4/2 Through the 1994: Sudden Sam & Chris Join, Law Out, Bucs Open Jacobs, Cotton Pickin', Hans Top 100, For Sale?, On The Air; HBD Wilmer, Hisanori & Jon

• 1922 - Jim “Cotton” Tierney had his homecoming celebration spoiled by the minor league Kansas City Blues of the American Association. KC rallied for three eighth-inning runs and held off a ninth inning Bucco rally in the pre-season match played at the KC Speedway to take a 4-3 victory. Cotton didn’t help himself much, going 0-for-3 at the leadoff spot. The KC battery had past ties to the barnstorming Bucs - Beltzhoover’s Otto Knabe did the Blue’s hurling (he also pitched in 1905 as a rookie for the Corsairs, then spent his last MLB season, 1916, as a Pirate) and Bill Skiff, who Pittsburgh had released, did the catching - who helped do in their ol’ mateys. 35,000 plus turned out to honor local-boy-done-good Tierney, whose hometown was just across the river in Kansas City, Kansas. 
• 1942 - The Sporting News released a vote of 100 former major leaguers and managers tasked with selecting the best player of all time. Ty Cobb won easily, with Buc SS Honus Wagner second. The Flying Dutchman handily outpolled both Babe Ruth and Rogers Hornsby. 
• 1954 - TV station WENS, the City’s first ABC affiliate, announced that it would broadcast 20-30 Pirates games during the season beginning with the April 17th Season Opener at Philadelphia. Bob Prince and Rosey Rowswell were the TV broadcast team with Joe Tucker taking over the WWSW radio mic when the Rosey-Gunner radio duo switched over for TV games. 
• 1958 - Just in case you thought rumors of selling the Bucco franchise started as an eighties/nineties thing, think again. Sportswriter Al Abrams in his Post Gazette “Sidelight on Sports” column asked club president John Galbreath about the rumors that New York interests wanted to buy the franchise to replace the Dodgers and Giants. Galbreath said “I didn’t get one offer, I got 20 offers. Some of them were tremendous (thought to be in the $8-10M range)...(But) I would like to put an end to this stuff once and for all...We didn’t sell the club or move out in our worst years when we could have without any trouble. I don’t see why we should now.” 

Vern Law - 1963 Fleer

• 1963 - The Pirates left pitcher Vern Law at Daytona Beach to start the season so he could work on strengthening the lingering rotator injury he first suffered in 1960. What was hoped to be a two-week stay turned into a month, and Law made just 18 outings (12 starts), good for 76 IP and a 4-5/4.93 slash before he was shut down in early August. The long rest period paid off as he put together three solid seasons on the hill from ‘64-66, averaging a 14-10/3.20 line with 196 IP over that span and earning the NL Comeback Player of the Year award in 1965. 
• 1970 - RHP Jon Lieber was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Pirates picked him up at the 1993 deadline as part of a trade for Stan Belinda with Kansas City, and he pitched his first five (1994-98) seasons with the Bucs, going 38-47-2/4.36. Pittsburgh sent him to the Windy City for Brant Brown after the 1998 campaign. He spent another nine workmanlike years in the show for four clubs, winning 131 games in 14 seasons, including 20 dubs in 2001 for the Cubs. 
• 1973 - The Pirates picked up RHP Chris Zachary from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for a reluctant C Charlie Sands. Sands refused to report to AAA Toledo, and the Tigers gave him permission to make another deal if he could. He couldn’t, and Motown traded him to California two weeks later. As for Zachary, he spent most of his time at Charleston, going 0-1-1/3.00 in his six Bucco outings. He was in the Philly system in 1974 before hangin’ ‘em up at age 30. 
• 1975 - LHP Hisanori Takahashi was born in Tokyo. Takahashi spent a decade with the Yomiuri Giants before being signed by the Mets, where he was converted to the bullpen. He came to the Pirates thanks to Zack Greinke, then an LA Angel. Grienke came off the DL in 2012, Takahashi was released to clear roster room for him, and then was claimed by the Bucs in August. It wasn’t a very high octane move as Hisanori had no decisions and an 8.64 ERA in nine Pirates outings and was set free by Pittsburgh after the year. He made brief stops with the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies the following season before returning to Japan as a 38-year-old and retired from pro ball two years later. 

Sam McDowell - 1975 Post Gazette Profile

• 1975 - The Pirates told pitcher Sudden Sam McDowell, a 32-year-old free agent who started out at Central Catholic, that he made the big league roster (a minor league deal had been agreed upon in January). It would be the last hurrah of a 15-year career that saw him win 141 games and fan 2,453 batters, mostly with the Indians. Sudden Sam was The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 1970 when he worked 305 frames and punched out 304 batters. But his bouts with the bottle caught up with him; he pitched well for the Pirates but was released in June. McDowell later went through rehab and turned his life around. The character Sam Malone, the bartender on the TV show “Cheers“ played by Ted Danson, was said to be loosely based on Sudden Sam. 
• 1992 - Utilityman Wilmer Difo was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. After spending six years with the Washington Nats, the Pirates signed him to a NRI contract for 2021. He didn’t break camp with the team but was called up during the first week of the season to replace the injured Ke’Bryan Hayes. He’s an FA after spending ‘24 in the White Sox system and Dominican Winter League. 
• 1994 - The Pirates and Indians christened Cleveland’s Jacobs Field with the Bucs winning the park’s first-ever MLB game, an exhibition match played before the Pittsburgh season opened at TRS, by a 6-4 count. A bases-loaded walk to Jay Bell in the ninth sent the game into extras and two unearned runs in the 10th sealed the deal with Will Pennyfeather’s sac fly plating the lead run. Rick White worked two frames for the win while Dave Clark collected three hits during the final tune-up outing. Mayor Tom Murphy led a posse of civic movers to the game, and was talking up Cleveland’s effort while selling Pittsburgh’s plans for a new ballyard.

4/2 From 1995: Bart Joins, Carlos Walkoff, Redbeard Granny, Skenes Gem & Game Days, GQ Couple, Strike Ends; RIP Larry, HBD Nick

• 1995 - The players’ strike ended after a court ruling undercut the owner’s position. The 1994–95 strike was the eighth work stoppage in baseball history as well as the fourth in-season work stoppage in 22 years. The strike began on August 12th, 1994, and resulted in the remainder of that season being canceled, including the postseason and, for the first time since 1904, the World Series. After spending 232 days walking the picket lines, the walk-out was the longest such stoppage in MLB history. 948 games were lost and the MLB became the first major pro sports league to lose an entire postseason due to labor struggles. Because of the strike, neither the 1994 or 1995 seasons were played in entirety; the strike was called after most teams had played 113 games in 1994 and 1995’s schedule was reduced to 144 games to accommodate the late settlement. 
• 1996 - Carlos Garcia banged a two-out, two-strike, three-run homer in the ninth off Alejandro Pena to break a 1-1 tie with Florida at Joe Robbie Stadium and propel the Pirates to a 4-1 win. Carlos’ stage was set when the inning was kept alive thanks to a Marlin error. Jason Christiansen earned the win while Dan Miceli retired all three batters he faced to notch the save. Denny Neagle started and went six frames with Francisco Cordova and Jon Lieber behind him. 
• 2002 - IF/OF Nick Yorke was born in Newport Beach, California. A first-round pick of Boston in the 2020 draft (#17 overall) from Archbishop Mitty HS, he was advancing through the BoSox system when he was dealt to the Bucs at the 2024 deadline for RHP Quinn Priester. Nick had gone through a couple of blah seasons, but was still Boston’s #8 prospect and got hot for Beantown at AAA Worcester (.310) and continued at Indy (.355), earning a mid-September call to the big team. He mainly played second with corner OF/3B time and hit .216 in 11 games/42 PA in Pittsburgh. He had a sluggish camp at the dish (.206 BA) and began the 2025 campaign at Indy to find his eye. Nick started out slowly at AAA but turned it on later in the summer to earn a September call-up. 

  

  Nick Yorke - 2024 Topps Now

• 2007 - The Pirates claimed the season opener with a 4-2, 10-inning win over Houston at Minute Maid Park. Jason Bay’s two-run homer in the 10th off Chad Qualls earned the victory for Matt Capps, who tossed a scoreless ninth after Xavier Nady tied it with a two-out, first-pitch solo shot served by Brad Lidge in the top half of the frame. Salomon Torres nailed down the save with a 1-2-3 10th to close out a match started by Zach Duke and Roy Oswalt. Both clubs collected nine knocks, but the Bucs turned three DPs to bail out their hurlers. Nate McLouth also went deep for the Buccos. 
• 2014 - The Pirates and Cubs hooked up for the longest baseball game ever played in Pittsburgh, a 16-inning marathon that lasted five hours and 55 minutes before the Bucs could eke out a 4-3 decision. Chicago tied it in the ninth and took the lead in the 12th, but the Corsairs knotted the score again on a two-out single by Starling Marte. Tony Sanchez ended the longest day with a knock to drive home Jose Tabata. Stolmy Pimentel got his first MLB win while Carlos Villanueva dropped his second straight game - he was the losing pitcher on Opening Day, another extra-inning affair played two days earlier. 
• 2018 - The Home Opener went the Buccos way thanks to an early grand slam by Colin Moran. It was his first at-bat in front of the home crowd, his second career homer, and his first curtain-call in Pittsburgh. The blast was only the third Home Opener granny by a Buc; Roberto Clemente (1962) & Ralph Kiner (1949) had the others. It gave the Buccos a 5-0 first inning lead over Minnesota, and the Pirates survived a four-run pitching meltdown in the sixth to hang on for a 5-4 win, their fourth without a loss. Jameson Taillon struck out nine Twinkies for the victory, with George Kontos earning his second career save. The game was played in front of 30,186, the smallest Opening Day crowd in PNC Park history, as a morning snowfall, low-40s temperatures and general malaise caused by the off season trades of fan favorites Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen took their toll. The Bucs sprinted out of the box with a mark of 11-4 by mid April, but finished up with an 82-79 slate, good for fourth place in the division and well out of the wild card race.

Joey Bart - 2024 Topps Update

• 2024 - With Endy Rodriguez out for the year and Yasmani Grandal’s foot injury landing him on the 10-day IL, the Pirates picked up C Joey Bart from the Giants, who had been DFA’ed, in exchange for RHP Austin Strickland, last year's 8th round pick from Kentucky. In four years of yo-yo’ing between the Giants and AAA Sacramento, Bart got into 162 MLB games and hit .219. He has a .274 BA in the PCL, so he carries the slash lines of either a Quad-A poster boy or a guy badly in need of a change of scenery, both a far cry from the days of being touted as Buster Posey’s replacement when he was selected second overall in the 2018 draft out of Georgia Tech. Out-of-options Bart went on the MLB roster and Indy’s RHP Colin Selby was DFA'ed while C Jason Delay was placed on the 10-day IL. The move was made official two days later. Joey liked his new digs; he got into 80 games in ‘24 (.265 BA/13 HR) and started behind the dish in 2025. 
• 2024 - Larry Lucchino passed away at the age of 78. Though he wasn't involved with the Pirates, Larry was Greenfield born-&-raised, and graduated from Allderdice HS. From there, he went to Princeton and Yale, got a law degree and went to work for Edward Bennett Williams firm. That link eventually led Lucchino into the president's role of the Baltimore Orioles (1988-93), San Diego Padres (1995-2001), and Boston Red Sox (2002-15). As an exec, he won four World Series and was key in building both the Camden Yards and Petco Park ballyards. 
• 2025 - Pirates have been featured in a whole host of sports and local media, but Paul Skenes took it to another level when he and LSU gymnast galpal Livvy Dunne were the stars of April's GQ story "Mr. & Mrs. Rizz." The article chronicled their relationship along with a fashion photo shoot. The day the mag hit the streets, he went out and shut down the Tampa Bay Rays. 
• 2025 - The Pirates were off to a miserable start to the season, having dropped four straight games with three walk-off losses to Miami in the previous series. So whatta ya’ do? Give Paul Skenes the ball. In his second start (he had a no decision in the Season Opener), he spun 102 pitches in seven innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits with six punchouts and the Bucs then traded runs with Tampa at Steinbrenner Field to hit the win column by a 4-2 count. Oneil Cruz homered and had two RBI with Dennis Santana, replacing David Bednar as the closer, earning the save. Skenes made the 25th start of his career, posting a 1.92 ERA with 183 strikeouts, to become the first pitcher in MLB history with 175+ strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA over his first 25 games.

4/1 Through the 1970s: Cronin & Watty Deals, In OT, Umps Eyeballed, Parrot Arrives, Strike, April Fool; HBD Masumi, Willie, Jake, Hugo & Fred

• 1858 - OF Fred Mann was born in Sutton, Vermont. The center fielder played two of his five-team, six MLB years with the Alleghenys from 1885-86. He hit .251 over that span, spent one more season in the show, then left baseball after toiling for three more years in the bushes to operate a hotel. He was the first major league ballplayer to hail from the Green Mountain state. 
• 1884 - Manager Hugo Bezdek was born in Prague, Bohemia, then part of Austria-Hungary empire and now part of the Czech Republic. While he coached at Oregon, he also moonlighted as a Pirates scout covering the West Coast. When 1917 Pirates manager Nixey Callahan was let go, Hans Wagner became the interim manager (a job he did not particularly care for and quickly gave up) before Barney Dreyfuss settled on Bezdek as the full-time skipper. The team went 30-59 the remainder of the year, but improved to 65-60 in 1918 and finished 71-68 the next campaign. Bezdek relied on his players' advice to overcome his lack of baseball experience, with two of them - Casey Stengel and Billy Southworth - becoming Hall of Fame field generals. Bedzek left the team after 1919 for his second love, football. He coached at Penn State where his football teams went 65-30-11 with two undefeated seasons and a Rose Bowl appearance. In addition, he was manager of the Nittany Lion nine, going 129-76-1 from 1920-1930. He spent a couple of seasons as the Cleveland Browns coach and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. 
• 1904 - In one of the earliest interleague player moves (some considered it the first major deal) between the AL & NL after their 1903 truce, the Pirates bought Wyatt “Watty” Lee from Washington for $3,000. The P/1B had three solid seasons for the Senators, but was a flop for the Bucs, appearing in just eight games, five as a pitcher and three as a pinch hitter. Watty went 4-for-12 at the plate, but his pitching record left much to be desired with a slash of 1-2/8.74. It was the end of Lee's major league days though he soldiered on with a long minor league career. 
• 1911 - Just to prove that umps’ eyesight has always been under suspicion, according to Charlton’s Baseball Chronology “NL president Tom Lynch reveals he had asked all umpires to produce certificates as to their eyesight; tests showed all have perfect vision.” Wonder who tested the docs? 

Jake Theis - 1955 Topps

• 1926 - RHP Jake Thies was born in St. Louis. As a 28-year-old, he spent 1954 and one lackluster ‘55 start with the Pirates, slashing 3-10/3.90 overall. He was dealt to Kansas City where he spent two years at AAA, returning to the Buc system for three games to close his pro days. 
• 1928 - The April Fool’s victim this year was the Pirates, who sold SS Joe Cronin to Kansas City of the American Association, which then flipped him to Washington in July. In Pittsburgh, he was blocked at SS by Glenn Wright and manager Donie Bush preferred vet George Grantham at second base, so the Pirates deemed him to be excess baggage. They deemed wrong; after a 20-year career, seven All-Star games and .301 BA, he earned a plaque in the Hall of Fame. 
• 1948 - 1B Willie Montanez was born in Catano, Puerto Rico. Willie spent part of 1981 and 1982 with the Pirates at the tail end of his 14-year career after he was swapped from the Expos for John Milner. He seldom made the lineup but hit .271 off the bench before the Bucs released him. He closed out his MLB stint in ‘82 with the Phillies, the last of nine clubs he played for. 
• 1957 - The Pirates and KC Athletics played an 18-inning, 0-0, exhibition game before darkness put an end to the match. The two teams collected a combined 18 hits, 16 of which were singles, and only used three pitchers each; there were almost as many players as fans; the crowd at Fort Myers was 432 warm fannies. The contest was just shy of lasting four hours before the managers called it a day. Ron Kline and Bob Purkey did most of the tossing for the Bucs, with long-shot Purkey winning a spot on the staff after his 10-inning whitewash performance. 
• 1963 - The Titusville Herald’s headline screamed “Pittsburgh Pirates To Move Club To Titusville.” The April Fools gag drew a chuckle but no interest from ownership and the Bucs remained firmly rooted in Forbes Field. Titusville’s population per the 1960 census was 8,356 souls; Forbes Field had an average attendance of 9,675 in 1963; maybe there was a match to be made. 

Masumi Kuwata - 2007 Topps Update

• 1968 - RHP Masumi Kuwata was born in Yao, Japan. He ended his 21-year stay with the Yomiuri Giants (173 wins, 3.55 ERA) after the 2006 campaign because at age 38, he wanted to take a shot at MLB. He drew some interest from the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but chose the Pirates because he thought they offered the fastest track to the majors. He hurt his ankle in camp, went to Indy and got a call up in June. He lasted two months and 19 outings, tossing to a 9.43 ERA, and was outrighted. He refused the Indy assignment and returned to Japan, but then signed a minor league deal with the Bucs for 2008; apparently neither side believed that experience was a very good teacher. Kuwata didn’t make the 25-man out of camp and retired. The Pirates offered Kuwata a coaching job (Masumi’s performance may have been slack, but he was a pro at preparation and a willing mentor to younger guys), but he declined and went back to Nippon for good. He made the Bucco annals as the first Japanese player for Pittsburgh. 
• 1972 - The first players' strike in baseball history began and wiped six-to-eight games off the schedule, which were canceled upon settlement. This resulted in teams playing a different number of games during the 1972 season and led to the Detroit Tigers edging the Boston Red Sox by only one-half game (86-70 to 85-70) to win the AL East Division championship. The strike settlement required the team owners to add salary arbitration and increase pension fund payments. 
• 1979 - The Pirate Parrot was “hatched” at Three Rivers Stadium as a response to the Phillie Phanatic, introduced the year before. The concept of a parrot came from Robert Louis Stevenson’s pirate tale “Treasure Island.” At first, the Parrot was a lean, mean bird dressed in pirate gear, but in the mid-eighties was transformed into the more child-friendly, goofy butterball in a team jersey and backward cap that we have today. The Green Machine is a mainstay of charity, community and children's events and even hosts a Twitter account. The big bird has had its controversial moments, too, being involved in a drug scandal and violating team neutrality by showing up at a political event, but has managed to escape the occasional bad press with its feathers unruffled.

4/1 From 1980: Pena-AVS/Spanky & JT -Otter, JVM Deal, Odell Back, SS Shopping, '06 Top 10, Games; RIP Jerry & Frankie, HBD Axman

• 1980 - RHP Odell Jones was traded back to the Pirates by the Seattle Mariners for a PTBNL and cash after spending a season in the Great Northwest. Jones had pitched in Pittsburgh from 1975 & 77-78, then went to Seattle as part of the Enrique Romo swap. Pittsburgh eventually sent Larry Andersen to the M’s in October to complete the trade. Anderson, who was lights out in AAA Portland after coming over from Cleveland, pitched through 1994 in the show. Jones yo-yo’ed between the minors and majors, appearing in 137 MLB games and 168 MiLB games through 1989; he pitched in Mexico after that except for a brief 1992 stop in the Angel’s organization to cap his 21-year pro career. 
• 1981 - 1B Jason Thompson was traded by the California Angels to the Bucs for LHP Mickey Mahler and C Ed Ott. Thompson took control of a muddled first base situation in Pittsburgh, which was transitioning from Pops Stargell (Doe Boyland and Eddie Vargas, the organizational heir apparents, never panned out), and held the starting job through 1985 until Sid Bream replaced him. The 29-year-old Ott was taken by surprise by the swap - he and the Pirates had been close to finalizing (at least in Ott’s mind) a six-year/$275K per season deal. Steve Nicosia and rookie Tony Pena shared the load after Otter’s departure eased the catching logjam. The deal was originally structured to be a three-teamer. The Yankees were set to send the Pirates 1B Jim Spencer, two minor league pitchers and $850,000 for Thompson, with $450,000 earmarked to pay Spencer's salary, but Commissioner Bowie Kuhn nixed that part of the swap because of the money involved; at the time, $400K was the max amount allowed to switch hands. That no-go decision worked out bigly to the Pirates advantage - the 33-year-old Spencer hit .182 over 1981-82 and then retired while JT lasted five seasons with the Pirate, posting a .259 BA with 93 HR and a 125+ OPS during that span. 
• 1983 - RHP John “The Axman” Axford was born in Simcoe, Ontario. Axford has 10 MLB campaigns on his resume, with two months spent as a Pirate in 2014. He was claimed off waivers from the Indians in August, where he had a workmanlike campaign, to strengthen the Bucco mid-inning pen during its playoff run. He slashed 0-1/4.14 and after the season signed with the Rockies; he was called up by Milwaukee very briefly in 2021 to end his MLB days. 
• 1985 - The Pittsburgh Press speculated that the Pirates were in the market for a shortstop with a void in the lineup following Dale Berra’s trade to NY. The hot stove league stoked trade rumors featuring Johnny Lemaster as Tim Foli was on his last legs and Rafael Belliard was considered to be no more than a good glove backup. The Giants, though, wanted an arm and leg for Lemaster, so the Bucs wisely passed. He ended up with the Indians, and Pittsburgh did grab him on May 30th in exchange for a career minor leaguer (Lemaster had three hits in 23 games between the Bay and Tribe, which dropped his price considerably). A change of scenery didn’t help as he hit .155 here and the Pirates ended up with Sammy Khalifa taking the job. There were six SS’s who started that year - Khalifa, Lemaster, Foley, Belliard, Bill Almon and Jerry Dybzinski. Pittsburgh didn’t fill that particular infield hole until 1989 when they added Jay Bell to the lineup. 

Post Gazette Sports - 4/2/1987

• 1987 - St. Louis sent OF Andy Van Slyke‚ C Mike LaValliere and RHP Mike Dunne (reports said the Pirates had their choice between him and another 20-something pitching prospect, LHP Joe McGrane) to Pittsburgh in exchange for All-Star C Tony Pena. Van Slyke and Dunne both thought it was an April’s Fool joke when first told of the trade, and Pena cried at the press conference when the deal was announced. AVS was one of the core players during the Pirates early nineties resurgence, Spanky formed a solid catching combo with Don Slaught and Dunne started strong (TSN named him the NL Pitching RoY for ‘87) before injuries derailed his career. Pena remained solid behind the dish but only hit above .263 once in his remaining 12 big league campaigns. 
• 1991 - Frankie Gustine died at the age of 71. The versatile infielder was a three-time All-Star who played a decade for the Pirates (1939-48) after signing as a 16-year-old, compiling a .268 BA. After his MLB career, Gustine coached at Point Park College from 1968-74 (he’s in the school’s HoF). He became a successful local business owner, operating a popular namesake Oakland restaurant on Forbes Avenue located just a Texas League bloop away from the ballyard (it became Hemingway’s); he also held part ownership of the Sheraton Inn at Station Square. 
• 1996 - The Pirates Paul Wagner beat Kevin Brown (who was the ‘96 Cy Young runner up with 17 wins and an ERA of 1.89) and the Florida Marlins in the Season Opener at Joe Robbie Stadium, 4-0, before a crowd of 41,815. C Jason Kendall made his MLB debut, not only calling a shutout but going 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBI; the 22-year-old would go on to the All Star Game in his rookie campaign while batting .300 during the year. Jay Bell doubled home the other pair of runs. Wagner went 6-2/3 innings for the win with Jon Lieber and Dan Plesac finishing up. 
• 2006 - The Pirates Top Ten prospects going into the year were IF Neil Walker, 1B Brad Eldred, CF Andrew McCutchen, 3B Jose Bautista, LHP Tom Gorzelanny, IF Yurendell DeCaster, C Ronny Paulino, RHP Josh Sharpless, CF Rajai Davis and OF Adam Bouve, a collection of youngsters who covered the full spectrum of baseball achievement. Another riser with a bullet, RHP Matt Capps, who was expected to start the year with AA Altoona, instead went north with the big team. 
• 2011 - Neil Walker hit his first career grand slam off Ryan Dempster on Opening Day at Wrigley Field to become the second player in team history to swat a grand salami on Opening Day, joining Roberto Clemente, who drilled one to start the 1962 season. It was the key blow in a 6-3 win over the Cubs, supplying enough offense to carry Kevin Correia and four relievers to victory. 

Jerry Lynch - 1964 Tops

• 2012 - One of the games great pinch-hitters, Jerry Lynch, died at the age of 82. He started and ended his career as a Pirate, spending seven seasons with the Bucs. He came off the bench to collect 116 pinch hits during his career, 18 of which were homers. Lynch lived in Allison Park when he passed away and was part owner of Champion Lakes GC, along with Dick Groat. 
• 2021 - The Pirates got just three innings from their starter, Chad Kuhl, gifted the Cubs a run, ran themselves out of an inning, stranded 15 runners during a 3-for-20 w/RISP afternoon and still beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Opening Day by a 5-3 score. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a two-run homer (he became the second Pirates rookie to go long on Opening Day, joining Johnny Ray who first did the deed in 1987) while Adam Frazier, Kevin Newman and Jake Stallings had two hits each, with the Cub pitchers helping by walking 11 Buccos. But the key to the win was a shutdown bullpen. In its six innings, six Pittsburgh relievers (Duane Underwood Jr., Clay Holmes, Sam Howard, David Bednar, Chris Stratton and Richard Rodriguez) gave up a run on a hit and walk with 11 whiffs to help the Pirates overcome their own shoot-myself-in-the-foot antics to start the season on a winning note. Howard claimed the victory and Ric Rod earned the save. 
• 2022 - The Pirates traded 20-year old RHP Listher Sosa to Arizona for IF Josh VanMeter. The infielder had four years in the show, split between Cincinnati and the D-Backs with a .210 career BA. The move, though minor, was widely panned when JVM was added to the active roster as the Bucs were already knee-deep in upper level infield prospects jousting for attention. Josh played in 67 games, filling six positions and DH'ing while batting .187. He was DFA’ed in early September, spent a couple of years in the minors and retired in ‘25. Sosa had made it to AA in the Snake system, but was hit with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for Dianabol in 2025 and was released. 
• 2025 - 2022 first-rounder RHP Thomas Harrington was called up to spin against Tampa Bay in his MLB debut. He was a Top 100 (#78) MLB Pipeline Prospect and the third-rated rook in the Pirates org. He had a strong camp and it was a bit of a surprise when he was a late cut. The club optioned RHP David Bednar to Indy and DFA'ed C Jason Delay to open up active and 40-man slots for Harrington. The Renegade ran out of rope and it was hoped a trip to Indy would kickstart him (it did) while Delay was a victim of a logjam at catcher. As for the game, well, it was an intro worth forgetting; Harrington lasted just four frames and the Bucs were rolled over by the Rays, 7-0.

3/31 Through the 1970s: Vince-Lefty, Robby Gone, Trip South; RIP Billy, HBD Frank, Skeeter, Tom, Chick & Fred

• 1886 - OF Fred Kommers was born in Chicago. He debuted with the Bucs in 1913, hitting .233 in 40 games. He jumped to the Federal League the following season, and though he hit better as a Fed than he did in the NL, it didn’t do much to advance his baseball career - it would be his last major league campaign. 
• 1887 - RHP Chester “Chick” Brandom was born in Coldwater, Kansas. Chick tossed from 1908-09 for the Bucs, getting into 16 games and going 2-0-3 with a 0.94 ERA. The Bucs were loaded back then, and he was sent back to the minors despite that shiny albeit small performance sample. But he may have a greater claim than his Bucco stint. A 1908 picture of Chick shows him delivering a knuckleball and if the date is right, that would make him the first known practitioner of that pitch, predating guys like Eddie Cicotte (caveat emptor; the original knuckleballer is still being debated). 
• 1894 - RHP Tom Sheehan was born in Grand Ridge, Illinois. Tom pitched the final two years of a MLB career that began in 1915 with the Pirates between 1925-26, posting a slash of 1-3-2/4.08. He embarked on a long march as a baseball lifer after his playing days. Sheehan coached for the Reds and Braves, then spent many years as a minor league manager/scout in the Giants system. In 1960, at age 66, he succeeded the fired Bill Rigney as the Giants skipper, becoming the oldest person to make his debut as a big-league manager. That gig didn’t work out, and after the campaign he was once again assigned to scouting. 

Tommy Sheehan - 1925 photo/Library of Congress

• 1895 - OF Carson “Skeeter” Bigbee was born in Lebanon, Oregon. He played 11 years for Pittsburgh, his only MLB club, from 1916-26, and hit .287 lifetime. His best seasons were 1921-22, when he batted .323 and .350. He banged out 419 hits over that span, scored 213 runs and led the NL in singles both years. Bigbee stole 182 bases in his career, which earned him his “Skeeter” nickname. Bigbee was part of the 1926 “ABC Affair” when he, Babe Adams and Max Carey beefed about team suit Fred Clarke being in the dugout during games and overruling manager Bill McKechnie. All three players were on the downside of their careers and got their walking papers as a result. 
• 1940 - The Pirates and Philadelphia Athletics played the first MLB exhibition game south of the border when they met in Hermosilla, Mexico at Casa del Pueblo Stadium. The A’s won by an 8-7 count at a match that featured soldiers stationed at the gates & on the rooftops, bands playing throughout the game, and fans on the field. After a little post-game shopping, the two teams hopped a train and rode the rails to their next match in Phoenix. 1
• 945 - The Pirates traded OF Vince DiMaggio, a two-time All-Star, to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Al “Lefty” Gerheauser. Both players were nearing the end of their big league days; DiMaggio hung up the spikes after the ‘46 season and Gerheauser won just seven more games in three years as the Pirates converted him from a starter to the pen. 

Bill Meyer - 1952 Topps

• 1957 - Ex-manager Billy Meyer died at age 64 of kidney and heart problems in Knoxville, having never fully recovered from a stroke suffered two years earlier. He had a long minor league playing career with a brief taste of the bigs and was a long time farm skipper before he got the call to manage the Bucs in 1948. He piloted the team to fourth place finish that season (Meyer won The Sporting News Manager of the Year award for that 83-win feat), but was stuck with a roster of Ralph Kiner and the Rickey-Dinks, compiling a 317-452 record over five years. He resigned as field general after the 112-loss 1952 campaign and spent the next three campaigns as a minor league rover/scout for Pittsburgh before his stroke. His #1 was retired by the Pirates in 1954, more as a matter of respect and affection for Billy than for his actual accomplishments. 
• 1960 - Former Pirates President Frank Coonelly was born in Philadelphia. The Penn State grad was hired in 2007 as CEO to replace Kevin McClatchy and helped engineer the Bucs into respectability with three straight playoff appearances. But he couldn’t keep the train rollin’ and was let go at the end of the 2019 season, replaced by Travis Williams. Coonelly previously had served as senior VP in the commissioner’s office, where he was in charge of arbitration hearings and draft bonuses, among other items. He was a lawyer in private practice before that, and is now on several boards and the speakers circuit. 
• 1977 - After nine years as a Bucco, the Pirates released 1B Bob Robertson, who had been reduced to part-time status following 1974 knee surgery and then hurt his back in camp. He filed a grievance with the MLBPA to get his full year’s salary because he was let go while injured; it was settled when the Bucs paid him the entire $50K due for 1977. In 1971, the Mount Savage Strongboy became the first player to hit TRS’s upper deck in left center, then enjoyed a monster postseason, but he slumped badly after that campaign before his knees gave out. He retired after being released by Toronto in June of 1979.

3/31 From 1980: Solly & KY Sign, Canaria In, Bielecki Dealt, Tenace Gone, Tight Openers, GABP & PNC Open, MLB Tweaks, HBD Ryan

• 1984 - C Gene Tenace ended his 15-year career when he was released by the Pirates in spring training after batting .177 for the Bucs in 1983 as a 36-year old. Tenace featured a great eye at the dish - his career BA was just .241, but he had a .388 OBP and drew nearly 1,000 walks. Even in his last season with Pittsburgh, the patient batsman drew more walks than hits. 
• 1988 - The Chicago Cubs traded minor league LHP Mike Curtis to the Pirates for RHP Mike Bielecki. Bielecki slashed 10-17/4.57 in his four Bucco campaigns and proved to be a workmanlike journeyman pitcher, working 14 years in MLB (he had one big season for the Cubs, going 18-7/3.14 in 1989) while Curtis never got out of AAA, ending his career in the indie leagues. 
• 1994 - LHP Ryan Borucki was born in Highland Park, Illinois. Ryan was a 15th round pick in the 2012 draft from Mundelein HS by the Blue Jays. He made his debut with Toronto in 2018, was released after the ‘21 campaign and was picked up by Seattle. After a year with them (MLB line: 10-9/4.45 in 96 outings), Borucki was let go again, claimed by the Cubs, and released by them in May 2023 after a rough AA stint, with the Pirates taking him. He pitched scoreless ball at Indy, albeit in 8-1/3 IP, and was called up to the show in June after an avalanche of bullpen injuries. Bo slashed 4-2-1/4.04 and broke camp with the team in 2024. Ryan suffered a pair of injuries (tricep inflammation/carpal tunnel) and struggled during his September return. He became a free agent but returned to the fold, signing in late January as a NRI and then making the roster. Ryan was released in August and went to Toronto and then the White Sox; he’s now with the Giants. 
• 1997 - The Pirates lured free agent 1B Kevin Young back to Pittsburgh from KC with a $400K contract. He would sign two more deals with the Bucs worth $28M covering the following six seasons before retiring after the 2003 campaign. The 1B hit .259 over 11 years with the Pirates and is back with the club as a special instructor. The team also signed undrafted Puerto Rican middle infielder Luis Figueroa, who got a cup of coffee with the Bucs in 2001, Toronto in 2006 and San Francisco in 2007. He played in 18 MLB games overall, batting .125. 
• 2001 - PNC Park hosted its first MLB game when the Pirates and Mets opened it up with an exhibition match. The game was a sellout that NY won, 4-3. The Mets took the next day’s spring tune-up too, 3-2, notable mainly because Aramis Ramirez hit the first home run in the park’s history. The first game that counted was between the Reds and the Pirates on April 9. 

A-Ram - 2001 Upper Deck Victory

• 2003 - Pittsburgh helped the Reds christen Great American Ballpark. President George Bush tossed out the first ball in front of 42,000+ fans, but Cincy played second banana during the yard’s opening act. The Bucs spoiled the inauguration, winning 10-1 behind homers from Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton and Jason Kendall, all launched during a six-run second inning. Kris Benson got the win. 
• 2006 - RHP Salomon Torres agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $6.5M pending a physical, extending his current deal through 2008. He worked in 94 games in 2006 (3-6-12/3.28), but after a subpar 2007 campaign, he was shipped to Milwaukee for Marino Salas and minor leaguer Kevin Roberts. Torres considered retirement over relocation, but decided to join the Brewers for the season before hanging up his mitt after posting a final 7-5-28/3.49 slash. Salas’ only MLB work came in 2008 for the Bucs (13 games, 1-0/8.47) while Roberts never climbed past Class AA Altoona. 
• 2008 - In an Opening Day shootout at Turner Field, the Bucs beat the Braves, 12-11, in 12 innings before 45,269 tomahawk choppers. Damaso Marte and Matt Capps blew a 9-4 ninth inning lead, capped by a fly ball dropping between LF Jason Bay and CF Nate McLouth with two outs that tied the score. Pittsburgh reclaimed the lead in the top of the 12th on a Xavier Nady three-run bomb, but Atlanta almost tied it again with two runs in their half before Franquelis Osorio nailed down the win, his first MLB victory. The X-Man had four hits while McLouth, Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Doumit had three to prime a 17-hit attack. 
• 2014 - Neil Walker blasted a 10th-inning, 3-2 changeup from Carlos Villanueva deep over the Clemente Wall to give the Bucs and Bryan Morris a 1-0 Opening Day win over the Cubs at PNC Park. The Kid’s longball (his first walk-off bomb) was only the fourth 1-0 walk-off homer in Bucco history: Bob Bailey (1965; also a Home Opener), Bill Virdon (1958), and Ted Kluszewski (1958) had the others. Francisco Liriano and Jeff Samardzija started the game, leaving it for the bullpens to decide. It also marked the first use of expanded replay, which had been rolled out in the Arizona Fall League: Cubs manager Rick Renteria challenged a double play in the top of the fifth inning to no avail as the original call on the field of out at first was confirmed. The pregame featured an impressive honors ceremony: Andrew McCutchen, the 2013 NL-MVP, received his trophy from former Pirates’ MVPs Dick Groat and Barry Bonds, Clint Hurdle was presented with his Manager of the Year award by future Hall of Famer Jim Leyland, and Pedro Alvarez received his Silver Slugger award from Jack Wilson, who won his SS in 2004. 

Neil Walker - 2014 Topps

• 2022 - MLB and the MLBPA formally announced the rule changes they had agreed upon in principle a week earlier as adjuncts to the new CBA. A current pace-of-play rule, the ghost runner on second base in extra innings, was retained. Unpopular as a concept, the auto runner did shorten games and preserve pitchers to serve its purpose. Changes included the “Shohei Ohtani” rule, allowing a P/DH to remain in the lineup as the designated hitter even if removed as a hurler, a return to nine-inning doubleheader games, and an active roster expansion to 28 players through May 1st to make up for short spring training camps. 
• 2024 - The Pirates completed a season-opening four-game sweep of the Miami Marlins, 9-7, in 12 innings despite falling behind, 5-0, after one inning. They fought their way into the lead thanks to a two-run triple by Alika Williams in the third and a three-run long ball by Rowdy Tellez in the seventh frame, only to give up a game-tying solo shot in the ninth. The Bucs then flipped gears to small ball - two bunts in the 10th inning scored the ghost runner to regain the lead and a two-out, bases-loaded walk pushed across an insurance score. David Bednar, who gave up the homer, got the win while Hunter Stratton posted his first MLB save. It kept alive a big league record streak of four opening games that featured either a first-time winner (Ryder Ryan, Jared Jones) or first-time save (Stratton, Jose Hernandez). The brooming survived a shaky rotation that Pittsburgh overcame by plating 31 times against the Fish while the pen gave up just two runs in 20-1/3 IP. 
• 2025 - The NY Mets sold the contract of out-of-options OF Alexander Canario, who they had DFA'ed, to the Pirates and he was added to the active roster a few days later; he hit .286 in 45 MLB PAs (Cubs) and was a .252 hitter with some pop in AAA.  IF/OF Ji Hwan Bae was optioned to Indy and Jared Jones was bumped to the 60-day IL to clear 40-man space. The 24-year-old played all three spots in the pasture (primarily the corners) and interestingly enough was getting some offseason work at first, a Bucco question mark. Canario was released in the offseason after hitting .218 with six homers in 87 games/234 PAs with the Pirates and he’s now playing in Japan.

Weekly Report: Bucs Open 1-2, Roster Set, Cutch To Texas, Exes On The Move

Showtime!

Pirates Stuff:

• RHP Mike Clevinger was the Bucs last cut. He was sent to minor league camp as lefty Hunter Barco and righty Jose Urquidy made the team, although Urquidy had a miserable spring, slashing 0-1/9.28.

Jake made the cut - image SportsNet Pittsburgh

• The Pirates active roster: Ps - Braxton Aschcraft, Hunter Barco, Bubba Chandler, Jared Jones (60-day IL), Justin Lawrence, Mitch Keller, Isaac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzinski, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramirez, Paul Skenes, Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto & Jose Urquidy;  Cs: Joey Bart & Henry Davis; IFs - Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz, Brandon Lowe & Jared Triolo; OFs: Billy Cook, Oneil Cruz, Jake Mangum, Bryan Reynolds; Multi-Positional - Ryan O’Hearn & Nick Yorke; DH - Marcell Ozuna.
• Konnor Griffin just signed a multi-year contract...nah, not with the Pirates, but as a face man for Under Armour gear.
• Pittsburgh will wear a uniform patch this season in Bill Mazeroski's memory; it will debut at the Home Opener on April 3 v the O's, when Maz's family will be present. The Bucs also wore a patch last year in tribute to Dave Parker.

Game Stuff:

• The Pirates ho-hummed their way to a 5-2 loss against the Braves on Monday to close out Grapefruit League play. The Pirates finished 17-13 in the spring; Atlanta won the GL with a 20-7 slate.
• Paul Skenes didn't make it out of the first frame of the Season Opener, down 5-2 (Brandon Lowe opened with a two-run bop that snuck into the first row). He wasn't sharp, walking a pair while hitting a batter and wasn't helped by a couple of soft singles while Oneil Cruz twice misplayed flies. The Buc bats tried to battle back, but the bullpen was walk-happy and the Mets took the lidlifter, 11-7.

Brandon had a big series - photo/Pirates

• After a day off, Mitch came to pitch. Keller went six zippo frames with three hits surrendered while punching out a trio, leaving the game scoreless. It stayed that way until the 10th; the Bucs finally scored, but the Mets knotted it in their half. The Pirates went up 2-1 in the 11th, but Luis Roberts went deep off Hunter Barco, and NY had a 4-2 dub. The Pirates were 2-for-18 with RISP.
• The next afternoon, Carmen Mlodzinski gave the Bucs 4-1/3 frames, K'ing eight and surrendering a pair before leaving in the fifth. The bullpen was a rock on this day, whiffing eight more Mets, and the Pirates saved face with a 4-3, 10-inning win. Dennis Santana got the hard-earneded win; Jose Urqidy got the save thanks to a throw-out at home, going Oneil Cruz (he does good sometimes, too) -Jared Triolo - Henry Davis, and the final out was pulled in at the wall. Lowe homered again. Now off to Cincy for three before comin' home...

MLB Stuff:

• The Texas Rangers announced that Andrew McCutchen made the team's roster after signing the 39-year-old to a minor league deal on March 6. He spent the last three years here before losing his DH spot to Marcell Ozuna. So Cutch is the Texas DH, and is 4-for-9 with a homer and four RBI in three games.

Cutch is rakin' for the Rangers now - 2025 Topps Stars of MLB

• The Mets and OF Tommy Pham have agreed on a minor league contract. He’ll earn a prorated $2.25M for MLB time w/$850K in incentives and an April 25 opt-out date  per MLB Trade Rumors.
• C Brett Sullivan, who played three games for the Pirates last season, will go north with the Colorado Rockies.
• 10-year vet IF Ildemaro Vargas made the final cut and will start the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made a seven-game stop in Pittsburgh in 2021, one of three teams he played for that season.
• C Roberto Perez, 37, retired. He was signed to be the Pirates starting backstop in 2022, but after 21 games, he injured his hammy and eventually required surgery, losing the rest of the season.
• RHP Osvaldo Bido, who got his start with the Pirates in 2023, was claimed by Atlanta, the fifth roster he's been on this off season.
• RHP Tyler Beede was released by the Cubs. He worked for the Bucs in 2022 (2-5/5.23), went to Japan, then pitched for the Guardians and on the farm. In '25, he tossed in the minors, indie Atlantic League and Mexico.
• RHP Shane Baz, who was a Pirates prospect dealt away in the 2018 Chris Archer trade, and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year/$68M contract extension per ESPN reports.
• RHP Hunter Strickland, 37, who was a Bucco farm arm from 2009-12, signed a minor league deal with the Angels. Since he left Pittsburgh, he's put together an 11-year MLB career, mainly with the Giants & Haloes.
• Bruce Froemming, 86, who umped for 37 years and a record 11 no-hitters, died Wednesday after a fall in his Wisconsin home. 

3/30 Through the 1970s: The Antelope Signs, RIP Deacon, HBD Mike, Ripper, Happy, Hal, Ed, Dutch, George & Tom

• 1857 - IF/manager Tom Burns was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. After spending the first 12 years of his career playing for Chicago clubs, he spent his final campaign as a player/manager of the Pirates in 1892. Though the team was considered a contender with two future Hall of Famers on the roster in Joe Kelley and Jake Beckley, it started slowly and after putting up a 25–30 record, Burns was axed in favor of Al Buckenberger, who led them to a 53-41 slate. Tom then moved on to manage in the minors, spent a couple of seasons as the skipper of the Chicago Orphans and finished his baseball career in 1901 as a farm club boss. 
• 1866 - OF George Van Haltren was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He played for the Pirates in 1892-93, hitting .325, but was deemed expendable because of a deep Pittsburgh outfield. A borderline HoF player, Van Haltren was sold to the New York Giants, where he spent the next decade posting a .321 BA. He began his career as a pitcher, and in 1888 tossed a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Allies. 
• 1879 - Utilityman Arthur “Dutch” Meiers was born in St. Louis. A two-sport star at Princeton, Dutch spent just one year in the show, playing behind Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke in 1906. He hit a respectable .256 and got into 82 games. He earned his spot during the previous off-season when Meier showed his stuff by joining the team for exhibition and barnstorming games. After his Pittsburgh stint, he played for a variety of semi-pro clubs and served as baseball coach for his alma mater. And maybe even for his old team - it's speculated that Meier may have played a few more times with the Pirates on an as-needed basis since he appears in team pictures as late as the 1912 season. 
• 1897 - IF Ed Sicking was born in St. Bernard, Ohio. Ed spent four years in the show as a backup infielder for four different clubs, then spent six years with Indianapolis of the American Association. He opened the 1927 campaign with the Bucs, got into six games, went one-for-seven, and was sent back to Indy in early May. Though he didn’t leave much of a mark in MLB, Sicking was a pro ball lifer, spending 17 years fielding hot shots (12 seasons in the AA) before retiring in 1933 at age 36 from Class B Keokuk. 

Hal Rhyne - 1927 photo/Pgh Press

• 1899 - IF Hal Rhyne was born in Paso Robles, California. He began his career in Pittsburgh (1926-27), coming over with Paul Waner from the San Francisco Seals, and hit .258. He was a .250 batter in his seven MLB years and a minor league mainstay, spending 20 years on various farm clubs. Rhyne came to the majors with a reputation as a hitter. The back of a 1926 photo carries a caption that claimed his “magnetic eyes” made a ball look twice as large as normal. He might have been better off with a magnetic bat instead, although he did finish with a .291 career BA on the farm, playing until he was 41. 
• 1899 - IF Bill “Happy/Gray Ghost” Evans was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He played semi-pro and indie league black ball from 1924 until the late 30s, with his longest stop being with the Homestead Grays from 1930-33. Happy played everywhere, mainly at short, second and the outfield, and was a solid stick guy with one of the strongest arms in baseball. He spent his last pro campaign in 1937 with Homestead’s crosstown rivals, the Pittsburgh Crawfords. He was called the Gray Ghost because of his speed & defense and Happy due to his disposition. Evans is still in the news today, or at least his bloodline is - he’s the great-great uncle of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s better half. 
• 1904 - 1B Jim “Ripper” Collins was born in Altoona. He made his name as a hard-hitting prankster of the Gas House Gang and spent his last MLB campaign as a Pirate in 1941 after taking a two-year hiatus in the PCL at Los Angeles. The Bucs brought him in to share some of Elbie Fletcher’s workload at first, but at age 37 Collins’ best days were behind him and he batted just .211 in 49 games, mostly pinch-hitting. He stayed with the organization as a player/manager at Class A Albany. Cort Vitty of SABR, citing The Sporting News, wrote “The nickname Ripper developed during an on-field incident that occurred when Jimmy was a young player. A ball rocketed off his bat and struck a nail protruding from the outfield fence; it caused the cover to partially tear. When asked who hit the ball, the retrieving outfielder saw the ball hanging and said, ‘It was the ripper.’” 

Deacon Phillippe - 1970 Topps

• 1952 - Deacon Phillippe, 79, passed away peacefully in his Avalon home, watching TV. The righty tossed 12 seasons (1900-11) for the Bucs with a 168-92-11/2.50 line, winning 20 games six times and never suffering through a losing season. He won three World Series games against Boston in 1903, beating Cy Young in the opener and tossing five complete games. Toward the end of his career, he worked six shutout innings in the 1909 Series against Detroit. In 1969, Pirates fans voted him as Pittsburgh's top all-time right-handed pitcher. After he retired, he became an Allegheny County Courts bailiff after several other jobs. The Rural Springs native was posthumously selected as a member of the Virginia Hall of Fame in 1982. 
• 1969 - Panamanian OF Omar Moreno was signed by scout Howie Haak as a 16-year-old amateur free agent to launch a 12-year MLB career. Moreno, who was with the Pirates from 1975-82, posting a .255 BA, led the 1979 World Series club in runs and hits. The speedster, aptly nicknamed The Antelope, set the single-season Pirates record for stolen bases with 96 in 1980, and his 412 steals with the team ranks third overall behind Max Carey and Honus Wagner. Omar still works at Vaughn Sports Academy (with Mike Easler) and as a spring tutor for the Bucs. 
• 1979 - LHP Mike Johnston was born in Philadelphia. A 20th round pick in the 1998 draft, he made his big league debut on April 7th, 2004, along with fellow farmhand Jose Castillo, against the Phils; Mike got his first whiff and Jose his first hit. Johnston made it until June with the big club, being sent down after going 0-3/4.37. He made one more appearance in 2005 and that was his last MLB outing. He tore his labrum in 2006 at Indianapolis, missed 2007-08 and was released by the White Sox in 2009. Mike gave indie ball a final shot at age 33 in 2012 to close his career.

3/30 From 1980: Brian Signs, David & Ricardo Join, Bell Sent Home, Spring Sluggers, '21 Team, Opening Dubs; HBD Jake & Dan

• 1985 - LHP Dan Runzler was born in Santa Monica, California. He signed with the Bucs for the 2017 season and was a September call up, getting in eight games with no decisions and a 4.50 ERA after spending the summer at Indy. That was his last MLB duty. After tossing in minor/indie league ball for a couple of years, he’s now a minor league pitching coach in the San Francisco system. 
• 1991 - OF Jake Marisnick was born in Riverside, California. The nine-year vet had played for five teams and the Pirates became his sixth when they signed him after he was released late in 2022 camp by the Rangers. Marisnick’s rep was as a good glove, weak bat (.228 lifetime BA) guy who could play all three pasture positions and slotted as the Bucs fourth outfielder after injuries to Anthony Alford and Greg Allen. But he was hurt here, played in 31 games and was waived in early August. His last posting was in the Atlanta Braves system where he was released in late April of ‘25; he’s been a free agent since. 
• 1997 - The Pirates officially purchased LHP Ricardo Rincon from the Mexico City Reds, completing the deal after he made the team in camp. In 1997-98, he went 4-10-18/3.17 for the Bucs and was then traded to Cleveland for Brian Giles in one of Pittsburgh’s better baseball deals. He’ll be remembered here for combining with Francisco Cordoba on a 10-inning 1997 no-hitter. Ricardo played on the Mexican WBC teams in 2006 and 2009, last pitching major league ball in 2008, then retiring from the Mexican League in 2012. 

Derek Bell - 2001 Fleer

• 002 - “Operation Shutdown” OF Derek Bell, who had already packed his bags and left camp, was officially released after clearing waivers. The Pirates ate $4.5M in guaranteed money, after Bell told the media that he would sail into the sunset on his yacht rather than be forced to compete for a starting spot. In the first year of his deal, he was nagged by injuries and hit .173 in 46 games, which to many seemed a good enough reason to open the competition. His voyage as a ballplayer was scuttled after he hoisted his anchor: he never appeared in another MLB game. As Mark Madden of the Post Gazette wrote “Derek Bell becomes the ultimate Pirate: Lives on a boat and steals money.” 
• 2002 - RHP Brian Meadows signed as a minor league free agent with the Pirates. He was called up mid-season and lasted four years with the club, converting from a starter to a reliever who made 133 appearances in his last two seasons with Pittsburgh. Meadows went 8-12-2 with a 4.20 ERA from 2002-05. He lasted one more year with Tampa Bay before retiring. 
• 2005 - The Bucs bought C David Ross from the Dodgers. Ross got into 40 games (35 behind the dish) and hit .222. It was fairly early in his 15-year career and he was just 28, but that still made him the graybeard of the backstop brigade, behind 26-year-old Humberto Cota & a pair of 24-year-old up-and-comers, Ryan Doumit and Ronny Paulino. Ross was sent to San Diego at the deadline for SS JJ Furmaniak to help break the logjam. He played through 2016 and then joined the Cubs as a special assistant. He was the Chi-town manager through 2023, in between skippers Joe Maddon and Craig Counsell. 
• 2015 - It was just a late spring training tuneup, but if you were at McKechnie Field, you sure got your money’s worth. The Bucs whacked the Phils, 18-4, as Pedro Alvarez homered twice with a grand slam & six RBI (the club hit six dingers: Josh Harrison, Starling Marte, Tony Sanchez & Pedro Florimon also went deep) while the umps ejected three Corsairs (Clint Hurdle, Rick Sofield, & Sean Rodriguez) in a pair of rhubarbs. They may have been fired up by a camp visitor from the ‘Burgh - Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stopped in and hobnobbed with several Bucs. It was a Black & Gold day as Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who grew up in nearby Lakeland, threw out the first pitch.

Pedro Alvarez - 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter

• 2018 - In their earliest-ever season opener (it was eclipsed the following campaign), the Pirates see-sawed to a 13-10 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Ivan Nova twice worked out of bases-loaded, no-out jams, but relievers Michael Feliz and Felipe Rivero were bashed for four runs each, Feliz in 2/3-IP and Rivero failing to get an out in the ninth, blowing a 10-6 lead and sending the game into extra innings. Josh Smoker and game-winner Steven Brault held off Motown until Gregory Polanco mashed a three-run homer in the 13th, set up by two-out singles by Adam Frazier and Josh Harrison. Frazier, Polanco and Josh Bell each had three hits; Harrison, Starling Marte and Fran Cervelli collected a pair of raps. El Coffee had four RBI while Bell and Cervy each knocked home three while Harrison and Polanco scored three times apiece. It was, unsurprisingly, the longest Opener in Bucco history, lasting five hours and 27 minutes. 
• 2021 - Derek Shelton picked his first full-season roster. The only real surprise choice was camp standout Dave Bednar, a righty reliever who came to Pittsburgh as part of the Joe Musgrove trade package. He joined a boatload of new faces - P Tyler Anderson, P Trevor Cahill, P Wil Crowe, OF Dustin Fowler, P Luis Oviedo, C Michael Perez & P Duane Underwood Jr. Among those who didn’t make the cut were a mix of FA vets and prospects: IF Wilmer Difo, 3B Todd Frazier, P Carson Fulmer, OF Brian Goodwin, P Geoff Hartlieb, P Clay Holmes, P Chasen Shreve, SS Cole Tucker, P Steven Wright & C Tony Wolters. 
• 2023 - The Bucs opened the season at GABP in Cincinnati in front of a record regular season crowd of 44,063 and came away 5-4 victors. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but by the fifth the contest was tied and starter Mitch Keller yanked. The Pirates attack was led by two middle-of-the-infield youngsters - SS Oneil Cruz, with a pair of RBI and runs, homered and his sac fly in the eighth plated 2B Ji-Hwan Bae, who had two hits, two runs, a run driven in, two stolen bases and a walk, with the game winner. The Buc bullpen, a spring question mark, spun 4-1/3 scoreless frames, surrendering two hits and two walks while collecting seven whiffs. Rob Zastryzyn won his first big league game since 2018, Colin Holderman earned a hold and David Bednar put it to bed. Also shining was returning hometown hero Andrew McCutchen, who reached base four times. The Pirates won with only six hits; Cincy pitchers helped the cause by adding nine walks.

3/29: DJ & Gary Sign, Beamon-Smith & Carter-Varsho, JT Dealt, Jared & Pete Go, Jimmy Snark, Tracy's 1st Camp, KBL Kerfuffle; HBD Danny, Sean, Bob N, Bob S, Mike, Sir Richard & Hank

• 1865 - RHP Hank Gastright was born in Covington, Kentucky. He had been a workhorse for the Columbus Colts for the first three years of his career, had a rough campaign with Washington and then in 1893 had a bounceback year of sorts, starting out with Pittsburgh. The Pirates didn’t use him much as he went 3-1/6.25 in nine games into July, when he was released and claimed by Boston, where he pitched a little better but with lots more luck, going 12-4/5.13; his combined 15-5 record was the best winning percentage in the National League that year. He had one more campaign left in him and tossed a farewell game in 1896 for his hometown Cincinnati Reds. Trivia: Gastright threw a no-hitter in 1890 for Columbus but it’s not considered an official no-no. It missed the books because the game was called after eight innings due to darkness. 
• 1873 - OF/1B Duff “Sir Richard” Cooley was born in Leavenworth, Kansas. He played 13 MLB seasons, spending 1900 with the Pirates after being purchased from Philadelphia. Although a .294 career hitter, he had his worst year at the dish as a Buc and batted .201, leading to his August release. He found work until 1905, when a broken leg ended his big league stay. He was with Detroit at the time, and was replaced in center by a young guy named Ty Cobb. As for his nickname, it was said he had a haughty manner and so was dubbed as a member of the gentry. 
• 1894 - LHP Bob Steele was born in Cassburn, Ontario. Steele hurled for the Bucs from 1917-18, when they had some fairly poor clubs. Steele suited up for Pittsburgh in the second half of 1917 after a deal with the Cards for 3B Doug Baird, continuing through the first half of 1918. He did fairly well without flashy results, going 7-14-2/2.87 as a starter who occasionally worked from the pen. Bob was sold to the Giants later in the 1918 campaign and tossed his last MLB season for them in 1919, retiring after finishing out the year with Indianapolis of the American Association. He did make the record books (albeit Canadien) when he tossed a no-hitter for the Moose Jaw Robin Hoods against the Calgary Bronchos (sic) in the Class D Western Canadian League in 1913. 
• 1961 - OF Mike Kingery was born in St. James, Minnesota. Mike closed out his 10-year, six team MLB career with the Bucs in 1996, signing on as a $750K free agent at the age of 35. He became their part-time center fielder, hitting .246 before retiring to Minnesota to raise his family, gig with the Kingery Family Singers and begin the Solid Foundation Baseball School. 

Mike Kingery - 1996 Pacific Prism Gem

• 1962 - Pirates owner Bob Nutting was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. He’s CEO of Ogden Newspapers Inc. and former mountain resort owner along with being the Chairman of the Board and principal owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had been repping the Nutting interests in the Bucs since 2002, when his dad Ogden was a shareholder of the Kevin McClatchy team. Educated at Williams College, he’s married with three kids and often the target of frustrated Pirates fans who believe he should loosen the purse strings or find someone who will. But Bob and his bottom-line ledger approach appear here to stay; he’s turned down at least three local bids to sell the club. 
• 1971 - RHP Sean Lowe was born in Dallas, Texas. Lowe had been a White Sox long man/spot starter for three seasons when he arrived in Pittsburgh in 2002 with Kip Wells and Josh Fogg as part of the Todd Ritchie deal. After going 4-2/5.35, he was released in September. He finished the campaign with Colorado, tossed for KC in 2003 and that gig ended his seven-year stint in MLB. 
• 1975 - RHP Danny Kolb was born in Sterling, Illinois. The Pirates signed the eight-year vet to a minor league deal in 2007; the 32-year-old didn’t break camp with the club, but was called up in June, got into three games, gave up three runs on six hits in three innings and was DFA’ed back to the minors. He refused to report, became a FA, and left for Boston. The Red Sox released him early in 2008, making Pittsburgh his last MLB stop. His cousin Gary Kolb played for the 1968-69 Pirates. 
• 1991 - In a depth swap, the Pirates traded outfielders, sending Steve Carter to the Chicago Cubs for Gary Varsho. Carter, who had a couple of short Pittsburgh stays, never appeared in MLB again. Varsho hit .249 in two years as a bench bat for the Bucs, was waived, claimed by the Cincinnati Reds for the ‘93 season, and then returned to the Pittsburgh coop in 1994. 
• 1994 - After being released the day before, Gary Varsho signed a $243,750 contract for a second go-around with the club, which he had played for in 1991-92 before joining the Reds. In his three years with the club, Gary batted .251 as a pinch hitter and extra outfielder. He returned one more time to serve as John Russell’s bench coach in 2008 before being let go in 2010, shortly before JR was shown the door. He came back to the fold in 2016 as a Bucco scout. 

Gary Varsho - 1993 Topps

• 1994 - The Pirates and KBL settled a beef that had led to the Buccos suing for breach of contract, risking the possibility of no TV coverage for the season. Before the hearing was to start, Judge Michael Musmanno told the lawyers to make another effort to hammer out an agreement, and five hours later, they shook hands on a deal. KBL was given production & advertising rights while the Pirates TV footprint shrank with 25 fewer games broadcast than the season before. 
• 1997 - The Pirates traded OF Trey Beamon and C Angelo Encarnacion to the San Diego Padres for 1B/OF Mark Smith and minor-league RHP Hal Garrett. It was a wash; Beaman had a couple of decent seasons from the pine while Smith hit .285 with nine homers off the bench for the Bucs in 1997 but faded in 1998. Smith’s highlight came in 1997 when he drilled a homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Pirates a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros at TRS, ending the first extra-inning, combined no-hitter (Francisco Cordoba, Ricardo Rincon) in MLB history. 
• 1999 - RHP DJ Carrasco, 33, signed a one-year/$950K free agent deal with the Pirates, and he was workmanlike, posting a 2-2/3.88 slash. That performance earned him a deadline ticket to Arizona with OF Ryan Church and IF Bobby Crosby for SS Pedro Ciriaco, C Chris Snyder and cash. 
• 2000 - The Pirates picked lefty Jimmy Anderson to break camp as their fifth starter and cut veteran LHP Pete Schourek, eating the final $2M of his contract. Schourek wasn’t taken by surprise; he was coming off a poor, injury-ridden 1999 and had been on the trade market for a couple of weeks. The Pirates suits thought Anderson had more upside, but a couple of the team leaders weren’t sold. Kevin Young said “A lot of the veteran players are disturbed...We don’t want people rewarded for mediocrity.” Brian Giles added that “He (Schourek) busts his butt. With Jimmy, you don’t know that...Jimmy needs to learn how to work and make himself better. From what we’ve seen, we haven’t seen him make that commitment.” As it ended up, Anderson’s career lasted through 2004 though he never posted an ERA south of 5.10 after his ‘99 rookie campaign while Schourek tossed through 2001 for Boston, winning four games while pitching to an ERA of 4.97. The Pirates searched fruitlessly for a fifth starter who would finish the season with an ERA under five until 2011, when Kevin Correia put up a 4.72 mark. 

Craig Wilson - 2006 Upper Deck Epic

• 2006 - It was a busy day at Jim Tracy’s first camp. First, the rumor mill was leaking out a potential UT Craig Wilson-for-RHP Joel Pineiro swap with Seattle, which eventually fell through (Piniero made twice the money that Wilson did, and went on to post an 8-13/6.36 with the Mariners during the season, so the Bucs dodged that double barrel). The need for a starting pitcher was highlighted when Kip Wells, John Van Benshoten and Bryan Bullington all went on the DL this day. Additionally, a handful of non-pitching guys were sent to the minors, including Jose Bautista, Ronny Paulino and Mike Edwards. 
• 2017 - In a surprise move, the Pirates released RHP Jared Hughes, whom they had tendered months earlier and signed to a $2.175M contract. Hughes had been with the MLB club since 2011 and was a member of the organization since 2006 when he was a fourth round draft pick. The release date had to do with a combination of declining performance and dollars; by letting him go before the season started, the Pirates were on the hook for just $695K. Hughes later signed as an FA with the Milwaukee Brewers for $950K. He followed that campaign by signing for two-years w/an option with the Reds, then closed out his career with two seasons spent with Philadelphia and the New York Mets before retiring in early 2021 with 10 MLB years under his belt. 
• 2024 - The Pirates pulled a surprise swap when they sent RHP JT Brubaker and international bonus pool money to the Yankees for a PTBNL (20-year-old IF Keiner Delgado, playing his first year of stateside ball). Brubaker was coming off TJ surgery and not expected to return until sometime around the All-Star break; NY flipped him to the Giants in ‘25. JT was one of only four players remaining from the 2020 team, along with Ke’Bryan Hayes, Mitch Keller and Bryan Reynolds.