9/22 Through the 1950s: Danny Walkoff, Heinie's 19th, Cy's Last Dub, Red On OT, Bad Ball, Game Days, Ed Out, HBD Wally, Harry & Flaggy

1890 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys moved their home game with the New York Giants to Wheeling, West Virginia, due to attendance issues at home (they couldn’t draw flies; they went 23-113). The game at Island Grounds, home of the Wheeling Nailers, drew 1,500 fans and it remains the only major league game ever played in the state of West Virginia. According to the Wheeling Daily Register, “The game was played under some slight disadvantages, as the outfield was unkempt and unshaven, the grass being so tall that the ball, and almost the players, frequently got lost. (The Giants Mike) Tiernan knocked one into the tall grass, and while some seven or eight players were still on the hunt, he modestly crossed the home plate...” for a ninth-inning inside-the-park homer. The Alleghenys lost 8-3 and the Pittsburgh Press wrote “to be sure, the local team lost to be in keeping with its record and (team owner) Mr. McNeill may rest assured that his team will establish a world record in time (for losing).” The paper was right; they were baseball’s worst until the Cleveland Spiders of 1899 finished 20-134, bumping the Alleghenys to runner-up. It would also be the last regularly scheduled Pittsburgh home game moved to a neutral site until 2017 when the Pirates played St. Louis in Williamsport to celebrate youth baseball.

1893 - OF Ira Flagstead was born in Montague, Michigan. Ira closed out his 13-year career in Pittsburgh from 1929-30, a journey that had begun with the Detroit Tigers and blossomed with the Boston Red Sox where he was a top shelf CF’er with a good stick and rifle arm. He signed with the Pirates on July 8th, 1929, fostered by both his acquaintance with Pittsburgh manager Donie Bush, whom Ira played with in Detroit, and the suspicion that Washington, which had signed him earlier, wanted to dump his contract. He hit .257 and was released in August, 1930. Ira closed out his pro ball in the Pacific Coast League in 1931. He retired to Olympia, where he grew up, and managed the local semi-pro Timber League nine. “Flaggy” (he was also known as “Pete” from his teen days) was elected to both the Red Sox and Washington State Halls of Fame. 

1894 - After tossing 12 innings in a tie contest, Phil “Red” Ehret threw a complete game four-hitter the next day to salvage a doubleheader split with the NY Giants by a 4-1 score at Exposition Park. His opponent was Les German, the same pitcher whom he had met in the draw in a redux matchup. Despite collecting nine hits, the Bucs and Tom Colcolough lost the twin bill’s opener 6-2.

1903 - Pittsburgh's 16-game winner Ed Doheny, suffering from bouts of paranoia, was escorted home by his brother. After the World Series, Doheny was committed to the Danvers Insane Asylum and at the age of 26, his major league career was over. Not only was this a tragic turn of events for Doheny, but it cost the Bucs dearly in their World Series loss to the Boston Americans as they were short of pitching for the series. He, Deacon Phillippe and Sam Leever formed the Pirate rotation, and with Leever nursing an injury, Phillippe was forced to start five of the seven games, eventually wearing down. Poor Doheny, whose mental issues were said to be triggered after he developed a dead arm during the season, never returned to normalcy. He had some violent episodes at home and was committed full-time to the Danver asylum. He was later transferred to another institution but never recovered and passed away at 43-years-old.

Ed Doheny - image via Vermont Historial Society

1908 - The Brooklyn Superbas cashed in a run in the ninth, scoring when no one covered first on a two-out grounder to the right side, but Pittsburgh and Nick Maddox prevailed 3-2 in 11 innings at Washington Park. Alan Storke tripled home Hans Wagner with the go ahead run and scored himself on a wild throw home. Maddox gave up a homer in Brooklyn’s half, but hung on for the win as the Pirates stayed alive in their late drive for the flag, which fell a game short.

1911 - Cy Young, pitching for the Boston Rustlers (no, they didn’t “rustle” players like the Pirates had “pirated” them; the moniker was a play on the name of team owner William Russell), earned his 511th and final career victory by defeating the Pirates, 1-0. Cy scattered nine hits and fanned three at Forbes Field to best Babe Adams. Although 20 games above .500 at the time, the Bucs were deep in third place, drawing just 1,208 fans. The Pirates feasted on Boston during the season: the Rustlers (they became the Braves in 1912) won only 3-of-22 against Pittsburgh, with two of the losses via shutouts thrown by the 44-year-old Cyclone.

1929 - Utilityman Harry Bright was born in Kansas City. He played for eight seasons, with the first three (1958-60) in Pittsburgh. Bright hit .237 and was traded to the expansion Washington Senators after the ‘60 season as part of the Bobby Shantz package. Harry had a long pro career, playing 20 years and in nearly 2,000 games between the show and the farm. Bright managed the PCL’s Sacramento club and in the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers & Atlanta Braves organizations, then scouted for the Expos. 

1931 - The Phillies overcame a 2-0 ninth-inning deficit to send the game to overtime, but the Pirates pushed home a run in the 13th to claim a 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Heinie Meine went the distance for the victory, tossing a four-hitter. It was his 19th win, which led all NL pitchers that season. The Bucs left 20 men on base as Philadelphia pitchers allowed 10 hits and 13 walks. Workhorse Meine logged 284 IP in 35 starts by season’s end, the top numbers in the NL.

Heinie Meine - 1933 Goudey

1932 - Rookie Hal Smith recorded a six-hit shutout in his first MLB start in a 7-0 win at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The Bucs got all the runs they would need by scoring five times in the third inning. Arky Vaughan and Adam Comorosky led the way with two RBI apiece while Paul Waner banged out three hits and scored twice. Former (and future) Pirate pitcher Burleigh Grimes took the loss.

1938 - Pittsburgh swept a twinbill from the Brooklyn Robins by 6-0 and 11-6 scores at Ebbets Field to take a 3-1/2 game lead in the race for the pennant. Jim Tobin tossed a four-hitter in the opener. Arky Vaughan had four hits, with three doubles and three RBI to go with Pep Young’s four runs driven home to power the win in the nitecap. But the 1938 NL crown would go to Chicago, which won their last 10 games while the Bucs stumbled to a 3-7 finish in a September swoon.

1949 - Danny Murtaugh had the game-winning knock to hang a 1-0 walkoff defeat on Johnny Sain and the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. The Irishman’s two-out, ninth-inning rap brought home Wally Westlake, who had singled and then stole second. It was Murtaugh’s only at bat; he was subbed into the game after manager Billy Meyer burned through a pair of pinch hitters and a pinch runner trying to squeeze out a run in the seventh. Winner Murray Dickson labored but went the distance, giving up seven hits and six walks but stranding 11 Braves.

1958 - The Pirates set a pair of wrong way records during their 3-2 and 1-0 twinbill losses to the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. Three Phil pitchers fanned a MLB record 21 Bucs in the opener, and Jack Sanford whiffed 10 in the nitecap for a big league record 31 Ks for the day.

1959 - Utilityman Wally Backman was born in Hillsboro, Oregon. He spent one season of his 14-year career in Pittsburgh in 1990, and it was more than solid as he got into 104 games and batted .297. He came to Pittsburgh as a free agent, inking a one-year/$400K deal, and left the same way, signing a two-year/$1.3M contract with the Phils. Thanks to some personal issues, Wally has had a bumpy road coaching/managing since retiring in 1993, finishing up as an indie league skipper after the 2023 season following bench stints with the White Sox, D-Backs, Mets and in Mexico.

9/22 From 1960: Pups Pop, One's Enough, Young Gun, 11 Straight, '75 & '71 Clinchers, Game Days, Cito Joins, Kevin Bids, HBD Hunter

1960 - Pittsburgh, finishing off a six-game winning streak, was an inch away from the flag as the Bucs swept a twin bill from the Cubs at Forbes Field by 3-2 and 6-1 scores. The victories, in front of 19,566 fans, extended their lead to 7-1/2 games with eight contests remaining, and they clinched later in the week. Gene Baker’s single plated Don Hoak in the 11th frame to walk off the opener, with ElRoy Face earning the win in relief of Vern Law. Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell went the distance in the nightcap. The Tiger pounced on the Cubs, swinging a hot stick during the two games. He banged out four hits, including a double and triple, touched home three times and chased home three runs.

1971 - Pittsburgh clinched the NL East with a 5-1 win over St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Luke Walker and Dave Giusti teamed up to defeat ace Bob Gibson thanks to a big eighth inning. The floodgate opened when SS Ted Kubiak booted Vic Davalillo’s ball, and a walk, two hits and a sac fly later, the Bucs had turned a squeaky 2-1 lead over the Cards into a 5-1 edge. After the flag-raising victory, the Buccos eliminated the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS and dropped the Birds in seven games to claim the World Series crown.

1975 - The Pirates clocked the second place Philadelphia Phillies 11-3 at TRS in front of 13,176 on a Monday night to clinch the NL East title. Bruce Kison and Kent Tekulve did the pitching honors, while three Pirate hitters had three hits each to lead the attack - Willie Stargell (2B, two RBI, four runs, 2 walks), Dave Parker (HR, four RBI) and Richie Zisk (2B, four RBI). 

1978 - The Pirates purchased OF’er Cito Gaston from the Atlanta Braves. The 34-year-old went 1-for-2 in the last week of the season, his last MLB appearances in an 11-year MLB career before spending the next couple of campaigns in the Mexican League and later enjoying a long run as the Toronto Blue Jays manager that included a pair of World Series titles.

1991 - The Bucs won back-to-back NL East titles when they beat the Phillies 2–1 at TRS. Doug Drabek gave up seven hits and went the distance to outlast five Philadelphia pitchers. Orlando Merced walked twice and scored twice. Pittsburgh only had three hits, but seven free passes and a botched double play provided just enough gift wrapping to edge out Philadelphia. With the victory, the Pirates became the first NL team to repeat as divisional champs in 13 years.

Doug Drabek & Don Slaught celebrate - 9/22/1991 Press photo

1993 - 3B Stephen “Hunter” Owen was born in Evansville, Indiana. An Indiana State grad, he was drafted in the 25th round by the Pirates in 2016. He went through the minor league system as a guy who was versatile with a little pop, but in 2020 he didn’t land a spot on the alternate camp roster and worked at a golf course. Hunter was invited to spring training as a NRI, was assigned to Indy and got a callup in May when Gregory Polanco went down. He was DFA’ed back to Indy after going 0-for-4 in five games when Polanco returned to the lineup a week later. Owen became a Pro X tutor after serving as the head coach of Carmel HS.

1995 - Kevin McClatchy submitted his bid for the Bucs. He rounded up five investors (and kept five old ones) in a $40M deal to purchase the Pirates after his first bid had been rejected and John Rigas’ competing offer was considered too cash-poor. McClatchy had also put together a $50M credit line, and in February of 2006, the team was sold to him and remained here.

1996 - Pittsburgh beat the Cubs at TRS 11-3 for their 11th win in a row, posting the longest winning streak in the majors for the year. Jay Bell was the star with a homer and four RBI. Chicago stopped the streak the next day, eking out a 4-3 win. The Bucs still finished last with a 73-89 record, though the late season run did raise an unfulfilled “wait ‘til next year” hope among the faithful after Jim Leyland handed off the ‘97 club’s reins to Gene Lamont, the ex-White Sox skipper.

2004 - Two 23-year-old pitchers put on a show at PNC Park, with Chicago’s Carlos Zambrano edging Ollie Perez 1-0. It came down to a pair of bases loaded plays: in the fifth, with two away, Perez walked two guys around a single (and he was ahead 1-2 on both), then fell behind Zambrano 3-0. He came back to run the count full, but ultimately lost him. In the eighth, with two down, the Bucs had the bases loaded when Ty Wigginton hit a gapper off reliever Kent Merker, but Sammy Sosa, of all people, made a game-saving, diving catch in right center. Perez held the Cubbies to three hits over seven innings; Z was in more trouble during the night, but the Pirates let him off the hook by going 0-for-11 w/RISP.

Joe Randa - 2006 photo Rick Stewart/Getty

2006 - Chris Young carried a no-hitter into the ninth against the Bucs, but lost his bid to become the first San Diego Padre to toss a no-no when Joe Randa smacked a homer on a 3-1 pitch following a one-out walk to Jose Bautista. Young, who was drafted by the Pirates in 2000 before being traded for Matt Herges, still claimed an easy 6-2 win at Petco Park.

2014 - The Pirates won back-to-back 1-0 games for the first time since 1976 when Francisco Liriano, with help from Jared Hughes, John Holdzkom and Mark Melancon, made Andrew McCutchen’s sixth-inning homer off Aaron Harang stand at Atlanta’s Turner Field. The third straight 1-0 game for the Bucs (they lost 1-0 on 9/20 to the Brewers and old matey Zach Duke) was the first time that trifecta hit since 1917 when Pittsburgh lost three consecutive 1-0 games to the Cardinals.

2020 - Steven Brault put together his second straight strong September start, leaving after seven innings of two-hit work and a 2-0 lead at PNC Park v Chicago. Alas, with two away in the eighth and a Cubbie on first, Shelty brought in Sam Howard with Anthony Rizzo up to get a lefty-on-lefty matchup. The smart money lost this round as Rizzo tucked Howard’s delivery inside the RF pole to knot the score. But the Bucs had one last hurrah left; Jake Stallings took a ninth inning, 2-2 offering from Andrew Chafin and sent it into the left field bleachers for a walkoff homer and 3-2 Pirates win, one of just 19 dubs that Pittsburgh earned during the Covid-shortened campaign.

2023 - The young guns flexed as Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis and Jared Triolo went deep to help the Pirates come back to beat the Reds 7-5 at Great American Ball Park. The vets also made some noise as Ke’Bryan Hayes cleared the fence and Bryan Reynolds extended his on-base streak to 21 games. All the homers were solo shots; seven different Pirates chased home runs and seven plated. Ryan Borucki improved to 4-0 while David Bednar recorded his 37th save.

Weekly Report: Hot Too Late, Three Amigos Mason+Oneil+Brandon, Brax Done, Ronny Simon IL Batting King, Last Week...Playoffs, Hot Stove Next Up

September song...

Pirates Stuff:

• Pittsburgh was eliminated from the postseason when the Padres defeated the Marlins on Friday night. The Bucs most recent playoff outing was in 2015 and they last won a Buctober game in 2013.
• Mason Montgomery has spun 24 straight scoreless outings (23-2/3 IP), a streak that started on July 26th, to top the previous Buc mark set by Mark Melancon in 2015.

Oneil Cruz - 9/2026 image/Sportsnet.Pgh 

• Oneil Cruz's homer on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee was the Pirates' 172nd homer of the year, setting a new single-season team record (since 1887) by topping the previous franchise mark posted in 1999. His Sunday dinger put him in the 20/20 club for the third consecutive year, joining Andrew McCutchen and Barry Bonds to become the third Pirate to post three straight 20/20 campaigns.
• Gregory Soto (15 saves) and Mason Montgomery (16 saves) are the first pair of Pittsburgh LHPs to each post at least 15 saves in a season (since saves became official in 1969). They became the first set of MLB lefty teammates to each earn at least 15 saves in a season.
• Ben Cherington said that Braxton Ashcraft's missed starts will be filled by bullpenning. That leaves a rotation of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler plus two by-committee games every five days; the Bucs prefer a parade of bulk inning guys rather than rotation auditions. Brax, btw, had no structural issues after being evaluated, just a tired arm. He pushed to get in another start or two after his IL stint, but with Pittsburgh's playoff hopes gone pfft, he's being shut down.
• Brandon Lowe was selected as the Pirates Roberto Clemente Award nominee. Then on Clemente Day, he became the first Buc since 2019 (Josh Bell/37 HR) to bang 30 homers in a season. If you're wondering about his future, Connor Byrne of MLBTR has this update.

Brandon Lowe - Clemente Award 9/15/2026 photo/Pirates

• SABR has been running a series of various All-Time clubs and just released the Free Agency Era team; Barry Bonds is the only Bucco rep. TSN is also running a series of stars; currently up is the Pioneer all-timers. The Bucs had Hank Greenberg, who mentored Ralph Kiner here in 1947, on the squad.
• Ronny Simon won the International League batting title (.334 BA). 
• Greensboro came in second in the Sally League, losing the championship series 2-games-to-none to the White Sox Hi-A affiliate Winston-Salem. Consolation prize: 1B Jared Jones, C Axiel Plaz and SS Wyatt Sanford were named post-season South Atlantic League All-Stars.
• The eight guys the Pirates are sending to Glendale for Arizona Fall ball are C Easton Carmichael, SS Wyatt Sanford, 3B/OF Jhonny Severino, LHP Cristhian Tortosa and RHPs Brandon Cain, Cameron Keshock, Zander Mueth & Michael Walsh.

Game Stuff:

• Miz did his thing and the Brew Crew took a 5-1 decision from the Bucs on Clemente Day. Brandon Lowe homered to became the first Buc 2B to reach 30 HR, but it was too little & too late to overcome the Brewers four-run sixth inning posted against Gregory Soto and Wilber Dotel. The win clinched the NL Central for Milwaukee, their fourth straight crown.
• Brandow Lowe, Rafe Flores and Oneil Cruz homered while the team posted 12 hits, but Milwaukee still won, 5-4.
• Pittsburgh saved some face with a 7-4 dub in the series finale; Henry Davis roped a two-run homer while disruptors Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz chased home a pair of RBI apiece in the Bucs five-run second. 
• Paul Skenes was meh again, but Brandon Lowe homered while Griffin & Cruz combined for seven hits as the Bucs and Yohan Ramirez won the series opener from KC 8-5.

Ronny Simon - 1st homer 9/19/2026 photo/Pirates

• Ronny Simon (his MLB first) and Jake Mangum hit two-run homers to give the Bucs a lead that they lost in the seventh, but no prob - Brandon Lowe banged another two-run blast in the eighth. Mason Montgomery shut the door in the ninth to preserve Luke Weaver's dub as the Pirates popped above .500 again with a 6-5 victory.
• Using yesterday's playbook: The opener committee and a Cruz missile gave the Bucs a 2-1 lead going into the seventh. A two-run homer off of Carmen Mlodzinski took care of that, but it was covered by an answering two-spot blast by Rafe Flores before "it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's..." Mason Montgomery put it away and the Pittsburgh nine had a home sweep of the Royals with a 4-3 dub.
• The Cards are in for three on Tuesday, the Bucs head to Motown for the weekend and then it's hello, tee times.

MLB Stuff:

• RHP Jose Urquidy, who was let go by the Pirates in July and claimed by the White Sox, was DFA'ed after six outings (22-2/3 IP/4.37 ERA). He wasn't unemployed long before Philly signed him.
• RHP Peter Strzelecki, who the Bucs had stashed at Indy for awhile last year, has been with four different orgs since the Pirates released him in July of '25; he just got DFA'ed by the Cards, so he's looking for a fifth team after declaring for free agency.
• The Rockies have reinstated LHP Jose Quintana from the 60-day IL 

Gerrit Cole - 2012 Bowmans First

• Gerrit Cole hasn't let injuries or changes-of-address derail him; Cole Train earned his 162nd career victory Friday night, passing Mike Moore for the most wins ever by a pitcher selected first overall (Pirates/Cole - 2011) in the MLB Draft.
• Teams that have punched their postseason ticket: the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers (won NL Central), Los Angeles Dodgers (won NL West), New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.

9/21 Through 1974: '72 Clicher, Boss Baker, 10 For Kiki, Game Days, Connie Goes, HBD Ben, Jason, Rene, Danny, Sudden Sam, Del, Gil & Tom

1860 - OF Tom Brown was born in Liverpool, England. Brown played from 1885-87 for the Alleghenys, hitting .287 and posting a 0-0/4.30 line as an emergency pitcher (three games, eight IP) over that span. He came over to the North Side club when it purchased the entire Columbus team after the 1884 season and became the first English-born player for Pittsburgh. After a 17-year MLB career, Brown turned to the dark side and became an umpire.

1891 - SS Gil Britton was born in Parsons, Kansas. His MLB career was a three-game stand with Pittsburgh in 1913, with an 0-for-12 batting line and three errors. He spent from 1909-17 in the minors, mostly the Texas, Western and Central Kansas leagues. Gil hung ‘em up young at age 25 and returned to his hometown, where he remained until his death at age 91.

1896 - Manager Connie Mack (given name: Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy) announced that he was leaving Pittsburgh to guide the Milwaukee club of the Western League; the Pirates finished in sixth place with a 66-63 slate during his last campaign. Patsy Donovan took over the reins in 1897. Connie’s claim to fame was managing the Philadelphia Athletics for the club's first 50 seasons of play (1901-50, retiring at age 87) and he became a Hall-of-Famer in 1937.

1899 - RHP Del Lundgren was born in Lindsborg, Kansas. He started his brief three-year career (he pitched for Boston in 1926-27) with the Pirates in 1924, pitching eight games with an 0-1/6.48 line. Del tossed pro ball from 1922-30 before retiring with a sore arm. He got a job in a flour mill in Topeka and then retired to live the life of an outdoorsman in Lindsborg.

1910 - RHP Max Butcher was born in Holden, West Virginia. He went 67-60/3.34 for the Bucs in seven seasons (1939-45), and had an ERA over 3.43 just once as a Pirate. His best year was 1941, when he went 17-12 with a 3.03 ERA. Though he was a big guy at 6’2” and 220 pounds, he wasn’t an overpowering hurler, averaging only 2.5 K/nine in Pittsburgh.

Max Butcher - 1994 TSN/Conlon Collection

1925 - In a 9-7 win over the Phillies at Forbes Field, Kiki Cuyler singled off Roy Crumpler in the second inning to run his consecutive hit streak to 10, a team record that still stands today. Cuyler began his streak against Boston’s Skinny Graham, and the hits fell in conjunction with a nine-game winning string for Pittsburgh, which won 95 games, the NL pennant and the 1925 World Series against the Washington Senators. Kiki went 4-for-4 in the next day’s game with two homers, making him 14-of-16 during his streak, in a 14-4 Bucco victory in the second game of the series. Johnny Morrison won the first game and Ray Kremer took the honors the next day.

1940 - OF Deb Garms went 5-for-6 in the second game of a twin bill split against the Cincinnati Reds to push his batting average to .379. He doubled, scored three times and drove in a pair in the 8-7 win during the second game after going 0-for-4 in a 8-1 loss in the opener at Forbes Field. Though he wore an 0-for-23 collar over the remainder of the season, his .355 BA won the National League batting crown. He played just 103 games (100 games played was the accepted, although unwritten, standard then) with 385 PA and was awarded the title, causing some grumbling by those who believed that a full-time player should be the recognized awardee. His title eventually led to the adoption of minimum plate appearances to qualify for the batting championship.

1942 - LHP Sudden Sam McDowell was born in Pittsburgh. Though he pitched only briefly for the hometown Pirates in 1975 (2-1/2.86 in 14 games), he may be the most dominating hurler the area ever produced. Sam went directly to the majors out of Central Catholic HS, signing with Cleveland. He played from 1961-75 with the Indians, Giants, Yankees and Bucs. McDowell struck out 2,453 batters in that span with a blazing fastball. His career was infamously short circuited by booze, and he was said to be the inspiration for Cheers bartender Sam Malone. He beat his demons after retiring and became a MLB drug and alcohol counselor. His nickname was bestowed on him by Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Bob Dolgan during Sam’s first camp in 1961.

Sudden Sam - 1975 Topps

1947 - The Bucs were a part of Queen City broadcast history when their nightcap game against Cincinnati was broadcast on TV by W8XCT (WLWT), the first time a Reds game was shown on the tube. An estimated home audience of 10,000 viewers watched the Redlegs lose 11-7 at Crosley Field. Elbie Fletcher, Jimmy Bloodworth and Clyd Kluttz each had three RBI; Gene Woodling had the other pair. The opening game of the doubleheader wasn’t shown (we think). The Redlegs won 3-1 as Ewell Blackwell bested Kirby Higbe.

1959 - RHP Danny Cox was born in Northampton, England. The Brit hurler spent 11 years in the league and managed to squeeze in 16 games as a Bucco in 1992, going 3-1-3/3.33 as a starter converted to back-end bullpen work. He was picked up from the Phils off waivers in June and at the end of the year signed with the Blue Jays, spending the final three seasons of his career in Toronto.

1962 - Scout Rene Gayo was born in Miami of immigrant Cuban parents and raised in Chicago. In 1989, Cam Bonifay hired Gayo as a part-time scout for the Pirates, then he went off to work for the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians. In 2004, the Pirates hired Gayo to lead their Latin American scouting system, filling a position inexplicably left vacant for five years under Bonifay and Dave Littlefield. He reeled in players like Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Elias Diaz along with moved-on prospects Alen Hanson, Dilson Herrera, Harold Ramirez and Joely Rodriguez. He was dismissed in 2017 after being caught in a messy financial deal while signing pitcher Luis Heredia.

1963 - In the top of the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium, the Bucs left the bases loaded after losing a bang-bang play at first that was close enough to get manager Danny Murtaugh and coach Frank Oceak ejected after questioning ump Doug Harvey’s eyesight. That set the stage for coach Gene Baker to take the reins, becoming MLB’s first black manager. It wasn’t an auspicious start, as Baker entrusted Tommy Sisk with a 3-2 ninth inning lead that evaporated four batters later after Willie Davis belted a three-run, walkoff homer. Still, it was just another day at the office for Gene. He was the first rostered black player for the Cubs in 1953, and in 1961 became the first black manager in pro baseball when the Pirates named him skipper of their Batavia farm club. Baker had four campaigns with the Bucs as a player and was part of the 1960 squad. After coaching and managing in the organization, he became a longtime Pirates scout. 

Gene Baker - photo via SABR

1969 - LHP Jason Christiansen was born in Omaha. The reliever worked six seasons (1995-2000) for the Pirates with a 14-20-10/4.13 line before being traded to the Cards at the 2000 deadline for SS Jack Wilson. He must have enjoyed working under the lights; after his 11-year MLB career ended in 2005, he became a co-owner and CEO of an LED company.

1969 - OF/1B Ben Shelton was born in Chicago. Shelton was drafted by the Pirates in the second round of the 1987 draft out of high school. He got his only shot at the majors in 1993 with the Bucs and hit .250 (6-for-24, including two homers and a double), but that showing wasn’t enough (his minor league BA was .233). His pro career ended in 1995 after playing on the Twins and Red Sox farms.

1972 - Fueled by a five-run third inning, Pittsburgh clinched the East Division crown with a 6-2 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium; the club eventually won the pennant by 11 games. The Pirates had seven straight batters reach base in the third, and the big frame provided plenty of cushion for Steve Blass, who tossed a seven-hit, seven-strikeout, complete game victory.

1974 - A year after it opened, New York Governor Malcolm Wilson renamed the 25-acre Harlem River State Park in the Bronx to the Roberto Clemente State Park. Vera attended the dedication ceremony, adding another plaque to the family collection of Roberto honors.

9/21 From 1975: Tree & Joey Show, Vanimal, S-(Hot) Rod, AJ's 200, Jason Swipe Mark, Barry 30/50 Club, All Smile-ly, Game Days, HBD Hank, Zach & Antonio

1977 - The Pirates beat the Mets 4-0 at Shea Stadium in a game more appreciated for what didn’t happen rather than the action on the field. Before the game, manager Chuck Tanner received a thinly veiled death threat, another phone caller later asked him “What do Bob Moose and Roberto Clemente have in common? They’re both dead,” and Ed Ott was told to stay off the field in another hotel call. NYC had plainclothes cops watch the pair (Tanner came out twice for pitcher meetings, but after the game stayed on the top step of the dugout and off the field; Ott didn’t play because a lefty, Jerry Koosman, was on the hill although he went through the usual pre-game drills, including BP). Nothing ever came of the calls, possibly triggered by Ott breaking Felix Millan’s collarbone earlier in the year and Tanner’s defense of the play. As for the game, Bruce Kison got the win and Goose Gossage closed it out with the Bucs chipping away with four runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In a contrast of wheels, Kison drove in Omar Moreno with a knock into the right-center gap; The Antelope scored all the way from first while Bruce satisfied himself with a single. 

1978 - The Bucs nipped the Cubs in 14 frames at Wrigley Field 3-2. Rennie Stennett walked to lead off the 14th and pinch runner Matt Alexander made it happen. As he stole second, C Doug Radar's throw went into center. Alexander bolted for third and was hit in the back by CF Bobby Murcer’s peg, which ricocheted away and allowed Matt The Scat to score. Ed Whitson got the win and Jim Bibby the save. Cub manager Herman Franks pulled out all the stops as Chicago tied an NL record by using 27 players (20 position, seven pitching).

1985 - LHP Antonio Bastardo was born in Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic. The mid-inning arm was obtained from the Phillies in December, 2014 for minor league pitcher Joely Rodriguez to replace Justin Wilson, who had been traded to the Yankees for C Francisco Cervelli. AB went 4-1-1/2.89 in 66 Bucco appearances, a performance he turned into a two-year, $12M free agent deal with the NY Mets. He wasn’t gone long, though - he came back to Pittsburgh when the Pirates returned ex-Met hurler Jon Niese at the 2016 deadline, but it was a short-lived homecoming. He missed two months with a quad strain, then was ineffective when he returned and released in July, 2017, after nine outings and a 15.00 ERA. He was suspended for a second time in 2018 for PED usage after being released by Arizona and that ended his big league career.

1986 - LHP Zach Phillips was born in Sacramento, California. Phillips was dealt to the Bucs from the Orioles for Kyle Lobstein at the 2016 deadline. He got into eight games with no decisions, giving up two runs on eight hits in 6-2/3 IP. The Pirates didn’t tender him and he signed with the Cards. He was released by the Birds, and since then has been pitching in Mexico. He’s a FA now, having just being released in May ‘26 by Campeche. 

Felix Fermin - 1988 Topps

1987 - The Pirates defeated the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium by a 5-2 count behind the strong pitching of Doug Drabek and Jeff Robinson. Felix Fermin had three hits while Barry Bonds, Chico Lind, Andy Van Slyke and Sid Bream added a pair of knocks apiece. It capped a late push toward respectability for the Bucs. The victory finished a stretch of winning 20-of-26 games and after a short bump, the club would close the year by winning 6-of-8. The run at the end didn’t put them in the race, but they went from 18 games under .500 on August 23rd (53-71) to a season-ending 80-82 mark. The campaign was a preview party for the core (Bonds, Van Slyke, Bobby Bonilla, Drabek) who would power Jim Leyland’s 1990-92 pennant-winning clubs.

1988 - John Smiley spun a complete game, two-hit shutout (his first MLB whitewash) with six whiffs and no walks in a 5-0 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. The man of the hour was Benny DiStefano, whose three-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning broke up a pitching battle between Smiley and former Buccaneer Jose DeLeon. The Pirates only had five hits during the match but copacetically, three of them came consecutively in the final frame. The victory capped a stretch where the Pirates won 11-of-16. Then they pulled a u-turn by going 3-6, ending the season with 85 wins to finish a distant second behind the New York Mets in the NL East Division.

1990 - Barry Bonds became the first Pirate player (and just the second major leaguer, along with the Reds’ Eric Davis) in history to hit 30+ homers and steal 50+ bases in the same season when he swiped second against the Cards at TRS during a 1-0 Bucco victory. Bonds kept his wheels churning, scoring the game’s only run in the seventh frame when he led off with a single and came around on Sid Bream’s double. Zane Smith tossed a five-hitter with 10 punch outs for the wire-to-wire win. The Pirates padded their divisional lead to 3-1/2 games after the Mets lost to the Cubs; they went on to win the 1990 NL East by four games.

1992 - Bob Walk and Steve Cooke (he went seven innings for the win after relieving Walk, who suffered a minor strain) combined for a four-hit 3-0 blanking of the St. Louis Cardinals at TRS. Don Slaught had three hits including a homer as Pittsburgh won for the seventh time in eight games to stretch the divisional gap between them and the Montreal Expos to seven games. It was the Bucs 13th straight win over the Redbirds (the streak ended the next day when the Cards eked out a 5-4 win) as the Pirates finished 15-3 against their division rivals.

Steve Cooke - 1992 Donruss Rookies

1998 - The Pirates, playing out the string during a September freefall, were drubbed 8-1 by the Giants at 3 Com Stadium. Jason Kendall provided the lone bright spot when he swiped his 26th base in the sixth inning against the Orel Hershiser. That broke the modern stolen base record for National League catchers set by John Stearns in 1978 and began a three-season streak of 20+ swiped sacks. Kendall was quite adept at base path larceny in his early years; he even stole home twice during the ‘98 campaign. Jason thieved 103 bases in his first five campaigns but only 96 more over his last decade, as injury and age (he played until he was 36) caught up to him. 

1999 - C Henry Davis was born in Bedford, New York. The first overall pick of the 2021 draft out of the U of Louisville by the Bucs, the media and fans pushed for his promotion after he overcame some nagging injuries and showed a strong minor league stick (.276 BA, .404 OBP, .523 Slugging %) while moving through the ranks. They got their wish in June, 2023, despite Davis playing fewer than 125 games on the farm. He missed some time with a wrist injury but still got a 200+ at-bat taste of MLB pitching, which proved a test during his first go-around. By 2025, he had become a fine defensive backstop with an AWOL stick, a narrative that's still in play.

2013 - AJ Burnett struck out a dozen Cincinnati Reds in seven innings, becoming the first Pirate RHP to whiff over 200 batters in a season (he finished the year with 209 punch outs, handily passing up Kris Benson & Bob Friend), as the Bucs took a 4-2 decision at PNC Park. The big blow was a two-run homer by Russ Martin, and the tying and go-ahead runs were set up by Marlon Byrd, who hit a sac fly to drive in Andrew McCutchen and move Justin Morneau to second, where he scored on a two-out knock by Pedro Alvarez. Jason Grilli closed out the victory; it was his first save since coming off the DL as the Bucs moved ahead of the Redlegs by a game in the battle for the home wild card.

2014 - The Pirates shut out the Brewers 1-0 behind the pitching of Vance Worley and an RBI single by Russell Martin in the seventh that chased home Andrew McCutchen. Vanimal went eight innings of four-hit ball for the win while Tony Watson tossed the ninth for the save as Wily Peralta took the tough-luck loss. The Bucs jumped 4-1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee in the NL wild card race with the win and moved into a tie for home field with the San Francisco Giants.

Vance Worley - 2014 Topps

2016 - Sean Rodríguez was on a roll. He homered for the fourth time in five games and kept his hitting streak alive at 10 games (during that stretch, S-Rod went 15-for-36/six homers/15 RBI until his hot stick was cooled in the next contest) as Pittsburgh took a 4-1 decision from Milwaukee at Miller Park. Rodriguez had two knocks and three RBI; Andrew McCutchen added a long ball. Chad Kuhl pocketed the win while the Pirates fourth pitcher, Tony Watson, picked up his 15th save.

2021 - The Pirates snapped a 13-game losing streak at Great American Ballpark (their last win was on 8/13/2020) by downing the Reds 6-2 the day after squandering a 5-0 lead in the series opener. It took some clutch pitching; Mitch Keller worked out of an early bases-loaded, no-out jam, surrendering just a sac fly. Then Nick Mears did even better. The sacks were juiced with no one away in the seventh and the 3-4-5 hitters coming up before he served a pair of pop ups and a whiff to keep Cincinnati off the board. The Bucs had a balanced attack at the dish; Ke’Bryan Hayes led the way with three hits, Ben Gamel homered, and six different Buccos chased home a run while five Corsairs plated. Keller was credited with the win; it was his first victory in a month.

2025 - The Pirates had cobbled together 10 runs in the past five games, and not too surprisingly, lost four of the matches. But in the last PNC Park game of the season, Fan Appreciation Day, the squad gave its supporters something to savor with an 11-0 win over the Oakland A’s. Jared Triolo and Joey Bart shared batting lines - four hits with a homer, three RBI and a pair of runs. Starter Mike Burrow didn’t last long enough for the decision - he used up 74 pitches to get through four innings (he dodged some raindrops, giving up five hits), and the pitch-count conscious Don Kelly yanked him for Carmen Mlodzinski, who got the win, with Yohan Ramirez and Dauri Moreta finishing up.

9/20 Through the 1960s: Moose & Maddox No-No, Super Steve, Turn Two, Willie's 1st, Rollin' 7, Friend Fan, Swifty, Game Days, Burleigh's Finale, HBD Randy, Dennis, Vic & Red

1907 - In his third big league start, Nick Maddox became the first Pirate pitcher to throw a nine-inning no-hitter (Lefty Leifield in 1906 and Howie Camnitz in ‘07 tossed shortened and thus unofficial no-nos) by defeating the Brooklyn Superbas 2-1 at Exposition Park. At the age of 20 years and 10 months, Maddox was the youngest pitcher and the second rookie to throw a full-game no-hitter. Errors by Maddox and Honus Wagner gave Brooklyn their run; Fred Clarke had both Bucco hits, but neither figured in the scoring as the Pittsburgh runs were also unearned.

1916 - IF Red Juelich was born in St. Louis. Red played four years in the Cards’ minor league system and then got his shot with the Pirates in 1939, where he was a bench 3B/SS, hitting .239 in 17 games. Juelich stayed in the Pirates system at AA for the next three campaigns before dropping off the roster after 1942. Red, as you may have guessed, was a ginger.

1922 - LHP Vic Lombardi was born in Reedley, California. He put in three good years with the Dodgers and a workmanlike season with the Bucs in 1948 (10-9/3.70) but went downhill over the next two years to put up a slash line of 15-19/4.56 in Pittsburgh. Branch Rickey offered him a 1951 contract with a 25% cut; Lombardi didn’t take it and that was the end of his MLB career as he took his services to Hollywood of the Pacific Coast League.

1924 - The Pirates edged Brooklyn 5-4 in 11 innings at Ebbets Field to end Dazzy Vance's 15-game winning streak. Pie Traynor singled with two gone in the 11th‚ and Rabbit Maranville lined a ball to center that got past the Robins’ outfielder Eddie Brown, who whiffed on a shoestring effort to glove the ball. Pie came in with the game winner, touching home for the third time during the game. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win. It wasn't quite enough for the Bucs, though. They cut the front-running Giants' lead to 1-1/2 games, but finished three games off the pace as they followed the win by dropping an extra-inning game to da Bums and then being swept in a high stakes three-game set by New York.

1925 - Owner Barney Dreyfuss and the City announced a deal that would allow the Pirates to build temporary bleachers for the World Series at Forbes Field (The location around FF was considered dedicated parkland and needed a city OK for any changes in use). The ballyard had just added 10,000 seats in right field before the season and were permitted to add 6,000 more seats at the princely price of $1.10 for the Fall Classic, upping the fan capacity to 41,000.  

Bill Swift - 1934 Goudey

1933 - Bill Swift spun a four-hitter at Forbes Field in a 3-0 win over Brooklyn. Though the Bucs didn’t put up a lot of runs, they did bang out 13 hits - a dozen were singles - led by Pie Traynor (4-for-4), Freddie Lindstrom (3-for-3 with a triple) and Earl Grace (3-for-4), though stranding ten. Swift even helped himself at the dish by scoring the final run after a base hit. There was an old-timey, put-it-in-play vibe to the game; it lasted just 1-1/2 hours and each side struck out twice without drawing a walk. Swift was a 30’s multi-role workhorse - he relieved in 171 games and started 165 times over his eight years in Pittsburgh (1932-39), winning 95 games with a 3.58 ERA while posting seven shutouts & 20 saves.

1934 - In a 2-1 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, Burleigh Grimes made his last appearance, working a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a whiff. Not only did it mark the end of a 19-year career that led to the Hall of Fame, but also the end of an era. Grimes was the last legal spitballer standing after the pitch had been outlawed starting in 1921. 17 practitioners, including Grimes, were grandfathered into the ruling and allowed to serve a wet one at will.

1941 - RHP Dennis Ribant was born in Detroit. The Pirates got Ribant in 1967 from the Mets in exchange for vet Don Cardwell, and Dennis got his last real rotation shot with the Pirates, getting the ball 38 times, 22 as a starter. His line was 9-8/4.08, and he was sent to Motown by the Bucs after the year, with the Tigers giving up Dave Wickersham. Ribant was flipped to reliever, had a couple of so-so seasons with four different clubs and his six-year career ended after 1969.

1942 - In the only Negro League World Series game they would take from the powerhouse Kansas City Royals, the Homestead Grays added four new players to their roster for the game at Ruppert Stadium in Kansas City: pitcher Leon Day, RF Ed Stone, SS Bus Clarkson and 2B Lennie Pearson. They replaced four players the Gray lost for the series: SS Sam Bankhead (injury), OF Dave Whatley, IF Matt Carlisle (both entered the service) and pitcher Wilmer Fields (he returned to college), with pitcher Roy Partlow and corner IF Jud Wilson were playing hurt. The surprise additions carried the day 4-1 to keep the series alive after the Grays had lost the three previous contests with Day the winning pitcher and player/manager Vic Harris the hitting hero. The Monarchs were not very good losers, protested the game and their beef was upheld to erase the first (and as it ended up, only) Homestead victory. Game 4 was replayed a few days later and resulted in a 9-5 series-sweeping win by KC. The Grays came back to take the next two titles. 

Bob Friend - 1956 Topps

1956 - The seventh-place Pirates edged Milwaukee 2-1 in 10 innings at Forbes Field. It was a classic spoiler win, as the Braves eventually lost the pennant on the last day of the season by one game to the Dodgers. Bob Friend held the Braves to four hits for the complete game victory.

1958 - The Pirates won their seventh straight game with a 4-3 victory over the Phils at Connie Mack Stadium with the teams staging a wild and wooly ninth. The Bucs went ahead 4-2 on a one-out DP; the Phils 1B Ed Bouchee tagged first after fielding Bill Virdon’s grounder with Buccos on the corners; Ducky Schofield was heads up enough to get into a rundown after the force was removed to allow Dick Groat to score an insurance run that proved crucial. In the bottom of the ninth, ElRoy Face gave up a run and had the bases loaded with an out. He got a short pop for the second out and Danny Murtaugh waved Bob Smith in to match up against Bouchee, who had whacked three doubles during the day. Smith caught him looking to close the book. The Bucs clinched second with the win, the highest finish for the club since 1944. And good thing, too - they went on to lose the final five games of the campaign though they did finish 84-70.

1960 - Bob Friend beat the Phillies 7-1 as the opener of a doubleheader sweep at Connie Mack Stadium, and set a new club record for strikeouts in a season with 179 during the match (he ended the campaign with 183; Bob Veale's 276 in 1965 blew that mark away). The old high was held by RHP Claude Hendrix with 176, set in 1912. Friend tossed a complete game and fanned six. The nightcap was a 3-2 squeaker, with Hal Smith’s eighth-inning solo shot earning the dub for Clem Labine, who tossed three scoreless innings in relief of Harvey Haddix. Bob Skinner drove home the other tallies with a pair of two-out singles.

1960 - RHP Randy Kramer was born in Palo Alto, California. Kramer was drafted by the Rangers in 1982, joining the Bucs in the 1986 off season for P Keff Zaske. He worked four seasons in the majors for the Pirates, Cubs, and Mariners. The righty spent most of his time as a Bucco long man/spot starter from 1988-90, slashing 6-12-2/4.22 in 52 outings. He retired after the 1994 campaign, then coached in the indie leagues, high school & college and scouted for the Blue Jays.

Randy Kramer - 1989 Score Rising 100

1962 - Rookie Willie Stargell collected his first hit, a triple that scored Bob Skinner. Young Willie had youthful happy feet and was thrown out at home trying for an inside-the-park HR. The Bucs had to rally in the ninth to take a 4-3 win at Forbes Field against the Cincinnati Reds. Pittsburgh scored three times to come back, thanks to a two-out boot that allowed one run to score, followed by a two-run, game-winning double by the Tiger, Don Hoak.

1966 - The Pirates turned four double plays against the Giants at Candlestick Park, helping Vern Law to a 6-0 win. The first twin killing set a NL record at 199, and the Bucs ended the year with 215 double plays. Bill Mazeroski and Gene Alley both won Gold Gloves that season, with Maz participating in 161 plays that turned two and Alley taking part in 128 of the two-fers.

1968 - Steve Blass spun a two-hitter against Chicago at Forbes Field and Jose Pagan banged a two-run homer to carry the Pirates to a 5-0 win at Forbes Field. Blass went all the way for his 17th win, striking out eight and allowing just two Cubbies to reach second as he topped Fergie Jenkins. Pagan’s blast was the key to a four-run second inning while Maury Wills, who stole his 50th sack of the campaign, Roberto Clemente and Gene Alley each had two hits. 

1969 - At New York's Shea Stadium, Bob Moose stopped the pennant-bound Mets 4-0 by tossing a no-hitter, the third in club history, walking three with six whiffs. The only ball hit hard enough to cause concern was a belt hit by Wayne Garrett in the sixth inning, but the wind held it up and Roberto Clemente took care of the rest, leaping against the wall to reel in the horsehide. Two of the Pirates’ four runs scored on wild pitches by Gary Gentry as the Bucs only collected six hits themselves; their big frame (a three-run fourth) consisted of two walks, a single, a bopped batter, stolen base, the wayward tosses and a productive bouncer.