7/21 Through 1984: Pops Last Pop, Lynch Launch, Roberto Rocks/18-Gamer, Pie's 22-Gamer, Game Days, Frankie HoF, All-Timers, TSN Cobra, HBD Kimera, Dick & Cy

1877 - LHP Irv “Young Cy” Young was born in Columbia Falls, Maine. Irv worked on the railroad and played amateur ball; he didn’t join a pro team until he was 27 and was good enough to be in the majors the following year. He was a star pitcher for a terrible team, the Boston Beaneaters, and the Pirates had interest in him even then; they offered to buy him in September of his 1905 rookie campaign for $7,500 but were turned down. They persisted and finally in 1908 he was traded to the Pirates for pitchers Tom McCarthy and Harley Young. In 16 games for the Bucs, Young was 4-3-1/2.01. Sadly for Irv, the 1909 Bucs were loaded with pitchers - their top six starters were Vic Willis, Howie Camnitz, Nick Maddux, Lefty Leifield, Babe Adams & Deacon Phillippe - and despite Irv’s strong showing, he was on the outside looking in. Young Cy returned with the White Sox in 1910 and pitched well, but after the following season, his age 34 campaign, he was done. Something Out Of Nothing: in 1905, Irv went 20-21 for the Boston Beaneaters to become one of two pitchers (Ned Garver of the 1951 St. Louis Browns was the other at 20-12) in the post–1900 era to win 20 games for a team that lost 100 games (the Hub’s record was 51-103), and the lefty also posted the most wins earned by a pitcher with an overall losing record.

1927 - IF Dick Smith was born in Blandburg, Cambria County. The Bucs signed him out of Lock Haven, and from 1951-55 he yo-yoed back and forth between Pittsburgh and the minors. In 70 games over that span, he hit .134, never reaching the Mendoza Line in any of his five campaigns. But he was a decent minor league hitter, and his pro career spanned from 1949-60 with the last seven years spent mainly in the Pacific Coast League before he retired at age 32.

1932 - The Pirates tied the Cubs in the seventh frame on a Dave Barbee triple and Gus Suhr sac fly, then with the bases empty and two outs in the ninth inning, rallied for a 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Pie Traynor singled to keep the contest alive and then came all the way around when Lloyd Waner, who had entered the game in the eighth inning, doubled on the next pitch to plate Pie with the game winner. Ray Kremer tossed a complete game seven-hitter, retiring the last eight hitters, for the win. Little Poison’s walkoff knock kept alive his 22-game hitting streak, with Lloyd posting hits in 31-of-32 contests.

1942 - At Forbes Field, in front of 11,500 fans in a game under the new Forbes Field lights, KC Monarchs (and ex-Pittsburgh Crawfords) pitcher Satchel Paige intentionally walked Howard Easterling with Grays on first and second and set up a battle with Homestead’s Josh Gibson. Years earlier, Paige had told Gibson that one day he would strike him out with the bases jammed, and the showman decided now was that time. Well, he didn't fan him (Josh did K twice), but Satch did coax a pop to left with the same result. Still, the Grays rallied from a 4-0 deficit, tying the game with a four-spot in the eighth and won 5-4 in 11 innings. Paige got his revenge when he later won three Negro League World Series games against Homestead to lead KC to the title.

Frankie Frisch - 1961 Fleer Hall of Fame

1947 - Frankie “The Fordham Flash” Frisch was enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He never played for the Bucs but managed the club from 1940-46. His teams were usually competitive (539-528/.505) but never serious contenders, and Frankie's years of steering the Pirates were remembered more for his colorful on-field antics than claiming clutch victories.

1950 - 19-year-old Bob Friend, who had been signed out of Purdue as a freshman and was working his first minor league campaign at Class B Waco, tossed a no-hitter against Wichita Falls, fanning eight and walking a pair, to win his 12th game as a pro. After the game, the youngster was promoted to Indianapolis, the Bucs top farm club, and made his debut in 1951 with the big club.

1956 - All-Star RHP Brooks Lawrence took his 13-game winning streak into the ninth with a 3-1 lead over the Bucs, but his string was snapped by Roberto Clemente, who hit a three-run homer as the Pirates edged the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 at Crosley Field. Lawrence gave up just six hits, but three of them were bunched up in the ninth. The first run was chased home by Frank Thomas, who had two hits. Winner Elroy Face tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Bob Friend. 

1962 - Jim Marshall came off the bench in the 11th frame and delivered a bases-loaded single to vault the Pirates past his former club, the San Francisco Giants, by a 7-6 score at Forbes Field. Don Hoak led the attack with three hits, including a bases jammed triple. Roberto Clemente ran his hitting streak to 18 games with two raps before the Giants shut him down the next day. Neither starter got through the third inning as Al McBean and San Francisco’s Digger O’Dell were chased early. The teams combined to use nine pitchers, with ElRoy Face beating Don Larsen in the end.

1963 - Pinch hitter Jerry Lynch drilled a three-run home run off Chicago's Lindy McDaniel in the ninth inning to tie the Cubs at Forbes Field, 5-5. Lynch’s homer was his 14th career round-tripper off the bench, tying the MLB mark set by former Cincinnati teammate, George Crowe (He became the to-date leader in August. Lynch swatted 18 pinch hit homers in his career; Matt Stairs holds the current record with 23). The Bucs eventually won the contest in 14 innings 6-5 on Bill Virdon’s two-out infield single to salvage a doubleheader split with the nightcap victory. In the lidlifter, the Pirates stranded nine runners and went 0-for-8 w/RISP during the game, dropping a 5-1 decision. Roberto Clemente hit into a 3-6 triple play in the second frame, lining out to first baseman Merritt Ranew, who stepped on first to force Manny Mota and then threw to second to retire Ducky Schofield, giving an early indication of what kind of day was on tap for the Bucs.

Jerry Lynch - 1964 Kahn's Wieners

1969 - The Baseball Writers Association selected an All-Time team that included old Pirates Hans Wagner and Pie Traynor. Local legend Stan Musial from Donora was chosen as a member of the All-Time Living Players team. The writers also voted on the ultimate All-Timers: Joe DiMaggio was selected as the greatest living player and Babe Ruth named as the greatest of all time.

1972 - Coach Kimera Bartee was born in Omaha. After a six-year pro career as an outfielder, mostly with Detroit, Bartee was hired as the Bucs’ roving minor league outfield & baserunning coordinator in 2008 with a 2011 stint as short-season State College’s skipper. In the 2016 offseason, he was promoted to the Pirates as the outfield/baserunning coach and later became the Tigers first base coach. Kimera passed away young, at age 49, from a brain tumor.

1979 - Dave Parker was a cover boy of The Sporting News in the magazine’s All-Star issue along with George Brett, Fred Lynn & Pete Rose. The Cobra made TSN look prophetic as he showcased his powerful arm by throwing out Jim Rice at third base and Brian Downing at home while adding an RBI on a sac fly. Parker was named the game's MVP for his efforts.

1982 - Willie Stargell hit his final bomb, his club record 475th home run, against the Reds’ Tom Hume, an eighth-inning, game-winning, pinch-hit solo shot in a 3-2 victory at Riverfront Stadium. Larry McWilliams claimed the win, backed by a two-inning save by Kent Tekulve. 

1983 - The Pirates walked off with a 5-4 decision over the Los Angeles Dodgers at TRS for their 10th win in 11 games, the opening shot of a 20-of-25 July winning streak that would carry them from fifth place on July 10th to first. (They finished with 84 wins, good for second, six games behind the Phils.) The City of Angels raced out to a 4-1 lead behind Fernando Valenzuela, but the Pirates chipped away with single runs in the seventh and the eighth to trim the gap to one. The Bucs had a runner on first in the ninth, thanks to a Dodger boot, with two down when Bill Madlock singled and Jason Thompson drew a walk off of Steve Howe to jam the sacks. Jim Morrison smacked one foul into the second level as a teaser, then became the hero for real when his rap into left chased home two runs to give Kent Tekulve, the Pirates fourth pitcher, the victory.

7/21 From 1985: Hank v Oh, Bell Rings, Freddy Ready, Splashy Stairs, Freaky, Gifts, Gem, Game Days, Cole-Wilson, #11 Retired, Grilli Signed, Jim HoF, HBD Max

1988 - RJ Reynolds was clutch; his double and triple, both with two away, drove in all three Bucco runs in a 3-2 win over the Western-Division leading LA Dodgers at TRS, moving the Pirates to a half-game behind the East leaders, the NY Mets. Pittsburgh was hot; the Corsairs had won 12-of-13 to get themselves back in the pennant race, although they faded, winning 85 games and finishing second, 15 games behind the Mets in the NL East. Hits were hard to come by as Orel Hershiser and Doug Drabek were both sharp on the bump. RJ learned after the game that he had a new competitor for outfield time as Darnell Coles was traded to the Mariners for Glenn Wilson.

1988 - In a swap of outfielders, Pittsburgh sent Darnell Coles to Seattle for Glenn Wilson. Wilson spent 1988-89 as a Buc, returning again for his 1993 swan song. He got into 147 games and was solid, hitting .274 with 11 HR. Coles spent 1987-88 as a Pirate, also smacking 11 homers but hitting just .230 in 108 games. GM Syd Thrift had been after Wilson for over a year when he was with the Phillies, but couldn’t strike a deal with the Philadelphia FO, which sought a front-line pitcher. This exchange was finalized during the game and announced the next day.

1991 - Randy Tomlin spun a three-hit, complete game masterpiece against the Reds at TRS, winning by a 6-0 score and allowing just four baserunners, none of whom made it past first base. (That no-one-past-first feat wouldn’t be duplicated by the Buccos again until 2017 when Steven Brault and three relievers stopped the Brewers). Andy Van Slyke and Don Slaught both had two-run raps while Gary Redus had three hits, missing the cycle by a homer, and scored twice.  

1995 - The Pirates beat the Expos 7-6 in 12 innings in a see-saw match up at TRS. Houston scored four times in the opening frame off Paul Wagner, who rebounded to put up zeroes over the next four innings. The Bucs tied it up in the fifth on a pair of two-run long balls banged by Kevin Young and Jacob Brumfield. The ‘Stros pushed across a couple of more runs to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Pittsburgh got the first two runners aboard via walks, and KY smacked a game-tying two-out double. In the 10th, more Houston wildness helped load the bases but the Bucs couldn’t convert. Finally in the 12th frame, two more free passes (one intentional) around an error loaded them again and fittingly enough, KY drew a walkoff walk to give the sixth hurler, Jim Gott, the win. Houston walked nine batters, gave intentional passes to two more and bopped a pair as the Pirates stranded a dozen runners.

Kevin Young - 1995 Donruss

1997 - The Pirate “Freak Show” stayed alive with a 3-2 win over Curt Schilling and the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. Philadelphia jumped ahead 2-0 against Esteban Loaiza, but Al Martin’s homer off a hanging forkball in the sixth tied it. Keith Osik led off the next frame with a double and went to third on a grounder, but a suicide squeeze attempt by Kevin Polcovich fizzled and Osik was a dead duck at home. But Kevin made amends, working the count full and then yanking a heater over the fence in left. Matt Reubel, Marc Wilkins and Rich Loiselle closed the door the rest of the way. Despite striking out 17 times (Schilling had 15 K in 8 IP; the Post-Gazette headline was “Get A Whiff Of This”), the Bucs remained alive in the race, 2-1/2 games behind the Houston Astros.

1997 - RHP Max Kranick was born in Scranton and was drafted by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 2016 draft out of Valley View HS. The Buc coaches quickly shortened his arm motion and he reached the upper levels in 2021, starting at Altoona, moving up to Indianapolis and getting his call to the show on June 27th. He opened some eyes in his debut, spinning five perfect frames against the Cards before rain washed out his day. Max started 2022 at Indy, and yo-yo’ed between AAA and the show, with his season ending with June TJ surgery. After a stop in NY with the Mets, he’s now with the Nats.

2003 - Matt Stairs became the first player to hit two home runs into the Allegheny River (both on the bounce) during a 5-3 win over Houston at PNC Park (he hit his first ball into the drink while playing for the Cubs two years before). Josh Fogg got the win with the help of three relievers; Mike Lincoln finished for the save. It was also a milestone match for Jason Kendall, who caught his 1,000th game and celebrated with two hits and a walk to make the day a special occasion.

2007 - The Pirates retired Paul "Big Poison" Waner's #11 in a ceremony before their game against the Houston Astros on the 55th anniversary of his 1952 Hall of Fame induction. Waner was the first National League player since Honus Wagner, 28 years before, and the seventh batter in history to reach the 3,000 knock plateau. (He got #3,000 against his old matey Rip Sewell on June 19th, 1942, as a Boston Brave.) The team ran a scoreboard video, presented his family on the field, and rolled his #11 into the outfield grass. The Bucs celebrated by ending a seven-game losing streak, toppling Houston, 7-3, and then reverted back to form by losing seven of the next eight contests.

Paul Waner - Helmar Hey Batter

2008 - The Bucs ended a six-losses-in-seven-games streak with a 9-3 win over Houston at Minute Maid Park, led by Freddy Sanchez who had three hits, including a homer, with four RBI. Jason Bay went 4-for-5 with a dinger, Nate McLouth and Xavier Nady posted three hits and Adam LaRoche contributed a long ball. Despite the score, Pittsburgh was trailing 3-2 until the Bucs rallied with three homers (one inside-the-park) and seven runs in the ninth inning to make Tyler Yates a winner.

2011 - The Pirates signed Jason Grilli from Philadelphia’s AAA Lehigh club as he had a major league opt-out clause that he exercised to join the Buccos. “Grilled Cheese” pitched for Pittsburgh from 2011-14 with a line of 3-11-47/3.01 and a K rate of 12.4 batters per nine innings. He went from bridge man to closer, taking Joel Hanrahan’s spot in 2013 and earning an All-Star berth with 33 saves. Grilli had a down campaign in 2014 and was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Ernesto Frieri, passing the Pirates closer torch into Mark Melancon’s hands.
 
2017 - Josh Bell had a career-high four hits, including a double, triple & four RBI, as the Bucs beat the Rockies 13-5 to extend their winning streak to six games, claiming their 12th victory in 14 matches. Fran Cervelli added three raps to go with three RBI for his fourth straight multi-hit game, Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 with two walks, three runs scored & three runners plated, Starling Marte scored four times & swiped two sacks, and Jordy Mercer hit a 444’ homer as the Pirates swatted 18 hits against Colorado at Coors Field. Trevor Williams went into the seventh inning for the win with Jhan Marinez providing the finishing touches. 

2023 - Roberto Clemente became the second player to have his number retired by the Altoona Curve, both to honor Arriba and keep the number out of circulation. Roberto never played minor league ball for Pittsburgh, but you can spot his jersey on fans in the stands at every Curve contest. Helping celebrate were Roberto Clemente Jr, Roberto Clemente III and Duane Rieder of the Clemente Museum. Arriba joins Adam Hyzdu (1999-2000, 55 HR/184 RBI) whose #16 was retired in 2000. Adam was an Eastern League All-Star both years and still holds several franchise batting records. The Curve franchise started the same year Hyzdu arrived and has always been a Pirates affiliate. 

Henry Davis - 2023 Donruss Coming Attractions

2023 - Rookie Henry Davis had three hits, two leaving the yard, to become the first MLB player to have a multi-homer game against Shohei Ohtani (it was also the 23-year-old’s first two-dinger contest), and for the first time in his career, Ohtani gave up four home runs in a game (Ji Man Choi and Jack Suwinski also went deep; Choi and Davis went back-to-back). But the Halos put up eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings on just five hits - four cleared the fence to go with four walks -  at Angel Stadium to outscore the Pirates, 8-5. The defeat was the Bucs’ 12th loss in 15 July games. The match was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which each team hit 4+ home runs while also striking out 13+ times. Close your eyes and swing hard...  

2024 - Jim Leyland was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jim was the skipper of the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers, posting a record of 1,769-1,728. He took three teams to the postseason, won a World Championship, was voted Manager of the Year three times and won a WBC Championship at the helm of 2017’s USA nine. Jimmy was introduced by Andy Van Slyke, who narrated a career highlight film, and predictably fought back tears a couple of times during his acceptance speech, expressing the lifetime joy the game gave him "From the heart of a little boy and a soul of an old man" while recalling relationships. In 2017, Leyland was inducted into the Michigan Sports HoF, the Tigers retired his number in ‘24 and he’s a member of the Pirates HoF.

Weekly Report: Bucs Take 2-Of-3 From Cleve, Yanks On Deck, Dotel Back, Bucs Watch ASG

All-Star week...whoosh

Pirates Stuff:

• The Pirates called up RHP Khristian Curtis for Saturday's twin bill (as the extra doubleheader roster player, he was optioned back to Indy the next day) and RHP Wilber Dotel was activated off the IL with Oneil Cruz moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40 man spot. Cruz’s rehab is slow but on schedule; he's now eligible to come off the IL on August 8. As a sidebar there's no ETA for Endy Rodriguez or Spencer Horwitz, either.
• The Pirates sold 26-year-old RHP Cam Sanders contract to Baltimore; he had been DFA'ed last week. In 15 outings between 2025-26, Cam's Pirates line was 0-0/8.44. 
• Pittsburgh acquired OF Robert Hassell III, 24, in a minor league deal (cash or PTBNL, TBD) after being outrighted by Washington. A former first-round pick by San Diego in 2020 (8th overall) he was once considered a Top 40 Prospect. Hassell appeared in 70 games last season with the Nats, batting .223/3 HR/18 RBI in 197 AB.
• Jared Jones had his streak of 30 straight batters retired end on Saturday. The run had began on July 2. He's the third Buc pitcher to get 30+ batters in a row - Jim Bibby retired 32 in-a-row in 1981 and the champ is Harvey Haddix who sat down 38 straight in 1959. 36 of those were part of his 12-inning perfect game slabwork against Milwaukee.

Jared Jones - 2026 Sportsnet.Pgh graphic

• Pittsburgh is just the second MLB team to ever go into the All-Star break last in runs per game one year (2025) then first in runs per game the next (2026). They join the 1986-to-87 Cards (s/o to @OptaSTATS).
• Now that you have the 2026 Pirates schedule under control, it's time to get into the 2027 season; it's dates have just dropped. The Bucs will host the A's on March 25th for the first Opener at PNC Park since 2016.
• 3B Murf Gray (23 HR), who started the year at Lo-A Bradenton and advanced to Hi-A Greensboro, has been promoted to Altoona as IF Duce Gourson was bumped from the Curve up to Indy. He homered in his first AA game and was bumped into MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects.
• Indy OF Dominic Fletcher exercised his opt-out clause last week. He couldn't find any situations better than the one he had here, so he re-signed with Pittsburgh.
• The Bucs signed six draftees on Friday from rounds 5-10: LHP Ryan Marohn, RHP Tyler Fay, RHP Bryson Moore, RHP Alex Overbay, 3B Tre Phelps & RHP Michael Gibson. They're all college players and no financials were disclosed.

ASG Stuff:

• Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft were both selected for the ASG, but since both pitched the weekend before game, they aren't on the active roster...so no Bucco All-Stars were on the field Tuesday and were the only team not to have a player appear during the game. Kinda odd that the MLB's best offense didn't have anyone considered AS worthy. 
• All Star factoid: The duo was the third pair of Pirates starting pitchers to be named All-Stars in the same season; they joined Bob Friend/Vernon Law in 1960 and AJ Burnett/Gerrit Cole in 2015.
• Keeping good company: Paul Skenes is just the fourth pitcher to start his career with three straight All-Star seasons, along with Yu Darvish, Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver.

Brax & Paul - ASG 7/13/2026 photo MLB

• The AS hoo-haw began with the Futures game. The Bucs were repped by RHP Seth Hernandez (one scorelss inning pitched, two K) and OF Edward Florentino (HBP, stole a base and scored). The AL pups whipped the NL young 'uns 6-1.
• Next was the Home Run Derby. Oneil Cruz made it to the semi-finals last year while walloping a 513' long ball, but a broken hand kept him out of the field this year. The Cards Jordan Walker won it, defeating hometown fave Kyle Schwarber.
• As for the ASG, Christopher Sanchez got rocked for three runs in the first and that was all she wrote as the AL took a 4-0 win over the NL at Citizen's Bank Park. The Junior Circuit small-balled their early scores and Miguel Vargas added an eighth inning solo shot. The Pirates were the only team that didn;t have a player in the box score. Paul Skenes was selected, but worked the weekend of the game and was replaced by Braxton Ashcraft, who tossed on the day before the AS break began and was ineligible for game work. Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe both were available and had All Star numbers, but were bypassed.

Game Stuff:

• The Bucs were supposed to be back in the saddle on Friday at Cleveland, but the Canadian smoke screen caused the opener to be postponed and rescheduled as a Saturday split-game twin bill. 
• Jared Jones was on the bump for the opener. JJ, Carmen Mlodzinski and Isaac Mattson shoved as the Bucs won 7-1; Jacob Gonzalez, Nick Gonzales & Esmerlyn Valdez homered. 
• Game two was a bullpen start that began an hour late due to some rain. Thanks to a five-inning, two-hit shutdown tossed by Khristian Curtis, it was 3-0 Bucs going into the eighth. Then...well, yah, same ol' bullpen as Brandon Eisert & Gregory Sotogave up the lead. It was 3-3 going to the ninth when Dennis Santana took the bump and the loss, giving up a homer as the Guardians rallied for a 5-3 dub. Going hitless after the fourth inning and not adding on didn't help the cause much, either.

Paul Skenes - 2026 Pirates graphic.

• Paul Skenes did his thing for seven innings, piling up eight Ks and giving an overwhelmed bullpen a breather. Billy Cook had a three-hit day and The Magician banged another homer as the Bucs took the series at Progressive Field with a 7-1 dub over the Cleves.
• Now the Pirates head east to take on the Yankees; pretty tough set of road back-to-backs to begin the second half of the fray.

MLB Stuff: 

• More on the Mike Burrows saga at Houston: he was optioned to AAA last week, but it was discovered that he had nerve damage in his elbow. So the 'Stros nullified the option (a legit move for a pre-existing injury, which this apparently was) and placed Mike on the 15-day IL with no return date yet determined.
• OF Bligh Madris was released by the Cards; he's headed for a gig in the Korean league.

7/20 Through the 1970s: Rennie Red Hot, Gems, Presto Ward, Slugfest, Local Rivals, Walkoff, Game Days, HBD John, Heinie & Harry

1880 - RF Harry Cassady was born in Bellflower, Illinois. Out of Illinois Wesleyan, he got into 22 games in the show; 12 of them were with the 1904 Pirates, hitting .205 in 44 at bats. Cassady went on to spend three years in the American Association (1905-07) and then six seasons with Denver of the Western Association (he was a much better hitter in the high minors, batting .288), retiring after the 1912 campaign at age 31. He passed on in 1969 at the age of 88.

1882 - Nearly 3,500 fans watched the Pittsburgh Alleghenys earn the first home walkoff win in franchise history when they defeated the Cincinnati Red Stockings 3-2 at Expo Park. On the wrong end of a pitching duel and down 2-1 in the ninth inning, Billy Taylor drilled a one-out, game-tying homer. Rudy Kemmler’s single became the game-winning run when Chappy Lane’s two-out rap sent him home. Denny Driscoll got the win with a complete game three-hitter.

1894 - Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 7-6 in 10 innings when George "Germany” Smith homered with two outs. Pirate OF Elmer Smith was prevented from retrieving the game-winning hit in the field-level left field bleachers, as permitted per Cincinnati’s League Park ground rules, by zealous Reds fans defending the ball. One of them allegedly pulled a revolver on Smith after he wrestled with several other rooters in an attempt to reach the ball, per Charlton’s Baseball Chronology. The Pittsburgh Press just diplomatically reported that Germany “...drove one into the seats." It was the NL’s first extra-inning game of the year.

1901 - Hall of Fame LF Heinie Manush was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Manush spent the last two years of his career (1938-39) in Pittsburgh as a pinch hitter, getting just 28 PA (four hits, three walks) before being released, ironically enough for another future HoF’er, Chuck Klein. He was a .330 hitter during his 17-year career with 1,183 RBI and 1,287 runs scored.

Heinie Manush - 1940 Play Ball

1905 - Club baseball was serious biz (especially for the men in blue) back in the day, like the big rivalry game between the local nines of the Western Union and the Postal Telegraph Co, played at Bedford Park in the Hill District. The Pittsburgh Press description: “The rival managers had bowed gravely to each other as befitted the leaders of baseball gladiators. The umpire had made his will and left it with his wife...it was time to play. There was some terrible slugging (and) thus the battle went on until the 11th inning…” Then a couple of spectators got into a brawl, the ballplayers intervened, and a riot ensued as  bricks flew (“The women screamed and fled”) until police calmed things down. The game was called a draw, and the Press reported that “...the umpire has sent word to the managers of the two clubs that if there is another game to be played, he wants time to take out an accident insurance policy and get it mentioned in his will.”

1946 - RHP John Lamb was born in Sharon, Connecticut. John came from a Northeast prep powerhouse, Housatonic Valley HS, which produced several players including the Pirates Steve Blass (John was his brother-in-law) and Tom Parsons; Pittsburgh had a bit of an edge as their coach, Ed Kirby, was also a part-time Buc scout. He was signed out of high school in 1964 and debuted in 1970, working parts of three seasons (1970-71, 1973) with a slash of 0-2-5/4.07, and was part of the Bucs triple mound entree of Moose, Veale and Lamb. It’s hard to tell where his career may have gone if he hadn’t suffered a brutal camp accident - in 1971, he fractured his skull when a Dave Cash liner found him during spring training. He missed most of the year, spent ‘72 in the minors and his last MLB season was 1973. He went on to be a high school coach.

1950 - It was the classic slugfest as the Philadelphia Phillies banged out a double, triple, and three homers on their way to eight runs; the Bucs answered with six two-baggers and a long ball of their own to outlast the Brotherly Love gang by a 10-8 score at Forbes Field. Six Pirates had multi-hit games, with three collecting a trio of knocks (Ted Beard, Gus Bell and Danny O’Connell) while Ralph Kiner went long and doubled with Stan Rojek and Johnny Hopp joining the two-hit parade. Murry Dickson, who followed Cliff Chambers and Vern Law, tossed the final 2-2/3 frames scorelessly to get the win while the Phils used five hurlers, with the Buccos scoring off four of them.

Murry Dickson - 1950 photo/TSN

1950 - The Bucs purchased 3B Bob Dillinger, a 1949 All-Star, from the Philadelphia Athletics for $40,000 and he became the sixth player to start at the hot corner for Pittsburgh in four months. A good contact man (he ended his career with a .306 BA), he batted .288 for the Pirates during the dog days, but after a slow start in 1951, Pittsburgh sold him to the White Sox in May. That was his last MLB campaign; he finished out by playing four years in the PCL.

1955 - The bench to the rescue: the Bucs were down 3-0 in the seventh inning when pinch hitter Preston Ward smacked a three-run dinger off the Milwaukee Braves’ Ray Crone at Forbes Field. Another bat called off the bench, Jack Shepard, singled off Dave Jolly with the bases loaded in the final frame to earn the Pirates and Dick Littlefield a 4-3 comeback win.

1955 - The Pirates established the first MLB baseball academy in Venezuela. Led by Cuban Lázaro Salazar, it was located in Caracas at the El Paraíso National Stadium, now known as Brígido Iriarte. The Pirates only operated the baseball school for a year, but had a team in the VSL until they pulled out in 2011, presumably because of the political climate, and played in the DSL.

1959 - As part of the Hall of Fame ceremonies, the Pirates played the Kansas City Athletics in Cooperstown. The game only lasted until the sixth; a rainstorm washed out the rest of the contest with the score tied, 5-5. The Bucs were in second place going into the exhibition; they returned to action the next day, lost nine straight matches and dropped 12-of-13. They straightened up in August and finished 78-76 on the year with their eye on the prize in 1960. 

Joe Gibbon - 1961 Topps

1961 - Joe Gibbon tossed a four-hitter with nine whiffs as the Bucs beat the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field, 4-0. The big blow was Bill Mazeroski’s two-run single in the fourth inning. Gibbon’s win was a rare ray of sunshine for the Pirates - the club had lost three games prior to the win, and would drop six more afterward. The defending champs ended up in sixth place with 75 wins.

1968 - Bob Veale spun a five-hitter and Matty Alou produced both runs as the Bucs eased by Phil Niekro and the Braves 2-1 at Atlanta Stadium. Alou tripled and scored the first run when the throw caromed off his leg, then singled home Maury Wills with the game winner, with both hits coming with two strikes. Alou and Wills each had two hits to snap Niekro’s four-game win streak.

1973 - The Bucs tied the first game of a twin bill against San Diego in the eighth inning and went on to win 5-4 in 10 frames at Three Rivers Stadium. Rennie Stennett went 4-for-5 with a walkoff homer to end the overtime clash. The Pirates had an easier time with the Padres in the second game, winning 7-0. Stennett had three more hits, including another homer, and Jim Rooker tossed a six-hit complete game with eight whiffs to complete the sweep of the Friars.

1974 - Willie Stargell homered in the 11th inning to give the Pirates a 7-6 win over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. Pops also cranked out a double and single, scoring three times with two RBI. Richie Zisk added three hits and three runs chased home. Bruce Kison started and was chased in the second inning, but John Morlan, Ramon Hernandez and the eventual winner, Dave Giusti, tossed 9-1/3 IP of one-run, five-hit ball. The game started off with plenty of fireworks - the Bucs scored four runs in the first and the Bravos answered with five in the second.

7/20 From 1980: Petey Slam, Adam Bomb, Duel, Berra Booms, Game Days, Starg Stamp, RIP John, HBD Duane & Anthony

1980 - After scoring four times in the first, the Pirates had to plate a pair in the bottom of the ninth to salvage an 8-7 split against the Dodgers at TRS. Lee Lacy was 5-for-5 and a homer away from the cycle, while Bill Robinson homered and Ed Ott had the walkoff, bases-loaded single to earn Grant Jackson the win. Pittsburgh lost the opener 4-2 as LA’s Burt Hooton and Steve Howe kept the Bucco bats under control. The double dipper was a big to-do in a couple of ways. It was Willie Stargell Day with a ceremony between games, and was also the game that Dave Parker, fresh off signing his $1M/year contract, had a Duracell battery tossed at him while in the outfield. 

1983 - Dale Berra did the heavy lifting by driving in five runs with a homer and single as the Bucs dropped the Dodgers 7-3 at TRS. Rick Rhoden was tagged for 12 hits in eight innings but dodged most of the raindrops before Kent Tekulve took care of the ninth. With the victory, Pittsburgh moved into first place by .001 percentage points over the Cards but would finish the season six games behind the Phils, losers of the “I-95” World Series to the O’s in five games.

1988 - 90-year-old John Galbreath passed away in Galloway, Ohio. He owned the Pirates from 1946-85, buying them from the Dreyfuss clan for $2.5M. Galbreath put a price tag of $35 million on the Pirates after the 1984 season, but accepted the $22M offer of a coalition put together by Mayor Richard Caliguiri so that the team remained in Pittsburgh. He made his fortune in construction & real estate, and was an avid racing fan, owning the Darby Dan stables which produced Triple Crown winner Chateaugay and Kentucky Derby champ Proud Clarion. 

1993 - Randy Tomlin outdueled old Bucco ace Doug Drabek as the Pirates squeaked by the Astros 2-1 at TRS. Jeff King was the man of the hour. With two outs in the fourth, Al Martin blooped a double and King singled him home, then Jeff scored the insurance run when Don Slaught singled him home in the seventh. Tomlin gave up just four hits to earn the dub, with his only miscue a home run ball served to Jeff Bagwell in the ninth to add a bit of drama for the fans. For DD, it was his first return to the Steel City since he left in December.

Anthony Alford - 2022 Topps Heritage

1994 - OF Anthony Alford was born in Columbia, Mississippi. A college quarterback, he signed a deal after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays to allow him to play both sports (he quit football after the 2014 season). He was fairly highly rated by the prospect gurus, but proved to be  inconsistent in limited MLB opportunities, with a pretty high K rate. He was waived and claimed by the Bucs, joining the club in September of 2020 with the team hoping to turn his potential into performance. He won the 2021 starting job in camp, holding off challenges by Brian Goodwin and Dustin Fowler. None of the trio lasted long; Goodwin was released in May and the other pair ended up at Indy in late April after failing Pirates job auditions. Alford went north with the team in 2022, was DFA’ed in late April, signed with Cleveland, jumped to the Korean League and last played in the Mexican Winter League in 2024-25.

1996 - In the opening game at the Olympics in Atlanta, the US team topped Nicaragua 4-1 behind future Pirate pitcher Kris Benson’s seven-hitter. Benson was 2-1 during the games in three outings with 17 strikeouts in 17 IP as the United States won the bronze medal.

1999 - RHP Duane Underwood Jr. was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a second-round pick of the Cubs in 2012 out of high school. Duane debuted in 2018, but only got into 30 games in the next three seasons, slashing 1-1/5.20. Chicago traded him to the Bucs for Shendrik Apostel in March, 2021. The Pirates were intrigued enough to take a rider on him and DFA’ed another project, Carson Fulmer, to add Underwood to the MLB roster. He went 2-3/4.33  and earned a spot as a mid-inning guy for 2022. The results were pretty similar as he slashed 1-6-1/4.40 in 51 games, although he had a bit of bad luck as his FIP was a career-best 2.92. He got off to a rough start in 2023 (1-0-2/5.18 in 20 outings) and was sent down to Indy in late May. Duane was released after the season, bounced around a bit and is now toiling in Mexico.

2002 - OF Adam Hyzdu had a day to tell his grandkids about at PNC Park. He drove in seven runs on four hits, including a pair of HRs, in a 15-6 pasting of first-place St. Louis Cards. Hyzdu became the first Buc since Don Slaught nine years earlier to chase home seven runs, and the crowd of 35,101 called him out of the dugout. The performance came on top of a four-RBI game the day before. It was the Pirates eighth win in 10 games, attracting a walkup sale of 7,650 rooters (over 35,000 fans attended) to witness Kris Benson’s third straight victory.

Mike Williams - 2003 Topps Heritage

2003 - The Mike Williams era ended in Pittsburgh when he was sent to the Phils for LHP Frank Brooks, who had a cup of coffee in the show. Williams, a righty closer, went from setting the Pirate saves record in 2002 with 46 closeouts and back-to-back All Star appearances to a guy with 25 saves but a 6.27 ERA in 2003, his last of a dozen MLB seasons. Williams saved 140 games in six seasons for Pittsburgh; he only posted four more saves in his six non-Pirates seasons.

2004 - Montreal’s Livian Hernandez made one mistake, a first-inning change up to  Rob Mackowiak, with Jason Kendall on first. Mack whacked the ball 430’ over the wall in right center at PNC Park, and that was the difference in a 2-1 Bucco win. Hernandez only gave up two more hits after that, but Sean Burnett danced through eight hits and three walks to hold the Expos to one run in seven frames, followed by Brian Meadows, Mike Gonzalez and Jose Mesa with the save.

2009 - The Bucs finally broke a 17-game losing streak to the Milwaukee Brewers with an 8-5 victory at PNC Park. Cutch had three hits and Delwyn Young tacked on three RBI with a homer. Jesse Chavez had the fans sweating it out on the edge of their seats by giving up three runs in the ninth, but he struck out Prince Fielder to keep the final result in the win column.

2010 - The Pirates scored nine runs in the first inning and hung on for an 11-9 victory over the Brewers at PNC Park. The scoring in the opening frame was highlighted by Pedro Alvarez’s first career grand slam, one of two long balls Petey smacked during the game. El Toro finished with five RBI and Neil Walker went 5-for-5 with a double against Milwaukee. They needed the quick start as the Brewers cut the lead to 10-9 by the sixth, but were blanked on two hits in the final three frames by Evan Meek, Joel Hanrahan and Octavio Dotel, who worked the ninth to pocket the save.

Starg's 2012 Forever Stamp

2012 - The US Postal Service issued a set of four commemorative stamps depicting Willie Stargell along with Ted Williams, Larry Doby and Joe DiMaggio. The stars’ USPS release party was held in Cooperstown as part of the Hall's annual induction week-end celebration.

2017 - The Pirates rallied to take a 4-2 win from the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park and sweep the four-game visit. For the Bucs, it was their 11th win in 13 games and 6-of-7 during a two-set homestand, pulling the club to .500 for the first time since mid-April and three games behind the front-running Brew Crew. Pittsburgh was adept at playing on-the-edge contests; all six of their victories on the Allegheny’s shore were after the foe had drawn first blood, with three being walk-off wins. Jameson Taillon was credited with the victory and Felipe Vazquez posted the save. Gregory Polanco homered while Chris Stewart went 3-for-3. 

2022 - The Frontier League Washington Wild Things hosted the league All-Star Game at Wild Things Park. The club, formed in 2002, featured a five-day program of events including celebrity softball, a concert and even a wrestling show to benefit various charities. The ASG players donned jerseys to represent Negro League teams from their area and fans got to bid on the jerseys through an auction for the Josh Gibson Foundation. The Frontier League is loosely affiliated with MLB as a Partner League to provide mutual marketing and promo opps. 

2025 - The Bucs were swept by the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park, marking their third series brooming and eleventh loss in twelve games around the All-Star break. It also dropped the Pirates/Alleghenys won-loss record to 10,878-10,879, the first time that the Pirates all-time record has fallen below .500 since 1903 before coming back to win 5-of-6. Pittsburgh had 20 consecutive losing seasons from 1993-2012, setting an infamous mark for the four North American professional sports leagues.

7/19 Through the 1960s: Gems, Arky Cycle, Small Ball, Hans Debut, Game Days, HBD Vincente, Nick, Earl, Clint, Jeff, Jasper, Jim & Bill

1865 - RHP Bill Hart was born in Louisville. He played for Pittsburgh in 1895 and again in 1898, going 19-26-2/4.77 from the bump. He also played some OF during his eight-year career, but was strictly a hurler for the Bucs. Bill hit .237, marking him as a journeyman both on the rubber and at the dish. Hart was twice traded by the Pirates and they landed a pair of very good players in exchange, IF Bones Ely in 1896 and then OF Ginger Beaumont after the ‘98 campaign.

1865 - 3B Jim Donnelly was born in New Haven, Connecticut. The son of immigrants, Jim played pro ball at some level from the time he was 18 in 1884 until 1902 when he was 36. He spent parts of 11 seasons in the show, split into two eras: 1884-91, when he was a regular for a while, and then after a four-year run in the minors, he returned as purely a big league bench guy from 1896-98. Jim spent part of that second stay with the Pirates in 1897, hitting just .193 before being shipped to the New York Giants in mid-season. He arrived in town with Steve Brodie from Baltimore as the O’s trade return for Jake Stenzel. Neither Donnelly nor Brodie made it to 1898 with the Bucs while Stenzel played on for three more seasons, batting .309 over that span. 

1873 - OF/1B Harry “Jasper” Davis was born in Philadelphia, with some sources citing the 18th as his birthdate. Jasper played early in his 22-year MLB stint for the Bucs, from 1896-98. He came to Pittsburgh in 1896 in a deal for Jake Beckley, and the 22-year-old hit .190 to finish the campaign before blooming in ‘97, batting .305 and then .293 in 1898. He was sent to the Louisville Colonels, and from there, he bounced around, landing with the Athletics in 1901 after taking a year off to work on the railroad. Harry played 16 of his next 17 seasons in Philadelphia (he had a hiatus in 1912 with Cleveland as a player/manager), batting .279 before retiring in 1917 at the age of 43. From 1912 on, his ballfield action was limited as he served as a player/coach for Connie Mack for most of that period. Fun fact: Jasper had a four-year run of leading MLB in long balls from 1904-07, yet hit just 75 homers between 1895-1917. He never launched more than 12 four-baggers in a single season, and in fact finished with double-figure dingers only twice. His nickname was given by his Girard College days schoolmates for reasons unknown.

1887 - Honus Wagner made his National League debut with the Louisville Colonels, owned by Barney Dreyfuss. He got a hit and stole a base in a 12-2 win over the Brooklyn Grays. In 1900, Dreyfuss bought the Pittsburgh franchise and maneuvered most of the Louisville club onto the roster, including the Flying Dutchman, in a pretty astute bit of FO wheelin’-and-dealin’.

Hans - Ars Longa Pioneer Portraits

1888 - C Ed “Jeff” Sweeney was born in Chicago. The defensive specialist spent eight years with the NY Highlanders/Yankees, two more in the minors, time in the Navy during WW1 and then finished his nine-year MLB run with the Pirates in 1919, getting into 17 games and hitting .095 before being sent to the PCL. He spent one more year in pro ball before calling it a career.

1889 - RHP Francis Clinton “Clint” Rogge was born in Memphis, Michigan.The long-time minor league twirler (he beat the bushes from 1909-23) got his first big league ( Federal League) taste during the 1915 campaign when he was part of the Pittsburgh Rebels’ rotation. He held up fairly well against Fed batters, slashing 17-11/2.55 in 31 starts, compiling five shutouts and 254-1/3 IP. After that campaign, he started a long run with the Indianapolis Indians of the now minor-league American Association, getting one brief return to the show in 1921 with the Reds. 

1891 - LHP Earl Hamilton was born in Gibson, Illinois. The little southpaw spent six of his 14 big league seasons (1918-23) as a Pirate, putting up a line of 55-55-7/3.35 as both a starter and a long man. He won 115 MLB games overall, tossing for four clubs. Earl had a couple moments in the sun - he spun a no-hitter for the St. Louis Browns in 1912 and went 16 scoreless frames for the Bucs in a 1920 start, only to run out of gas and drop the decision in the 17th inning.

1893 - From Charlton’s Baseball Chronology: “Pittsburgh used 19 hits – all singles – to win in Cleveland, 10-6. Pittsburgh was further aided by the defense of LF Elmer Smith, whose use of green glasses to fend off the sun greatly helped him in his fielding.” Lefty Killen went the route for the win and every Pirate had a hit, with six collecting multiple knocks. It was a noteworthy contest in that the game may be the first time that an outfielder fought the daytime sun with shades.

Mike Lynch - 1904 Pgh Press photo

1904 - The Pirates rallied for a pair of runs in the ninth inning off Giants ace Christy Mathewson to take a 2-1 victory at the Polo Grounds. Shut out on five hits going into the final frame, Honus Wagner tripled to left to ignite Pittsburgh, and an out later Jimmy Sebring banged out another three-bagger, ripping a shot off the first base bag that rolled into the corner. Pinch hitter Claude Ritchey followed with an RBI knock, and Mike Lynch made it stand up in the bottom half, tossing a complete game four-hitter against New York. The heated series featured manager John “Mugsy” McGraw and Mathewson getting into a jawing match with the hometown crowd the day before, a verbal (and profane) sparring session that lasted until they got back to their hotel. The Pittsburgh Press had a couple of juicy lines regarding the affair: “McGraw is not liked here...Some day he will carry things too far, and some husky Pittsburger will thump him” and then threw some shade at Christy: “ Matty... has to buy a cap a size larger after every victory…”

1905 - Pittsburgh pulled to within five games of New York by overcoming a 5-2 deficit at the Polo Grounds to rally past the Giants 8-5. It was Pittsburgh’s third straight win against the defending champions. Umpire Bill Klem was the target of a barrage of tossed garbage from the New York fans after ejecting Dan McGann and “Turkey Mike” Donlin from the game. They yapped their way into Klem’s bad graces as the Pittsburgh Press game story explained: “Umpire baiting was plentiful, with Taylor (the pitcher), McGann and Donlin the chief offenders of this style of play.” Sam Leever got the win, coming in as a second-inning reliever, while the offense was led by Otis Clymer’s three hits. The Bucs pounded out 15 knocks as five Pirates had multi-hit outings.

1935 - C Nick Koback was born in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1953, at the age of 17, Koback signed with Pittsburgh as a bonus baby out of Hartford HS. Per bonus baby rules of the era, he made his MLB debut before playing in the minors and was the youngest player in the league As you might imagine, teenage Nick wasn’t quite ready for showtime. He got some quick sips of coffee with the Bucs from 1953-55 and went 4-for-33 (.121). It was his only big league time with most of his career spent in the farm leagues and Mexico. He earned a reputation of a good hitter - of Titleists, not baseballs (his minor league lifetime BA was .243), and he became a golf pro after he left baseball. 

1935 - The Pirates scored three times in the bottom of the ninth to overcome a 5-3 deficit and walkoff the Boston Braves before a sparse crowd at Forbes Field. Paul Waner doubled and scored on Arky Vaughan’s game-tying homer before Pep Young hit a wind-twisted three-bagger and touched home with the game-winner on Tommy Thevenow’s single. The bats were hot for both sides, with each club posting 13 hits and every Pittsburgh starter reaching base, including opening pitcher Red Lucas. Gus Suhr had three raps to lead the Bucs while Waner, Vaughan and Woody Jensen had a pair each. Guy Bush worked the last frame for the win. For Boston, it was their 12th straight defeat. The Bucs went on to sweep the four-game set and finished 20-2 v the Braves during the season.

Arky Vaughan - 2016 Panini National Treasures

1939 - Arky Vaughan led the Pirates 19-hit parade at the Polo Grounds, going 5-for-5 while hitting for his second career cycle as Pittsburgh banged the New York Giants 10-3. Arky scored four times with two RBI and Chuck Klein extended his hitting streak to 18 games. Elby Fletcher slammed a long ball among three hits; Ray Berres added three knocks, and Fern Bell chased three teammates home with the well-supported Mace Brown going the distance for the win. Vaughan’s cycle was the first posted by a Pirate since 1933 - and that one belonged to Arky, too.

1950 - Frank E. McKinney resigned as president of the Pirates. He sold his interests in the club to partners John Galbreath and Tom Johnson, with Galbreath assuming the presidency. Vice President Bing Crosby retained his minority interest. That group had bought the Bucs in 1946 from Barney Dreyfuss’ family and ran it until 1985 when the Pittsburgh Associates took over.

1950 - The Pirates purchased 3B Bob “Duke” Dillinger from the Philadelphia Athletics for $35,000. The 31-year-old slap-hitter played 70 games from 1950-51 for the Bucs, batting .279. An All-Star (1949) and league hits leader (1948) for the St Louis Browns, Bob had also claimed the American League stolen base crown from 1947-49, but his wheels were wearing thin and he only swiped six sacks as a Bucco. The Pirates sold him to the Chicago White Sox in 1951, and that was his last hurrah after six MLB seasons. Two things conspired against Dillinger - he got to the show late, spending three years in the service, and he later developed an early case of “Steve Sax” disease, often unable to make the throw across the infield, and he wasn’t very much of a fielder even before the yips hit. He spent his final four years in the PCL with Sacramento.

1952 - It wasn’t, as usual, a very good day for Pittsburgh as the Brooklyn Dodgers spanked them at Forbes Field by a 9-1 score. But it was another good day, also as usual, for Ralph Kiner. The Pirates slugger homered for the fourth time in four games and the seventh time in his past dozen outings. He would keep on and claim the home run title for a seventh straight year with 37 bombs and make his fifth consecutive All-Star appearance, all while playing for a horrible Bucco club that won just 42 games all year and finished 54-1/2 games behind the Dodgers.

Vern Law - 2020 Topps Archives

1955 - Vern Law pitched 18 innings against the Milwaukee Braves in front of 7,900+ Forbes Field fans. And he didn’t even get the win; Bob Friend worked the 19th frame to get credit for the 4-3 victory. Law left after giving up two runs - one was unearned - on nine hits with two walks and 12 whiffs. Friend came in and gave up a score, but the Bucs came back with a pair of tallies on Gene Freese’s single, Dale Long’s double that chased home Freese, and the game-winning knock by Frank Thomas. It wasn’t even Law’s day to pitch - he took the hill on just two days' rest; he got the call to the slab when the scheduled hurler, Joe Gibbon, became ill before the game.

1963 - RHP Vincente Palacios was born in Manlio Fabio Altamirano, Mexico. He tossed five years (1987-88, 1990-92) for the Bucs as a spot starter and long man while a member of the Jimmy Leyland teams, slashing 12-8-6/4.03. His career was hampered by a pair of shoulder surgeries, and after his Pirate days, he yo-yoed between MLB and the Mexican League.

1967 - The Pirates Dennis Ribant and the Giants Mike McCormack hooked up in a taut Forbes Field pitchers duel that wasn’t decided until the 11th frame. Pittsburgh scored in the first inning on a passed ball and the G-Men got a homer from Tom Haller in the second frame; it was a long line of zeroes after that. Ribant scattered nine hits while his teammates left the bases loaded three times after plating that first run. The fourth try proved the charm when Jerry May led off the 11th with a triple and a pair of intentional walks jammed the sacks again. Frank Linzy took McCormack’s spot to face Gene Alley, who singled home the game winner. The 2-1 win put the Pirates one game over .500 and that’s about how they finished; the club was 81-81 at the end.

1968 - Rookie Bob Moose tossed a four-hitter as the Bucs dropped the Braves 2-0 at Atlanta Stadium. Moose also issued four walks but was never in trouble; no Brave reached third base during the 20-year-old’s third whitewash of the season. The Bravos’ Ron Reed was tough, too, as he scattered eight hits, allowing Donn Clendenon (who had two knocks) to score on a Bill Mazeroski single and later yielded an insurance run when Willie Stargell went deep.