5/21 Through the 1960s: Top Guns, Kiner & Gustine Swattin', Kitty In Blue, Game Days, Cy-clopped, No-Gro, HBD Steve, Tony, Fitz, Mace, Bunny, Fred & Sure Shot

• 1859 - IF Fred “Sure Shot” Dunlap was born in Philadelphia. The slick fielder was a member of the Alleghenys from 1888-90, hitting .240, and also managed the club to a 61-71 record as a player/manager in 1889. His declining stick - he was still a whiz at defense - led to a contract cut in 1890, causing him to jump to the New York Giants of the outlaw Player’s League. Per Wikipedia, he earned the nickname "Sure Shot" for the strength and accuracy of his throws to first base, and was also sometimes referred to in the 1880s as the "King of Second Basemen." 
• 1867 - SS Fred Clement was born in Philadelphia. Fred was one of those guys the old-time teams used to pick up on the road on an audition/need basis to save on travel costs, and Clement got his shot when the Alleghenys were playing the Phils. He didn’t exactly shine; in five chances at short, he made two plays, booted two balls, threw another grounder away and went 0-for-1 at the dish in five frames with the Allies, and that ended up as the 23-year-old’s sole MLB appearance. Fred went back to his day job as a dentist and played ball for the local Oxford club. 
• 1891 - LHP Charles Bunn “Bunny” Hearn was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Bunny spent one of his six big league seasons in Pittsburgh with the Rebels in 1915, going 6-11/3.38. Hearn joined John McGraw's 1913 world touring team and during its London stop, Hearn demonstrated pitcher’s grips to King George V, leading to a lifetime humblebrag that he taught the King of England how to throw a curve. After his pitching days, he managed in the minors and for the North Carolina Tar Heels for 17 years, where he won eight league titles. 
• 1907 - NL president Harry Pulliam dismissed the protest of Pittsburgh manager Fred Clarke over NY Giant’s C Roger Bresnahan's donning of cricket-style shin guards, with Clarke calling them a danger to runners after he slid into Bresnahan’s pads trying to score on Opening Day. Bresnahan was the first, and at the time only, receiver to add them to the tools of ignorance though they were quickly adopted by the league’s backstoppers. Bresnahan also developed a prototype batter’s helmet. 

Mace Brown - 1936 National Chickle Pastel

• 1909 - RHP Mace Brown was born in North English, Iowa. He tossed seven years (1935-41) for the Pirates and in every role from starter to closer with a line of 55-45-29/3.67. Brown was an All-Star in 1938, when he led the National League in outings with 51, winning 15 games and saving five. Mace scouted for the Boston Red Sox after his playing days from 1947-89, serving one year on the big league staff as pitching coach for Billy Herman in 1965. 
• 1913 - The Pirates beat Brooklyn 5-2 at Ebbett’s Field and set a small-ball MLB record with four sac bunts in the eighth inning (Dodger errors allowed two bunters to reach base). Babe Adams got the win. His curve was on, as noted in the Pittsburgh Press: “Adams was working a big sweeping outdrop that he would swing across the plate time and time again…” One Dodgers batter, Jake Daubert, and the Pirates Dots Miller were both given the boot by ump Bill Klem for griping over strike calls. The Bucco victory also snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Dodgers hurler Pat Ragan. 
• 1917 - Per BR Bullpen: The Giants took over first place with a 4-3 win over the Pirates behind the pitching of Big Jeff Tesreau and the iffy umpiring of Kitty Bransfield. Kitty made an out call in the ninth on a grounder that the Pirates Doug Baird clearly beat after earlier missing G-Man Art Fletcher leaving third base early before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Kitty was a former Bucco and didn’t harbor any grudges but was noticeably raw at calling a game. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Kitty is a mighty fine fellow, but at the gentle art of umpiring, he still has considerable to learn.” In fact, Bransfield was teamed by the league with the best-reputed ump of the era, Bill Klem, in order to bring his game up to speed. The contest itself was meaningless in the context of the season as the New York club finished first and the Pirates last, 47 games off the pace. 
• 1924 - C Ed Fitz Gerald was born in Santa Ynez, California. He was in WW2 before baseball, capturing a pair of German soldiers single-handedly before returning home and signing with the Bucs in 1946. Fitz spent six (1948-53) of his 12 big league years in Pittsburgh, mainly as a reserve, hitting .247, with his career moment catching Cliff Chambers' no-hitter on May 6th, 1951. Fitz spent the second half of his career with the Washington Senators. When he left active duty, Ed coached for the Indians, Athletics and Twins, then managed the Fresno Giants of the California League through 1966. 

Ed Fitz Gerald - 1952 Bowman

• 1940 - The Pirates had sold RHP Cy Blanton to the Syracuse Chiefs during the off season for $10,000 a year after he tore ligaments in his elbow. He beefed that he was “sold down the river” and threatened to not report. Cy came around to accept the deal, but after three straight losses, the Chiefs claimed the Pirates sold them a bill of goods (they probably had; his career was more-or-less done after the injury) and tried to return him to Pittsburgh to recoup their money; the Bucs didn’t want him back. Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis finally had to call a hearing to clear up the mess and declared Blanton a free agent OTD. He signed with Philly. 
• 1948 - Frankie Gustine went 5-for-5 to lead Pittsburgh to an 8-4 win over the Dodgers. He scored four runs and drove in a pair at Ebbets Field. 1B Max West helped the cause by blasting a two-out, three-run homer in the fifth and Fritz Ostermueller picked up the win. But the star of the show was the “People’s Cherce,” Dixie Walker - the club threw a day for the ex-Bum (he was sent to Pittsburgh a year earlier) and he was gifted with a car, paid for by the fans. 
• 1950 - The Pirates had a big day at the Polo Grounds, sweeping the NY Giants by 4-2 and 8-6 scores to even its record, though not for long; the Bucs finished the year last with 57 wins and stayed below .500 from May 25th onward. The hero of the day was Ralph Kiner, who homered in the first game and had three hits in the nightcap, including a 475’ triple in the oddly angled ballyard. 
• 1959 - In a meeting held at Pirates owner John Galbreath’s Ohio farm, MLB owners nixed expanding its 16-team league, even though just three of the franchises were located west of the Mississippi River and both Congress & the proposed Continental League were applying pressure for growth. That pressure to grow (and profit) soon proved too strong to resist. In 1961 each league added a pair of teams, and now the MLB roster includes 30 clubs. 

Tony LaCava - photo by Chris Young/Canadian Press

• 1961 - Tony LaCava was born in Pittsburgh. He never made the show as a player, but won a state championship at Central Catholic HS and went on to play at Pitt. The local boy made good not in a uniform but a suit. He signed with the Bucs out of college, and after a couple of years struggling in the low minors, Tony began scouting for the Angels, Braves, Expos and Indians. The Blue Jays hired him as an assistant to the GM in 2002, and he served as GM for a season with Toronto; he’s now their VP of Player Personnel. LaCava, an Oakmont resident, was interviewed and considered to be one of the top candidates for the Bucs GM spot in 2007 that eventually went to Neil Huntington. 
• 1962 - The Bucs beat the Cubs 8-4 at Forbes Field behind the top two guys in the order, Bill Virdon and Dick Groat. The duo went 8-for-9 with a walk, two doubles, scored twice and drove in six runs. Tom “Snake” Sturdivant earned the win with 6-1/3 shutout frames in relief of starter Earl Francis. 
• 1965 - The Bucs broke an eight-game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field. Vern Law and Al McBean combined for a five-hitter, backed by Bill Mazeroski’s two hits and three RBI, Donn Clendenon’s three knocks and a big two-run pinch hit by Jerry Lynch. The Pittsburgh Press sports banner read “Brace Yourself - Pirates Win One.” The paper’s beat man Les Biederman noted the team’s relief, writing “In the clubhouse, the players were shaking hands with one another and cutting up for the first time in ten days.” 
• 1968 - OF Steve Pegues was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Steve joined the Bucs in 1994 after starting the year with the Cincinnati Reds and stayed through 1995, getting into 89 games and hitting .264. Steve was a toolsy guy but it never translated in the bigs. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 1987 draft (21st overall) and spent 11 years in the minors with another campaign in an indie league, but his 94-95 campaigns were his only MLB years.

5/21 From 1970: Cruz'ing, Quick Hooks, Comeback Kids, AVS Hot, Game Days, Strike, Jim, Manny, Barry PHoF, HBD Rodolfo

• 1976 - The Pirates tried to come back from a 5-0 hole but fell 5-4 to the Chicago Cubs at Three Rivers Stadium. The bigger issue was the makeshift supporting cast. The regular crew in blue passed on the game, supporting the striking TRS vendors, so the Bucs lined up some sandlot guys. By all reports, they did an acceptable job. Also out in support were the ground crew and other union workers - “everyone but the players,” per one newspaper - but the club got through it as things returned to normal after a two-day work stoppage. 
• 1979 - The Pirates rolled to their sixth straight victory by a 4-2 tally over Montreal at Olympic Stadium, finally reaching the .500 mark for the season. It was a red letter day for Bert Blyleven, who won his first game in his 10th start of the year; he was 0-2/5.17 going into the contest. Both the Pirates and Bert were headed toward better days. Though Pittsburgh would lose the next three, the team finished the year in first with 98 wins and won the World Series, while Bert kicked his game into gear to post a 12-5/3.60 line by the time the campaign ended. 
• 1989 - The Pirates romped over Houston 17-5 at the Astrodome, even though Neal Heaton, the starting pitcher, almost didn’t make it through the fifth to qualify for the win. Heaton, who was 0-4, mostly due to lack of support, finally got some runs but had an uncharacteristic struggle while on the bump; he left the bases loaded in the fifth, lasting that long only because Jim Leyland wanted to get him a dub. Brian Fisher then came on, giving up a run and earning a four-inning save, the Pirates first since May 3. The 17 runs were the most the Buccos had plated since 1979, with the 18-hit, three-walk, five Astro base onslaught led by Andy Van Slyke, who had a homer, double, four hits, four runs and four RBI. Bobby Bonilla, who went deep, and Rey Quinones each chased home three runs while leadoff man Barry Bonds scored three times. 
• 1991 - Bary Bonds was in the midst of both a power and batting slump, entering the game against St. Louis batting .182 with three homers. But he shook off the funk and began grinding out the hits starting today, when he homered twice (and was HBP twice in return) as the Bucs took a 5-3 win at TRS v the Cards with John Smiley taking the dub. Barry continued on that upward trend, ending the year with a .289 BA, 25 homers and 116 RBI, coming in second in the NL-MVP vote. 

Barry Bonds - 1991 Nationwide

• 1997 - The Bucs ended a four-game tailspin by edging the Cards 3-2 at Busch Stadium, scoring on a balk, a bases-loaded walk and blooper, with a couple of sidebars to the story. In the second inning, with Bucs on the corners, Jason Kendall checked off ball four as Joe Randa headed to second. The Cards threw to second and beat The Joker to the bag, but since it was ball four...or was it? The Redbirds asked for a confirmation by the first base ump, who overruled the plate ump and called Kendall’s wiggle a swing, so instead of the bases loaded with no outs, the Bucs had a runner on third with two away. He did score on a balk, but not before coach Pete Vukovich was ejected and manager Gene Lamont protested the game. In the eighth, Mark Johnson was thrown out at home by two steps, slapping C Mike Difelice in the noggin on the play. The two then tussled, Kevin Young knocked Tony La Russa's glasses off during the ensuing melee, and he joined Johnson and Difelice in the shower. The winning vibes were provided by the Pirates pitchers - Francisco Cordova, Matt Ruebel and Rick Loiselle - who made the three runs stand up against St. Louis. 
• 1999 - IF Rodolfo Castro was born in Los Llanos, Dominican Republic. Despite never playing above High A, Castro was called off the alternate camp team to the big squad in late April, 2021, to replace Anthony Alford after flashing some power during spring training. The Pirates wasted little time getting him in action - he joined the team during a twin bill and started the second game during his brief stay. He was sent to Altoona after a week’s visit. Rudy came back after the Adam Frazier trade and made some record-setting noise when his first five hits in the show all left the yard. He started 2022 with the Curve, but earned a May call-up. Rodolfo played 2B-SS-3B while getting into 71 games and batting .233 with 11 long balls. Castro broke camp with the big team in 2023 and was in the 2B mix, shifting to short when Oneil Cruz went down. He hit .228, fading after a hot April, and was dealt to Philadelphia at the deadline for LHP Bailey Falter. Rudy is now playing in Japan for Hokkaido. 
• 2002 - Brian Giles hit a three-run, opposite-field, inside-the-park homer to highlight a 12-1 Bucco win at Wrigley Field in the lidlifter of a twin bill. It was his first inside-the-park blast and the first by a Pirate in three years. Kevin Young had a homer and two doubles while Chad Hermansen went long and added a two-bagger in support of Jimmy Anderson and Sean Lowe’s three-hitter. The Cubs rallied to take the nightcap, 4-3. Pittsburgh jumped off to a 3-0 first-inning lead but Sammy Sosa’s three-run shot in the sixth off Josh Fogg earned a split for Chicago. 

Humberto Cota - 2005 Topps Total

• 2005 - Before a sellout crowd of 37,504 at PNC Park, Ollie Perez, on his bobblehead night, surrendered a pair of hits and two runs while striking out eight batters in five innings on the bump as the Pirates beat the Colorado Rockies, 8-3. C Humberto Cota led the club at the dish with a pair of hits, including a double, and four RBI while Matt Lawton, Jack Wilson and Tike Redman also went long as 10 of the Bucs 11 hits went for extra bases. The victory was Lloyd McClendon’s 300th as the Pirates’ skipper, the tenth Pittsburgh manager to reach that mark. 
• 2012 - The Comeback Kids were at it again. They fell behind the Mets, 4-0, before the Buc bats woke up. Back-to-back-to-back doubles by Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez halved the deficit in the fourth, Mike McKenry’s two-run homer tied it in the seventh, and NY gifted the Pirates the winning run in the eighth when Neil Walker reached third on a botched fly and scored on Clint Barmes sac fly, a shallow swat that gave Walker just enough time to dodge a swipe tag at home. Four relievers put up zeros behind Erik Bedard over the final four frames by spinning two-hit ball with five Ks. Jared Hughes was the winner and Joel Hanrahan earned the save. 
• 2013 - The Cubs scored first and last, but the Bucs scored enough in the middle, keyed by a sixth-inning Travis Snider grand slam, to eke out a 5-4 win. The Pirates put together all five of their runs in the sixth frame, sending 11 batters to the dish. Snider’s grannie was his first ever and the first Buc pinch hit salami at PNC Park since Craig Wilson’s in 2003 that rallied the Pirates from a 3-0 hole to a 5-3 victory. Wandy Rodriguez got the win with a Jason Grilli save. 
• 2014 - Neither Pirates starter Wandy Rodriguez nor the Orioles Chris Tillman made it through the first two innings of the game. It was the first time in either club’s history that both starters were removed so early in a game; the quick hooks were also a first in interleague play. (Rodriguez was DFA’ed the following day after giving up six runs in 1-2/3 innings.) The score was 8-6 Pittsburgh after two frames; the O’s tied the game late, then the Pirates rallied to take a 9-8 decision at PNC Park. The middle of the Buccos order - Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Starling Marte and Ike Davis - went 11-for-17 with six runs scored and chased home six more. Tony Sanchez delivered the game-winning hit and Bryan Morris, the third of five relievers, claimed the victory. 

Bryan Morris - 2014 USA Today photo

• 2021 - The Pirates were turned every which way but loose in a 20-1 drubbing at the hands of the Braves at Truist Park, a game fitting closed by utility man Wilmer Difo’s eight-run outing on the hill in the ninth. Atlanta hit two grand slams among seven dingers, setting a slew of lowlights for Pittsburgh: The Pirates let in 20 runs in a game for the first time since being blanked, 20-0, by the Brewers on April 22nd, 2010, at PNC Park while the seven home runs surrendered were the most since allowing seven on July 8th, 1956, in the opener of a double dip at the New York Giants (the club record is eight from August 30th, 1953, in the lidlifter of a twin bill vs. the Milwaukee Braves). It was also the second time since 1900 that the Pirates allowed two grand slams in the same game. The other time it happened was on July 29th, 1955, at Cincinnati, per the Elias Sports Bureau. 
• 2021 - A mural of Homestead Grays/Pittsburgh Crawfords great Josh Gibson was unveiled on the back wall of Voodoo Brewery on Ninth Avenue in Homestead. The Hall of Fame catcher’s portrait covered 27,000-square feet and was created by artist Jeremy Raymer, who also painted the likeness of Roberto Clemente by the Parkway North approach to PNC Park. 
• 2024 - The Pirates were sleepwalking in their game against the Giants at PNC Park and went into the ninth inning down, 6-2. Then the alarm went off; the Pirates tied it on Oneil Cruz’s two-out double, David Bednar tossed a clean 10th and Nick Gonzales banged the first pitch through the box, scoring ghost runner Michael Taylor from second for Nicky G’s first MLB walkoff hit. Oneil had three hits and set a Statcast record as the first player to hit two balls 120 MPH+ (His 121.5 MPH double that knotted the score was the hardest hit ball so far during the season) and a third 115 MPH+ in the same game. But the rally was a team effort; six Bucs scored and six had RBI. The contest was the first time the Pirates came back to win after being down by four runs or more in the ninth inning since July 12, 2008, against the Cardinals at PNC Park, a game they won 12-11. The Giants returned the favor the next night, digging out of a 5-0 hole to take a 9-5, 10-inning win. During the pre-game show, C Manny Sanguillen, Manager Jim Leyland and OF Barry Bonds were named as the 2024 inductees into the Pirates Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was on Saturday, August 24, at PNC Park before the Pirates took on the Reds.  

5/20 Through the 1960s: Dale X 2, 8-Run Frame, Paul Doubles Up, Bad Choice, Game Days, No Curt; HBD George, Moon & Horace

• 1856 - Horace Phillips was born in Salem, Ohio. He was the manager of the Alleghenys from 1884-89, and led them to their first winning season in 1885. His best finish was second the next year, when his team went 80-57. He shepherded the club from the American Association into the NL in 1887. Phillips was yellow rag fodder during the era for some financial peccadilloes, and it took its toll. After he quit managing, Phillips spent the rest of his years in various insane asylums. 
• 1891 - 1B Joe “Moon” Harris was born in Coulter (now part of South Versailles Township). Harris was a war hero, and recovered from serious injuries (in fact, his war record won him reinstatement to the majors after he had been suspended for jumping to an indie team) to play MLB ball for five teams over 14 seasons, including the Pirates in 1927-28. He hit .329 in 145 games as a Buc and was part of the 1927 WS club; he was also an opponent of the Corsairs in the 1925 Fall Classic as a member of the Senators A local kid, Joe got his start playing for the McKeesport Tubers, and when he retired, he ran a pool hall/bowling alley in Renton. He went by the nicknames of “Coulter Joe” and “Moon,” one for his birthplace and the other a moniker he picked up in the service. 
• 1896 - Pittsburgh played Brooklyn at Exposition Park in a match that featured some cat-and-mouse tactics that backfired on the Bucs. Pittsburgh fell behind 6-0 after three innings when it began to rain and manager Connie Mack's team set a leisurely pace in the field, hoping that the game would drag on and be called. Pirate pitchers started lobbing the ball over the plate, although Brooklyn caught on quickly enough and tried to make outs to make sure the game reached five innings. It was never called as the weather cleared up, leaving the Pirates down,17-0, after five innings. The Pirates turned serious and scored six runs in the last two innings, but they had dug themselves way too deep a hole to climb out of. They took a thumping, dropping a 25-6 decision. 

George Grantham - 1925 Exhibits

• 1900 - 2B/1B George Grantham was born in Galena, Kansas. He played seven years (1925-31) for the Bucs, hitting .315 with a .410 OBP; he never fell below .300 in any of his Bucco campaigns. Grantham played for the 1925 and 1927 World Series clubs, hitting .364 against the Yankees in the 1927 match-up. His biggest season was 1930, when he hit .324 with 18 homers, 99 RBI and 120 runs. In 1951, Grantham was honored at an Old Timers Day at Forbes Field when the city of Pittsburgh named a North Side street in his honor (it ran across Lacock Street and was lost when I-279 was built).
• 1932 - Paul Waner tied the MLB record with four doubles in five at bats during the Pirates 5-0 win over the Cards at Sportsman’s Park. Other Buccos to later match the four-doubles feat were Adam Frazier (2019) and Kevin Newman (2021). Big Poison set an National League record that season with 62 two-baggers and holds the Pirates franchise record for doubles with 558, seven more than Hans Wagner banged out. Larry French fired a two-hitter for the win. 
• 1947 - Talk about your small ball: The Bucs beat Milwaukee 4-3 at Forbes Field as the teams combined for 22 hits, and every one was a single. Hank Greenberg knocked home the winning run in the 10th, making Tiny Bonham, who took the ball from Ed Bahr in the seventh, the winner. The teams added nine walks, too, and stranded 20 runners between them. 
• 1948 - The Bucs bombed Boston, 13-0, behind a big eight-run fourth frame primed by a Ralph Kiner homer and double, while Elmer Riddle tossed a four-hitter at Braves Stadium. Six Bucs had multiple hits, five had multiple RBI (led by Kiner’s three), and eight different players scored. 

Elmer Riddle - 1948 Eureka Sports Stamps

• 1956 - The Pirates drew their biggest crowd in five years (32‚326) and celebrated with a DH sweep over the first-place Milwaukee Braves by‚ 6-5 and 5-0 counts at Forbes Field. Dale Long homered in each game and drove in seven runs; he was three games into his eight-game homer streak. Bob Friend won the opener over Ray Crone and Ron Kline tossed a six-hitter to best Warren Spahn in the nitecap. 
• 1960 - The Pirates stretched their NL lead to 1-1/2 games by edging the Giants 5-4 on Roberto Clemente's 12th inning single. Clemente had three hits to raise his average to .378. Willie McCovey's homer in the ninth tied it for San Francisco, and a score in the 12th put them ahead. Don Hoak's single and a run-scoring double by Dick Groat set the stage for Arriba’s game winner at Forbes Field. 
• 1960 - The Pirates were still looking for pitching but lost out on free agent LHP Curt Simmons, who had been cut loose by the Phils. He signed with the Cards, who offered him a major league contract, spurning the Bucs offer of a minor league deal. The 12-year vet still had eight seasons left in the tank and went 59-42/3.10 from 1960-64, starting 136 games and tossing 982 IP. 
• 1962 - The seven and eight hitters for Pittsburgh, Don Hoak and Bill Mazeroski, went 4-for-7 with a walk, double, triple and homer, four runs scored and five RBI to carry the Bucs and Vern Law past the Reds 8-2 at Forbes Field. They had been 0-for-8 in the series opener.

5/20 From 1970: Cutch Mark, Neil Night, Matt Moonshot, Play On, Hit Man, Willie Rocket, Teke Debuts, Game Days, Starg Boo'ed, HBD Tony

• 1970 - Pittsburgh beat the Phils 3-2 in 14 innings at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente's third-inning triple, a 440-footer off the left-centerfield light tower, plated Freddie Patek. In the eighth, John Briggs dropped an Al Oliver fly, allowing Matty Alou to score the tying run. Alou later scored the game winner courtesy of two consecutive wild pitches by Philadelphia’s Dick Selma. After a two-out knock, Matty moved up 90’ on the first wayward toss and then scored when the next took a wild bounce off the cement beneath the backstop screen, giving Alou the time to scoot home from second base. Bob Veale started the marathon, followed by five innings of two-hit relief from Dave Giusti before Bruce Dal Canton finished off the last two frames to get credit for the win. 
• 1974 - 27-year-old RHP Kent Tekulve took his MLB bow, tossing a scoreless, one-hit ninth inning at Jarry Park against Montreal in a 4-2 loss. Teke spent a dozen campaigns (1974-85) with the Bucs, posting a line of 70-61-158/2.68. The Rubber Band Man appeared in 722 games, slinging over 1,000 frames with one All Star selection and finishing in the Top Five of Cy Young voting twice. 
• 1978 - Batting against Wayne Twitchell of the Montreal Expos, Willie Stargell hit the only fair ball ever to reach the upper deck of Olympic Stadium. The red seat where the ball landed, 535’ away, was painted yellow to mark the spot (and though baseball has long left, the seat memorial still remains). The Bucs won 6-0 as Bert Blyleven tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts, backed by Pops’ five RBI. 
• 1981 - Mike Easler lived up to his “Hitman” nickname by going 3-for-4 with two homers, a double and four RBI in a 6-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at TRS. Rick Rhoden went six innings to get credit for the win, with Enrique Romo tossing three hitless frames to close it out. 
• 1988 - Former Pirates MVP Willie Stargell was booed at TRS for coaching rival Atlanta, managed by Chuck Tanner, who consoled Pops by telling him “They didn’t deserve to have you.” The Bucs won rather handily despite facing their old legends by a 10-3 score as Junior Ortiz and Mike Diaz teamed up to drive home six runs. Mike Dunne got the win in a game finished by Jim Gott. 

Tony Sanchez - 2014 Bowman

• 1988 - C John Anthony “Tony” Sanchez was born in Miami. He was drafted in the first round (4th pick) of the 2009 draft out of Boston College and first appeared as a Bucco in 2013. Tony hit .259 from 2013-15, serving as a call-up third catcher. He was DFA’ed after the 2015 season and then bounced around, last playing in the Ranger’s system through 2019. 
• 2000 - C Keith Osik made the second mop-up relief appearance of his career, allowing five runs on five hits, two hit batters, a wild pitch and a home run in the ninth inning of a 19-4 loss to the Cards at TRS. Osik became the second position player since 1900 to both give up and hit a home run in the same game when he took Pat Hentgen deep in the eighth inning before serving a long ball to Thomas Howard. The 19 runs were the most the Redbirds had posted since 1977. 
• 2001 - The Pirates did it the hard way at PNC Park - they fell behind the Brewers 7-0 but had two big innings left in them to rally for an 8-7 victory in front of a Sunday crowd of 35,728. The Bucs mounted their first surge in the fifth frame, small-balling three runs across the dish but leaving the bases jammed. Still down by a 7-3 count in the eighth inning, Pittsburgh again did it by hitting the ball where they ain’t, cashing in on five hits (four were singles; Abraham Nunez’s double was the game’s only extra-base hit for the Corsairs out of their 12 raps) and an error to plate five runs and claim the 8-7 comeback win. The real heroes were the five guys called from the pen, who worked 5-1/3 IP of three-hit, one-run ball. Josiah Manzanillo got the win and Mike Williams earned a save. It was the first time since 1998 the Pirates had overcome a seven-run deficit, and it was deja vu all over again: that was also an 8-7 decision over Milwaukee at TRS. 
• 2004 - The Bucs were down 6-0 after an inning and 7-1 after two frames, but Daryle Ward and Jason Bay each bopped a pair of homers with three RBI each to lead the Bucs to a 9-7 comeback win (the biggest since overcoming a seven-run deficit against the Minnesota Twins in June, 2001) over the San Diego Padres at PNC Park. Mike Gonzalez claimed the win and Jose Mesa posted the save. Despite the homers and nine runs scored, the Bucs went 0-for-7 with RISP. 

Daryle Ward - 2005 Fleer Tradition

• 2005 - Matt Lawton hit the longest Pirate homer to date at PNC Park, blasting a 463’ rocket off Colorado’s Jamey Wright in a 9-4 Bucco victory. Lawton and Rob Mackowiak had three RBI each and Tike Redman went 4-for-4. Starter Mark Redman was credited with the win with four relievers filling in behind him to tag team the final eight outs against the Rox. 
• 2011 - Neil Walker hit a homer and double while driving in five runs to lead Pittsburgh to a 10-1 win against Detroit at PNC Park. Jeff Karstens picked up the win, followed by a trio of relievers who carried it home. Jose Tabata and Garrett Jones added two knocks each while Lyle Overbay went long. 
• 2016 - Andrew McCutchen claimed the all-time hits record at PNC Park in front of 23,248 with a first-inning double off the Clemente Wall for career hit number 613 (he’s up to 1,781 raps) at the home grounds, passing Jack Wilson’s mark of 612 knocks. It set up the Bucs first run by sending John Jaso to third, who scored a batter later. Gerrit Cole earned the 2-1 win against the Rockies after allowing one run in seven innings while Mark Melancon picked up his 14th save. 
• 2025 - The Pirates had lost seven of their last 10 games, had a franchise-record streak of 24 games scoring four or fewer runs, sported a 15-33 record and had been drubbed the day before by the Cincy Reds, 7-1. But three of those four items were checked off at PNC Park as the Pirates rode the strong arm of Bailey Falter to a 1-0 victory over the Reds. Bailey gave up four hits over seven frames without a walk while fanning five, working out of a couple of sticky situations during a drizzly Pittsburgh night. Dennis Jackson worked a clean eighth, and after a leadoff rap in the ninth, David Bednar came back with a 4-6-3 DP and fly that Alexander Canario corralled with a nice sliding catch to Raise the Roger. The game’s only score came in the sixth inning when Brian Reynolds singled home Oneill Cruz, who had walked and then swiped second base. Otherwise, it was the same ol’ - the Bucs were 1-of-8 with RISP and only had six hits, two by Spencer Horwitz. They checked off that final box later in the week when they scored five runs against Milwaukee, ending their four-or-less run string at 26 games, tying them for the MLB’s longest weak streak.

5/19 Through 1974: Roberto Rollin', Long Street Starts, Pgh Bopped, Game Days, Shady Fred, Arriba Out; RIP Sam, HBD Ed, Fireball, Newt & Bud

• 1890 - As Pirates Prospects John Dreker noted in “This Date In Pirates History,” this day was a tough one for Pittsburgh baseball fans. Not only did the Alleghenys go down by an 18-2 score, but the Pittsburgh Burghers of the Player’s League lost big too, 16-3. It launched the Alleghenys on an 11-game losing streak; the Burghers lost seven in a row. It was a preview for the Allies, a club that finished at 23-113 in one of the worst campaigns in baseball history, while the Burgers muddled along, finishing sixth with a record of 60-68 in their only season. 
• 1897 - RHP Bernard Aloysius “Bud” Culloton was born in Kingston, New York. His big league time consisted of 13 outings (one start) for the Pirates from 1925-26 with a line of 0-1/3.28 in 24-2/3IP. He spent most of his last campaign at Class A New Haven before calling it a career. 
• 1901 - 2B Newt Allen was born in Austin, Texas. He spent over two decades playing in the Negro Leagues, almost entirely (17 of 20 pro seasons w/three All Star nods) with the Kansas City Monarchs. He spent the 1932 campaign suited up with the Homestead Grays and batted .250. 
• 1913 - RHP Theolic “Fireball” Smith was born in Wabbaseka, Arkansas. He began his career with the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1936-38, going 4-11 in 16 starts. It was the start of a well-traveled career that lasted until the 1955 season with stops in the Negro, Mexican and Pacific Coast Leagues. Fireball was not only an All-Star pitcher several times over, but hit well enough to be used as an outfielder. His nickname described both his fastball and his quick temper. 

Fireball Smith - 1947 photo via RMY Auctions

• 1915 - Player-manager Fred Clarke filed a patent application for flip down sunglasses that he designed to be used in the outfield that was granted on May 2nd, 1916. In addition to the shades, which the future Hall of Famer believes are "good for motorists, too," he also created and was issued patents for a sliding pad and a mechanical field tarpaulin. 
• 1953 - RHP Sam Leever, who spent his entire 13-year career in Pittsburgh (1898-1910) died in his hometown of Goshen, Ohio. Leever went 194-100/2.43 and won 20+ games four times. Leever wasn’t a hard thrower, but his curve and outstanding control made him one of the era’s better hurlers. Mark Armour of SABR passed on this Leever tale: “In 1924 Leever was startled to discover that he was dead, or believed to be so. As reported in The Sporting News, "he had a great deal of enjoyment out of reading his own obituary, and he appreciates all the nice things that were said about him, but he insists that he is not even half-dead. In fact, Sam says he never felt better in his life, and he had no thought whatever of cashing in." The misinformation was due to the passing of a distant relative with the same name; Sam didn’t shuffle off this mortal coil until three decades later. 
• 1955 - RHP Ed Whitson was born in Johnson City, Tennessee. He never worked a full season during his 1977-79 tenure in Pittsburgh, compiling an 8-9-5/3.73 slash. But he lasted 13 years in the show as a fairly durable starter, even making an All-Star appearance as a SF Giant. He’s also noted for his stormy stretch as a Yankee, highlighted by an altercation with manager Billy Martin. 

Ed Whitson - 1978 Topps

• 1956 - Dale Long's ninth-inning home run against the Cubs’ Jim Davis was the first of eight consecutive games in which he homered, triggering an MLB record-setting power spree. The Bucs won the game, 7-4, at Forbes Field. Long also doubled and had four RBI while Nellie King picked up the victory. 
• 1959 - Roberto Clemente came out of the game with St. Louis at Busch Stadium complaining of elbow pain. He had been achy since camp (he believed it was an old battle scar that was acting up) and aggravated the injury with a hard landing while making a diving catch earlier against LA. The Great One missed several weeks of the campaign, not returning until July 9th, still sore but able to throw again. Clemente played in only 105 games and batted .296 that year, but recovered enough to play winter ball and was at 100% by the spring. 
• 1970 - The Philadelphia Phillies snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Bucs with a 2-0 victory at Forbes Field. Lefty Chris Short fanned 10 and held the Bucs to four hits; two were by Manny Sanguillen, who found second base a sack too far when was thrown out stealing and nailed trying to stretch a long single into a double. Dock Ellis went the distance, giving up seven hits and a couple of small ball, two-out runs: a walk followed by two singles in the opening frame and a steal of home in the second set up by a forceout, steal and wild pitch. 
• 1971 - 36-year-old Roberto Clemente drilled Riverfront Stadium's first-ever inside-the-park home run off Gary Nolan. Clemente added a triple and two singles with three RBI and three runs to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-1 decision over the Reds, helping Bob Moose to the victory.

5/19 From 1975: USS Petey, Kendall Cycle, No Smiles From John, Bibby Beauty, Game Days, Giles Lands $45M Contract, Marinez Claimed, HBD Ji-Man & Brandon

• 1976 - The Pirates scored six runs in the last two innings to defeat the Cardinals 7-6 at Busch Stadium. Richie Zisk had a double and a homer in the final two frames, giving him three hits, three RBIs and two scores to help Bob Moose claim the win in relief. Manny Sanguillen added three hits and walked twice. 
• 1977 - IF Brandon Inge was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Bucs grabbed him in 2013 in his 13th season, hoping that he could provide some bop off the bench. Instead, he hit .181 with one long ball and was released in July. He retired to raise his boys and work his 400-acre farm in Lynchburg. 
• 1981 - Jim Bibby tossed a near perfecto, giving up an end-of-the-bat blooper that fell between 2B Phil Garner and RF Mike Easler to Braves’ leadoff hitter Terry Harper and then retiring the next 27 batters in a 5-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves at TRS. There was a rain delay shortly after the knock and after the clouds quit crying, Bibby was perfect as he coaxed Atlanta to hit ‘em where they were; he only whiffed three Bravos. C Steve Nicosia called the game and had a pair of runs driven in while Mike Easler scored twice. Bibby single-handedly outhit the Braves with a pair of doubles. Just 5,514 dripping fans witnessed Big Jim’s gem. 

John wasn't Smiley - 1990 Topps

• 1990 - LHP John Smiley broke his finger when he closed a cab door on it in Atlanta and missed the next few weeks, not returning until July 1st. He had been 3-3/3.35 before the accident; he went 6-7/5.21 afterwards. But the lefty returned to his dominating ways in 1991, winning 20 games w/a 3.08 ERA, earning an All Star spot and finishing third in the Cy Young vote. 
• 1991 - 1B Ji-Man Choi was born in Incheon, South Korea. Signed by Seattle in 2010, Choi had played seven seasons for the Angels, Yankees, Brewers and Rays, who traded him to Pittsburgh in the 2022 offseason for minor league RHP Jack Hartman. Ji-Man was brought in to at least temporarily cover a gaping vacancy at first base, with a career slash of .239/115 OPS+. He slumped at the plate in the second half of the season for Tampa and had off season clean-out elbow surgery. His physical woes continued, though, as an Achilles injury landed him on the 60-day IL early in the season. He got into 23 games as a Bucco, hitting six homers but with a .205 BA. He and Rich Hill were packaged at the deadline and dealt to San Diego. He played in Korea and is now a free agent. 
• 1998 - Jose Silva won his third straight game, spinning an eight-inning, four-hit shutout over the Padres to take a 3-0 win at TRS, with Ricardo Rincon and Rich Loiselle closing it out. It was the Pirates league-leading sixth shutout of the year. Jose Guillen had a pair of hits, scoring once and chasing home a run. Jermaine Allensworth tripled and scored while making the big play of the game by running down a Steve Finley gapper at the track and turning the ticketed hit into a DP. Only one runner reached second against Jose, with two gone in the eighth. 
• 2000 - Jason Kendall hit for the cycle, the first and only one at TRS by a Bucco, and added five RBI as the Bucs beat the Cards, 13-1. He did his deed against three different St. Louis hurlers. The last Bucco cycle was by Gary Redus in 1989 at Riverfront Stadium. Kris Benson tossed a three-hitter and struck out 11 Redbirds in the win; four Pirates had two hits and Kevin Young went deep. 

Brian Giles - 2000 Pacific Aurora

• 2000 - Before the game, the Bucs and Brian Giles agreed on a five-year contract worth $45M. He got a $5M signing bonus to be paid in 2001, originally an option year, and the remainder, minus deferred payments, paid out in $8M+ parcels through 2005. Giles was very good during that time, hitting 20+ homers with an OPS+ that never dropped under 145, but he was dealt before the deal expired when he was sent to San Diego in August of 2003 for Jason Bay and Ollie Perez. 
• 2009 - Washington rallied from a 5-0 deficit to tie the Bucs in the ninth but lost 8-5 when future National Adam LaRoche doubled home a pair in the 10th off Joe Beimel, who became a Pirate reliever in 2011. Brandon Moss had three RBI and Andy LaRoche added two more in the win at Nationals Park. Tom Gorzelanny, who also made a later stop in DC, earned the victory. 
• 2015 - Pedro Alvarez became the third player, after Daryle Ward and Garrett Jones, to reach the Allegheny on the fly at PNC Park when his 461’ drive landed in a docked boat. Otherwise, the night didn’t go so well as Minnesota whipped the Bucs, 8-5. Frankie Liriano gave up seven runs in two innings, and the Bucs chipped away but could never put together a big inning. Pittsburgh had 13 hits but 11 K, 10 stranded runners and a 4-for-17 RISP performance. 
• 2017 - The Pirates claimed RHP Jhan Marinez off waivers from the Brewers. Marinez had a solid 2016 campaign working for Tampa Bay and Milwaukee (3.18 ERA in 46 appearances/62-1/3 IP) but after a slow start in 2017, the Brew Crew let him go. The multi-role reliever reacted well to the change of scenery, going 0-1/3.18 as a Bucco. But his peripherals weren’t that shiny, so the Bucs released him in August and he finished the year with the Rangers. He then turned his career homewards to the Latin Leagues, and is now pitching for Veracruz.

Weekly Report: PNC Blues, O'Hearn Out, Endy Up, Seth Promoted, Hans, Pud & Oldies Honored

Home show...

Pirates Stuff:

• Hoo boy...Ryan O’Hearn was removed from Saturday’s game with right quad discomfort. After an MRI, he was placed on the 10-day IL (he's expected to miss a month) and Jake Mangum, who was on the IL, returned. On the plus side, Jared Jones is slated to make one more rehab start and then be ready for action.

Ryan won't be swingin' it for a bit...(Pirates image)

• Tuesday moves: C Endy Rodriguez (he has 61 MLB games behind the dish) and RHP Brandan Bidois (he became the Pirates first Australian-born MLB player) were recalled from AAA. C Joey Bart was placed on the 10-day IL due to a left foot infection and RHP Cam Sanders was again yo-yo'ed back to Indy. It was later announced that Joey Bart is expected out for weeks, not days, so it looks like Hank and Endy will back the dish for awhile. Bidnois didn't have to wait long to become the first 'Burgh player from down under to get into the box score as he got into Wednesday's game, giving up a run on two hits in an inning's work. Endy caught on Thursday and had a pair of hits & RBIs in his 2026 debut.
• Nick Yorke was optioned to Indy on Sunday; his replacement will be announced Tuesday when the Card series opens.
• The Pirates sent Indy insurance IF Alika Williams to the Athletics in exchange for High-A RHP Kyle Robinson.

Paul Skenes doin' Paul Skenes stuff...5/12/2026 (photo MLB)

• Paul Skenes struck out the first six Rox he faced on Tuesday. It's the second time in his career he's opened with six K. He struck out the side again in the sixth to become the only Pirates pitcher from 1901 on to post that feat. Paul joined Bob Veale (Sept. 16-22, 1963) & Steve Blass (Sept. 15-20, 1968) as the only Pirates pitchers since 1901 to pitch eight scoreless innings with two or fewer hits in back-to-back starts.
• OF Jhostynxon Garcia's rehab (back) has ended and he's now playing at Indy. Password missed about a month due to the injury. Guess he's feelin' healthy now - he went 5-for-5 with three homers in his Tuesday comeback.
• Seth Hernandez was promoted to Greensboro. His first outing went five scoreless, hitless innings with four walks and seven Ks.

Game Stuff:

• The Pirates swept the Rox in their three-game set at PNC last year and sent out Paul Skenes to keep the good times rollin' Tuesday night. He sure did, going eight scoreless frames, giving up two hits and striking out 10 in a 3-1 dub.
• It was 3-0 good guys going into the sixth before Mitch Keller and the Bucs fell apart. When the final gun sounded, it was 10-4 Rox as they evened the series. The game had more than its share of little league moments as Pittsburgh surrendered three unearned runs and the baserunning was a thing to behold... 
• We're guessin' that Pirates love November weather as they took a 7-2 series-clincher from Colorado on a gray and windy day. Carmen Mlodzinski worked five frames to get the dub, Ryan O'Hearn had three hits, including a dinger, and pups Konnor Griffin and Endy Rodriguez added a pair of knocks, as did Jared Triolo.

Carmen Mlodzinski - image April 2026 Sportsnet Pgh

• The Pirates jumped ahead 6-0 and had an 8-3 lead after six frames v Philly on Friday's Zambelli night as Brandon Lowe & Marcell Ozuna went deep. They were still up 8-5 going into the ninth, when Gregory Sota imploded, allowing the Phils to tie it up. Dennis Santana gave up three more in the 10th, and a Buc rally fell sure in a brutal 11-9 loss in front of stunned crowd of 29,998 faithful.
• Bubba wasn't the answer Saturday and the Buc bats were mousy silent against Christopher Sanchez in a 6-0 whipping at PNC.
• A sunny Sunday afternoon drew a nice crowd of 37,820, the third sellout of the season. Unfortunately for his stans, Paul Skenes proved he was human against Philadelphia and they swept the set, 6-0.
• The Pirates are now off to St. Louis to lick their wounds, then they go to Toronto. Both are three-game sets.

MLB Stuff:

• SABR began releasing their All-Era Teams, starting with the 19th Century (1876-1900) & Deadball (1901-1919) Eras. James "Pud" Galvin repped the town on the 19th Century club with Hans Wagner the Deadball Era's only first-team Pirate. 19th Century reserves were Deacon White & Ned Hanlon while the Deadball Era backups included Buccos Barney Dreyfuss, Fred Clarke, Rube Waddell, Happy Jack Chesbro & Connie Mack
• Tommy Pham inked a minor league deal with the Orioles. It includes a June opt-out if he's not on the O's MLB roster by then.
• Mets RHP Clay Holmes suffered a broken fibula on Friday when the Yankees' Spencer Jones drilled a 111 MPH liner off Clay's leg. He was placed on the 15-day IL and faces a long recovery with an August return at the earliest.
• RHP Peter Strzelecki, who the Bucs signed last year and stashed at Indy before releasing him in July, was called up by Milwaukee.

5/18 Through the 1960s: Hopp Hoppin', Sizzlin' Start, 5 For Max, Crafty Hans, Game Days, Iron Maz; HBD Bill, Cy & Babe

• 1882 - Charles Benjamin “Babe” Adams was born in Tipton, Indiana. The righty worked 18 seasons for Pittsburgh (1907-26), compiling a 194-140-16/2.74 line; his win total is the franchise's second highest, tied with Sam Leever and behind Wilbur Cooper's 202 dubs. He almost single-handedly won the Pirates first World Series title, going 3-0 in 1909 against the Tigers & Ty Cobb, tossing three complete game six-hitters while allowing just four runs in 27 IP. Brian Adams of SABR explains his nickname: “According to one story, his Denver teammates pinned it on him in 1907 after a woman asking for his autograph told him he had a nice round face like a baby's. But James Skipper, Jr., in his book “Baseball Nicknames,” states that Adams earned the sobriquet during his 1908 Louisville stint because female fans hollered ‘Oh, you babe!’ whenever he took the mound. Either way, the dark-featured Adams apparently was popular with the ladies…” 
• 1885 - Eros Bolivar “Cy” (presumably for Cyclone) Barger was born in Jamestown, New York. Cy could do a little bit of everything. He was primarily a RH starting pitcher and LH batter who played the OF as needed for the New York Highlanders, Brooklyn Superbas, Brooklyn Dodgers and the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels (1914–15), slashing 19-24-7/3.52 while hitting .234 at his last big-league stop. He went to Transylvania University in Lexington and is their only major league alum. 
• 1892 - Bill Batsch was born in Mingo Junction, Ohio. After starring at Bethany College and less certain, at Pitt, he joined the Bucs in 1916 for the briefest of baseball careers - he pinch hit once in a September game, drawing a walk and ending his day by being thrown out at home, never playing the field. Bill passed away at age 71 on New Year’s Eve, 1963 in Canton, Ohio. 

Hans - 2014 Panini Legendary Lumberjacks

• 1906 - Christy Mathewson lost to the Pirates and Lefty Leifield 7-6 at Exposition Park. Honus Wagner had three hits and the defensive play of the game. He erased Bill Dahlen from second base in the ninth inning with the ol’ hidden ball trick, sneaking in from behind with the tag as Dahlen focused on the action in front of him. NY Giants manager John McGraw was so furious with his veteran SS for napping on the bases that he hit him with a $100 fine, which was later rescinded. 
• 1910 - The Pirates beat the Doves (also known as the Beaneaters and later to become the Braves) 8-5 at Forbes Field for their 25th victory over Boston in 26 games. Howie Camitz got the win, supported by Dots Miller’s three hits along with Tommy Leach, Fred Clarke and John Flynn who each had a pair of knocks. The Doves became hawks the next day, finally breaking into the win column against Pittsburgh by a 6-3 tally, scoring five ninth-inning runs off Big Bill Powell and Sam Leever. The Bucs finished the campaign with a 14-8 record against Boston. 
• 1917 - Pittsburgh outfielders banged out 11 hits as Max Carey went 5-for-5 while Casey Stengel and Carson Bigbee added three knocks each in an 11-4 win over Brooklyn. The trio had five runs scored, three RBI, three extra-base hits, a walk and four stolen bases as a unit to lead a 16-hit attack at Forbes Field. Frank Miller went the distance for the win over the Robins.
• 1921 - The Pirates improved to 21-6 on the season with an 11-2 win over the Brooklyn Robins at Ebbets Field in New York. Wilbur Cooper, who would finish the season with 22 wins, tossed a complete game while winning his sixth straight decision to start the year. All nine starters had at least one hit, including Cooper, who brought home two runs with a triple in the fifth inning. The team won 90 games, but blew the pennant when they lost 10-of-12 from August 23rd to September 2nd, whittling a 7-1/2 game lead to a mere half game. The NY Giants pulled past the stumbling Pirates, winning the pennant by four games. 

Wilbur Copper - photo/Detroit Public Library

• 1935 - IF Ken Hamlin was born in Detroit. He was signed by the Pirates as a FA in 1957, and made his big league debut two weeks later with a second shot in 1959, going 1-for-9 in five games total. Ken was traded to KC as part of the Hal Smith deal in the 1959 off season, spending the next five years with the Athletics, Angels, and Senators as a good-glove sub, hitting .241 in 463 games for his AL teams. He kept in the game when he retired, opening a baseball camp in Michigan. 
• 1949 - The Pirates dealt 1B Johnny Hopp to the Brooklyn Dodgers for OF Marv Rackley. Hopp went 0-for-14 and Rackley 11-for-35 before the trade was canceled on June 7th; it ended up that Rackley had a bum arm that Brooklyn forgot (ooops!) to mention before he was traded, although some think it was a ploy to get back to Brooklyn. Rackley was done in 1950, while Hopp gave the Bucs a couple more .300+ years before he was sold to the Yankees in September, 1950. 
• 1968 - Bill Mazeroski played his 392nd straight game, then a record for National League 2B, in an 8-3 loss to the Reds. The streak started in 1965, and he played two straight seasons without missing a match - 162 games in ‘66 and 163 (there was a tie that was counted as a complete game, then replayed with the Cubs, adding an extra match) in ‘67, another record. His streak ended the following day when Chuck Hiller gave the slumping Maz (2-for-24) a blow.

5/18 From 1970: Clint Opener, Starling: From Zero To Hero, Jumpin' Jack's 13th, Jay's 2nd Slam & Bo's 1st, Game Days: RIP Rennie, HBD Josh, Joachim & Nelson

• 1970 - The Pirates won a game at Forbes Field on a blown-up play that plated the winning run, then didn’t, then did again, to hand the Phillies their 10th straight loss, 2-1. The game was played with three umpires when one member of the crew came down with the flu, an omen of things to come. Then in the seventh, the Bucs tied the game 1-1 and had runners on the corners with an out. Pitcher Bob Moose was up and couldn’t lay down an attempted squeeze, then took a check swing on a tight 1-2 pitch. The umpire ruled it a ball, checked with first, and changed the tune to a swinging K. The pitch had meanwhile gotten away from the catcher, scoring Manny Sanguillen. Maz, on first, tried to get to third and was thrown out; to add to the bedlam, Moose sprinted to first, even though he was already out because there had been a runner on first when he fanned. The run counted, said the blue crew, who then gathered and decided it didn’t because it came in during a DP. Danny Murtaugh argued the ruling and then protested the game. The umpires reconvened, finally getting it right - the run was kosher because the passed ball between the strikeout and throw-out negated a rulebook DP. The Whistling Irishman withdrew his protest and Phils manager Frank Lucchesi shrugged his shoulders and said “The only thing I couldn’t figure is why they (the umpires) waited so long. Up until then, I was just trying to steal something.” 
• 1974 - RHP Nelson Figueroa was born in Brooklyn. He signed as a free agent with the Pirates in 2003 and spent most of the season pitching for the Nashville Sounds, the AAA affiliate of the Pirates. In his two Pittsburgh seasons, Nelson went 2-4/4.38. He was, unknown to the club, suffering from arm woes in 2004 and had TJ surgery in 2005. That ended his Bucco stay, although he did return to the fold in 2011, working for AAA Indianapolis. He finished with parts of nine big-league seasons under his belt working as a long guy and spot starter. 
• 1984 - RHP Joachim Soria was born in Monclova, Mexico. The Pirates picked up the reliever from the Tigers at the 2015 deadline in exchange for OF JaCoby Jones, and he was strong as a setup guy, earning a save and 11 holds in 29 outings while tossing to a 2.03 ERA (his FIP was 1.93 with 10 K per nine innings). He left for Kansas City in the offseason as a free agent, bounced around the league and while at Oakland, set the record for most appearances by a Mexican-born hurler (674 games) in 2019. Joakim last played for Toronto in 2021 while JaCoby called it a career after six seasons with the Tigers and a minor league stay with Kansas City in ‘22. 

Bobby Bo - 1990 Score Superstars

• 1990 - Bobby Bonilla cracked his first MLB grand slam and Bob Walk cruised on the hill as Pittsburgh defeated the Braves 9-3 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Wally Backman also added a two-run shot to support Walk. Backman had four hits on the night and Chico Lind added three more. 
• 1996 - LHP Josh Fleming was born in Bridgeton, Missouri. A fifth round pick of Tampa Bay in 2017 out of Webster U, he tossed for the Rays from 2020-23, with a slash of 19-13-1/4.88 during an injury-battered stay as a multi-role hurler (he made 22 starts in 55 outings). Let go in the 2023 off season, he signed with the Bucs and broke training camp with the club in 2024, which had its share of bullpen arms out of action to create room. He got into 17 games, slashing 1-1-1/5.68 with 13 K in 19 IP, and was DFA’ed on May 14. Josh is now in the Toronto system. 
• 2006 - Jason Bay hit his second career grand slam to highlight a six-run first inning for the Pirates against the Reds at PNC Park. Freddy Sanchez collected three hits while on the road to winning the National League batting title with a .344 BA, Jose Castillo added three more knocks and Jeremy Burnitz went long. Despite all that, the Bucs blew their 6-0 jump and lost 9-8 as Victor Santos, Matt Capps and company couldn’t close the gates against Cincy.
• 2009 - Jack Wilson went 4-for-4 (for Jumpin’ Jack, it was the lucky 13th time he had rattled off four knocks in a single contest) and the Pirates batted 7-for-14 with RISP while scoring nine runs off the Washington bullpen - the Nats added four errors - en route to a 12-7 win at Nationals Park. The Bucs were losing 5-3 before scoring five times in the sixth inning and they never looked back. Wilson doubled twice, singled and tripled while Craig Monroe chipped in with a three-run blast. Ross Ohlendorf was the shaky starter but the beneficiary of the big inning. Ohlie was credited with the win, with Jesse Chavez, Tom Gorzelanny, John Grabow and Matt Capps nailing it down 
• 2011 - Charlie Morton tossed a five-hit shutout while homers from Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen provided all the runs as the Pirates whipped the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 at GABP. It was already Morton’s second shutout and third complete game of the year. He picked a bad day to get much notice as there were five whitewashes spun on this day around the league. 

Charlie Morton - 2011 Topps Diamond

• 2012 - Josh Harrison broke up Justin Verlander’s no-hit bid with one out in the ninth inning when he softly lined a curve ball into center, salvaging a glimmer of pride for the team. Verlander K’ed 12 Buccos and walked a pair at Comerica Park in leading the Detroit Tigers to a 6-0 victory.
• 2014 - The Pirates split a twin bill at Yankee Stadium, dropping the opener 4-3 and taking the nightcap 5-3. Charlie Morton gave up three first-inning runs in the first game and Starling Marte whiffed four times in four at-bats, with eight swings-and-misses. But baseball has a way of reversing fortune, and in the second game, Marte’s two-run homer was key in Gerrit Cole’s win (saved by Mark Melancon). Starling became the first Pirate in 60 years, after Preston Ward in 1954, to wear the golden sombrero in the first game of a double header and then go deep in the nightcap. Other second game standouts were C Chris Stewart with two RBI & a pick-off at third and OF Josh Harrison, who homered, doubled and made a diving catch late in the game to seal the deal. Fun factoid: the second game victory was a long time comin’ - it was the first win the Pirates had claimed over the Bronx Bombers in New York since the 1960 World Series. 
• 2019 - The Pirates had two starters (Jameson Taillon & Trevor Williams) on the IL, and to fill the breach, Clint Hurdle cobbled together one of the the Bucs’ first “opener” games. (Jim Leyland had started RH reliever Ted Power in an NLCS game on 10/12/1990 v the Reds to get Cincy to start a lineup of lefties; after 2-1/3 IP, he had southpaw Zane Smith follow). Montana DuRapau started, followed by Steven Brault, Michael Feliz, Kyle Crick, Frankie Liriano and Geoff Hartlieb. The pitching committee struck out 13 Friars during the contest and the Bucco batters made their day stress-free by banging four long balls (Josh Bell had two, Gregory Polanco and Bryan Reynolds the others) in a 7-2 win at Petco Park. Brault, who worked 3-1/3 innings, got the win. 
• 2021 - Rennie Stennett passed away in Florida at the age of 72 after battling cancer. The Panamanian played for the Pirates from 1971-79 and was part of MLB's first all-minority lineup, a member of two World Series teams, and set the modern-day record with his seven-hit game of 1975. His career was derailed in 1977 after a slide broke his leg and ended after the 1981

5/17 Through 1954: Rabbit-Rocky, Hank & Jackie, Sam Tops Iron Man, Wanna Bet, Game Days, HBD Ozzie, Cool Papa, Harry, Hal, Elmer, Fred, Frank, Henry & Billy

• 1857 - IF Billy Reid was born in London, Ontario. The second baseman was part of a wave of Ontario-born Canadian players that played in the majors around the turn of the 20th century. He had a brief career, spending his second (and last) big league season with the Alleghenys, batting .243 in 1884, after a stint with the Baltimore Orioles. Billy played in the minors until 1888 before returning to London. 
• 1858 - UT Henry Oberbeck was born in St. Louis (maybe) Missouri (for sure). He played 66 matches for two leagues and four teams in two years for a short-lived but busy MLB career. Henry started out with two games at first base for the Alleghenys in 1883, going two-for-nine with a double and a run scored before moving on to the hometown St. Louis Browns. Henry left an impact on baseball when he won a suit against the Browns (Henry Oberbeck v. Sportsman’s Park and Club Association) to collect his entire contracted salary of $785 (although pro-rated by the jury to $431); the MO of the teams of that era was to quit paying a player once they had released him. The verdict was one of the early court decisions that ruled contracts not only bound the player to the team, but that the team was bound to pay its players, although owners found ways to circumvent it. 
• 1860 - RHP Frank Mountain was born in Fort Edward, New York. Frank, who was coming off a 23-win campaign with a no-hitter, was one of 10 players the Alleghenys bought from the defunct Columbus Colts club after the 1884 season. Frank only got to pitch seven games in 1985-86, going 1-6/5.23, and saw more time in his second year at 1B. After hitting .145, his MLB days were done. 
• 1868 - LHP Fred Woodcock was born in Winchendon, Massachusetts. Fred’s MLB career consisted of five games (four starts) tossed for the 1892 Pirates; he went 1-2/3.35. He was signed out of Brown (he started at Dartmouth and there were suspicions that he was a pro at some point during his college career) by Bucco manager Bill McGunnigle, who was high on him. But alas for both Gunner and Fred, Tom Burns became the Pirates skipper and Woodcock was released. He later pitched for a couple of New England League teams and then traded the bump for a desk, becoming a successful insurance broker. 

Elmer Steele - 1911 Conlan Collection/Detroit Public Library

• 1886 - RHP Elmer Steele was born in Rhinebeck, New York. He spent the final two seasons of his five-year career with Pittsburgh in 1910-11, slashing 9-10-2/2.56 over that time. He left the team under unusual circumstances, being sold to Brooklyn in September although the Pirates were in a pennant race at the time. One school of thought believed he had a bad arm, though the likelier tale is that the fiery Steele had thrown several tantrums and finally pushed the Pirates to the brink when he tossed a sweater in the face of Pirates manager Fred Clarke per Bill Newlin of SABR. At any rate, 1911 was his last big league year. He played in the minors until 1914 and settled into being a player & manager in the local Hudson Valley leagues while spending 30 years as a mailman for his day job. 
• 1889 - Per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects “After issuing 10 BB in his debut (on this date), Pittsburgh P Al Krumm offered to buy a hat for any batter that drew a BB off him next game.” The Alleghenys lost that match to the NY Giants 11-7 as Krumm went the distance. He never did get a chance to back up his bet - that outing with the Allies was the only MLB game the wild child ever pitched. 
• 1892 - RHP Harold “Hal” Carlson was born in Rockford, Illinois. He was with the Pirates from 1917-23, with a year off as an infantryman in WW1, posting a 42-55/3.64 line as a curve-ball specialist; he had started out as a spitballer, but wasn’t grandfathered in when the pitch was outlawed. Hal was handy with a stick, too, hitting .224. Carlson died while with the Cubs at the age of 38, the victim of a stomach hemorrhage that some speculate may have been an undiagnosed consequence of being gassed during the Battle of the Argonne Forest. 
• 1897 - 3B Harry Riconda was born in New York City. He spent parts of six years in the majors, with a brief two-month stop in Pittsburgh in 1929, arriving as part of the Glenn Wright trade with Brooklyn. Harry got into eight games and went a pretty solid 7-for-15 with three runs scored and two RBI, but was still sent to the minors next season (Hall of Famer Pie Traynor owned third base at the time). He was lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 draft, got one at bat with Cincy's MLB squad and then retired two years later after spending time with four farm clubs. 

Cool Papa Bell - 2004 E-Topps

• 1903 - James “Cool Papa” Bell was born in Starkville, Mississippi. He played for both the Homestead Grays (1932, 1943–1946) and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1933–1938), posting a .337 BA in the Negro Leagues. His speed was legendary. One Satch Paige story goes that when facing Bell, the outfielder hit a liner up that went zipping past Paige's ear and hit Bell in the butt as he was sliding into second base. He also claimed that when he roomed with Bell, Cool Papa hit the light switch one night and was in bed before the light went out. The first Mexican League Triple Crown winner (he played there for three years), Bell was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Per “Mississippi History Now,” Bell told baseball writer John Holway about his nickname: “They said that ‘he’s so cool he don’t get excited.’ St. Louis Stars Manager Bill Gatewood said, ‘We’ve got to add something to it. We’ll call him Cool Papa.’” Thus was born the legendary name. The Negro League Museum has a slightly different take, saying that when Gatewood voiced that Bell might be nervous before a big game, Bell responded with a "Don't worry!" and thus became "Cool Papa." Yet a third goes back to his pitching days (yep, he started out on the hill) per Baseball Comes Alive: Teammates referred to him as “Cool” after he struck out Oscar Charleston, and then he added “Papa” because he thought it sounded better. Yet another story says that veteran teammates gave him the moniker as a 17-year-old rookie, when their predictions that big summer crowds would intimidate him proved false. Whichever bit of lore is right, James Bell was obviously a Cool Papa from the start 
• 1906 - “The Goshen Schoolmaster” Sam Leever tossed a three-hit shutout against Iron Man Joe McGinnity as the Bucs defeated the New York Giants 2-0. Leever faced just 27 NY batters at Expo Park. Two runners were erased on DPs and the other was caught stealing. Tommie Leach scored the first run and drove home the second. It was a turnaround in fortune for the Pirates. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that after the win “You couldn’t find a ‘knocker’ within 10 miles of Exposition Park...(when) a week ago those Buccaneers were mutts.” To add insult to injury, Giant manager John “Mugsy” McGraw was hauled in front of a magistrate after the game and charged with assault after getting into a post-game shouting match with some boys on the way back to his hotel. The “joshing” ended when Mugsy grabbed the whip from his coach driver and lashed at the kids (literally). He caught one urchin in the face, sending him tumbling out of his wagon and Mugsy rolling into court. 

Sam Leever - Helmar 1906 T260

• 1920 - The Pirates scored three runs in the bottom of the 15th to edge the Giants 7-6 at Forbes Field. NY plated a pair in the 15th when C Walter Schmidt took his sweet time chasing down a wild pitch by Elmer Ponder, allowing not one but two Giants to score. Pittsburgh rallied and took the contest in their half when Charlie Grimm singled in Possum Whitted with two down for the game winner. Because of all that overtime action, the game took an unwieldy 2:43 to complete. 
• 1932 - Utilityman Osvaldo “Ozzie” Virgil Sr. was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. The first Dominican to reach MLB, he spent nine campaigns as a bench player, stopping in Pittsburgh in 1965 and hitting .265 while playing infield and catching. After he retired, he coached for nearly 20 years. His son, Ozzie Jr., played in 11 MLB seasons (1980–90) and was a two-time NL All-Star. 
• 1947 - Hank Greenberg, who had heard an anti-semitic slur or three during his career, made Jackie Robinson’s transition a little easier when he checked on Robinson after a collision at first, then advised Jackie to “...stick in there. You’re doing fine” during a 4-0 Bucco win at Forbes Field over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Per Paul Guggenheimer of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Hammerin’ Hank (Greenberg was the original) told Jackie “Don’t pay attention to these guys who are trying to make it hard for you. I hope that you and I can get together for a talk. There are a few things I’ve learned down through the years that might help you and make it easier.” As far as the game went, da Bums outhit Pittsburgh 12-4, but one of the Pirate knocks was a two-run homer by Greenberg. 1951 - Pittsburgh sent SS Stan Rojek to the St. Louis Cardinals for OF Erv Dusak and 1B Rocky Nelson. Nelson batted .267 in 71 games, then was put on waivers and claimed by the Chicago White Sox before the 1951 season ended. After bouncing around with five other clubs, he returned to the Pirates for a more memorable stint from 1959-61. Dusak played 41 games and hit .273 during the 1951-52 campaigns, his final hurrah in the majors. The Happy Rabbit was at the finish line, too, playing just 60 more games before his career ended in 1952.