5/4 From 1970: Mesa Mark; Bonds Two-fer; Willie Horton Inked; Big Bat Game Stories; Kirk Released; HBD Jason

• 1973 - The Pirates had their best two-day offensive output of the year when they bashed the Padres 12-6 the day after blasting the Giants 14-5 while on a west coast swing. Today’s hero was Rennie Stennett, who belted two homers and plated six runs; Bob Robertson and Richie Hebner, batting ahead of him, set the table with three hits apiece while Dave Cash added a three-run big fly. A day earlier, Al Oliver was the man of the hour at the Bay, bashing a pair of dingers and also chasing home six runs with four hits. Manny Sanguillen and Milt May added three knocks. Nellie Briles and Steve Blass were the recipients of the outbursts. 

Jason Michaels - 2009 Topps Black Border

• 1976 - OF Jason Michaels was born in Tampa, Florida. The outfielder spent 11 seasons and over 1,000 games in the show, playing in Pittsburgh in 2008 and batting .228 while getting into 102 games after the Bucs had claimed him from the Indians in May. Houston picked him up in the off season and he spent his final three MLB years as an Astro. He coached briefly in Washington and now runs a consulting business in Tampa. 
• 1981 - The Pirates signed 38-year-old free agent Willie Horton after Texas had released him at the end of camp. Over an 18-year MLB career, Horton hit 325 homers and plated 1,163 runs. He spent two seasons in AAA Portland for the Bucs, hitting .302 and .275 with 39 homers, but never got a call up to Pittsburgh with Mike Easler and Lee Lacy blocking him. Willie then played briefly in the Mexican League in 1983 and retired, seven hits shy of 2,000. 
• 1992 - The Bucs scored 11 runs in the sixth inning after falling behind 5-1 to whip the Reds 12-5 at TRS. Don Slaught, Jose Lind and Cecil Espy all had a pair of raps in the frame. Andy Van Slyke led the hit parade with four knocks; Jeff King added three. It was the first time since 1942 when they victimed the Cards that the Pirates had scored 11 runs in an inning. Zane Smith gave up five runs in five innings; Dennis Lamp, who got the win, Bob Patterson and Stan Belinda had to finish up. 
• 1992 - Pittsburgh released OF Kirk Gibson, who was batting .196. Gibson took it like a pro, telling Jim Leyland he wished he had played for him during his prime and had no hard feelings by adding that “My job is to control my destiny.” The emotional Leyland admitted that releasing the vet “...hit me hard.” 
• 1992 - Barry Bonds hit the daily double, being featured on the cover of both The Sporting News (“You Thought What?”) and Sports Illustrated (“Bonds Away.”). BB was a fitting selection - Bonds slashed .311/34/103 and won the MVP in his last Pirate campaign. He would be the last Pirate on SI’s cover until 2013, when Jason Grilli won the honor. 

Jose Mesa - 2005 Topps Total

• 2005 - Jose Mesa set a record by earning his 10th save in a 6-4 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park; it was the longest streak of saving every team win (the Pirates were 10-16 after the victory) to start a season. Pittsburgh fell behind 3-0 and it took them the whole game to get the lead back; they scored three times in the ninth thanks to Jason Bay and Daryl Ward homers to take a 6-3 lead. Jose was tapped for a run on a double that eventually came around, but it was a good enough performance to close out a win for Salomon Torres, who came on to spell Mark Redman. Rob Mackowiak had three hits while Bay and David Ross each added a pair. The streak ended the next day when the Pirates beat Arizona 6-2 without any Mesa intervention.  
• 2011 - Ryan Doumit blasted a third-inning grand slam as the Bucs put up six runs in the frame (all unearned; the Friars booted back-to-back balls to start the inning) on the way to a 7-4 win against San Diego at Petco Park. The other run was manufactured via two walks and a stolen base, with Neil Walker scoring when SD couldn’t turn a DP. Kevin Correia got the W with help from Chris Resop, Daniel McCutchen and Jose Veras.

5/3 Through the 1940’s: Gionfriddo-Higbe; First Homer; Hot Hans; Game Stories; HBD Bing, Elmer & Chris

• 1882 - 2B George Strief hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the third inning against the Red Stockings during a 7-3 loss at the Bank Street Grounds in Cincinnati. It was the Alleghenys second game as a member of the major league American Association and Strief’s homer was the first in franchise history (though the team doesn’t officially begin its history until 1887 when the Alleghenys joined the National League, putting the club’s first five years in baseball limbo). Strief would hit five long balls in his five-year career, and it was his first of two with Pittsburgh. 

Jack McCarthy - 1904 photo Chicago Daily News

• 1899 - OF Jack McCarthy hit a ball that went through an open gate in the Exposition Park outfield wall, and a hometown fan shut it before Louisville’s fielder could get there to give McCarthy an uncontested three-run, walk-off homer in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 win against the Louisville Colonels. The league frowned on the helping hand and ordered a replay of the game, though it was never made up as both clubs were middle-of-the-pack and the game had no influence on the standings. 
• 1903 - Longtime Pirate co-owner and well-known crooner Harry “Bing” Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington. He became a minority owner during the John Galbreath era; he and Galbreath knew one another from the horsey circuit. Crosby, who held his stake from 1946-77, taped the Pirates 1960 Game Seven win against the Yankees off TV for the only nine-inning video of the classic (he was too nervous to watch in person) and also helped in the signing of Bucco great Vern Law out of high school. Bing had a long-time love of baseball, playing in high school and for a year at Gonzaga University before becoming an entertainer of a different sort. 
• 1909 - The Bucs whipped Chicago‚ 9-2, at the West Side Grounds. Honus Wagner went 5-for-6 during the game, scoring three times and stealing three bases to help earn Vic Willis the victory. He was repeating what he did the day before, also going 5-for-6 in a 6-0 victory over the Cubs. The Pittsburgh Press wrote “Hans Wagner was the shining star of the game. The other Pirates followed and the slaughtery of the Cubs is something awful to record.” Chicago was Pittsburgh’s hottest competitor and finished second to them in the NL, 6-1/2 games off the Pirate pace. 
• 1923 - Scout Elmer Gray was born in Dormont. He attended South Hills HS and after an Army stint played five years of minor league ball. Gray then went into scouting, first with the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles and then with the Cincinnati Reds (1967-1984). He inked Ken Griffey Sr., giving Griffey's brother $25 for equipment for Ken; Griffey would later say he signed for $15, as his brother made off with a ten spot. Elmer then joined the Pirates as scouting director, a role he held from 1984-1989 when he became director of operations. He remained with the Pirates in different roles through 2012. As scouting director for Pittsburgh, he helped draft Barry Bonds, Tim Wakefield, Jeff King, Moises Alou, Orlando Merced and Stan Belinda per BR Bullpen. 
• 1927 - Paul Waner went 3-for-4 with a triple, walk, three runs scored and four RBI as the Pirates outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 11-10 at Forbes Field. Earl Smith had three hits, including two homers, to add three RBI to the pot and Glenn Wright also had three knocks and plated three times to give Ray Kremer, the Pirates fourth pitcher, the win. After the game, the festivities continued with a testimonial dinner for manager Bill McKechnie at the William Penn Hotel. The speakers for the event were John K. Tener (Governor of Pennsylvania and former NL president), Branch Rickey, and Samuel E. Watters (secretary of the Pirates). 

Ray Kremer - photo Pirates promo

• 1928 - Ray Kremer lost his first home start of the season to the Boston Braves at Forbes Field 5-4 in 11 innings. The loss ended a MLB record streak of 22 straight home victories by the righty dating back to 1926. 
• 1938 - C Chris Cannizzaro was born in Oakland, California. The good glove reserve backstop played 13 years in the majors, including a 1968 stop in Pittsburgh after a trade with Detroit. He started 18 games here and hit .241 before he was sent to SD in the off season with Tommie Sisk for Ron Davis and Bobby Klaus. In 1975,he served as player-coach for the Hawaii Islanders and a year later hung up his mitt as he was hired as the bullpen coach by the Braves, lasting until October, 1978. Cannizzaro then signed with the California Angels as a coach and for three seasons, he managed in the California League, retiring to his San Diego home in 1981. From there, he was active in charity events and helped coach at the high school/college level. 
• 1947 - The Pirates traded OF Al Gionfriddo and $100,000 to Dodgers for P Kirby Higbe, P Cal McLish, IF Gene Mauch, P Hank Behrman, and P Dixie Howell. Gionfriddo was remembered for his 1947 World Series grab of a Joe DiMaggio blast for Brooklyn and Red Barber’s call that he was going “back back back back back” for the catch, which Chris Berman of ESPN later adopted as his home run call. Some analysts believe that Branch Rickey made the deal to send a message to the Brooklyn players about his support for Jackie Robinson by sending some gripers to Pittsburgh, though he may have just been housecleaning. Whatever the thinking behind the deal, none of the players other than Higbe had any impact with the Pirates.

5/3 From 1950 Through the 1980’s: Gunner Returns; Dykes Goes; Locker Room Laments; Skunked; Game Stories; HBD Ivan

• 1953 - Johnny Lindell, a pitcher turned outfielder turned pitcher, earned the Pirates their fifth straight win, beating the Cards‚ 6-2. Lindell notched his first W since 1942 when he was a Yankee reliever, his last MLB season on the mound (he converted to the OF in 1943). In 1950, he became a bush league knuckleballer and returned to the majors in 1953 at the age of 36 as a pitcher. His knuckler was a wild child, and he led the NL in walks and wild pitches that season. Although used mainly by the Bucs as a pitcher (Lindell worked 175 IP), he batted .286 and pinch hit 34 times, once tying a game with a three-run, ninth-inning homer. 
• 1959 - The Pirates split a twinbill with the Cardinals at Forbes Field in front of 20,860 fans. The Bucs won the opener 4-3 in 10 innings behind ElRoy Face and a little help from Redbird outfielder Gino Cimoli, who let Bill Mazeroski’s soft liner drop with the bases loaded and two outs, when, as Pittsburgh Press beat man Les Biederman wrote, he “did everything but catch it.” The nightcap featured an unassisted DP by catcher Hank Foiles - he caught a strikeout and tried to throw out a Cardinal runner on the move, but batter Bill White double swung the bat and hit the ball he missed the first time, earning an interference call as well. The real action began when player/manager Solly Hemus, who had been nicked by Pittsburgh pitcher Bennie Daniels in the first and exchanged some words, was brushed back in the sixth. He and Daniels charged each other and several tussles broke out - Danny Murtaugh v Hemus and Redbird pitcher Larry Jackson v Buc coach Len Levy were the main bouts during the shoving match royale - in a rain-shortened game that the Cards eventually took 3-1. 

Jimmy Dykes tribute - Groats Quotes 5/4/1959 Pgh Press

• 1959 - Pirates coach Jimmy Dykes, who joined Danny Murtaugh’s staff at the start of the season, had a short stay; he was hired away this day to become the manager of the Detroit Tigers. Jimmy had been a skipper before and would be a skipper again after Motown - in 21 seasons, he guided six MLB teams to 1,406 victories, although like Gene Mauch, he never did win a flag. 
• 1964 - Big Bob Veale got knocked out of the box after getting just four outs and falling behind the Cards at Busch Stadium by a 6-1 count. But the top of the Bucco order - Gene Alley, Dick Schofield, Bill Virdon, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell - went 9-for-19 with nine runs scored and seven RBI (five from Pops; he and Alley homered) to power the club to a 12-8 win. The bottom of the lineup, Billy Mazeroski and Jim Pagliaroni, added five hits and chased home four runs. Don Schwall staggered through 4-2/3 innings, allowing 10 runners but only two runs to earn the win, with ElRoy Face serving three zeroes for the save. 
• 1968 - 1B Ivan Cruz was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He spent bits of four seasons in the show, getting 21 at-bats with the Bucs between 1999-2000 with a .238 BA while spending most of his time at AAA Nashville. He was busy after his Bucco days, playing a bit for the Cards, in Mexico and in Japan until he retired at 35 after the 2003 season. 
• 1973 - The Pirates trounced the San Francisco Giants 14-5 at Candlestick Park. The G-Men were generous to a fault, allowing six unearned runs and missing a couple of other catchable balls. Al Oliver (who was 1-for-20 coming into the contest) had a day, homering twice and plating six runs while slowpoke Milt May added to the festivities with a three-run inside-the-park-homer. Nellie Briles staggered to a complete game victory even though he was touched up for 11 hits. The clubhouse was not all fun and games afterwards - manager Bill Virdon had a spat with Richie Hebner over dogging a play in the field that carried over into a post-game locked door discussion; when it was done, Virdon told the media he didn’t want to talk about it and The Gravedigger fired a stool at the wall after he left The Quail’s office. Gene Clines, the Pirates fourth outfielder, chimed in with a beef about lack of playing time (he played behind Oliver, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente and Richie Zisk during his Pirates tenure and saw roughly 300 AB/season). Dave Cash was also in a bit of a funk, but his blues were caused by a three-error game at second. 

Bob Prince - photo Iron City promo

• 1985 - The Gunner, Bob Prince, returned to the booth after a 10 year absence (he had been fired by KDKA). Prince got a standing ovation from the crowd, and when he took over the mic in the fourth frame, the Pirates erupted for nine runs, earning him another O after the inning. It was a short comeback as The Gunner died of cancer on June 10th. 
• 1986 - A skunk wandered onto the field at San Diego in the 7th inning at Jack Murphy Stadium and held up the Padres-Pirates game for several minutes. It was thought that a family of polecats lived under the stadium‚ feeding on peanuts and other fan debris; apparently that was one rumor that proved true. It was the Bucs who stunk out the joint early on, but they scored three times in the eighth and added the game winner in the ninth to skunk the Padres‚ 7-6.

5/3 From 1990: Cole-for-Martinez; Crash Landing; Squeakers, Head-Beaters & Game Stories; HBD Austin

• 1991 - The Pirates defeated the Astros 1-0 in a one hour‚ 45 minute contest at TRS, the NL's shortest nine inning game since 1981. Zane Smith threw a complete game four-hitter while Pete Harnisch went the distance and gave up only two knocks, one being Orlando Merced’s first homer of the year in the third inning. Zane put down 12-of-13 Astros he faced from the sixth inning on while tossing 92 pitches overall; Harnisch threw 89 pitches during the game and retired the final 17 Buccos. 

Zane Smith - 1991 Topps Stadium Club

• 1991 - Pittsburgh traded 1B Carmelo Martinez to Kansas City for RHP Victor Cole. Jim Leyland platooned Orlando Merced and Gary Redus at first, making Martinez the third wheel. Carmelo, 30, finished his MLB career as a Red, which picked him up in July from KC. He hit .234 for the three teams combined and then played in Japan, Mexico and the minors through 1995. Cole, 23, got into eight games for the Buccaneers in 1992 and spent the rest of his pro career with five organizations in the upper minors, except for a season tossing in Taiwan. 
• 1995 - OF Austin Meadows was born in Grayson, Georgia. He was selected in the first round (ninth overall) by the Pirates in 2013, foregoing Clemson for a $3,029,600 signing bonus. He bubbled among the Top 100 Prospects, but had several injuries that delayed his journey to the majors. He got his call in May of 2018 when Starling Marte was placed on the DL and was then shipped to Tampa Bay later in the year as part of the Chris Archer deal, where he blossomed into an All-Star in 2019 with 33 homers at age 24. 
• 1998 - Turner Ward literally crashed through the right field wall at Three Rivers Stadium while running down Mike Piazza’s long fly in a 10-5 loss to the Dodgers. And yes, he hung onto the ball in a play that is still considered one of the great all-time MLB catches and an ESPN go-to clip, though he had to leave the game with bruises and some fiberglass splinters. The kid was a gamer; he crashed through the wall while LA was ahead 9-0. 
• 1999 - The Bucs scored four times in the ninth on homers by Warren Morris and Brian Giles and a two-out walk off single by Brant Brown off reliever Robb Nenn to surge past the Giants 9-8 at TRS. Giles had three hits and five RBI while Jason Kendall went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles. 
• 2012 - The Pirates set a club mark by striking out 17 in nine innings during their 6-3 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. Erik Bedard did the heavy lifting, whiffing 11 in five frames and setting a franchise record with seven consecutive K’s. Four Pirate relievers added six more K in the final four innings, with Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan picking up a pair of punchouts apiece in the eighth and ninth. 

Erik Bedard - 2012 Topps Update

• 2014 - Despite making four errors and falling behind 5-0, the Pirates scored six times against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh and eighth innings to claim an 8-6 victory at PNC Park. Jordy Mercer’s two-out double on an 0-2 pitch tied the game with two outs in the seventh, and Neil Walker’s two-bagger off the top of the center field wall in the eighth chased home the game winners. Mark Melancon picked up the save of Bryan Morris’ third win. 
• 2015 - The Bucs ended one of the most frustrating series in their history by losing their third straight extra-inning, walk-off contest to the Cardinals by a 3-2 score after a pair of 2-1 losses. The Bucs had the lead in the 12th thanks to Pedro Alvarez’s homer, but Radhames Liz gave up a run in the St. Louis half and a homer to Kolten Wong in the 14th to absorb the defeat. The Pirates scored just four runs in 35 innings against the Redbirds, stranding 37 runners while going 2-for-25 with RISP. The Cardinals swept a three-game series with all the wins coming in extra innings for the first time in franchise history and became the first team to do so since June of 1925, when the Cincinnati Reds broomed the Boston Braves thrice in overtime.

5/2 Through the 1900s: Larceny Pays; Stretch & Sing; 1st Franchise Game; IA/AA Alleghenys; HBD Freddy & George

• 1877 - The Alleghenys beat the Boston Red Caps, the eventual International Association champs (the IA was perhaps the first minor league ever formed), 1-0, behind do-it-all Pud Galvin. He tossed a one-hitter and bombed a homer thought to be the first ball to clear the fence at North Side’s Union Park. These Alleghenys, who began as a local independent nine, folded after the 1878 campaign, and were unrelated to the 1882 club that eventually became the Pirates. 

Alleghenys v Red Stockings - 5/3/1882 Pgh Commercial Gazette

• 1882 - The second coming of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association played their first MLB game (The AA was an alternative major league in the early days; the club would join the NL five years later) against Cincinnati at the Bank Street Grounds. The Alleghenys whipped the Red Stockings by a 10-9 tally, led by Charlie Morton and Jim Keenan combining for seven hits. The Alleghenys’ Jack Leary and Reds’ Will White both went the distance. For Leary, who was a jack-of-all-trades (he only pitched three times in his 60 games with the Alleghenys while batting .286), it was his sole Pittsburgh win (1-0/6.75) before he moved on to Baltimore later in the season. White would end the campaign 40-12 with a 1.86 ERA as Cincinnati ran away with the AA crown. Many consider this game the first in Pirates’ franchise history, although not the team itself, which officially dates its beginnings to its 1887 entry into the NL. 
• 1887 - Fred Carroll of the Alleghenys hit the franchise’s first NL homer off Detroit Wolverine pitcher Lady Baldwin as part of his cycle at North Side’s Recreation Park in an 8-3 win. Motown had won 31 straight exhibition games and three regular season games‚ but met their match in Pud Galvin and Carroll. 
• 1902 - RHP Freddy Sale was born in Chester, South Carolina. His MLB career consisted of an inning’s work in 1924 for the Pirates, giving up two hits but putting a zero on the scoreboard. He was a star at South Carolina, but got on with his life’s work quickly, leaving the game after spending 1925 with Wilson in the Class B Virginia League at age 23. 
• 1908 - “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” was copyrighted/published by Von Tilzer’s York Music Company. Jack Norworth wrote the lyrics and Albert Von Tilzer composed the music. It took a while to catch on in ballyards, first gaining popularity as a Tin Pan Alley vaudeville tune. It’s thought that the first time it was played at a ballpark was in 1934, at a high-school game in Los Angeles, and then later that year during the fourth game of the 1934 World Series. Norworth's original lyrics, written on an envelope and covered with notes, are still around and exhibited at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
• 1909 - Talk about small ball! Honus Wagner stole second, third and home while his teammates turned three additional stolen bases, two walks, a plunked batter, two errors, and two hits into a five-run first frame in the Bucs' 6-0 victory in the opener of a twin bill. They also won the second game 5-2 against the Cubs at the West Side Grounds. For the Flying Dutchman, the base-stealing feat was the fourth and last time he pulled it off; it’s still the MLB record. 

Hans had some hot wheels - photo via Baseball Hall of Fame

• 1909 - 1B George Giles was born in Junction City, Kansas. George was a well-traveled Negro League player who was considered an excellent fielder, speedy, and a solid contact hitter. He had a 1932 stint with the Homestead Grays (.301) and a 1938 stop with the Pittsburgh Crawfords (.261). The good glove, contact hitter retired and eventually ran a motel/bar in Manhattan, Kansas. His son George Jr. played in the minors and grandson Brian Giles was an infielder who played for the Mets, Mariners and White Sox through the eighties.

5/2 From 1910 Through the 1950’s: Hans Outpolls Taft; Big Arms, Big Sticks: Game Stories; HBD Hawk

• 1910 - President William Taft attended the Pirates 5-2 win over the Cubs. The team set a then-attendance record of 20,265 at Forbes Field due to the President's appearance, but the Pittsburgh Press headline was “Taft Was Cheered, But Thunderous Applause Met Honus Wagner.” Hans had just one hit though he did score twice. The win went to Babe Adams, who was relieved by Lefty Leifield in the seventh. 

Lee Meadows - 1925 photo Bain/Library of Congress

• 1925 - The Pirates scored seven times in the first frame and plated 14 runs by the third to romp over the Cincinnati Reds 18-3 at Forbes Field. Clyde Barnhart, Pie Traynor, and Earl Smith combined to drive in 10 runs while the top of the order, Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler, and Eddie Moore, scored nine times. Lee Meadows tossed a five-hitter for the victory. 
• 1941 - RHP Clay “Hawk” Carroll was born in Clanton, Alabama. He ended his 15-year MLB career with two 1978 Pirates outings, giving up a run in four innings at age 37 after spending most of the season at AAA Columbus. He was released after the year and retired in 1979. His heyday was with the Reds, where he was named Fireman of the Year in 1972 with a couple of All-Star appearances. His nickname was a nod to his competitive nature on the field. 
• 1943 - Behind hurlers Wally Hebert and Bob Klinger‚ the Pirates claimed a twinbill from the Cubs‚ 3-0 and 1-0 at Forbes Field. Jim Russell was the hero of the opener; his triple drove in a run and he scored a batter later while Hebert’s six-hitter tamed the Bruins. In the second game‚ Cubs hurlers Dick Barrett and Lon Warneke combined on a one-hit loss: Vince DiMaggio's double in the fourth was the only Bucco knock. The Pirate run was unearned as Elbie Fletcher, who had walked, plated on the two-bagger when the relay to second was thrown away. Klinger answered the bell with a four-hit gem of his own. 
• 1953 - OF Carlos Bernier hit three consecutive triples in a 12-4 win over the Redlegs at Forbes Field for the Bucs fourth straight victory. Bernier added a single and a stolen base. In a stretch of 11 at bats, Carlos banged four triples, two doubles‚ and two singles. It was a great but misleading start to his only MLB season; he finished the year hitting .213. 
• 1954 - The Bucs and Cubs split a DH at Wrigley as Pittsburgh lost the opener 5-3 and won the nitecap 18-10. Frank Thomas had seven straight hits on the afternoon. Bob Friend, winner of the second game, drove in three runs to win his first of the year and set a backhand standard: Not until Vida Blue in 1979 had anyone else allowed 10 runs and still won. 

They couldn't get Frank out - 1954 Dan Dee

• 1954 - A sputtering drive to raise funds for a Hans Wagner statue received a shot in the arm when Beechview declared “Honus Wagner Day” with a game between its American Legion club and the “Old Timers” at Alton Field with the proceeds donated to the statue fund. The effort picked up steam from the contest, and on April 30th, 1955, the Frank Vittor bronze was unveiled outside Forbes Field.  
• 1956 - Lee Walls went 5-for-5 in a losing effort against St. Louis at Busch Stadium. The Bucs fell 10-9 in 10 innings despite Wall’s three doubles, three RBI and three runs. Roberto Clemente had two hits and Frank Thomas homered in the loss.

5/2 From 1980: Jekyll & Ty, Gems & Coal: Game Stories; HBD Jose & Neftali

• 1985 - RHP Jose Ascanio was born in Maracay, Venezuela. He joined the Bucco system in 2009 as part of the Tom Gorzelanny/Mike Grabow deal with the Cubs and tossed that year and in 2011 for the Buccos, slashing 0-1/7.00. He was considered a potential closer, but spent all of 2010 and much of 2011 on the DL due to shoulder surgery. He never returned to the majors, but spent several years afterward in the Mexican and Venezuelan Leagues. 

Jose Ascanio - 2010 photo Marc Serota/Getty

• 1987 - Bob Walk tossed six innings of three-hit ball as the Pirates squeaked by the Giants 1-0 at TRS. Logan Easley, John Smiley (W) and Don Robinson (S) carried Walkie’s torch to finish up the shutout. Sid Bream scored the winner in the eighth when his two-out grounder was booted, followed by back-to-back knocks from Jim Morrison and RJ Reynolds. 
• 1988 - RHP Neftali Feliz was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. The Pirates picked him up in 2016 as a $3.9M FA, and he got into 62 games, compiling a line of 4-2-2/3.52, with 29 holds and 61 K in 53-2/3 IP. The vet signed with Milwaukee in 2017, his fourth team in the past three campaigns, after beginning his career in Texas where he spent six seasons before becoming a bullpen drifter. He’s spent the last two campaigns in the minors. 
• 2006 - Zach Duke tossed a five-hitter for his first MLB complete game and shutout in the Pirates' 8-0 win victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Freddy Sanchez had three hits with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the attack supporting the Zackster.  
• 2012 - AJ Burnett gave up 12 runs in 2-2/3 innings as the Cardinals clocked the Pirates 12-3 at Busch Stadium. AJ had shut them out two weeks earlier, 2-0, at PNC Park. He allowed the most runs by a Pirate hurler in 80 years and surrendered more earned runs in under three innings than anyone else since earned runs were first an official stat in 1913. "I stunk," Burnett told the AP. "There is nothing more I can say.” AJ got over it, going 16-10 with a 3.51 ERA during the season. 
• 2014 - The Bucs rallied from a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 at PNC Park on the strength of a pair of ninth-inning home runs. Pedro Alvarez slammed a two-run shot to tie the game and Starling Marte walked it off with a two-out, two-strike solo bomb into left center off Sergio Santos to give Mark Melancon the win. 

Tyler Glasnow - 2017 Topps Rookie

• 2016 - In one of the great Jekyll-and-Hyde outings, Tyler Glasnow tossed 36 pitches in the first inning, giving up three walks, two hits (one a moon shot by Joey Votto), two stolen bases, and three runs, then flipped the switch, tossing five shutout frames while surrendering two hits, a walk, and whiffing five on 69 pitches to earn his first MLB win, 12-3, over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Josh Harrison, a Cincy native, hit his third homer in two nights at GABP, a three-run dinger that capped a six-run fourth inning and gave Pittsburgh a 7-3 lead. The Pirates added five more runs in the seventh as they banged out 10 hits and drew eight walks.

5/1 Through the 1930’s: Double Grannies & Game Stories; HBD Bills, Heinie, Johnny & Tom

• 1859 - IF Tom Forster was born in New York. He played four big league seasons with a stop in Pittsburgh with the Alleghenys in 1884, where he hit .222. Tom had a 10-year pro career, playing his last campaign in 1891 for Hartford of the Atlantic Association at age 31, finishing out his days working for ConEd in NYC. 
• 1860 - SS Bill White was born in Bridgeport, Ohio. He played five years in the big leagues, spending 1884 with the Alleghenys as a bench infielder and hitting .227. He played until 1889 with a rep as a good gloveman, and after his active days ended managed the Wheeling minor league clubs on three different occasions. 

George McQuillan - 1915 Crackerjack

• 1885 - RHP George McQuillan was born in Brooklyn. He was a decent pitcher for low-scoring teams, going 29-33 from 1913-15 with a 3.06 ERA for Pittsburgh. In 1907 he set one of the longest-lived records in MLB history when he pitched 25 innings for the Philadelphia A’s before giving up his first earned run. The mark stood for 101 years before being broken by Oakland A’s reliever Brad Ziegler who extended the record to 39-1⁄3 innings. 
• 1886 - C Bill Kelly was born in Baltimore. He came to the Pirates from minor league St. Paul in 1911, becoming their third catcher and serving as the personal caddy for P Marty O’Toole. He played here through 1913, hitting .293 with 20 RBI’s in 102 games with a reputation as a good hit, bad glove backstop. 
• 1895 - Bill Hart hurled a one-hitter in a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati at Exposition Park. CF Jake Stenzel and C Joe Sugden each had a pair of knocks to lead the Pirates while SS Monte Cross made several nice running catches of short outfield flares. As the Pittsburgh Press noted succinctly of the Reds: “One hit will not win many games.” 
• 1896 - RHP Heinie Meine was born in St. Louis. The twirler spent six seasons with Pittsburgh (1929-1934), going 66-50 with a 3.95 ERA. Between 1931-33 he was a workhorse, throwing 663-2/3 frames in 96 games, going 46-30. In 1931, he led the NL in wins (19), innings pitched (284), and was fourth in ERA (2.98). He was an interesting guy, known as "The Count of Luxemburg" because he ran a hometown speakeasy/tavern in the Luxembourg section of St. Louis. 
• 1917 - 2B Giovanni “Johnny” Berardino was born in Los Angeles. He got a couple of cups of coffee with the Bucs in 1950 and 1952 (.187 BA in 59 games), but his claim to fame wasn’t at the ballyard but rather in the back lots as he went on to become a TV soap opera star playing the role of Dr. Steve Hardy of General Hospital. 

Earl Grace - 1934 Goudey

• 1933 - The Pirates banged a pair of grand slams to back Bill Swift’s nine-hit, complete game shutout pitching and throttled the Philadelphia Phils 10-0 at the Baker Bowl. Arky Vaughan hit an inside-the-park grannie when his ball caromed wildly off the scoreboard in the third frame, then the Bucs iced the game with a five spot in the seventh, primarily fueled by Earl Grace’s grand slam over the right field wall. Vaughan and Grace became the first pair of Pirates to hit grand salamis in the same game (Bill Madlock & Richie Hebner matched the feat in 1982).

5/1 From 1950 Through the 1960's: Dale Deal; Stu Launch; Streakin' & Game Stories; HBD Ray & Chico

• 1953 - The Pirates defeated the Reds‚ 8-3‚ at Forbes Field for their third win in a row‚ their longest streak since August, 1951. Bonus baby Paul Pettit was the winner in his first MLB start. It was his only win, as he never recovered from arm injuries suffered the previous year in the minors, and spent most of his remaining career as a minor league outfielder. Pete Castiglione had a big day in support of Pettit with three hits, including two homers. 

• 1955 - Pirate pitching coach Ray Searage was born in Freeport, NY. The West Liberty State grad coached for the Williamsport Crosscutters in 2003-04, the Hickory Crawdads in 2005, the Altoona Curve in 2006-07 and the Indianapolis Indians in 2008-09. In 2010, he joined the MLB staff during John Russell’s final season, replacing Joe Kerrigan. He was a reliever in his seven year MLB career, spinning the cowhide for four different clubs, and coached for the Marlins & Cards before joining the Pirates.
• 1957 - The Cubs sent 1B Dee Fondy and 2B Gene Baker to the Bucs for 1B Dale Long and OF Lee Walls. Fondy hit .300 and Baker .266 while Walls and Long combined for 45 Chicago HRs in 1957. 
• 1959 - Dick Stuart hit one of the longest shots ever launched at Forbes Field, carrying well over the scoreboard and landing in the Schenley Plaza parking lot when he caught all of an 0-2 curve off Jim Brosnan. Alas, the almost 500’ two-run, two-out drive in the ninth only made it close as the Bucs went down to the Cards 7-6. Big Stu had three hits, including a double, in the loss. 
• 1960 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game, their longest string since 1945, against the Reds by a 13-2 count at Crosley Field. Roberto Clemente had a grand slam and Maz added a three-run shot to back Vern Law’s pitching. The streak would end the next day against the Cards and ex-Bucco Ronnie Kline by a 4-3 score. 
• 1964 - Jose Lind was born in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. In six seasons with the Pirates (1987-92), the 2B hit .255 and appeared in three NLCS bouts. Chico was considered a top flight defender and won a Gold Glove in 1992. A coke addiction drove him out of the game and into several clashes with the law, but Chico came clean and now even participates in the Bucco fantasy camps. 

Chico straightened up & flew right - 1991 Fleer Ultra (reverse)

• 1966 - The Bucs pounded the Mets 8-0 at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente led the attack with four hits, but it was a true team effort from the batter’s box. Every starter but the pitcher reached base, seven different Buccos scored, and five drove in runs. Of the Pirates 12 hits, five went for two bases and two more were triples. Big lefty Bob Veale went the distance, tossing a four-hitter and fanning nine.

5/1 From 1970: Bill Banged; Dock Knocks; TSN Manny; Scoops Clutch & Game Stories

• 1971 - Manny Sanguillen was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Pirate Treasure.” It was on the nose as The Roadrunner hit .319 and made his first All-Star appearance; he also was a Top Ten MVP finisher. 

• 1973 - Bob Moose was working on a five-hitter against the Giants with two outs in the ninth, a runner on first and a 7-1 lead at Candlestick Park. In one of the franchises biggest meltdowns, he walked the next two batters, and Ramon Hernandez was called in. He gave up a grand slam to Chris Arnold and left the bases loaded after a double and two more walks (Bill Virdon was ejected for beefing about plate ump Doug Harvey’s strike zone) for Dave Giusti. He gave up a gapper to Barry Bonds, and when Willie Stargell couldn’t field the shot cleanly, three runs scooted home to give the G-Men a stunning 8-7 win. When asked why he stuck with Hernandez so long, Virdon said he liked the matchups but admitted “I guess I was wrong.” For the Pirates, it was their sixth straight loss, but Giusti came back the next day to fan a pair of Giants in the ninth to preserve a 2-1 win. 
• 1974 - Dock Ellis hit the Reds’ Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen in the top of the first inning; Tony Perez ducked several times and drew a walk as Ellis tied a MLB record for consecutive beaned batters before Danny Murtaugh yanked him in a 5-3 loss to Cincy. Ellis said he was trying to counter what he saw as the Reds intimidation of the Pirates. As Manny Sanguillen recalled later on a Twitter post: “The Reds challenged us & put comments in the newspapers. Remember Pedro Borbon bit Patterson, our teams fought. Dock had enough & said ‘Sangy, don’t give me any signs they are all going down.’ He laughed b/c he missed Tony Perez saying he was dancing the Cha-Cha!” 
• 1977 - Al Oliver was awfully clutch on this day - he knotted the game in the ninth and then walked it off in the 10th against the Houston Astros. Down 3-2 at TRS in front of 25,371 fans, Scoops homered to lead off the final frame and send the game into extras, then singled home Omar Moreno with the game-winner in the following frame. That feat would go unmatched for 40 years until John Jaso pulled it off against the Mets in 2017. Goose Gossage gets a big high five too, tossing three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief of the Candy Man, John Candelaria, along with Pops Stargell who bombed a pair of solo homers to keep the Bucs afloat. 
• 1980 - Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock was fined $5‚000 and suspended 15 games by NL president Chub Feeney for jabbing ump Jerry Crawford in the face with his mitt when he took the field after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded. Madlock appealed‚ but withdrew the protest and accepted his medicine after the NL umpires threatened their own brand of justice by promising to eject him from every game he tried to play while fighting the penalty. 

Paul Wagner - 1994 Topps

• 1994 - The Pirates completed a three game sweep of the Braves as Paul Wagner defeated Atlanta’s Tom Glavine 4-1 for his second career complete game in front of 30,614 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. Wagner allowed just three hits, losing his shutout bid in the ninth inning on a home run by David Justice. The Bucs scored all four runs in the sixth inning, with Wagner helping himself with a two-out, two-run double. 
• 1999 - Brian Giles went 3-for-4 with a home run/three RBI and Kevin Young 2-for-4 with a homer/three runs chased home to back Todd Ritchie in Pittsburgh’s 9-3 win over Colorado at Three Rivers Stadium. Al Martin added three knocks while Scott Sauerbeck and Jason Christenson mopped up the win in front of 18,599 in a game that took 2:38 from first pitch to last.