995. Gary did have a Steel City jones; he came back as John Russell’s bench coach from 2008-10, was axed along with JR’s staff, and then was resurrected as a Bucco scout in 2016, a position he held until his baseball retirement in 2020. His son is Blue Jays’ C/OF Daulton. 

Gary Varsho - 1992 Studio

• 1998 - The Pirates signed RHP Esteban Loaiza to a two-year/$1.9M deal with $500K due the first year and $1.4M in the second. He had earned $200K in 1997 while posting an 11-11/4.13 slash. He went 6-5/4.52 in ‘98 before being flipped to the Texas Rangers in mid-July for 2B Warren Morris and RHP Todd Van Poppel. He tossed for 11 more years with two All-Star dances before his 2008 finale. 
• 2009 - Sportswriter Phil Musick passed away at age 71. The Duquesne grad started locally as sports editor of the Greensburg Tribune-Review. In 1969, he joined the Pittsburgh Press and later wrote for the Post-Gazette during the time the Steelers won four titles in six years and the Pirates prevailed in two World Series. Musick was named Pennsylvania Sports Writer of the Year in 1975 by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. He wrote books on Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron and Tony Dorsett, articles for Sports Illustrated, People, Time and Newsweek magazines and was the first sports columnist for USA Today. Musick later taught journalism at LaRoche College. 
• 2011 - After a 14-year wait, curveball king RHP Bert Blyleven was elected to the Hall of Fame. He won 34 games for Pittsburgh between 1978-80, his stay cut short because the Dutchman publicly disagreed with Chuck Tanner, who went to his bullpen earlier and more often than the righty preferred. Blyleven, who was inducted into the Hall on July 24th, posted 287 victories and 3,701 strikeouts during a 22-year MLB career that saw him hurl for five clubs, mainly Minnesota. 

Rich & David Eckstein - April, 2019 Pirates/photo

• 2019 - The Pirates added a little grit to their operations department, hiring former 10-year vet David Eckstein and then bringing back former Bucco lifer Jeff Banister, both as special assistants for baseball operations. Eckstein had prior coaching experience with the Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks & USA Baseball, and joined his brother Rick, who had been hired as the batting coach in November. David left baseball to spend more time with his family while Rick is now with the USA U-18 team. Banny had spent 29 years with the Pirates, wearing several different hats, before taking over the reins at Texas for four years. His Steel City reunion was short-lived as he was let go in 2020 when the FO reduced the administrative staff; he’s now with Arizona. 
• 2022 - LHP Rich Hill’s one-year/$8M deal, agreed to on December 27th, became official and RHP Zach Thompson was DFA’ed to clear a roster space. In 22 starts, Hill slashed 7–10/4.76 and was shipped to San Diego at the deadline. He toiled briefly for Boston in 2024 and then KC; the 20-year, 13-team veteran is now a free agent. Thompson was a major part of the Miami return for C Jake Stallings. His line was 3-10/5.18 while working 121-2/3 innings over 29 outings (22 starts) for the Buccos and he never earned the rotation role that the FO had envisioned for him. The Bucs flipped Zach to the Blue Jays for minor league OF Chavez Young five days later and he’s now a free agent. 
• 2023 - Pitcher Martín Pérez and Pirates made their one year/$8M agreement official. The 32-year-old free agent lefty, a 12-year vet and 2022 All-Star, had agreed to terms in mid-December pending his physical. RHP Max Kranick was DFA’ed to create roster space. In 16 starts, Pérez slashed 2–5/5.20 with 63 strikeouts in 83 IP. The Pirates traded Pérez to the San Diego Padres for teen-aged LHP Ronaldys Jimenez at the deadline. Martin’s a free agent.