10/3 Through the 1930’s: Frisch Takes Reins; Allies End; Game Stories; HBD Fred, The Dog, Jack, Johnny & Fats

• 1872 - OF and manager Fred “Cap” Clarke was born in Winterset, Iowa. Hall-of-Famer Clarke was discovered by Barney Dreyfuss, and came to Pittsburgh with most of the Louisville team in 1900 with Dreyfuss. He was the LF’er and manager from 1900-11, and mostly manager, with a couple of spot appearances, from 1912-15. His Pirate line was .299/.379/.418, he hit .300 or better 11 times, and was player/manager for four pennant winners and two World Series teams. He guided the club to 14 straight first-division finishes, 1,422 wins, and compiled a winning % of .595. Cap got his nickname in 1897 when he became player/manager for Louisville; in that era, the skipper was referred to as the team’s captain.

The last of the Alleghenys - 1890 team photo

• 1890 - The Alleghenys played their last game, losing 10-4 to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms at Washington Park. It was the franchise’s most disastrous campaign as the club won just 23 games after being decimated by defections to the Players League. The Pittsburgh Press noted that “The Alleghenies showed themselves world-beaters yesterday by more than equaling the Louisville record of games lost… the Allies (Alleghenys) lost their 113th game.” The next season, they became the Nationals/Pirates, moved from Recreation Park to Exposition Field, and managed to finish a more respectable 62-73. 
• 1903 - Deacon Phillippe, working on a day’s rest, allowed four hits in a 4-2 win over Boston Americans in the first World Series, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead in games. Ed Phelps doubled twice and Claude Ritchey had a pair of hits to lead the Pirate attack. The contest was played at the Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds. 
• 1905 - C Johnny Riddle was born in Clinton, South Carolina. In parts of seven seasons (his MLB debut was in 1930 and his last at-bat in 1948), Johnny never got into more than 25 games. His swan song was in ‘48 with Pittsburgh, where he joined his younger brother, All-Star pitcher Elmer, on the roster and hit .200 in 10 games as a player/coach. He got to catch his brother and at 42, was the oldest NL player to appear in a game. Johnny was part of one of the oldest batteries in baseball history when at the age of 42 he caught for Fritz Ostermueller, who was 40. After that campaign, Riddle worked as a coach for the Pirates (1948–50; he only coached during his last two years), St. Louis Cardinals (1952–55), Milwaukee Braves (1956–57), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958) and Philadelphia Phillies (1959). He picked up the nickname of “Mutt” as a youth but it was never used much during his ball-playing days. 
• 1908 - The Pirates moved a ½ game ahead of the Cubs and Giants with a 3-2 win over the Cardinals at Robison Field, the Bucs eighth straight victory. Nick Maddox tossed a five hitter and drove in a run; the other RBI came from the bats of Tommy Leach and Honus Wagner, and it was just enough to beat Art Fromme. Their next game was against the Cubs, and interest was so high that the Pittsburgh Press opened four phone lines and posted telegraphed bulletins at their office with the Chicago game’s blow-by-blows. Alas, the Bucs lost that game and finished second in one of the great NL pennant races. 

Bob Harmon - photo from his estate

• 1914 - Bob Harmon ended a disappointing season for the Bucs on a high note, tossing a two-hit, 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field in the home finale. Both Redleg runners were caught stealing by C Bob Schang, and Harmon faced the minimum 27 batters while topping King Lear. Wally Gerber’s triple in the seventh drove in the game’s only score. 
• 1915 - The Pirates ended their season with a 5-3 win over the Reds at Redland Field. Retiring manager Fred Clarke hosted a banquet for his players after the game‚ celebrating not only his retirement (Jimmy Callahan took the reins in 1916) but his 43rd birthday before the team scattered during the off season. The next day, he arrived back in Pittsburgh and was given a public send off in front of 500 at the Hotel Schenley. Carnegie Steel vice president HP Bope served as toastmaster of the event with team owner Barney Dreyfuss and Pittsburgh Mayor Joe Armstrong among the speakers.  
• 1917 - OF Frank “Fats” Kalin was born in Steubenville, Ohio. he had a seven-game MLB career, with three of those contests as a Pirate in 1940, going 0-for-3 with a pair of walks. Kalin was considered a prospect with the White Sox in early 1943 and broke camp with Chicago, but he never got much chance to show his stuff in the majors as he served in the military during World War 2 starting that season. He was 28 when he was discharged and spent the next four years in the Pirates system at Hollywood and Indianapolis. We’re uncertain about his nickname, although at 6’, 200 lbs., it seemed to fit. 
• 1931 - LF/1B Bob Skinner was born in La Jolla, California. The “Dog” (a Bob Prince nickname derived from Skinner’s Marine Corps - the Devil Dogs - days) played for the Bucs in 1954 and then 1956-63, hitting .280. He was the starting left fielder for the 1960 World Series champs. Skinner was the Phillies manager from 1968-69, famously resigning when Richie Allen beefed about going to an exhibition game. He coached for several clubs after that, including the Pirates from 1974-1976 and again from 1979-1985. His son Joel was drafted by the Pirates and played in the show, later coaching/managing in both the majors and farm for several organizations. 
• 1936 - RHP Jack Lamabe was born in Farmingdale, New York. Jack tossed for seven big league seasons, making his debut as a Bucco in 1962, going 3-1-2/2.88 in 46 appearances. He, along with Dick Stuart, was part of the Jim Pagliaroni/Don Schwall deal with Boston the next year, then followed the itinerant route of a reliever by tossing for six more teams. After he hung up the spikes, he spent a decade coaching college ball at Jacksonville and LSU. Jack’s a member of the U of Vermont (his alma mater) Athletic Hall of Fame and the Jacksonville U Athletic Hall of Fame. Lamabe also picked up an odd family tree of nicknames with the Red Sox (variously Tomato, Tomato Face, the Old Tomato, ‘Mater, or Pizza Face) begun by pitcher Dick Radatz and popularized by Bosox announcer Ned Martin, who called him “The Old Tomato.” Jack had a round, red face and loved to nosh on pizza, making the love apple monikers perfect fits. 

Jack Lamabe - 1963 Topps

• 1939 - Frankie Frisch jumped from the Boston Braves’ broadcasting booth to a managing gig‚ signing for two years with the Pirates to replace Pie Traynor, who resigned. He skippered the Bucs for seven seasons from 1940-46, compiling a 539-528 record but only finishing higher than fourth once (second place - 1944). 
• 1937 - The Pirates swept a closing day doubleheader from the Reds at Forbes Field‚ 4-3 and 4-0‚ extending their winning streak to 10 and running the Reds' losing run to 14. The Bucs finished 21-1 against Cincinnati, winning the last 17 decisions of the season. Ken Heintzelman tossed a six-hitter to take the opener in his MLB debut. Woody Jensen scored twice and Fred Schulte had a pair of RBI to lead the attack. The second game was called after seven innings with Jim Weaver and Mace Brown combining on a three hitter (Weaver was excused after three innings so he could get an early jump on the off season). Bill Schuster and Gus Suhr each scored and drove in a run.

10/3 From 1940 Through the 1970’s: Robby 3-Pack; Reds Dropped; Roberto Ties Hans; Game Stories; HBD Alex, Ismael & Wil

• 1948 - Vic Lombardi lost a duel to Johnny Vander Meer as the Reds took a 1-0 win at Crosley Field to end the season. It was scoreless into the bottom of the ninth when Bobby Adams walked, was bunted to second and came in on Steve Filipowicz’s single. Lombardi gave up five hits, Vander Meer just two. The loss cost the Bucs a chance to join Brooklyn in third; they finished fourth, 8-½ games behind the Boston Braves. 

Luke Easter - 1948 Richard Merkin Collection

• 1948 - Luke Easter's grand slam highlighted the Homestead Grays' 19-hit assault on the Birmingham Black Barons in the fourth game of the Negro World Series, played at Pelican Stadium in New Orleans. The Grays won the game 14-1 and the Championship in five games. This was the final Negro WS‚ as the Negro National League became a casualty of integration and folded during the winter, according to Charlton’s Baseball Chronology.
• 1969 - Scout Ismael Cruz was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The son of old Pirates scout Pablo Cruz, he trawled Colombia for the Bucs and Reds in the 1900s before moving up the international scouting ladder with the Mets, Toronto and his current organization, the Dodgers. 1970 - Dock Ellis and Gary Nolan bent but refused to break at TRS until the Reds put up three runs in the 10th inning to take a 3-0, opening NLCS victory from the Pirates. Tony Perez’s double brought in the first score and the insurance runs were chased home on Lee May’s two out two bagger. Pittsburgh stranded nine runners, but only one Bucco reached third, and that was with two outs. Matty Alou had a tough day on the base paths; he was picked off in the first inning and caught stealing in the ninth, ending both frames.
• 1971 - 1B Bob Robertson hit three home runs, the first time ever done in a playoff game, and added a double in a 9-4 NLCS win over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. He had five RBI and four runs scored to give Dock Ellis all the offensive support he’d need, although The Docktor lasted only five innings (his sore elbow would later limit him to one short WS outing). The Pirates launched a 15-hit barrage with Roberto Clemente and Dave Cash adding three knocks to square the series at a game apiece. 
• 1971 - OF Wil Cordero was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Cordero put in 14 big-league years, spending part of 2000 as a Bucco. He signed as a FA, hit .282 w/16 HR and was flipped at the deadline to Cleveland for Alex Ramirez and Enrique Wilson. 
• 1972 - Roberto Clemente made a ninth inning appearance in his 2,433rd game for the Bucs, tying Honus Wagner for the most regular season games played by a Pirate as Pittsburgh beat St. Louis 6-2 at TRS in the season finale (Roberto played 26 additional games in the postseason, including five in '72; Hans only got into 15 playoff games). The Bucs had the game in hand thanks to two-run, two-RBI performances by Richie Hebner, who homered, and Al Oliver, with a double, to back the twirling of Bob Moose, Steve Blass and Ramon Hernandez.

Alex Ramirez - 2001 Topps

• 1974 - OF Alex Ramirez was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He came to Pittsburgh in a deadline deal with the Indians for Wil Cordero in 2000 and that was the end of his three-year MLB career. He hit .209 and took his game to Japan. He played in the Nippon League through the 2013 season, becoming the first non-Japanese player to collect 2,000 hits, and he’s coaching/managing there now. 
• 1976 - The Pirates shut out the St. Louis Cardinals by identical 1-0 scores in a season-ending doubleheader at Three Rivers Stadium. Jim Rooker threw a seven hitter in the opener and Jerry Reuss followed with a five hitter in the nitecap. The Pirates wouldn’t win back-to-back 1-0 games again until September, 2014, when they blanked the Brewers and then the Braves. The sweep gave them 92 victories for the season, good enough for second place, nine games behind Philadelphia. 
• 1979 - Pittsburgh won the second game of the NLCS 3-2 over the Reds in 10 innings at Riverfront Stadium. The Bucs nursed a 2-1 lead into the ninth, built on Tim Foli and Bill Madlock RBI. But back-to-back one out doubles by Hector Cruz and Dave Collins off Kent Tekulve tied the match. The Pirates came right back, though. A leadoff single by Omar Moreno, a bunt by Foli and a game-winning knock by Dave Parker sent Doug Bair to defeat. Don Robinson got the win and the Pirates went up 2-0 in the series against Cincinnati.

10/3 From 1980: Pops Finale, Gene's Beginning; Game Stories; HBD Goose & Kevin

• 1982 - In his last game, Willie Stargell was penciled in to lead off at TRS by manager Chuck Tanner. Captain Willie beat out a well-placed infield rap against the Expos’ Steve Rogers and was pulled by Tanner, who wanted Pops to end his career with a knock and ovation. It was Pops’ first start since August 9th; he collected fewer than 100 PAs during the season and hit just .233 with three homers during his final MLB lap. The Bucs lost to Montreal 6-1; the team ended the year with 84 wins, good for fourth place, eight games behind the St. Louis Cards. 

Pops - 1982 Topps K-Mart MVP

• 1988 - IF Phil “Goose” Gosselin was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The Bucs sent minor league P Frank Duncan to Arizona for utilityman Gosselin, who was hoped to take the place of Sean Rodriguez off the bench in 2017. But alas, he sent most of his time at AAA Indianapolis. In 28 games for the Pirates, he played 1B-2B-3B, but hit just .150, then was released in August and claimed by the Rangers. Goose is now with the Phillies. 
• 1990 - The Bucs’ Jerry Reuss‚ in his only start of the year‚ gave up one earned run but had a no decision in a 6-3 loss to the Mets in his last MLB appearance. Reuss joined the MLB’s four decade club (1969-90) and closed out his career claiming 220 wins without a 20 win season‚ a baseball oddity shared only with Milt Pappas and Frank Tanana among 200 game winners. 
• 1993 - IF/OF Kevin Kramer was born in Turlock, California. He was the Bucs second round draft selection in 2011 out of UCLA. After hitting .297 at Altoona in 2017 and .311 at Indianapolis in 2018, he was added to the 40-man roster and called up to the big club, hitting just .135. He didn’t do much better in 2019 with a BA of .167; both were 20-game auditions in September.
• 1996 - The Pirates named Gene Lamont, who had served as the Chicago White Sox field boss from 1992-95, to replace Jim Leyland as skipper. He led the club from 1997-2000, putting up a 295-352 record. He’s currently a Special Assistant in Kansas City. 
• 2010 - The Pirates finished the season with a 17-64 record on the road after suffering a 5-2 loss to the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium, with the defeat going to Brian Burres. The Bucs' away-from-home record equaled the MLB low water mark set by the 1963 Mets.

AJ - 2013 Gypsy Queen

• 2013 - AJ Burnett was chased in a seven-run third inning that saw 11 Cardinals go to bat as St. Louis took the opener of the NLDS at Busch Stadium by a 9-1 score. Adam Wainwright went seven innings and struck out nine for the Redbirds. The Pirates only mustered four hits, two by Andrew McCutchen, with Pedro Alvarez’s homer providing the lone Bucco tally.

Clint's Replacement - Local Options?

Was he a scapegoat? Stale message? Did he overplay his hand? Did he lose control of the inmates? Well, whatever he did, Clint is gone and the search is on. GM Neal Huntington will stay, with the coaching staff to be determined by the next manager, in case you're wondering why their heads haven't rolled yet.

It'll be a busy and competitive winter to sign a new boss man - beside the Pirates, the Padres, Cubs, Giants, Royals and Angels are all searching for skippers, with maybe more to come. We don't foresee a quick contest; there probably won't even be a full candidate's slate unil the playoffs are deep.

We've compiled an early list of suspects that's frankly kinda bloated, but we have no idea yet of what way the FO is going to turn, whether to an old reliable seeped in the system or someone who will turn around the thinking analytically yet live within the budget. Today, we'll look at the old familiar names in the hat.

Banny - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

If they stay in-house, Jeff Banister, 55, is the leading candidate. He’s a Pirates lifer, was a finalist when Clint was hired and served as the Rangers' skipper from 2015-18, winning two titles and the 2015 AL Manager of the Year Award. Banister returned to Pittsburgh, and many thought that he was being groomed as Hurdle's heir; we'll see.

Tom Prince, 55, Clint's bench coach, has spent 26 years in the organization as a player, manager, coach and coordinator. He's known and popular within the clubhouse, but may be too closely associated with Hurdle.

Don Kelly, 39, Astros first-base coach, is from Pittsburgh, he’s worked as a scout, and he’s now serving in the hub of current analytical Nirvana, Houston. The downside - he's a pup, and it would be his first skipper job. But if they wanted to make a clean break with the past with a young, local face, he could fill the bill.

Joey Cora, 54, third-base coach, and Brian Esposito, 40, the Indy manager, may both get courtesy interviews but don't look like serious contenders, though Espo could be a dark horse if the Bucs go analytic; he's data-savvy and has a good relationship with the young guys.

Can the Rock turn some Jimmy Leyland schooling into serious consideration? - 2008 JW 

Jason Kendall, 45, a Royals assistant, and John Wehner, 52, from the booth, was a hitting instructor in the Pirates system. Both are thumping their own drums, though we suspect they're kinda far back in the conga line.

There's a much bigger list of warm bodies available league wise, with former skippers and a small mob of bench coaches whose time may have come falling from the skies; we'll check them out Friday.

10/2 Through the 1900’s: RR Parade; Gibby Record; Game Stories; HBD Honest Eddie, Scott & Ernie

• 1869 - RHP Scott Stratton was born in Campbellsburg, Kentucky. Stratton worked eight years in the show, spending two games with the 1891 Pirates between stints with the Louisville Colonels. He went 0-2/2.45 in two starts for Pittsburgh. He did have a pair of 20-win seasons in the American Association and played in the bushes until the age of 30, having transitioned to the outfield - he ended his minor league days with a .329 BA. Scott was known early in his career as the Taylorsville Wonder, dubbed for the town he was raised in. He retired to Louisville and worked a variety of jobs with farmer, grocer and haberdasher main among them. 
• 1877 - The London Tecumsehs defeated the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in the International Association’s championship, winning the deciding third game by a 5-2 score. The game was played at Tecumseh Field (now Labatt Memorial Park) in Ontario as Fred Goldsmith of London, one of the original curve ball artists, squared off against the Alleghenys’ Pud Galvin, who won 365 big league games on his road to the Hall of Fame. No particulars can be found, but much controversy was generated over the match as the Alleghenys refused to accept the result of the game, accusing the Tecumsehs of using one of their players as an umpire. The IA was founded in Pittsburgh in February and was considered the first minor league, although many argue that its play was on a par with the major league clubs of the era. Both teams would last one more season before folding, but the Alleghenys came back in 1881 to play in the American Association and then become the genesis of the Pirates franchise when they joined the NL in 1887. 

Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette 10-3-1887

• 1877 - OF Ernie Diehl was born in Cincinnati. Ernie was a wealthy lad (his dad owned a distillery) and a toolsy ballplayer who starred in local semi-pro ball. The Pirates picked him up for a game in 1903 and a 12-game stretch in 1904, both times to fill in for injuries, and Ernie went 7-for-40 (.175). Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss offered him a season-long contract for both years; Diehl refused and played the games w/o a contract, returning to his local team and business interests after the Bucs were back to full strength. In fact, it was said that he was offered and refused a player’s contract by various teams for 10 consecutive years, though he played briefly for Boston for a couple of seasons and had short stints with Toledo & Louisville in the American Association. He continued in business, was a standout in amateur sports (he was also an excellent tennis player) and dabbled in local politics. The whiskey business was sold in 1918 and Ernie moved to Miami, where he lived until passing away in 1958. 
• 1891 - OF “Honest Eddie” Murphy was born in Hancock, New York. Eddie spent 11 years in the show, mostly as a bench guy and played his final season as a Pirate in 1926, batting .118 in 16 games at age 35. He joined Pittsburgh after five years of solid minor-league play, called up in August when the Bucs were battling for a flag, but he injured his knee and didn’t have much impact. The Pirates finished 4-1⁄2 games behind the Cards, although they would come back to take the 1927 NL flag. Eddie played two more minor league years before retiring. His nickname came about because he was one of the infamous 1919 Black Sox, but the tiniest splatter of scandal couldn’t be tied to him; his reputation was so clean that he became known as Honest Eddie. 
• 1901 - Pittsburgh railroaders held a parade complete with a band and marched from town to Exposition Park in the North Side to celebrate the final home game of the season for the pennant-winning Buccos. A horse-drawn carriage delivered a $500 loving cup that was presented to manager Fred Clarke, owner Barney Dreyfuss and club president Harry Pulliam for leading the team to its championship season, and each player was given a decorated badge with his likeness on it. After some speechifying, the Bucs went on to take an 8-4 win over Boston behind Sam Leever. The next evening, the Alvin Theater invited the team to take in the show as the Pirates were the toast of the town. Pittsburgh finished at 90-49, 7-½ games ahead of Philadelphia. 
• 1903 - Bill Dinneen struck out 11 and pitched a complete game three-hitter for the Boston Americans as they defeated the Bucs 3-0 at the Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds in the second game of the first World Series. Patsy Dougherty homered off both starter Sam Leever, who left with an injury, and reliever Bucky Veil to provide the Boston offense. 

Bill Dinneen - 1904 Fan Craze

• 1908 - Pittsburgh took over the NL lead by a gnat’s eyelash after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals at Robison Field. Lefty Leifield won the opener 7-4 as Fred Clarke and Alan Storke each had three hits to lead the attack. Howie Camnitz took the nitecap 2-1, tossing a seven hitter with seven K, backed by homers off the bats of Honus Wagner and George Gibson. Two percentage points separated New York‚ Chicago‚ and Pittsburgh going into the final week of the season; the Cubs won by a game over the Buccos and G-Men. 
• 1909 - Pirates backstop George Gibson set the then-record of catching in 134 consecutive games in a 3-1 loss to the Cubs, breaking the previous mark set by the Washington Senators’ Deacon McGuire in 1895. He set another MLB record for games played in a season by a catcher with 150, which had also been held by McGuire. His 150 games caught record stood until 1920 when Ray Schalk caught 151 games. And while he was at it, he led all NL catchers in fielding percentage and caught stealing, both in number of runners and percentage in 1909. Oh, he helped win a pennant and World Series while he was at it.

10/2 From 1910 To 1974: Mateo Takes Crown; Triple Header; Bucs Clinch in '74; Game Stories; HBD Maury, Rex & Robby

• 1911 - Scout Rex Bowen was born in Shiloh, New Jersey. After a minor league career as a player, Bowen bird-dogged for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1943-50, the Pirates from 1950-1967, spending the last 12 years as the club’s scouting director, and as his last act joined the Reds front office from 1967-90. He signed Bill Mazeroski (who ended up marrying Rex’s secretary, Milene), Dick Groat, Bruce Dal Canton, Gene Freese, Gene Michaels and George Freese among others. In 2000, Baseball America named him one of the top ten scouts of the 20th Century. 
• 1914 - Phil Douglas of Cincinnati gave up just one hit, a single to Honus Wagner, but three walks - one with the bases loaded - and two errors in the ninth turned the tide as the Reds lost 2-1 to George McQuillan and the Pirates at Forbes Field. It was the third game in his career where Hans had the only Pittsburgh hit. With a game to go, Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press described the last series as “...closing out the most disastrous season the Pirates have known since Fred Clarke became their chieftain.” The Bucs finished 69-85, in seventh place and 25-½ games out. 

Hits in 3 games in one day - Clyde Barnhart (photo Paul Thompson/via RMY Auctions)

• 1920 - After a pair of rainouts, the Pirates and Reds played the last MLB tripleheader at Forbes Field. The Bucs wanted to get in the games to keep alive its slim hopes for a third place finish (and post-season bonus). It didn’t happen as the Reds took 2-of-3 to clinch the third spot. Cincy won the first two games 13-4 and 7-3 before losing the third game 6-0 to Johnny Morrison, a six-inning affair shortened due to darkness. Buc rookie 3B Clyde Barnhart became the only player in big league history to have hits in three games in one day, as he had two knocks in game one, and one each in the other two games. Peter Harrison earned his check; he was the home plate umpire for all three games. Starting at noon, the three games took exactly five hours to play. The Pittsburgh franchise also played the first MLB tripleheader, being swept in 1890 by Boston, so the circle was unbroken. And finally, it was the first true three-bagger in baseball as the other two triple headers played were actually morning games followed by an afternoon twin bill, with two admissions charged. 
• 1932 - IF Maury Wills was born in Washington, DC. His glory years were with the Dodgers, though he played for Pittsburgh for two seasons, from 1967-68, as a third baseman who hit .290 with 81 steals. The Pirates sent him to Montreal and in 1969 he returned to LA, where he had spent the first eight years of his career and would spend his final four campaigns. Wills was one of the great base stealers of his era, amassing 564 swiped sacks in his 14 years. Maury coached in several one-off leagues and did some broadcasting; his one year as skipper of the Seattle Mariners was pretty much a fiasco. 
• 1946 - Bob Robertson was born in Mt. Savage, Maryland. A member of the 1971 WS champs, Big Red hit four home runs in the 1971 NLCS against the Giants, three in one game, and added two more in the Fall Classic against the Orioles. In the years 1970-71, he bombed 53 HR, but never realized his potential as a Pirate. In nine Pittsburgh seasons, he hit .245 with 106 long balls, which was enough for Bob Prince to nickname him “The Mount Savage Strong Man.” 
• 1966 - Matty Alou finished the season with a .342 BA to win the NL batting title. He went 4-for-6 against the Giants at Forbes Field in a 7-3 Bucco loss. The Pirates finished the season with 92 wins and the Giants with 93, but LA took the pennant with 95 victories. 
• 1969 - The batting title went down to the final swing; Pete Rose bunted for a single at Atlanta in his last at-bat while Roberto Clemente went 3-for-4 in a 8-2 win against the Expos, giving Rose a final .348 to .345 edge. If Clemente, who grounded out in his last dibs, had singled, his BA would have been .347; if Rose’s bunt failed, his would have been .346. 

Roberto Clemente - 1969 Topps

• 1971 - The San Francisco Giants scored four runs in the fifth inning off Steve Blass on a pair of two-out homers by Tito Fuentes and Willie McCovey, and the outburst was just enough to drop the Pirates 5-4 in the opening game of the NLCS at Candlestick Park. Dave Cash scored twice and had an RBI while Al Oliver drove home a pair of runs in the loss. It was the Pirates sixth straight loss in the City by the Bay. 
• 1974 - Bob Smizik’s Pittsburgh Press game story was headlined “Pirates Blunder Into Division Title” and it was right on. The Pirates rallied from a 4-0 hole against the Cubs at TRS to get within a run in the ninth. With two gone and Manny Sanguillen on third, pinch hitter Bob Robertson K’ed on a Rick Reuschel slider. The ball got away from Steve Swisher, and his throw to first hit the plodding Robby on the back and caromed into right, allowing The Roadrunner to score. The Bucs won it in the next inning when Al Oliver tripled and scored on Sangy’s swinging bunt up the third base line. A loss would have given the St. Louis Cardinals, with a rainout to make up, a chance to tie for the lead. The fans didn’t act in championship fashion, tossing bottles at the Cub outfielders, who had to wear batting helmets in the field. Plate ump Shag Crawford told Smizik after the game that “It was the worst I’ve ever seen a big league crowd. I finally gave some thought to forfeiting in the ninth, but (manager Danny) Murtaugh really helped out...” when he went on the field and scolded the crowd into civility.

10/2 From 1975: Mad Dog Title; Lamont Let Go; PA Buys Bucs; Game Stories; HBD Victor & Marino

• 1976 - RHP Victor Santos was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Victor, although he had five years in the league, made it to the Pirates via the Rule 5 draft from KC and spent 2006 as a Bucco, slashing 5-9/5.70 in 25 games (19 starts). He spent one more year in the show, then spent most of his time in the Latin leagues, finally toeing the rubber for the last time in 2012. In his retirement, he’s become an instructor at Roberto Clemente's Baseball and Softball Academy. 

Victor Santos - 2006 photo Elsa/Getty

• 1977 - Kent Tekulve and Rich Gossage each appeared in their 72nd games to break the existing club record for most appearances in relief during a 3-2 Bucco victory over the Cubs in the second game of a twin bill at TRS. Goose got the win while Teke picked up a blown save. Dave Parker clinched his first batting title earlier in the day, finishing with a .338 average after going 1-for-4 in the opener, a 5-1 Bucco win. For the Pirates, it was a red hot finish as they won 12-of-13 games to end the season, finishing second with 96 wins to the Phils. Teke would go on to shatter the record in 1979 by appearing in 94 outings, still the club mark. Dave Parker went 1-for-4 with a walk to finish with a .338 BA to win the NL batting title. 
• 1979 - In the opening game of the NLCS at Riverfront Stadium‚ Willie Stargell ended a tight pitching battle started by John Candelaria and Tom Seaver by bombing a three-run homer in the 11th inning off Tom Hume to give the Pirates a 5-2 victory over the Reds. Grant Jackson got the win with a Don Robinson save. The Bucs had jumped ahead in the third by a 2-0 count on a Phil Garner homer, Omar Moreno triple and Tim Foli sac fly. The Reds tied it an inning later on George Foster’s two-run shot. 
• 1981 - RHP Marino Salas was born in Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic. Salas was traded to the Pirates as part of the Salomon Torres deal with the Brewers. He began 2008 en fuego, going 2-0-2/0.77 in 14 appearances at AAA Indy and was recalled by the Pirates in May. It didn’t quite translate; in 13 appearances for the Bucs in 2008, he slashed 1-0/8.47 in 13 outings. At last check, Salas is still pitching in the Italian League. 
• 1983 - Bill Madlock, finishing the final days of the season gimpy with a calf injury, sat out the Bucs last game but managed to hang on to the batting title, finishing the year at .323 to edge out the Cards’ Lonnie Smith, who finished the campaign at .321. Though it was the the lowest BA to win a NL title since 1919, it was quite a feather in Mad Dog’s cap as he became just the eighth MLB player with four or more batting crowns since 1900 and the first in the senior circuit to pull off the feat since Roberto Clemente in 1967. 
• 1985 - The Galbreath family and Warner Communications agreed in principle to sell the Pirates to the Pittsburgh Associates, a group of 10 primarily corporate and institutional investors that kept the team afloat and in Pittsburgh, for $21.8M (the deal was finalized in March, 1986). As part of the agreement, Malcolm “Mac” Prine was named president of the Pirates during the transition and take over. Mac was the CEO of Ryan Homes, which was part of the PA, the first private-public ownership group in pro sports. He brought in Jim Leyland as manager and Syd Thrift as GM; ironically, a power struggle with Thrift led to Prine’s resignation two years later. Mac was replaced by Carl Barger, who had sharper elbows and forced Thrift to walk the plank a year later. 

Gene Lamont - 1997 On Deck Mag

• 2000 - Gene Lamont was fired as manager. He replaced Jim Leyland in 1997 and led the Bucs to a second place finish, but overall his Pittsburgh record was 295-352 (.456). His hitting coach, Lloyd McClendon, was hired to take his spot three weeks later. Lamont returned to coaching with the Red Sox and the Astros, and has been with the Tigers (he’s now their bench coach) since the 2006 season. 
• 2005 - Zach Duke, with help from Mike Gonzalez and Salomon Torres, stopped the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 at PNC Park. The Brewers finished at 81-81, and the loss prevented them from their first winning season since 1992, although it did end a long consecutive losing season streak. The Bucco tallies came on a two-run Nate McLouth homer and a solo shot by Craig Wilson. The Brew Crew did win 83 games in 2007 to finally get over the hump; it would take Pittsburgh until 2013 to do the same.

10/1 Through the 1940’s: First WS Game; Waner Rocks; O'Connell & Nagy Deals; Rip Released; HBD Specs, Jim & Chuck

• 1895 - RHP Carmen “Specs” Hill was born in Royalton, Minnesota. Carmen pitched eight years in Pittsburgh (1915-16, 1918-19, 1926-29) and went 47-31-8 with a 3.26 ERA. He won 22 games for the NL Champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1927. As for his nickname, Carmen was the second pitcher in major league history to wear glasses and the other players wouldn’t let him forget it. He had a second nickname of "Bunker,” inspired by his last name of Hill. 

Specs - 1927 Mears/The Sporting News

• 1903 - Deacon Phillippe pitched a six-hitter while whiffing 10 and defeated the legendary Cy Young as the Pirates downed the AL’s Boston Americans, 7-3. It was the first World Series game in baseball history, played at the Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds in front of 16,242 fans. For the books, the first WS hitter was CF Ginger Beaumont, who flew out to American’s CF Chick Stahl. Tommy Leach got the first hit, a triple, and became the first runner to score when Honus Wagner singled him home for the first WS RBI. Jimmy Sebring hit the first Series’ homer (a seventh inning inside-the-park dash) and drove in four runs. Although the series was not officially sanctioned by the leagues, the clubs had agreed during the season to a best-of-nine postseason showdown and it was OK’ed by the leagues starting in 1905. 
• 1917 - Wilbur Cooper tossed a four-hit shutout as the Pirates closed the season with a 2-0 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. Bill Webb had three hits and a run scored to lead the attack. Fritz Mollwitz also crossed home while Lee King & Max Carey drove in the runs. It was Cooper’s 17th win for a team that finished last by 47 games with only 51 victories. 
• 1918 - OF Jim Russell was born in Fayette City, between Belle Vernon and Stockdale on the Mon. He played for the Pirates from 1942-47, starting all but his rookie campaign, and put up a .277 BA during that time. In his final season, the CF’er had Hall-of-Famers Hank Greenberg and Ralph Kiner as bookends in the outfield. As a youth, he contracted rheumatic fever twice; his baseball career was cut short because of associated heart disease which sapped him in his later years. 
• 1922 - Max Carey swiped his 51st base against the Reds in a 5-1 loss at Redland Field. Not only did he lead the league in larceny, but his 51 steals in 53 attempts was the highest success rate ever achieved by a stolen base leader. His record of 31 straight steals without being caught stood until 1975, when Davey Lopes put together a 38-swipe streak. 

Max Carey - 1922 American Caramel variation

• 1927 - Paul Waner collected a pair of hits against Cincinnati in a 9-6 win at Redland Field to finish the season with a Bucco record 237 knocks. The victory also clinched the pennant for the Pirates, who finished the year with 94 wins, 1-½ games ahead of St. Louis and two up on NY. Pie Traynor, Lloyd Waner and Earl Smith each added three hits to back Johnny Miljus. It was a big year for Big Poison - he won the BA crown by hitting .380, led in RBI with 131 and won the MVP. 
• 1934 - IF Chuck Hiller was born in Johnsonburg, Illinois. Hiller spent the finale of his eight-year career with the Pirates in 1968, going five-for-13 in 11 games, primarily as a pinch hitter. Per Wikipedia, when he retired after the 1968 season, he became a minor league manager in the Pirates' organization for a year, then returned to the Mets in a similar capacity, working for the Mets' director of player development, Whitey Herzog, through 1972. He then served under manager Herzog as a MLB coach with the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, and later spent brief stints with the Giants and the Mets. In between his big-league assignments, Hiller served the Mets as an infield instructor in their minor league system, and managed in the Cards' organization. His fielding prowess led to his nickname of “Iron Hands.” 
• 1944 - As posted in John Dreker’s Pirates Prospects feature “This Date In Pirates History,” P Len Gilmore set a couple of dubious Pirate records. His start against the Phils at Shibe Park was his only big league game, and he gave up 13 hits and seven runs, going the distance in a 7-1 loss. All 36 batters he faced put the ball in play, leaving him with the Pirates standard for most innings pitched in a game without recording a strikeout or a walk. 
• 1946 - The Pirates hoped to bolster their staff by purchasing LHP Steve Nagy from Montreal, where he had gone 17-4/3.01 and led the club to an International League pennant. Alas, he tossed to a 1-3/5.79 line and spent most of his time at Indianapolis; in 1948, he was shipped to the Giants as part of the Bill Werle deal. 

Steve Nagy - Baseball Hall of Fame

• 1949 - The Pirates released 42-year-old RHP Truett “Rip” Sewell after 12 years with the club. Sewell appeared in 385 games as a Pirate (243 starts) with a line of 143-97-15, 3.43 and two 21-win seasons to go with three All-Star berths. The Bucs had originally released him in 1947 with plans to add him to the coaching staff but instead inked him for active duty for two more seasons. He was best known for the ol’ eephus, his blooper pitch, but his most valuable contribution came when Sewell, who never made more than $21,500 per year, came up with a funding mechanism for baseball's pension plan. On a train ride to Boston for the 1946 All-Star Game, he and St. Louis shortstop Marty Marion devised the formula to use receipts from ASG to prime the pension pump. 
• 1949 - IF Danny O’Connell came over from the Brooklyn Dodgers for a PTBNL (Jack Cassini) and $50,000. Danny spent two years with the Bucs bookending two years of military service, hitting .293 as a Pirate. He was flipped to the Milwaukee Braves after the 1953 season for six players and cash. Cassini was a one trick pony; he had gotten into eight games for the Pirates in 1949, all as a pinch runner. He scored three times, and that was his MLB career.

10/1 From 1950 Through the 1980’s: Danny Goes; Roberto Title; Game Stories; HBD Vance

• 1956 - SS Vance Law was born in Boise, Idaho. Drafted out of high school by Pittsburgh, the son of Bucco great Vern Law spent his first two years as a Pirate (1980-81) and hit .184 as a seldom used reserve. After being traded to the White Sox, he carved out an 11 year MLB career, including an All-Star season. Law shared his dad’s twirling genes as he was also quite the fireman. He was called on seven times to pitch in blowout games, and finished each one while compiling a career ERA of 3.38 in eight innings. 

Vern & Vance - 1985 Topps

• 1964 - Danny Murtaugh retired as Buc skipper, citing health reasons. Danny joined the Pirate front office, evaluating players for GM Joe L. Brown. Harry “the Hat” Walker was later named as his replacement. Danny became the Bucs go-to manager; he was the Pittsburgh skipper for all or parts of 15 seasons over four different periods (1957–64, 1967, 1970–71, 1973–76). 
• 1966 - The Giants swept Pittsburgh 5-4 and 2-0 at Forbes Field to eliminate the Pirates from the pennant race. Juan Marichal and Bob Bolin teamed up to defeat Pete Mikkelsen and Tommy Sisk. The Bucs would finish third, three games behind the Dodgers. 
• 1967 - Roberto Clemente ended the season by going 2-for-5 with a triple, homer‚ three RBI and two runs scored while winning his fourth batting title with a .357 average in a 10-3 victory over Houston at Forbes Field in front of 28,244 fans on Prize Day. And for the heck of it, he also threw out Sonny Jackson at home. Jerry May matched Roberto, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double, three RBI and two runs while Maury Wills added three more hits. Tommy Sisk finished the year with his 13th win. Roberto was the de facto manager for the day, as the retiring interim skipper Danny Murtaugh (he’d eventually be back) handed over the reins to the Great One in the season finale. 
• 1972 - Steve Blass got the start and a chance for his 20th win, but was lit up for three first-inning runs and chased in the third frame by the New York Mets at Three Rivers Stadium as the Pirates fell 7-3. Injury was added to insult when Blass was yanked after a liner caught him in the arm, though he did recover to pitch well in the playoff series ultimately lost to the Reds. Steve never did reach twenty wins in his career; he fell apart the following season and was out of the majors in 1974. It was also Maz’s final regular season game; he was presented with a plaque by the team and pulled in the eighth inning so the fans could give him a final ovation. 
• 1973 - By losing 4-3 to Randy Jones and the San Diego Padres at TRS on the season’s last day, the Bucs were officially eliminated from the NL East title hunt. They were 1-1/2 games back going into the contest, with the league leading Mets scheduled to play a doubleheader. NY won the first game, making it a moot point. Bob Moose took the loss. 

Bob Robertson - 1974 Topps

• 1974 - The Bucs took a one game lead over the Cards in the NL East title by beating the Cubs 6-5 at TRS. A two-run pinch hit HR by Bob Robertson in the eighth inning was the game winner while Dave Giusti closed out the last two frames to earn the come-from-behind win. The Pirates went on to clinch the pennant the next day. 
• 1980 - Enrique Romo had a big day in leading the Pirates to a 10-5 win at Shea Stadium. Not only did he work four frames to save the win for Jim Bibby, but he hit his first (and only) major league homer off Roy Lee Jackson - and it was a grand slam. That feat wouldn’t be matched again until 2016 when Josh Bell hit his first long ball with the bases juiced against the Cubs. Romo’s eighth-inning blast gave him breathing room, turning a 6-5 nail-biter into a comfortable 10-5 tally. He had help at the dish from Dave Parker, who had three hits, three RBI and a long ball of his own along with Omar Moreno who added three raps and a stolen sack.

10/1 From 1990: Cueto; TRS Finale; Freddy Champ; Lanny Retires; Bobby Bo SI; Game Stories; HBD Redbeard

• 1990 - Bobby Bonilla was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Down To The Wire.” It didn’t end up that close; the Bucs won the division by four games, though losing the NLCS to the Reds. Bobby Bo had an All Star season, hitting .280 with 32 HR and 120 RBI, finishing second in the MVP voting to teammate Barry Bonds. 
• 1992 - 3B Colin Moran was born in Port Chester, New York. The sixth overall selection of the 2013 draft by Miami, he was traded to the Astros, where he was blocked by Alex Bregman, and came to Pittsburgh in 2018 as part of the Gerrit Cole trade. He won the hot corner job, and made Pittsburgh friends in a hurry when he hit a grand slam during his first at bat in PNC Park, joining Roberto Clemente (1962) and Ralph Kiner (1949) on the Bucco Home Opener grand salami list. He’s hit .277 with 24 homers and a 101 OPS+ as a Pirate. Colin comes from good bloodlines; his uncle is BJ Surhoff and his brother pitches for the Marlins. 

Colin Moran - image Pittsburgh Pirates

• 2000 - A crowd of 55,351, the largest gathering to ever to see a regular season baseball game in Pittsburgh, watched the Pirates fall to the Chicago Cubs, 10-9, in the final game at Three Rivers Stadium. Sister Sledge was on hand to sing the National Anthem after Gene Lamont, Jim Leyland, Chuck Tanner and Bill Virdon presented the final lineup card to the ump and Dock Ellis tossed the first pitch. Brian Giles had three hits and became the first Pirate to hit .300 with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs in back-to-back seasons. The Bucs ran through seven pitchers, with Scott Sauerbeck taking the loss after surrendering three eighth inning runs. The Pirates had second and third occupied with two outs in the ninth, but John Wehner bounced out. He did, however, have the honor of hitting the last homer in the yard in the fifth inning. After the game, a video stadium tribute was shown, home plate was dug up to be transported to PNC Park (it was flown away by “Rocketman,” who was strapped to a jet pack), and Willie Stargell came out to toss a ceremonial last pitch to Jason Kendall that closed TRS. 
• 2006 - Freddy Sanchez went 2-for-4 against the Reds to finish with a .344 BA, tops in the NL. The Bucs won 1-0 in front of 25,004 at PNC Park behind the pitching of Shane Youman, John Grabow, Matt Capps and Salomon Torres, who combined on a four-hitter. Pittsburgh scored in the eighth by rapping four straight two-out singles; Xavier Nady drove in Jason Bay with the winner. 
• 2008 - Lanny Frattare, the Voice of the Pirates for decades, announced his retirement to end a 33-year career as the team's radio and TV play-by-play announcer. He was the longest-tenured announcer in team history, calling over 5,000 games. Frattare and Milo Hamilton became the Pirates' on-air duo in 1976, with Lanny handling the color chores. When Hamilton jumped to the Cubs in 1980, Frattare became the play-by-play man with his own style ("Go, ball! Get outta here!" & "There was no doubt about it!") The Pirates selected an in-house replacement, promoting Greg Brown. Lanny, 60, cited travel and the overall grind as the drivers behind his decision and took a Communications job at nearby Waynesburg University. 
• 2012 - It took 10 starts, but Jeff Locke got his first MLB win by beating the Braves 2-1 at PNC Park. He gave up two hits (and five walks) in six frames while three relievers tossed hitless ball behind him. Starling Marte provided the offense; he homered and tripled, coming in on Chase d’Arnaud’s ground out, to account for the Bucco runs. 

2013 Wild Card Terrible Roger Towel

• 2013 - A record PNC Park crowd of 40,487 saw the Pirates win the NL Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Reds by a 6-2 score. Francisco Liriano gave up one run on four hits over seven innings for the win. He was supported by Russell Martin, who had a pair of homers, and Marlon Byrd, who also went long. Martin became the first catcher to homer for three different teams in the postseason, going yard with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 and the New York Yankees in 2012. Martin's first blast was legendary. While the crowd was chanting "Cueto" after Byrd's dinger, Johnny dropped the horsehide and then served up another long ball to Russ, lifting the roof off PNC Park. Byrd’s homer was during his first postseason at-bat after playing 1,250 MLB games before reaching the promised land. It was the first playoff game ever held at PNC and the first Pirate playoff win in Pittsburgh since defeating the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on October 11th, 1992 in the NLCS at TRS. The victory cost the Reds more than a playoff run; it also cost them a manager when Dusty Baker was fired three days later after suffering his seventh straight playoff loss as Cincinnati skipper. 
• 2014 - The Pirates laid a playoff egg in front of a record crowd of 40,629 at PNC Park, falling to Madison Bumgarner and the SF Giants 8-0 in the winner-take-all NL Wild Card elimination game. Bumgarner tossed a complete game whitewash with 10 K and Brandon Crawford’s grand slam in the fourth inning off Edinson Volquez would provide Mad Bum with more than enough runs; for good measure, Brandon Belt drove in three more Giants. Josh Harrison was the Bucs lone bright spot at the dish, collecting two of the four Pirates’ hits. Much of the embarrassment wore off as the Giants, sparked by Bumgarner’s brilliant postseason pitching run, beat Washington, St. Louis and KC to claim the 2014 World Series crown. 
• 2017 - In a game that epitomized September baseball, the Bucs jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off Washington at Nationals Park by an 11-8 count. The contest was the longest nine-inning game in both clubs’ history at four hours and 22 minutes. The Pirates used 23 players, including nine pitchers. The Bucs stranded 10 runners, the Nats 15; each club issued seven free passes to go along with 30 hits. Angel Sanchez got the win and George Kontos the save, the first for both pitchers. Jacob Stallings had three hits plus a walk while Max Moroff had a knock and two walks; together they drove in seven runs and scored three. Chris Bostick & Josh Bell had two knocks and a walk, and Starling Marte had two raps to end the year on a 12-game hitting streak. The marathon ended the 2017 season for the Pirates with just 75 wins, earning them the 10th spot in the upcoming draft.