3/3 From 1960: Kip, Mike & Bert Sign, Justin Joins, Hooks In HoF; RIP Otter & Al, HBD Matt, Trent, Ron & Neal

• 1960 - LHP Neal Heaton was born in South Ozone Park, NY. He pitched for Pittsburgh from 1989-91, making the All Star team in 1990 after a 9-1/2.87 mid-June start. Heaton, who had battled tendinitis, credited the 1990 success to a new pitch, a knuckle change. The league apparently caught on; he finished the year at 12-9. As a Pirate, his line was 21-19/3.46. Heaton now coaches at the All-Pro Academy in Bellport, NY, and worked with Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz when they were high school ballplayers. 
• 1961 - IF Ron Wotus was born in Colchester, Connecticut. Ron spent his MLB career in Pittsburgh, getting into 32 games and batting .207 between 1983-84. He played in the minors afterwards, ending his playing days in the Giant organization. Wotus remained with the G-Men as a minor league manager from 1991 to 1997. He became the Giants third base coach in 1998 under Dusty Baker and has served as bench coach since 1999 under Baker, Felipe Alou and Bruce Bochy before returning to the 3B box in 2017; now he’s San Fran’s special assistant of baseball operations. Wotus was interviewed by the Bucs for the head honcho job in 2000, losing out to Lloyd McClendon. 
• 1964 - Coach Trent Jewett was born in Dallas. Jewett was a catcher on the Pirate farm before continuing on as a coach in the organization. He managed the Triple-A Nashville Sounds from 1998 to 2000, was the Bucs third base coach from 2000-02, then returned to managing AAA Nashville and Indy until 2008 when he skipped to the Nats system. In 2013, he joined Lloyd McClendon as bench coach for Seattle, a position he held through 2015 when both Trent and Lloyd were let go.

Trent Jewett - 1994 Fleer Pro Cards

• 1977 - Former Post Gazette Sports Editor Al Abrams passed away at age 73 after a heart attack. He covered the sports beat for the PPG from 1926 until his death and served as its sports editor from April 1947 to March 1974, with his regular “Sidelights on Sports” column continuing on even after he gave up the editorship. But his greatest contribution to the local sports scene may have been when Abrams founded the Post-Gazette Dapper Dan Club in 1936, now the Dapper Dan Charities, which awards an annual local Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Award and supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA for its sports activities. 
• 1978 - Newly acquired RHP Bert Blyleven signed a new deal with the Pirates, overriding his old Texas contract (under the rules then, Bert needed to have a single contract - the Rangers had an annuity set up for him - or he would be eligible for free agency at the end of the year). The details announced by the team were fuzzy; the FO just said it was multi-year and included deferred payments, with Baseball Reference listing his 1979 salary at $500 K and the ‘80 pay at $300 K. Apparently it satisfied the Fryin’ Dutchman - he went on to post a 14-10/3.03 slash, working team-highs of 34 starts, 243-2/3 innings, 11 complete games, four shutouts and 182 whiffs. They also found time to work out a depth deal, signing 2B Mike Edwards. He was sent to Oakland in April. 
• 1978 - OF Matt Diaz was born in Portland, Oregon. In December of 2010, he signed a two-year/$4.125M free-agent contract that could reach $5M w/bonuses with the Pirates, who were looking for some platoon punch to add to their attack. Instead, he suffered a power outage and slashed .259/.303/.324 without a dinger, resulting in the Pirates trading him back to the Braves, the club he had left after a non-tender, at the deadline for Eliecer Cardenas. Matt put 11 years in the league with a .290 lifetime BA after he hung ‘em up following the 2013 campaign, appearing in just 77 more games after he left town. 

Ray Dandridge - 1992 Front Row

• 1987 - 3B Ray Dandridge was the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. He spent a handful of games with the Homestead Grays in 1937 as a 23-year-old pup early during a career that spanned 22 campaigns. Dandridge was nicknamed “Hooks” because of his bowed legs, but like the similarly-statured Honus Wagner, was an elite fielder and batter, considered by many to be the Negro League’s premier hot corner guy. He missed out on an MLB shot because of his age (35), but still hit .362 in the American Association, where he was Rookie of the Year in 1949 and MVP in ‘50. Ray went on to become a Giants’ scout after his playing days. 
• 1988 - RHP Bob Kipper signed a split contract, w/$125K for the bigs and $75K for the minors, as a take-it-or-leave-it tender offer from the Bucs. Neither he nor his agent was very pleased by the deal, with the agent suggesting the Pirates trade Kip someplace he would be more appreciated, at least financially. But Kipper made it through the season with an uninterrupted MLB stay, and got $105K added to his salary next season, sticking with Pittsburgh through the 1991 campaign. 
• 2024 - Hard-nosed C Ed Ott passed away at the age of 72. The Otter played for the Bucs from 1974-80 (.267 BA/492 games), and platooned with Steve Nicosia in the Championship season of 1979, having his best year at the dish by slashing .273/7/51 in 117 games. Ott was another of the young Bucs that played musical chairs while coming up; he started in the system as a third baseman, was moved to the outfield and transitioned to catcher in ‘75, getting his big chance after Manny Sanguillen was traded in ‘76. He closed out his career with a year as a California Angel. Ott then coached or managed for Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Angels farm clubs, in the indie minor leagues for three seasons, coached for the Houston Astros, managed by ex-Bucco teammate Art Howe (1989-1993), and served as bullpen coach with the Detroit Tigers (2001-02). 
• 2025 - The Bucs claimed RH reliever Justin Lawrence, 30, off waivers from the Rockies after placing RHP Johan Oviedo on the 60-day IL following a right lat strain suffered in a bullpen session. Lawrence made 182 appearances for the Rox from 2021-24 with a line of 12-12-14/5.43, averaging nearly a K per inning but a wild child, issuing five walks per game. He only got the call 17 times here between injuries in ‘25, but slashed 1-0/0.51 with 12 K/nine IP and is ready for 2026