8/21 Through the 1960s: Frank & Donn Star, Run It Up, Pinch Lynch, Bob's #1000, Nick Knocks, Duelin', Game Days, Rowdy Busted, HBD Murry, Cobe, Preacher, Jim & Chief

1883 - OF John Owen “Chief” Wilson was born at his family's ranch in Bertram, Texas. (Chief, by the way, wasn’t a Native American.) Wilson set the organized baseball record of 36 triples in 1912, though oddly he never had more than 14 three-baggers in his other eight big league campaigns. Chief was a Pirate for six years (1908-13), driving in a league-leading 107 runs in 1911 and hitting .274 as a Bucco. He was the starting RF for the 1909 World Championship club. He played three final seasons for St. Louis and retired to his Texas ranch, passing away at age 70. His moniker has a couple of possible origins: one is that it was given by manager Fred Clarke, who thought the clean cut Wilson looked like a "Chief of the Texas Rangers." Another is that he and Hans Wagner attended a Wild West show when Wilson was a rookie, and that Honus thought the darkly tanned outfielder looked like one of the Indian chiefs in the act, per Ron Waldo in his book  “Honus Wagner and His Pittsburgh Pirates...” 

1902 - Sam Leever outdueled Christy Mathewson 2-0 in the opener of a doubleheader at Exposition Park; Leever surrendered three hits and Matty six. Tommy Leach and Hans Wagner each had a pair of hits and scored. The Giants bats woke up in the second game as New York earned a split on the day with an 8-1 victory. The Pittsburgh Press astutely noted that “(Deacon) Phillippe’s steady pitching was just to the liking of the Giants.”

1902 - Barney Dreyfuss announced the suspension of C Rowdy Jack O’Connor because he was recruiting players from the powerhouse Pirates club to switch leagues, under the direction of AL President Ban Johnson. O’Connor even held a meeting with Johnson, who claimed he was in Pittsburgh to do spadework for an AL franchise to compete against the Pirates, and to lure some teammates to the rival American League, which was coolly interrupted by manager Fred Clarke. The main target was Hans Wagner, who refused to bite even though the junior circuit was offering $1,000 signing bonuses and hefty $15-16,000 contracts over two years (Honus topped out at $10K at Pittsburgh) to prospective jumpers. Dreyfuss found out about the raid from Jess Tannehill, who blabbed about the conspiracy while under anesthetic to have a dislocated shoulder put back into place, per Ronald Waldo’s book “The 1902 Pirates: Treachery and Triumph.” Barney was wise to foil the machinations of Johnson and keep the club together; the 1903 team won 91 games and the National League flag, meeting Boston in what’s considered baseball’s first World Series.

1905 - OF Jim Mosolf was born in Puyallup, Washington. Jim played the first three of his four big league seasons as a bench bat for the Pirates from 1929-31, hitting .315 over that span mainly as a deluxe pinch-hitter. Jim spent eight years in the minors, mostly in the PCL, where he batted .321 over his career.

Preacher Hebert - 1943 via Out Of The Ball Park

1907 - LHP Wally “Preacher” Hebert was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Wally was the epitome of the wartime baseball warrior - the sidewinding southpaw tossed for three years for the St. Louis Browns and then returned after a decade-long stint in the Pacific Coast League to pitch for the 1943 Pirates at the age of 35, going 10-11/2.98 before retiring back to the bayou to farm and fish. His nickname, per Wikipedia, is a slightly twisted tale: Hebert got the nickname ‘Preacher’ in first grade when he wore a hat to school that his classmates thought was a preacher's hat. However, the travelog book “The Walk West, A Walk Across America 2” that included a visit to Wally has a different version. Hebert claims that he got his nickname from baseball, and that it was originally “Mississippi Mudcat.” However, another player had that moniker, so his teammates changed the nickname to “Preacher” and he never could figure out why.

1907 - SS Coburn “Cobe” Jones was born in Denver. Cobe played in just 26 games, all as a Pirate, from 1929-30, hitting .265 in 65 at-bats. His playing career was cut short by diabetes, diagnosed in 1929. Starting in 1932, he was director of boys programs for a hometown community center, managed Denver’s minor league club for a spell and scouted. Cobe, a four-sports star in HS, was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1973.

1908 - The Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Nick Maddox was pretty nearly the whole show at Exposition Park...” and the reporter was right. Maddox tossed a seven-hit complete game, had three hits and drove in both Bucco runs in a 2-1 win over the Brooklyn Superbas. It was Nick’s eighth straight win and put the Bucs in first place; they would finish the year with 98 wins, one game behind the Chicago Cubs in one of baseball’s most thrilling pennant races.

1916 - RHP Murry Dickson was born in Tracy, Missouri. He tossed five years (1949-53) for some sad Pirate teams, leading the league in losses in 1952-53. But he also won 34 games in 1951-52 for Buc squads that tasted victory just 106 times, so he was responsible for nearly 1/3 of the Pirate wins during that span. Murry finished with a Pittsburgh final line of 66-85/3.83 and was an All Star in 1953. The soft-tossing righty put in 18 big league years with five teams before retiring after the 1959 season. He became a carpenter after his playing days.

1943 - Al Lopez wasn’t much of a power guy, but he sure knew how to milk the drama with a long ball. The Pirates were losing 3-2 to the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. Lopez was at the dish with a runner on first, two outs and two strikes on him when he bopped his first (and only) fence-clearer of the year to give the Bucs a 4-3 victory over the G-Men. Billy Brandt tossed the last two innings of the game (Xavier Rescigno started) for his first dub of the season.

Murry Dickson - 1953 Red Man

1953 - After 13 straight wins, the first place Brooklyn Dodgers finally lost, going down to birthday boy Murry Dickson and the last-place Pirates 7-1 at Forbes Field. Frank Thomas had a homer and four RBI to lead the batsmen.

1953 - The Pirates Ralph Kiner and the Yankees Allie Reynolds, the NL and AL player reps of the newly formed MLBPA, announced that they had hired New York Sports attorney J. Norman Lewis for $15,000 as an advisor after baseball had rejected their proposals for an increased minimum wage and greater pension contributions. Lewis wasn’t much help; the owners refused to meet with him. Now they don’t get along much better, but they do meet.

1962 - Down 6-4 in the ninth against the Mets at the Polo Grounds, the Pirates loaded the bases with one out on an infield single (Bob Skinner’s 1,000th MLB rap) and two walks. Danny Murtaugh called on Jim Marshall to pinch hit. He hit a grounder to third, but Felix Mantilla’s throw to first was airmailed, allowing Skinner, Howie Goss and a sliding Roberto Clemente to score. The Bucs added another tally to win by an 8-6 count, New York’s 14th straight loss, giving Diomedes Olivo the win after a Roy Face save. The Mets finally got into the win column in the nightcap in equally dramatic style when Marvelous Marv Throneberry, who had been coaching first (he was pulling double duty), came up to pinch hit with two outs in the ninth and belted an overworked Face’s fourth pitch into the right field upper deck to earn a 5-4 split for the Metropolitans.

1963 - Jerry Lynch set a MLB record for pinch-hit home runs when he hit his 15th to best George Crowe’s mark, a ninth-inning blast off Lindy McDaniel. He drilled a 3-1 fastball that gave the Pirates a 7-6 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Lynch retired in 1966 with 18 pinch-hit homers, the record until Cliff Johnson broke it in 1984. Matt Stairs holds the MLB mark with 23.

1968 - The Bucs lit up the Reds at Forbes Field by a 19-1 count, banging out 23 hits. They were led by the top and bottom of the order - leadoff man Matty Alou and eight-hole hitter Gene Alley each had four hits; Roberto Clemente homered twice and Donn Clendenon had five RBI with a dinger on the day. Steve Blass lasted for eight innings, with ElRoy Face sealing the deal in the ninth. Cincinnati didn’t leave empty-handed - Johnny Bench won a pre-game home run derby, netting $150 that was split among the three Redleg participants (the Bucs shared $100 among their trio of Donn Clendenon, Bill Mazeroski and Manny Jiminez).

8/21 From 1970: B-Rey Day, Rennie Hurt, Game Days, SI Dock, Big Daddy & Joey Bats Dealt, Giles POTW, Tabata Signs, Bucs HoF, HBD Luke, Jeff, Jesse, Ramon & Lou

1971 - Dock Ellis was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Sound Off.” That’s the year Ellis told the media that NL All-Star Team manager Sparky Anderson would "never start two brothers against each other" as Vida Blue was starting for the AL. Anderson surprised Ellis (or played into his hand) by naming him the starter. Dock may have been better off muted; he was the losing pitcher in the game, giving up a titanic shot to Reggie Jackson.

1973 - IF Lou Collier was born in Chicago. He began his eight-year career as a Bucco in 1997-97, hitting .235 after being selected in the 31st round of the 1992 draft from Kishwaukee College. He spent two years in Korea after his MLB days and retired from baseball in 2007. He founded the Lou Collier Baseball Association, recruiting Chi-town kids out of rec center/little league teams to showcase their skills. He’s also an area scout for KC.

1976 - IF Ramon Vazquez was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. He spent the final campaign of his nine-year career with Pittsburgh in 2009, hitting .230 while playing third, short and second. Since retiring, he’s coached for San Diego, Houston, and currently is with Boston, along with managing Santurce (Roberto Clemente’s old club) in the Puerto Rican League.

1977 - Rennie Stennett broke his right ankle sliding into second against the Giants at Three Rivers Stadium and was lost for the year. Rennie never recovered fully, and his best BA after the accident was just .244. At the time, Stennett was the NL’s #2 hitter, batting .336 and fell 12 at-bats short of qualifying for the title, though his .336 BA would have been nosed out by the eventual winner, teammate Dave Parker, who hit .338. To rub some salt into the wound, the Bucs lost the game, 5-4. The second baseman left the Pirates after the ‘79 campaign to join San Francisco, inking a big five-year deal, but was never the same player and was released after two seasons on the Bay at age 31.

Jesse Chavez - 2009 O-Pee-Chee

1983 - RHP Jesse Chavez was born in San Gabriel, California. He started out with the Pirates in 2008-09, going 1-5/4.48 from the bullpen after arriving as the return from Texas for Kip Wells. In turn, the Bucs sent him to Tampa Bay in 2009 for 2B Akinori Iwamura. Jesse tossed for nine teams in 18 seasons and was with the Braves when his MLB road ended in 2025. When he pitched for Oakland, they had converted him to the rotation, though most clubs preferred him out of the pen - in 657 MLB outings, he started 85 times. Jesse was pretty strictly a mid-inning guy; he earned just nine saves, although he won 51 games.  

1983 - 1B Jeff Clement was born in Marshalltown, Iowa. He was a highly touted power hitter from Southern Cal and was taken third overall in the 2005 draft by Seattle. The Pirates got him from the Mariners in 2009 as part of the return for Ian Snell and Jack Wilson. Jeff got a look-see in 2010 and again in 2012, putting up a .193 BA, and retired from baseball in 2014. 

1984 - Johnny Ray and Dale Murphy exchanged homers at TRS, and the Bucs and Braves had a 4-4 match going into the ninth. Don Robinson put the Bravos away (he fanned five-of-six batters he faced) and after a leadoff double by Denny Gonzalez to open the ninth, Gene Garber came on for Atlanta, giving up a sac bunt followed by a pair of intentional walks. Kinda iffy strategy for the Bravos, setting up a RHP v LHB situation against a guy who already had a pair of knocks, CF Marvell Wynne. It went the Pirates way as Wynne’s single was the walkoff hit, giving Robby a well-deserved 5-4 win.

1987 - Vet RHP Rick Reuschel was sent to the Giants for two pitchers, righties Jeff Robinson and Scott Medvin. Reuschel had two strong years on the Bay, winning 36 games and earning an All-Star berth. Robinson lasted three years in Pittsburgh as a fairly solid reliever/spot starter (20-19-17/3.98) while Medvin (3-1/5.03 in 23 Bucco outings) was traded to Seattle in May, 1990 after spending most of his Pirates time in the minors at Buffalo. 

Luke Walker - 1972 Topps

1993 - RHP Luke Weaver was born in DeLand, Florida. The St. Louis Cards selected Weaver with the 27th pick of the first round of the 2014 draft out of Florida State. Weaver has gotten around since - when the Pirates got him from the Mets in 2026 for Sammy Stafura, Pittsburgh became his eighth team in 11 MLB outings. He was a setup guy for NY, but should get a look at closing for the Pirates; he posted eight saves in '25, so he's been there. Luke makes $9.5M in ‘26 and is signed for $12.5M for 2027, so another plus was that he wasn’t a rental. 

1995- It was a pretty ho-hum 5-3 win by the Bucs over the Marlins at TRS, but it was a notable victory. Not only was it their first sweep of the year, but it was a five-game broom job, their longest winning streak of the season (they won the next contest, too, to make it a season-best six-game streak).

1998 - All nine Pirates starters had hits, eight had RBI and seven scored in a 14-2 romp over the Reds at TRS. Kevin Young banged out three knocks and five other Bucco had a pair of raps as the Bucs collected 17 hits and six walks. Al Martin and Jason Kendall homered; Pittsburgh whacked five doubles and a triple. Chris Peters went seven innings for the decision. The batfest was part of a 15-game streak of the Pirates scoring four or more runs.

2000 - OF Brian Giles was named the NL’s co-POTW, along with Todd Helton. Giles was 11-of-21 with three doubles, a triple and three homers, scoring six times and chasing home eight runs. It was the fourth time Giles had earned the award.

2008 - 3B Jose Bautista was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a PTBN (C Robinzon Diaz). Bautista bloomed as a slugger in Toronto and while no one saw it coming at the time, it ended up among the more lopsided deals in Bucco history - Joey Bats spent 10 years with the Jays and pounded 288 dingers while Diaz played 43 games in two Bucco seasons. A side note: the Pirates were trying to pry C Brian Jeroloman loose for Jose. Jeroloman, a prospect that never played MLB (he spent 11 years with various farm clubs), did eventually end up a Bucco, albeit at Indy, when he was sold to the club in 2013. He was traded away in May to the Nationals. The FO had kept its eye on Jeroloman before that, claiming him off waivers in 2011, but then DFA’ed him three days later.

Jose Tabata - 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter

2011 - The Pirates announced a six-year extension of Jose Tabata’s contract. It guaranteed him $15M and included three club option years. JT’s advisers quit, believing the terms were too team friendly; they were wrong. From 2012-15, JT hit .267/96 OPS+ for the Bucs and logged lots of minor league innings before being traded to the LA Dodgers at the 2015 deadline; they released him in 2016, and after bouncing around some, he hasn’t played since 2021-22.

2020 -  OF Bryan Reynolds drove in four runs and scored three more to lead the Pirates to a 7-2 win against the Brewers, collecting three hits including a homer and triple. It was a red-letter day for RHP Chad Kuhl, too, who went five frames and picked up his first win since June, 2018, after missing the entire 2019 campaign while recovering from TJ surgery. 1B Colin Moran and SS Cole Tucker added three more hits apiece as the Bucs banged out 14 knocks at PNC Park.

2023 - The Cards called up lefty Drew Roms to make his debut at PNC Park, and he probably wished that his bus had a flat as the Pirates scored eight times (six runs earned) in 3-2/3 IP off him en route to an 11-1 victory. Reliever Thomas Hatch started and went three before Bailey Falter worked the final six frames for the win, his first of the year. Josh Palacios played his first MLB game against sibling Richie of the Redbirds, and with their proud parents in the stands, he put on a big bro show of muscle with a homer and double good for five RBI. Connor Joe banged out three doubles & scored four times while Endy Rodriguez added three more hits. The Bucs posted 16 hits, eight for extra bases.

2025 - The Pirates Hall of Fame added 1960 World Series winner/Cy Young awardee RHP Vern Law, 1971 WS champ CF/1B Al Oliver and 1925 WS victor/Hall of Famer OF Kiki Cuyler, bringing the franchise HoF up to 29 members since its inception in 2022. The ceremony was followed the next day by the annual Hall of Fame Game, this year against the Colorado Rockies.

8/20 Through the 1960s: Big Bob Gem, Extra Extras, Batfest, Dirty Dozen, Game Days, Ump ER, No To Union, Bobby-Cozy, HBD Al, Bull & Robert

1869 - RHP Robert Gibson was born in Duncansville, Pennsylvania, near Altoona. He tossed in the show in 1890, working a game for the Chicago Colts (a shutout) and then finishing up with three more starts with the Alleghenys, doing not so well with an 0-3/17.25 line, while also playing a little outfield. He did better at forging a career after he hung up the spikes, though - the Washington & Jefferson grad worked for Allegheny County/US Magistrate as an attorney, then was appointed as a Federal judge for the Western District in 1922, and became the chief judge, a position he filled (the last year was as an appointed senior judge) until his 1949 death. He’s buried in Homewood Cemetery.

1880 - OF Lewis “Bull” Smith was born in Plum, West Virginia. He was raised in an orphanage but overcame that humble beginning to become a West Liberty and later WVU multi-sports star & grad, leaving school with a law degree. Bull played sparingly in the MLB, with his 13-game 1904 season as a member of the Pirates his longest stay, hitting .143 (he got one-game cups of coffee with the Cubs in ‘06 and the Senators in ‘11). Baseball wasn’t his only strong suit, though - he was also a halfback for the Canton Bulldogs in 1905-06, playing in the NFL’s forerunner, the Ohio League. He managed and played locally at Clarksville & Charleston after his big league days. He later became a lumberman and school teacher. Bull passed away in 1928 in Charleston.

1883 - According to Charlton’s Baseball Chronology, after the Eclipse-Pittsburgh game at Exposition Park (won by Louisville, 8-2), Allegheny OFs Billy Taylor and Mike Mansell‚ along with 2B George Creamer, were each fined $100 and suspended indefinitely for drunkenness.

1903 - The Pirates set a record for futility in the first inning of a twin bill at the Polo Grounds, committing six errors (they would boot eight balls during the game) and allowing seven runs to the NY Giants in a 13-7 loss. But they came back in the nitecap behind Deacon Phillippe, who tossed a five-hit, 4-1 winner against NY, backed by Fred Clarke’s home run and a mere two errors. The split kept the Pirates five games ahead of the G-Men in the NL pennant race.

1908 - Hall of Fame catcher Al Lopez was born in Tampa. He caught seven years (1940-46) for the Pirates, hitting .254 with a rep as one of the finest defensive catchers in baseball and earning a 1941 All-Star berth. After his playing days, Lopez found success as a manager of the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox (2,414 wins), and was elected into the Hall in 1977.

Al Lopez - 1977 TCMA

1912 - Umpires William Brennan (twisted knee) and Clarence “Brick” Owens (foul to the chest) were both out of action by the second inning and transported to St. John’s Hospital, leaving no one to call the game, but the twin bill at Forbes Field nevertheless went on. Pirates manager Fred Clarke selected 1B Ham Hyatt to decide the bases while Brooklyn skipper Bill Dahlen chose C Eddie Phelps to make the calls at the plate. The Pirates took the opener 3-2, but the Dodgers came back to run away with the nightcap 9-1 as Hyatt and Phelps passed their test of fire and also arbitrated the second match. Both of the original men in blue were pretty banged up - Brennan ended up with torn ligaments in his knee and Owens tore ligaments in his rib cage.

1913 - The Pirates traded P Howie Camnitz and 3B Bobby Byrne to the Philadelphia Phillies for third baseman Albert “Cozy” Dolan and cash. Camnitz and Byrne were at the end of their effective careers (Bryne had a strong 1914 before fading), and Dolan was traded at the end of the year, so even though a couple of big names were involved, it ended up a minor deal. Cozy was banned from baseball in 1924 as a coach after being involved with a bribe offer during a heated pennant race. He didn’t get his nickname by being cozy with the bookies, though, but rather from a namesake baseball predecessor, Patrick “Cozy” Dolan. Fortunately for league scorekeepers, there was a five-year break between Patrick’s last game and Albert’s MLB debut.

1939 - Pittsburgh dropped its 12th straight game by a 9-5 score to the Cubs in the first game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field. Bob Klinger took the loss. The streak was the longest in Bucco history (although the Alleghenys had a couple of longer runs and it’s been topped several times since) and the longest in the majors for the year. But they finally got back on the right side of the ledger by taking the second game 5-0, which was called after six innings following a 40-minute rain delay. Max Butcher claimed the win, backed by Elbie Fletcher’s two-run homer and two-hit afternoons by Johnny Rizzo and Fern Bell.

1945 - The Pirates hit two homers (Babe Dahlgren, Pete Coscarart), two triples (Lee Handley, Jim Russell) and two doubles (Tommy O’Brien, Johnny Barrett) to romp over the Brooklyn Dodgers 11-1 at Ebbets Field. The Bucs scored three times in the first inning and five more times in the ninth while Preacher Roe scattered eight hits. O’Brien and Frankie Gustine led the lumber parade with three hits each. Da Bums had two noteworthy sidebars: they committed seven errors during the game (although just two runs were unearned), and 17-year-old Dodger SS Tommy Brown became the youngest player to hit a MLB home run.

Tommy O'Brien - 1943 photo via Out Of The Ball Park 

1946 - The Pirates voted against recognizing the American Baseball Guild as their bargaining agent by a 15-3 count with 10 abstentions in a pregame Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board election. They then whipped the Brooklyn Dodgers, 10-0, at Forbes Field behind Nick Strincevich’s four-hitter. Elbie Fletcher banged a three-run homer and Jim Russell had three hits that chased four Buccos home to give Strincevich plenty of breathing room.

1947 - It wasn’t a very good day for pitchers as Pittsburgh bludgeoned its way to a 16-10 win over Boston at Braves Stadium. 19 players banged out 34 hits - and oddly enough, not one of them cleared a fence. The leader of the pack was the Pirates’ Jim Russell, who went 5-for-6 with a double and triple, five RBI and three runs scored. Jimmy Bloodworth wasn’t far behind, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. The offensive onslaught wasn’t all on the hurlers; the two teams combined to commit six errors, allowing 10 unearned runs to score.

1953 - The Pirates used four Philadelphia Phillies errors to beat Robin Roberts 5-2 at Connie Mack Stadium, ending his 15-game winning streak against them. It took a little help: four of the Bucco runs were unearned gifts. The winner was 19-year-old Jim Waugh, who tossed a six-hitter. 

1961 - The Cubs and Pirates tied an NL record by playing their third straight extra-inning game at Wrigley Field. Chicago took this one 1-0 when Billy Williams singled home the winning run with two outs in the 11th, making Bob Friend a loser to Don Cardwell; both pitchers went the distance. The clubs had split the first pair; all three games went 11 innings.

1969 - Bob Veale tossed a four-hitter with one walk and 10 Ks to defeat the Houston Astros and Denny Lemaster 1-0 at Forbes Field. The big lefty allowed just one runner beyond first during the contest. The match’s only run scored in the eighth, when back-to-back Astro errors and a successful bunt set the table for Roberto Clemente’s game-winning sac fly. It also capped a four contests long complete games streak (he went the distance nine times in 34 starts) and was part of an eight-game winning streak for Veale.

8/20 From 1970: Bell Sounds, Reggie's Inning, KY Day, Gems, 70+ Swipes, Danny's #1000, Game Days, John-Willie, HBD Noah & Matt

1975 - Manager Danny Murtaugh’s 1,000th win (he finished with 1,115 dubs, all with the Buccos) went in the books after a 3-1 victory over the Giants at TRS. He became the second Pittsburgh skipper to reach that milestone, after Fred Clarke and his 1,422 dubs. The Pirates scored their runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Craig Reynold’s double and a two-run knock by Rennie Stennett. Winner Jim Rooker pitched eight innings of three-hit ball with Dave Giusti closing.

1978 - The Pirates defeated the Astros in a TRS twin bill by 7-6 and 3-1 scores. The two wins gave the Bucs a six game sweep of the ‘Stros, followed by a three-game brooming of the Braves that would take them from 9-1/2 games back in the division race to 3-1/2. The opener was sloppy; the Pirates committed three errors, opening the gates for three unearned runs, but homers by Willie Stargell and Dale Berra (his first MLB long ball) along with 14 hits (Frank Taveras had four raps and Stargell three) carried the day. Jim Rooker got the win with a Kent Tekulve save. Jerry Reuss went the distance in the second game, backed by a pair of Ed Ott homers. It was Reuss’ first win of the year in his ninth start; he had been largely ineffective and given a bullpen role for much of the summer. It was also the first time a team had swept a six game series (or even played one, per the Pittsburgh Press) in the modern era. The Bucs sizzled during the dog days, going 39-21 over the last two months of the season, but got it together too late. They fell 1-1/2 games short of the Phils in ‘78 and would have to wait for next year.

1980 - Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the year in a 5-1 loss at the Astrodome, becoming the first player in the 20th century with three consecutive 70-steal seasons. The Antelope swiped 71 in 1978, 77 in 1979 and finished 1980 with a career-high 96 successful larcenies. He swiped 412 sacks in an eight-year Bucco stay, behind only Max Carey (688) and Hans Wagner (639) in the franchise record book, with 487 bases stolen during his career.

1981 - Pittsburgh traded John Milner to the Expos for Willie Montanez in a flip of reserve first basemen. Neither did much for their new teams, and Montanez was released after the 1982 season, ironically so that the Pirates could bring free agent Milner back for his final MLB campaign.

Jose DeLeon - 1984 Topps

1983 - Jose DeLeon took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the third time during the season, but Cincinnati's Dan Driessen doubled with two outs to spoil the no-no. DeLeon finished with 13 strikeouts and a 4-0 two-hit victory at TRS. Jason Thompson and Tony Pena had two hits, a run and an RBI each. DeLeon went 7-3/2.83 in his rookie season, and although he never became an ace, he lasted 13 years in the show while pitching for five different clubs.

1985 - 1B Matt “The Hit Collector” Hague was born in Bellevue, Washington. The Pirates selected Hague in the ninth round of the 2008 draft out of Oklahoma State as a third baseman; he was switched to first because of Pedro Alvarez. He got his nickname because in the minors it was said all he did was hit, but in two Pittsburgh stays (2012 & 2014), he stroked just .222 and was waived to Toronto, where he played in 2015. He spent a year in Japan, then signed with the Twins organization. Matt’s now the Pirates hitting coach.

1988 - John Smiley and Jim Gott held the Astros to seven hits as the Bucs defeated Houston and Nolan Ryan by a 2-1 count at Three Rivers Stadium with the contest aired as the NBC Game of the Week. The Pirates used a two-out rally in the sixth to put up their runs. Smiley walked on five pitches and Barry Bonds singled after falling behind 1-2. In a key play, the ‘Stros Gerald Young took a shot at Smiley going to third and missed by a hair, allowing Bonds to reach second. Jose Lind’s liner to center plated them both. The win pulled the Buccos to within 3-1/2 games of the lead, but they dropped 9-of-13 matches after the victory, eventually finishing second but 15 games off the pace.

1990 - Neal Heaton went six shutout innings, giving up just three hits, as the Pirates rolled over the Astros,7-1 at Three Rivers Stadium. Neal’s reward: his 11th victory and a flip from the rotation to the bullpen, though not due to performance. Jim Leyland was trying to cut back on his innings as Heaton was pitching through a sore arm, and the move also added a third lefty to the relief corps. The hitting hero was Gary Redus with a homer and three RBI, the first tallies he had sent home in two weeks, plus a pair of runs scored. Bobby Bonilla and John Cangelosi added a pair of knocks, with Bo plating a pair of Pirates and Cangy crossing the dish twice. It was Pittsburgh’s sixth straight win as they were on a mid-August tear of taking 10-of-12 games.

Kevin Young - 1995 Donruss

1995 - It was Kevin Young 3, Florida 2, at TRS as KY banged out three hits, including a homer, and drove in all three runs. His big night came about to some Bucco groupthink involving Young, Jim Leyland, batting coach Milt May and Bob Walk, who tossed BP for Young, after Young went through a four-strikeout game earlier in the week. They had him get closer to the plate and to set the bat on his shoulder rather than in the air. Viola - he went 7-for-13 with three homers after the chat. Spoiler alert - it was a temporary patch; he hit .232 over the year and didn’t break out until 1997. But it worked well enough to carry Steve Parris, with bullpen help, to victory.

1998 - RHP Noah Murdock was born in Richmond, Virginia. Murdock was a 2019 seventh round draft pick out of Virginia by Kansas City. He broke out in 2024 and became a Rule 5 Pick of the A’s. Noah debuted in 2025 but got beat up (1-1/13.24) and ultimately returned to the Royals, then released at the end of the year. The Bucs signed him to a minor league deal and he posted a 2-2-1/2.89 line over three levels. Murdock was called up from Indy twice as the extra pitcher for doubleheaders without appearing and in late July was brought up for a longer look. He tossed a couple of scoreless outings before being returned to Indy.

2002 - Pirate pitching held the Cardinals hitless after a one-out single in the first at Busch Stadium in an 8-0 win. Kris Benson started and went seven frames, with an inning each from Brian Boehringer and Al Reyes. Jason Kendall had three RBI, and five Bucs chipped in with a handful of solo shots - Brian Giles, Aramis Ramirez, Rob Mackowiak, Craig Wilson and Adam Hyzdu.

2003 - Reggie Sanders joined Jeff King (who did it twice) and Jake Stenzel (1894) as the only Bucs to homer twice in one inning when he belted big flies off Jason Pearson and Esteban Yan of the Cards during a 10-run fifth inning at Busch Stadium, with his second dinger being a grand slam. His first tater was the team’s third in a row, behind Jason Kendall and Brian Gile blasts, and the four bombs in one inning was a Pirates record. It was a home run derby for the Pirates, who hit seven big boppers to tie the franchise’s single-game high water mark. Also going long were Rob Mackowiak with a pair of four-baggers and pitcher Jeff D’Amico, who dropped one in the seats while tossing a complete game three-hitter as the Bucs fired on all cylinders in a 14-0 romp.

Reggie Sanders - 2003 Spectrum SPx

2014 - Down 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth and in the throes of a seven-game losing streak, the Bucs rallied to overtake the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park by a 3-2 score. A leadoff walk to Gaby Sanchez in the eighth was followed by a ground rule double off Travis Snider’s bat. A grounder and wild pitch brought them home to tie the game. Jordy Mercer opened the ninth with a single and went to third an out later when Starling Marte’s fly dropped in. Sanchez again was the man of the hour, lofting one just deep enough to plate Mercer. Tony Watson got the win and Mark Melancon the save. The Pirates went on to finish the year on a 24-12 run to earn a wild card, falling two games short of catching the Cards for the Central title. The SF Giants, who went on to win the WS, made it a short postseason when they beat the Bucs 8-0 behind Madison Bumgarner in the win-or-go-home game.

2017 - The Pirates, at the behest of MLB, flipped their game from PNC Park to Bowman Field, a minor-league park in Williamsport, to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the “Little League Classic” during the Little League World Series tournament. 2,596 tweener ball players and their parents watched as the Buccos won a 6-3 decision from the Redbirds. Ivan Nova had a rocky outing but kept the run count down for the win, supported by some nice work from the bullpen. The first four Pirates hitters (Starling Marte, Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen & Josh Bell) went 8-for-15, scored all six runs and drove in five. It marked the sixth straight multi-hit game for Marte while J-Bell's four RBIs (two-run homer, two-run single) tied his career single-game high. It was the Pirates' first neutral site home game since 1890, when they played the NY Giants in Wheeling, West Virginia.

2024 - The Bucs were badly in need of a stopper; they had just broken out of a 10-game losing streak and were still carrying a nine-game road stretch without a win. Mitch Keller stepped up; he went seven shutout innings against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, giving up three hits, nary a walk and whiffing nine to earn his 11th win, 4-0. Kells hadn’t pocketed a victory since July 8, but was on top of his game, not allowing a Texas runner to reach second. The offense was keyed by a fourth-inning, two-out rally when Bryan De La Cruz singled in a pair of runs and Oneil Cruz brought him home with a triple. Jared Triolo drove in an insurance marker in the eighth frame.

8/19 Through the 1950s: Stu & Ralph Flex, Dream Weaver, Game Days, Byrne Trade, Red Joins, HBD Terry & Ike

1891 - SS Ike McAuley was born in Wichita. In his three years in Pittsburgh (1914-16) he had just 50 PA and hit .149, yo-yo’ing between the show and the farm. He did have a moment in the sun, though - when he made his debut, the Bucs started him at SS and played Hans Wagner at 3B. He also had stints with the Cubs and Cards. Ike spent 15 years playing pro ball, retiring after the 1927 campaign at age 35 and then scouting for the Detroit Tigers.

1901 - The Pirates chased the Cards’ 21-game winner Jack Harper in a 9-5 win at Robison Field. The Bucs used a five-run third inning to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, using four hits and a pair of Redbird errors to pile up the points. Ed Doheny got the win with help from Deacon Phillippe. Lefty Davis left the Pittsburgh attack with four hits; Hans Wagner and Kitty Bransfield added three more knocks each. The Bucco sticks were en fuego - they banged out 17 hits as “the batting fever was still hot upon them” per the Pittsburgh Press.

1902 - In a see-saw game at Exposition Park, the NY Giants went ahead of Pittsburgh 4-3 with a ninth-inning run off Jack Chesbro on a single that went off Honus Wagner’s glove. But in the Bucco half, the Dutchman atoned when he spanked a two-out, two-strike single through the left side to score Deacon Phillippe and Ginger Beaumont to give the Bucs a 5-4 win.

Hans - 1902 photo/Carl Horner

1909 - The Pirates traded 3B Jap Barbeau, 2B Alan Storke, and cash to the Cardinals for 3B Bobby Byrne. Storke died young (he was 25-years-old) in the next year from the flu, while Barbeau lasted two more seasons. Byrne held down the hot corner for the next five seasons, hitting .277 in 590 games. He had the best hitting line of his 11-year MLB career as a Buc, playing through the 1913 season and hitting .277 while helping the Pirates to the 1909 World Series title. 

1910 - The Pirates signed RHP Urban Clarence “Red” Faber from Dubuque the day after he tossed a perfect game against Davenport. After finishing the campaign with the Dubs, he broke camp with the club in 1911, but the sidearm fastballer was sold to the minor league Minneapolis Millers in late May without appearing in a game. He had a mediocre farm season due to a sore arm, but with a big silver lining: he learned to toss the wet one to compensate. That combined with his fastball made for a deadly combo, and at Des Moines he won 41 games and led the Western League in strikeouts in 1912-13. The White Sox inked him and he threw for 20 years, winning 254 games for Chicago, the only MLB team he ever pitched for, and entered the Hall of Fame in 1964.

1936 - The Pirates had squandered a 4-1 lead after six innings - they stranded 15 runners during the afternoon to prevent a runaway - and went into the ninth frame at Forbes Field tied with the Cubs, 4-4. Bill Brubaker started the Bucs off with his third hit of the afternoon and was bunted up. Lloyd Waner was called off of the bench to pinch hit, and with first base open, was intentionally walked. Pitcher Bill Swift, who came on in relief of Jim Weaver, stepped up and stroked the first pitch into center to walkoff his own win. Chicago came into town 2-1/2 games off the lead after entering August in first place; the Pirates took 3-of-4 to knock the Cubs 4-1/2 games off the pace. Chi-town never recovered from the widened gap, finishing five games behind the New York Giants.

Frankie Frisch - 1940 Play Ball

1941 - Manager Frankie Frisch was ejected by ump Jocko Conlan and fined $50 during the second game of a twin bill when he appeared on the field with an umbrella to protest the damp playing conditions at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field and becoming the inspiration for a later Norman Rockwell painting. Da Bums won the day, winning 9-0 and 6-2 as they hung out the Pirates to dry.

1950 - The Pirates outpointed the Cubs 13-9 at Wrigley Field for their sixth win in seven games, led by Ralph Kiner’s pair of bombs and three RBI. Johnny Hopp added a homer and a pair of doubles, driving in a pair and scoring twice. Pittsburgh plated six times in the final two frames to rally for the comeback, earning Murry Dickson the win with Bill Werle finishing up.

1955 - OF Terry Harper was born in Douglasville, Georgia. The Bucs traded for the then 32-year-old Harper from the Tigers in June of 1987, and it was the last hurrah for the eight-year vet. He hit .288 here and then played out his final campaign in Japan and later coached some in the Braves organization. Terry’s now a private hitting instructor, coaches various youth teams and operates a nonprofit, International Sports Connection. His hometown even named a field after him.

1958 - The Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs 4-3 at Wrigley Field on the strength of  two-run blasts by Bill Mazeroski in the second frame and Dick Stuart in the sixth (Stu’s went 450’ and touched down on Waveland Avenue), both off starter Taylor Phillips. Curt Raydon worked six innings for the win with Bob Porterfield tossing three shutout frames to save the decision. A key factor in the victory was Roberto Clemente’s play in the field; he made a pair of highlight grabs and threw out a runner at third. The win was the Pirates’ twentieth out of twenty-eight games and kept them in second place, 6-1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Braves.

8/19 From 1970: Cutch Can Do, Kevins #400, 17 K, Long Time Comin', Candy-O, Rook Rocks, Game Days, Mad Dog POTW, Nick-Milt, Rambo-Redus, HBD Swags & Britt

1973 - Jim Rooker was a one-man wrecking crew, spinning a five hitter and going 3-for-3 at the dish (he hit .245 during the campaign, not too shabby for a hurler) as the Pirates beat San Francisco and Juan Marichal 5-0 at Three Rivers Stadium. Richie Hebner also smacked three hits. He and Al Oliver went back-to-back with long balls in the first frame to grab a quick lead for Rook, and Manny Sanguillen iced the cake with a two-run double in the sixth inning.

1973 - RHP Britt Reames was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Britt spent parts of six years in the show with his final campaign as a Bucco in 2006, getting into five games and putting up a 9.82 ERA. He became the pitching coach for Furman and moved on to his alma mater, The Citadel, where he’s a member of the Bulldogs Hall of Fame. Reames is now head coach of Oceanside (SC) Collegiate Academy.

1976 - Two red-hot Pirates led the Buccos to a 1-0 win over the Giants at Candlestick Park. John Candelaria went the distance for the win, giving up nine hits but rarely in hot water while picking up his eighth straight victory. Candy scored the game’s only run when Richie Zisk plated him in the fifth to post his eighth RBI in the past four games. Candelaria, 22, in his second season, went 10-2/2.94 from June first through August and finished the year with a 16-7/3.15 slate. Zisk, in his final Bucco year, ended the campaign with a .289/21/89 line.

1979 - The Pirates blanked the Dodgers at TRS, 2-0. Bill Madlock claimed it for the Bucs with a two-run, two-out walkoff bomb in the ninth as John Candelaria (eight IP) & game winner Kent Tekulve teamed up on a four-hit shutout. Bert Hooton went the distance for LA to take the tough loss.

1983 - The Pirates traded Steve Nicosia to the Giants for Milt May and cash in a swap of backup catchers. May retired after the 1984 season and Nicosia, who was unhappy as Tony Pena’s caddy, played a bench role for three teams before giving up the tools of ignorance after the 1985 campaign.  It was a close-the-circle deal for May, who started his career in Pittsburgh in 1970 and stayed through ‘73.

Gary Redus - 1989 Topps

1988 - The Pirates swapped 1B/OF Mike Diaz, sending him to the Chicago White Sox for OF Gary Redus. Rambo ended the year with the Windy City before heading to Japan to finish his career. Redus played first and some outfield for the Bucs through 1992, hitting .255 with 24 homers, 96 RBI, 157 runs scored and 69 stolen bases, although hampered by injuries following the 1988 campaign. He spent his last two seasons with Texas before he retired.

1985 - Bill Madlock was named the NL Player of the Week after going 9-for-22 (.409) and banging out four homers; he was the first Bucco to win the award this season. Unfortunately for the team, he was pretty much a one-man show on the field as the club went 2-5 over the week.

1997 - OF Travis Swaggerty was born in Covington, Louisiana. A 2018 first rounder (#10) of the Bucs taken from the U of South Alabama, he got his first (and so far only) taste of the majors in 2022, going 1-for-9 in five games before being returned to Indy. Swags was a speedster who could steal a base and played excellent outfielder, but carried a .250 BA in five injury and illness plagued minor league campaigns. The Pirates cut him loose in midseason of 2023, and he’s now playing ball in Mexico.

1999 - Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 1-0 at Cinergy Field, as Pete Harnisch and Scott Williamson combined for a one-hitter while whiffing 13 Bucs with Harnisch surrendering just a seventh inning single to Mike Benjamin. Kris Benson pitched a dandy of his own, scattering seven hits and punching out eight. He had a shutout going until one out in the eighth, when Sean Casey, in the midst of his breakout year, homered for the game’s only run.  

2012 - The Bucs outlasted the Cards at Busch Stadium to take home a 19-inning 6-3 victory. The teams ran through 16 pitchers before it was decided on a Pedro Alvarez homer; El Toro became the first player in Pirates history to hit a home run in the 19th inning or later. Wandy Rodriguez, usually a starter, was called on to work the last two frames and notched the win after both teams swapped runs in the 17th to keep the game rolling.  It was the first Pittsburgh road win of 19 innings or more since beating San Diego in 1979, and the first time the Pirates put up three+ runs in the 19th or beyond since 1912 against the Boston Braves.

Wandy Rodriguez - 2012 Topps

2013 - Francisco Liriano, Justin Wilson and Mark Melancon teamed up to strike out 17 Padre batters in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win at Petco Park. The whiff-fest tied a club record for a nine-inning game (originally set in 2012 and matched in 2023), with Frankie doing the heavy lifting, posting 13 of the strikeouts in seven frames, while Wilson and Melancon each fanned a pair in their inning of work. The Pirates pitchers gave up six hits total, with Liriano getting his 14th victory and The Shark earning the save. Pedro Alvarez banged his 31st homer and scored twice in the 3-1 win over San Diego.

2018 - The Pirates salvaged a hard-earned four-game split against the Cubs with an 11-inning 2-1 victory at PNC Park. Jameson Taillon (he struck out eight in six innings) and Jose Quintana left it up to the bullpens to decide a 1-1 draw. Both sides ducked some bullets and blundered on the basepaths. The Bucs were especially egregious, having two runners thrown out at home and going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. After Richard Rodriguez left the bases full in the 11th, Brandon Kintzler got two easy outs before falling behind Adam Frazier 3-0; he grooved a fastball and Fraze wasn’t taking but hunting. He blasted the ball 413’, completely out of the park and onto the Riverwalk, for his second career walkoff homer. The Pirates had lost the first two games 1-0, then took the last pair by 3-1 & 2-1 tallies. Chicago set a quirky MLB record; all four of their runs came on solo homers, neatly meted out at one per game.

2022 - Kevin Newman played his 400th game as a Buc the day before, but he partied on by going 2-for-4, scoring twice (including both the first and the winning runs) and driving home a pair (the second being the game-tying tally) to lead the Corsairs to a 5-4 walkoff victory over the Reds at PNC Park. Cincy jumped ahead 3-0, with Pittsburgh knotting the score in the seventh. The Bucs gave up an unearned run in the eighth, setting up the ninth inning heroics. Bligh Madris singled, was bunted up and Newman doubled him in. An intentional walk and bopped batter juiced the sacks before a single to left by Michael Chavis ended it; his hit gave the Pirates the lead for the first time in the game. Ben Gamel added three hits to help Wil Crowe to the victory, following starter Bryse Wilson and Duane Underwood Jr. on the bump.  

2023 - After the Pirates went 1-for-14 w/RISP to lose the series opener against the Minnesota Twins, Andrew McCutchen made sure there wasn’t a repeat. His two-out, two-strike, two-run single in the sixth inning plated a pair to tie the game and his three-run, 438’ blast into the second deck of Target Field (his first long ball since June 30th) in the final frame iced the 7-4 victory. The Pirates had been no-hit for five innings by Sonny Gray, but Mitch Keller hung with him, fanning 12 Twinkies and holding the Twin Cities to two runs through six frames. It was Kell’s 10th win; he only had 12 career dubs over four years coming into the campaign. Inspired by the clutch Cutch performance, the Bucs reversed direction and batted 5-for-11 w/RISP.

8/18 Through the 1960s: Out Of Order, Game Days, Ray & Buck NNL-ASG Dr Hardy Deal, Branch Goes, HBD Arriba, Spanky, Carl, Roger, Bernie, Burleigh & Spooks

1891 - IF Wally “Spooks” Gerber was born in Columbus, Ohio. Gerber started his 15-year career with Pittsburgh in 1914-15 as a utilityman (he was another in a long line of Hans Wagner replacements at short), batting .207. Following his playing career, Gerber was an umpire in the Mid Atlantic League and also worked as a super for the Columbus Recreation Department. Wally got his nickname because of his gaunt, ghostly build.

1893 - RHP Burleigh Grimes was born in Emerald, Wisconsin. The Hall of Famer spent five years with the Bucs (1916-17, 1928-29, 1934), beginning and ending his career in Pittsburgh with a couple years in the middle. His line was a modest 48-42/3.26 as a Pirate, but in a 19-year career with seven different clubs, Old Stubblebeard (he didn’t shave on game days, claiming the emery he used on ball irritated his face) won 269 decisions and was the last of 17 pitchers grandfathered in by a 1920 ban who was allowed to legally throw a spitball.

1893 - RHP Bernie Duffy was born in Vinson, Oklahoma. He joined the Pirates briefly in 1913 as a highly touted arm, but in three outings (two starts), the 19-year-old lasted just 11-1/3 IP and gave up 18 hits while putting up a 5.56 ERA. He spent the next several years going from farm club to farm club, and after the 1917 season did what any self-respecting Oklahoman would do: he hung up the spikes and earned his daily bread as a wildcatter in the oil fields. 

1914 - Babe Adams bested NY Giants Rube Marquard to take a 3-1 decision at Forbes Field. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Adams was more than their (the Giants) master and forced them to bow to defeat.” The Babe helped his own cause by banging an inside the park homer, set up when frustrated center fielder Bob Bescher didn’t chase the ball after it got past him and allowed it to roll almost to the wall as Adams circled the bases. 

Babe Adams - Helmar Score 5 Disc

1927 - LHP Roger Bowman was born in Amsterdam, New York. He closed out his five-year MLB career with two stops in Pittsburgh in 1953 and 1955, slashing 0-7/5.66. Bowman did have a long career in the minors, working from 1946-61 and once tossing a seven-inning perfecto, and also twirled in the Cuban and Venezuelan Leagues. He was a well-rounded fellow, playing sax for area big bands in the Adirondacks, turning an art degree into an upholstery business after his ball-playing days and earning a pilot's license.

1930 - Carl Barger was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. A corporate lawyer with Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, he helped form and lead the Pittsburgh Associates to keep the Pirates in Pittsburgh after they were put up for sale by John Galbreath's family in 1985. He was president of the Pirates from 1987 to 1991 when he resigned to help his friend, Wayne Huinzenga, put together the Florida Marlins franchise. He died of a ruptured aorta while attending the winter meetings in 1992, before the Marlins had even played their first game. The Fish retired number 5 in his honor (though Carl was a long-time Pirates fan from his youth, Joe DiMaggio, who wore that number, was his favorite player). Fame is fleeting, though - the Marlins controversially unretired it for Logan Morrison in 2012, instead leaving a couple of practice fields named after Barger.

1931 - Paul Waner went 5-for-6 to lead Pittsburgh to a 14-5 win over the Phils at the Baker Bowl. Pie Traynor added three hits, three runs and two RBI while Eddie Phillips drove in four runs to provide the muscle to allow righty Glenn Spencer to cruise to a complete game victory.

1934 - The Great One, Roberto Clemente, was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The Hall of Famer & humanitarian compiled a lifetime .317 BA, hitting over .300 in 13 of his last 14 seasons, and collected 3,000 hits in eighteen years as a Pirate. He was a two-time World Series champ, 15-time All-Star, won 12 Golden Gloves, was an NL & WS MVP, had his number retired and since 2002 has been honored annually by a MLB special day.

1940 - Homestead Grays RHP Ray Brown worked the final two frames for the East All-Star club that shut out the West 11-0 at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in the Negro League Summer Classic. Teammate Buck Leonard added three hits, three RBI and scored twice for the ASG winners.

Buck Leonard - 1993 Ted Williams

1940 - IF Paul Popovich was born in Flemington, West Virginia. The Mountaineer (he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2013) closed out his 11-year career with Pittsburgh, hitting .211 in 1974-75 as a bench player for two division-winning clubs. After his playing days were finished, he spent a decade as an infield coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1948 - The Bucs put up a six-spot in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs to pull away for a 7-4 win at Wrigley Field. Future manager Danny Murtaugh drove in three runs, while rookie pitcher Bob Chesne helped himself to the victory with 8-2/3 IP on the hill and two hits, a run and an RBI at bat.

1952 - The Pirates sent IF George Strickland and RHP Ted “Cork” Wilks (he was called Cork in his St. Louis days because he was the club’s late-inning “stopper”) to the Cleveland Indians for Johnny Berardino‚ minor leaguer Charlie Sipple and $50‚000. For Berardino, it was his second stint in Pittsburgh (59 games/.187 BA), a stopping off point before his more lucrative career in movies and as a soap opera star, notably playing Dr. Steve Hardy on “General Hospital.” The deal was a win for the Cleves. Strickland ended up with eight years for the Tribe as a defensive whiz, playing 734 games while hitting .233.

1956 - Manager Bobby Bragan literally shook up the lineup by sending the first six batters up in order of productivity, batting the pitcher seventh, and using the bottom pair to set up the top of the order. His lineup: Frank Thomas, Dale Long, Bill Virdon, Lee Walls, Roberto Clemente, Dick Groat, Bob Friend, Bill Mazeroski and Jack Shepard, one that Press beatman Les Biederman described as “...a batting order that defied every known law of the game.” It worked, though, as the Bucs pounded out a 9-1 victory over the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. To Bragan’s way of thinking, the old way of constructing lineups was archaic, but his method never won over the support of traditionalists or the analytic gurus, and the Designated Hitter rule has made it moot.

1959 - Branch Rickey resigned as chairman of the Pirates board of directors to become president of the Continental League, a proposed third major league. The league disbanded in 1960 without playing a single game, but it helped to accelerate the expansion of MLB. Owners who were opposed to the CL approved expansion clubs in Houston, Minnesota and New York, all potential CL cities, to draw membership away from the new league, eventually killing it.

Spanky - 1990 Topps

1960 - C Mike “Spanky” LaValliere was born in Charlotte, NC. Spanky caught for the Bucs from 1987-93, putting up a .278 BA, a Golden Glove winner and a part of three Jim Leyland-led division winning teams (1991-93). He played though the 1995 season before retiring as a White Sox. LaValliere is now an instructor and occasional TV analyst. He picked up his nickname because his AAA manager, Jim Fregosi, thought he looked like Spanky from “Our Gang.”

1966 - Oooops! 3B Jose Pagan tied the modern NL record for errors in an inning with three in the fourth frame, booting four balls overall, as Pittsburgh lost to Mets 9-5 at Shea Stadium. Jose’s bad mitt day led to six unearned runs charged to loser Woodie Fryman. And ouch, Pagan also went 0-for-4 with two whiffs.

1969 - The Pirates showed some late inning two-out lightning at Crosley Field by scoring three times in the ninth to tie the Reds 5-5 and then ringing up seven more runs in the 10th to steal a 12-5 win. The Buccos juiced the sacks with two gone, with two runners reaching on Cincy errors and another on a bunt single, before the extra-innings floodgate opened. Carl Taylor cleaned the bases with a double, a knock set up Pirates at the corners and Al Oliver’s double followed by Gene Alley’s homer added up to the seven spot. Alley had four hits during the contest while Alou and Roberto Clemente each chipped in with three. Bruce Dal Canton tossed the final three frames for the win in relief of Bob Moose.

1969 - Bucco broadcaster Bob Prince announced that he had a lucrative offer to switch booths to take Harry Caray’s place in St. Louis (Caray was in the Busch doghouse and was fired after the campaign). The Gunner didn’t sound like a man ready to move, though, as he told the Pittsburgh Press that “I wouldn’t quit a job where I’m #1 for one where I’d be #2 or #3. He stayed but his announcing teammate Jim “The Possum” Woods did accept a job there as the sidekick to Jack Buck, but left after a year because the two didn’t get along particularly well.