Tuesday: Cahill v Miley; Lineup Shuffle

Today's Game: The contest v the Reds starts at 6:40 and will be on AT&T SportsNet PIT2 & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B; Kevin Newman SS; Bryan Reynolds LF; Colin Moran 1B; Phil Evans RF; Jake Stallings 3B, Erik Gonzalez 3B, Tony Alford CF, Trevor Cahill P. Gregory gets swapped out for Phil the Thrill in right, E-Gon starts at the hot corner and Alford in center (which may belong to Reynolds/Jared Oliva by default by the end of the month).

Gregory takes a seat tonight - photo 2020 Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Cahill crosses swords with LHP Wade Miley. Cahill signed late and isn't fully stretched out; he's worked just two outings & 3-2/3 rusty frames in the spring. He's only started against Chicago four times, the last in 2019.  Miley had a hamstring issue late in camp, but has worked it out and is ready to go. He only spun 14 IP in 2020, but will be making his 11th career start against Pittsburgh with a 2-3/3.98 line posted.

Notes:

• The Home Opener Thursday at PNC Park is sold out, although unclaimed orders may become available closer to game time. The Pirates are sticking to 25% capacity through April.
• The ASG has been officially moved to Coors Field. MLB did not specifically state that the draft would also relocate there, although we assume that's a given.

Tomorrow's Game: It's a 12:35 getaway day before the Bucs Home Opener, and will be on AT&T SportsNet & MLB Network (out of market), with radio coverage on 100.1 FM/1020 KDKA AM. The opposing twirlers are righties Chad Kuhl and Luis Castillo.

4/6 Through 1984: 21 Retired; Doc DIY; Camacho Deal; Blizzard, Strike & MLK Jr Openers; RIP Doggie; HBD Bert, Smokey & Sonny

• 1885 - Hall of Fame RHP Smokey Joe (Cyclone) Williams was born Seguin, Texas. The fireballer pitched for the Homestead Grays from 1925-32. In a night game against the KC Monarchs, Williams allowed only one hit and struck out 27 batters as the Homestead Grays defeated the Monarchs and Chet Brewer (who had 19 K) 1-0 in twelve innings in what may have been the greatest pitching duel of all time. A 1952 Pittsburgh Courier newspaper poll of black baseball officials and sports writers named Williams the greatest pitcher in the history of the Negro Leagues and he was 9-2-1 barnstorming against white major-league teams with four shutouts, so his stuff played no matter what the level of competition. His nicknames were both based on his blazing fastball; Smokey Joe became his moniker during his Grays’ years, replacing Cyclone Joe. 

Smokey Joe in Legacy Square - photo Pittsburgh Murals

• 1909 - One of Pittsburgh’s most popular and colorful figures, George “Doggie” Miller, passed away in New Jersey. The C (he also played 2B, SS, 3B & OF) was the first player to spend 10 seasons with Pittsburgh, starting in 1884 as a 19-year-old for the Alleghenys, and he and Pud Galvin formed Pittsburgh’s first big-time battery. He hit .254 over his Steel City decade and was thus described by Alfred Spink in 1910’s The National Game: “Miller, a stocky little fellow (he was 5’6”) full of life and comedy, was a type of the old-time ballplayer - frolicsome, boisterous, playing the game for all there was in it every day and spending all his money merrily at night...The Pittsburgh fans considered him a marvel in every way.” He was also the only MLB player ever to be dubbed “Doggie” - he bred dogs - and also answered to “Calliope” for his foghorn voice; in fact he was aka “Foghorn” too. 
• 1931 - 3B Emanuel “Sonny” Senerchia was born in Newark. He only played one MLB season, appearing for the Pirates in 1952 and hitting .220 in 100 AB, but may have been the most interesting man to ever play in Forbes Field per his Wikipedia bio. Senerchia was an accomplished violinist as a boy, appearing at Carnegie Hall at the age of 10 and as an adult, he was a concert violinist for several symphonies. He also performed with Pearl Bailey, Jack Benny, and others as a jazz musician, playing clarinet, sax, flute and piano in various bands. Outside of music, Senerchia became a teacher & baseball manager at Monmouth University and was also a race car driver, private pilot, and local TV & radio sports celeb. Sonny sadly but not surprisingly left this vale with his boots on - he died after a motorcycle accident at the age of 72. 
• 1951 - Rik Aalbert “Bert” Blyleven was born in Zeist, Netherlands. The Hall-of-Fame righty with the legendary hook pitched three seasons for the Pirates (1978-80) before being traded to the Indians for beads and trinkets after locking horns with Chuck Tanner. The Dutchman went 34-28 for the Bucs with a 3.47 ERA, six shutouts and worked 697-2/3 frames for the team. Oddly, his beef was getting pulled too quickly, so he apparently didn’t think his 230+ innings/season was much of a load. He’s been a Twins TV analyst since 1996. 
• 1968 - The Pirates delayed their Opener against Houston at the Astrodome from Monday until Wednesday, even though that date was scheduled as a travel day, in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who had been shot on the 4th. Ass’t player rep Donn Clendenon told GM Joe Brown of the players’ decision to not play until after MLK’s funeral; he informed the Astros, and the game was moved back. Roberto Clemente told the media “We owe this gesture to his (Dr. King’s) memory and ideals.” 

Dock Ellis - 1971 Pirates promo

• 1971 - It’s the little things that win ball games. Before 39‚712 fans, the Pirates took a 4-2 win from the Phils at TRS’ first home opener. Dock Ellis won and laid down three sac bunts, one being a suicide squeeze to plate a score and another setting up an eventual run while the Phillies self-destructed with four errors that led to two unearned runs. Ellis went the distance, giving up eight hits and whiffing eight. 
• 1972 - It was supposed to be Opening Day and Bill Virdon’s managerial debut, but the player’s strike put the brakes to those happenings. Bucco GM Joe Brown reached out to player rep Dave Giusti and opened Three Rivers Stadium for the locally based players to work out if they so desired. 18 players did show up, as did the MLBPA’s Marvin Miller (Dock Ellis was the only Pirate in the area not to attend, and he worked out at the Pitt Field House). But the Pirates good-will gesture was short-lived. On the same day, NL President Chub Feeney ordered all the parks off limits to the players until a contract was reached. It took a week to settle the beef over pension money, costing the league 86 games that were never made up. 
• 1973 - After being elected to the Hall of Fame a few days earlier on March 20th, 51‚695 fans were on hand at Three Rivers Stadium as Roberto Clemente’s number 21 was retired. The Pirates then beat St. Louis‚ 7-5‚ staging an eighth inning rally that saw the Bucs score five times after two were down, keyed by a Richie Hebner double and Gene Clines three-bagger. The Gravedigger had a big day, adding a homer (he missed the bunt sign, shades of Bob Robertson!) and three RBI. Other later honors for the Great One: PNC Park’s right field fence is now known as the Clemente Wall, and reaches 21’ high to commemorate his number while his statue sits outside the CF gates of the yard. The players wore the round #21 patch on their uniforms for the season to commemorate Clemente after sporting black ribbons during spring training. At the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh on July 11th, 2006, players on both squads wore yellow wristbands with the initials "RWC" in honor of Roberto Walker Clemente. He also has a street, bridge, and park named after him, a museum, a Susan Wagner statue and a bushel basket of awards locally, with other namesake recognition throughout the Americas. 
• 1981 - The Oakland Athletics sent a PTBNL and cash to the Pirates for RHP Bob Owchinko; four days later RHP Ernie Camacho was sent to Pittsburgh. Ernie spent most of the year at AAA Portland and went 0-1/4.98 in seven games for the Bucs. After simmering in the minors, he was traded to the White Sox in early 1981 and then pitched eight more big league campaigns, spending five years with the Tribe. Owchinko tossed for parts of five more years with a brief return to Pittsburgh in 1983, when he worked mainly AAA and faced two batters as a Bucco.

Ernie Camacho - photo Mainline Autographs

• 1982 - The Bucs’ home opener at TRS against Montreal was canceled after an April blizzard rolled across the mid east. The Atlantic Coast was buried in an unseasonable snowfall, canceling several games, and though Pittsburgh avoided the worst, the Nor’easter pelted the town with 39 MPH winds and swirling snow. The weather was so unforgiving that the game was cancelled on three straight days, pushing back the Buccos Home Opener date to April 16th.

4/6 From 1985: AVS Signs; Pitching Dominates; Using All 27 Outs; Studio 21; Ouchies; Bo Switcheroo; HBD Alex

• 1988 - Bobby Bonilla went long from both sides of the dish in a 14-inning, 6-5, loss to the Phils at Veterans Stadium. It was the second time he’d done it, and only he and Dale Sveum had pulled off that feat for Pittsburgh before. Bonilla went 4-for-7 with five RBI; the rest of his teammates stranded 13 runners. 
• 1989 - In a three-day span, the Pirates lost closer Jim Gott (elbow) and first baseman Sid Bream (knee) for the season, while CF’er Andy Van Slyke pulled his rib cage, losing a month and limiting his swing all year. A week later, catcher Mike LaValliere went down and missed much of the season, and the hobbled Pirates finished the campaign with just 74 wins. 

Andy Van Slyke - 1991 Fleer

• 1991 -The Pirates and OF Andy Van Slyke reached agreement on a three-year contract extension for 1992-94 worth $12.65M, the fourth-richest pact in MLB at the time. The average of $4,216,667 per year fell behind only Roger Clemens, Dwight Gooden and Jose Canseco’s deals. AVS was inked for a $750K signing bonus and salaries the first two years of $4M and $4.6M, leaving $3.3M at risk in 1994, a potential lockout/strike year (and there was an August strike, so the front-loading paid off for Andy). 
• 1992 - Doug Drabek outdueled Montreal’s Dennis Martinez to earn the Pirates a 2-0 win over the Expos at TRS in the Bucs home opener. Drabek helped his own cause with a two-out, RBI single in the second, that along with Spanky LaValliere’s sac fly provided the margin of victory. 
• 1993 - RHP Alex McRae was born in West Allis, Wisconsin. The Pirates drafted him out of Jacksonville University in the 10th round of the 2014 draft. He worked his way through the levels and was rewarded with a July call up from Indy as a bullpen insurance policy in 2018. He returned to Indy without getting into a game after a three-day stay, but saw action during his second promotion to the show, making his debut in August and giving up a run in three innings against the Cubs. He got some more work in 2019, but went 0-4/8.78 in 11 outings. He was outrighted after that campaign, selected free agency, and signed a minor league NRI deal with the White Sox. 
• 2000 - The Pirates beat the Astros 10-1 at TRS. Brian Giles went 5-for-5 with two homers, a triple, four RBI and three runs scored. Righty Francisco Cordova was every bit as hot; he didn’t give up a hit until after one was out in the eighth inning (a Mitch Meluskey double) and Giles described his stuff as “filthy.” 
• 2003 - Kris Benson, with late help from Scott Sauerbeck and Mike Williams, shut out the Phillies 2-0 at Veterans Stadium on six hits and ended Jim Thome’s streak of 60 consecutive games on base, the longest since Mark McGwire reached base 62 games in a row in 1995-96. In a well-pitched game (Philadelphia’s Brett Myers K’ed 11), Brian Giles and Pokey Reese drove in the Bucco runs. Giles’ came on a potential double play ball that the Phils couldn’t turn because of Jason Kendall's take-out slide and Reese chased a run home on a broken-bat flare to right. 

Kris Benson - 2003 Topps Total

• 2009 - Down a pair in the ninth at Busch Stadium, the Pirates rallied with two outs against Jason Motte to beat the Cardinals 6-4. With two away and Freddy Sanchez aboard, Adam LaRoche singled and pinch-hitter Eric Hinske doubled home Steady Freddy. Brandon Moss got plunked to jam the sacks, and Jack Wilson banged a three-run double to unjam them. Matt Capps came in to get the save for John Grabow’s win in the season opener. 
• 2013 - AJ Burnett lost a pitching duel to Clayton Kershaw, 1-0, at Dodger Stadium. Burnett gave up the only run in the third on an infield single, stolen base and two-out grounder through the SS hole. Four Buc pitchers combined for 11 K, but Kershaw and friends countered with a two-hitter. 
• 2015 - “MLB Central” debuted on MLB Network. Not only was it the network’s first original content morning show, but it was the first to be aired from the channel’s state-of-the-art, 8,000 square foot Studio 21, named in honor of Roberto Clemente and his number 21, which was retired on this date in 1973.

Reds Overcome Early Hole & Three Pirates Homers To Take 5-3 Win

Today's Game: Phil Evans and Colin Moran got the Bucs off on the good foot with first-inning solo blasts off Jose De Leon. JT Brubaker gave up a single, then struck out the next pair of Reds for a quiet start. The bottom of the Pirates order went down without a peep in the second. A one-out walk and botched throw by Phil Evans on a potential DP hopper (ruled a fielder's choice) put JT in a bind, and it cost when De Leon's grounder ticked off Adam Frazier's glove for a two-out RBI knock; Bucco D this year, sheesh. A Bru single and following error put Pittsburgh in business in the third, but the next three Bucs fanned, two looking. Bru walked a pair of Redlegs, running his pitch count to 64. Pittsburgh went down 1-2-3 in the fourth on just five pitches. A single and two-out walk (after being ahead 1-2) left Reds dancing on the bases again, but no damage resulted as Cincy has stranded seven runners so far. After two whiffs in the fifth, Fraze drew a walk before the side struck out. Luis Oviedo got the call, and Mike Moustakas' dinger tied the game with two gone. 

Luis Oviedo looks like a keeper - image AT&T SportsNet

A sixth-inning leadoff walk ended De Leon's night and Cionel Perez took the ball. Two strikeouts and a caught stealing later (a Polanco lefty-on-lefty hit-and-run gone embarrassingly bad), the zeroes continued to pile up. Luis stayed on and fanned the side. Sean Doolittle pushed off the rubber in the seventh and punched out a pair around Jake Stalling's at 'em liner to left. Sam Howard answered the bell and was banged for a Nick Castellanos homer around a couple of K and the Reds were up for the first time at 3-2. Lucas Sims strolled in for the eighth and spun a clean frame. Michael Feliz surrendered a leadoff two-bagger, wild pitch, walk and single to allow an insurance run. Another two-out rap put the Queen City up by three. Amir Garrett was taken deep by B-Rey to start the ninth. Redbeard singled and two outs later Jake walked to keep the Bucco heart beating for Kevin Newman, who bounced out to close the book. 

Kinda typical rebuild start: enough pieces to stay competitive but still too many holes to dodge. Right now, they could really use an outfielder not named Reynolds to step up and a starter to get them into the sixth or seventh inning.

Notes:

• Colin Moran had two hits tonight and is batting .357 in the early slog, though six whiffs in 17 PAs is a little worrisome. The Bucs had just five hits and fanned 15 times.
• Pirates starters have worked just 15 innings in the first four games. Tyler Anderson is the only one to get through five frames.
• Pitchers JT Brubaker & Jose De Leon both banged out their first MLB hits tonight.
• The Pirates will not increase ticket sales for April even with the new 50% allowance and are still considering whether or not to jump attendance for May games.

Tomorrow's Game: The middle match begins at 6:40 and will be on AT&T SportsNet PIT2 & 93.7 The Fan. RHP Trevor Cahill will take on LHP Wade Miley.

Monday: Pirates Open At Cincy, Brubaker v De Leon; Kyle Keller Added, Santana DFA'ed

Today's Game: The Pirates open a three-game set against the Cincy Reds at GABP. First pitch is at 6:40 and the contest will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B; Phil Evans 3B; Bryan Reynolds LF; Colin Moran 1B; Erik Gonzalez SS; Gregory Polanco RF; Jake Stallings C; Dustin Fowler CF; JT Brubaker P. Erik Gonzalez batting fifth and Kevin Newman on the bench?

E-Gon gets his first start of the year - photo 2019 Pirates

Pitchers: RHP JT Brubaker meets RHP Jose De Leon. JT's last outing of the spring was solid and he's looking to make his case as a big league rotation arm. He started twice against Chi-Town last year was put up a strong 1-1/1.84 line. De Leon is a spot starter, as Cincy has three guys down (Sonny Gray, Mike Lorenzen and Tejay Antone), so he's keeping their seats warm. He's only got 13 MLB outings with an 8.49 ERA, and faced the Pirates once last year, pitching a scoreless frame with two walks.

Notes:

• The Pirates bought RHP Kyle Keller, 27, from the Angels after he was DFA'ed and assigned him to the alternate training camp; RHP Edgar Santana was DFA'ed to clear a 40-man spot for KK. Keller, a bullpen depth pickup, made 10 relief appearances for the Miami Marlins in 2019 and had two outings with the Angels in 2020. He has no decisions with a 4.15 ERA, 12 strikeouts and 10 walks in 13 MLB innings. He features a forkball; maybe Ben Cherington is trying to channel ElRoy Face.
• The Clemente Museum will sponsor a spring party in its parking lot on Saturday, April 10th from 11-2.

Tomorrow's Game: The middle match begins at 6:40 and will be on AT&T SportsNet PIT2 & 93.7 The Fan. RHP Trevor Cahill will take on LHP Wade Miley.

4/5 Through 1984: Robby, Big Poison Sign; Robinson, Dravecky Deals; Sweet As Candy; ocal Heroes; HBD JHK, Rennie & Wid

• 1877 - SS William “Wid” Conroy was born in Philadelphia. Conroy only played one year in Pittsburgh in 1902, hitting .244, but he started ahead of Honus Wagner at short. Actually, the Flying Dutchman began his career in the pasture; he was converted to part-time shortstop in 1901 by skipper Fred Clarke when Bones Ely had a forgettable year at the dish. Wid was the usual starter at short in 1902 with Wagner seeing some action too, but Conroy’s batting performance was the final straw for Clarke and he installed Wagner at the position full-time in 1903. Conroy then jumped leagues to join the NY Highlanders, playing ball through 1911 for them and the Washington Senators. The nickname “Wid,” short for “Widow,” dates to his youth. Sam Bernstein of SABR suggests that the name came about because Conroy watched over the younger members of his sandlot group like a widowed mother watched over her brood. 
• 1929 - Paul Waner ended his holdout by signing a one-year deal with the Bucs after meeting for two hours with Buc owner Barney Dreyfuss at Fort Worth, where the Pirates were holding camp. The value of the agreement wasn’t disclosed, but earlier in negotiations, Waner had floated $18K as the amount he was seeking. Big Poison ended up a bargain no matter what the cost - he hit .336 with 15 HR & 100 RBIs during the season. 

Rennie Stennett - 1976 Topps

• 1951 - 2B Rennie Stennett was born in Colon, Panama. Stennett played nine seasons (1971-79) with the Bucs as a sweet-fielding second sacker, hitting .278 BA to back up the leather. He was involved in a lot of good stuff, appearing in the 1979 Series, starting for the first all-black lineup in MLB in 1971, and collecting a record seven knocks in a nine-inning game against the Cubs in 1975. Sadly, he broke his leg in 1977 and never had a strong season afterward, even though the Giants signed him to a five-year deal worth $3M for 1980. They released him after two years while still in the hole for $2M. 
• 1954 - It was only a spring training game, but it had some notable local flavor to it. Mt Washington native and South Hills HS grad Bob Purkey tossed a six-hitter and Frank Thomas, who grew up in the shadow of Forbes Field in Oakland and was born at Magee Women’s Hospital, sent one over the wall as the hometown kids (Purkey was 24, Thomas 25) led the way to a 1-0 win over the KC Athletics in Mobile, Alabama. In other baseball business, the club cut Dale Long, Gene Freese and ElRoy Face from camp; they would all be back for keeps in 1955. 
• 1975 - The Pirates got OF Bill Robinson from the Phils for RHP Wayne Simpson. Simpson appeared in 34 MLB games in 1975 & ‘77 while McKeesport’s Robinson spent eight years in Pittsburgh as a platoon OF’er, hitting .276 with 109 HR. His highlight season came in 1977 when he hit .304 with career highs of 26 home runs and 104 RBI. 
• 1980 - The Pirates agreed to a two-year extension of jack-of-all-trades Bill Robinson’s contract through 1982. The financials weren’t disclosed, but Robinson, who as a five-and-ten year man had vetoed a trade to Houston in 1979, conceded an eight-team list of teams he would report to if swapped. It was also a good day in other ways for Robby - after he and the team were given their WS rings in a ceremony before the game, his 10th inning homer gave the Bucs a 5-4 Opening Day win over the Cubs in a contest that was delayed four times for over two hours because of rain, played before a TRS crowd that started the day at 44,088. 
• 1981 - Pittsburgh traded Youngstown native and Class AA Buffalo pitcher Dave Dravecky to the San Diego Padres for utilityman Bobby Mitchell. Mitchell never made it out of the minors while Dravecky eventually carved out an eight-year MLB career with a 64-57 slate, 3.13 ERA, and an All-Star appearance in a stint cut short by a cancerous tumor in his arm. 

Candy Man - 1983 Topps

• 1983 - John Candelaria gave up just four hits and struck out 10 in a 7-1 Opening Day win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. Lee Lacy led off with a homer, Jason Thompson iced it with a three-run blast in the ninth and Dale Berra and Lee Mazzilli went long in between. For Mazzilli, it was a strong intro to his new team as he went 2-for-2 with two walks in his first game as a Pirate. It was a welcome sign for The Candy Man, too, whose nerve damage to his arm had turned from a workhorse into a guy with just one complete game in 1981-82, although he never tossed 200 IP or had more than three CG in a season after 1980.

4/5 From 1985: Gregory, Pablo, Lloyd, Littlefield Sign; Big Bats, Big Arms, Big Crowds On Opening Day; RIP Larry; HBD Lastings

• 1985 - OF Lastings Milledge was born in Bradenton, Florida. A first-round pick of the Mets, he played for NY and then Washington. He was traded to the Pirates by the Nats in 2009 with RHP Joel Hanrahan in return for OF Nyjer Morgan and LHP Sean Burnett. From 2009-10 he hit a respectable .282 for Pittsburgh but was playing behind Jose Tabata in LF and Garrett Jones in RF with Andrew McCutchen in the pipeline. He left for free agency, but all he got was a cup of coffee with the White Sox, spending the past five seasons in Japan and Mexico. 
• 1987 - IF Jung-Ho Kang was born in Gwangju, South Korea. After a winning posting bid of $5,002,015 for Kang from his Korean team, the Nexen Heroes, the Bucs signed the infielder to a four-year, $11M contract with an option year. He became the first KBO position player to make the jump to the MLB. Jung-Ho made the transition in style, hitting .287 with 15 HR while playing SS & 3B before he broke his leg in mid-September. He started 2016 late while recovering and then landed on the DL again with a shoulder injury, batting .255 with 21 dingers. His career was short-circuited by the debris left by a DUI conviction during the off season. He won a reprieve in 2018, missing a lot of time due to injuries, and was re-signed for 2019, reclaiming the third base spot in camp. During the year, his 10 homers couldn’t overcome a .169 BA and JHK was released in August, returning to Korea the following year.
• 2004 - Kip Wells scattered five hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings as the Pirates beat the Phillies, 2-1, on Opening Day at PNC Park. Chuck Tanner hurled the opening pitch, with a ceremonial toss by Mr. Rogers’ widow, JoAnn. The Anthem was sung by the Ebenezer Church Choir. Jose Mesa earned his 250th career save while Craig Wilson hit the first home run of the year for the Pirates. The bigger news was before the game, when Kevin McClatchy extended the contracts of GM Dave Littlefield and manager Lloyd McClendon. Littlefield was inked through 2007 and Lloyd was guaranteed through 2005 and given a club option for 2006. 

Kip Wells - 2004 Topps Heritage

• 2010 - A trio of Buccaneers had big days to begin the 2010 campaign in front of 39,024 PNC Park faithful. Garrett Jones homered (one a splash-down in the Allegheny and the other an oppo field blast) in his first two at-bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers during an 11-5 win, becoming the sixth Pirate to hit two long balls on Opening Day. The Ryan’s had a big outing too, as Doumit and Church added three RBIs each, with Dewey chasing his runs home via a fifth-inning blast while Church plated his gang with a bases-loaded, pinch hit double. Zach Duke got the win with five relievers coming on to get the final 12 outs. 
• 2011 - Ex-Bucco manager Larry Shepard passed away in Lincoln, Nebraska, at age 92. A minor league pitcher, he joined the Bucs in 1953 as a farm coach, topping out with a six-year run at AAA Columbus. He left to join the Phils in 1967 before returning to the Pirates as skipper from 1968-69 (he went 164-155, finishing 6th and 4th) before being replaced by Alex Grammas late in 1969. He was then the pitching coach for the Big Red Machine from 1970-78 and the Giants in 1979. After Shepard retired, he served as an unofficial pitching mentor for the Nebraska Cornhusker nine. 
• 2012 - MLB Opening Day drew the largest crowd to date in PNC Park history, 39,585, as the Bucs Erik Bedard lost a classic pitching duel to the Phil’s Roy Halladay 1-0. The Bucs threatened in the first, but a Cutch 6-4-3 DP short-circuited the frame. Neil Walker took the ball to the track twice, but both drives died at the fence as Halladay tossed a two-hitter. 
• 2012 - The Pirates signed Pablo Reyes, 18, of the Dominican as an amateur free agent for $90K. After two strong DSL campaigns, he was sent stateside in 2014 and continued to improve his game although often lost in the shuffle of more highly-projected prospects. The play-where-there’s-room dynamic worked to his advantage as he made the 40-man roster and debuted in the majors in 2018, and was on the Opening Day roster in 2019 as a utility guy, batting .203 in 71 games. He was released in camp in 2020 and soon afterward given an 80-game suspension by MLB for PED usage. Pablo is now with the Brewers.

Gregory Polanco - 2016 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini

• 2016 - The Pirates officially announced they had signed RF Gregory Polanco to a contract extension that would carry him through arbitration and a year of free agency (2017-2021) worth $35M guaranteed with two team options, bringing the total contract value up to $58M. The particulars: $3M signing bonus, $1M - '17, $3.5M - '18, $5.5M - '19, $8M - '20, $11M - '21. $12.5M option/$3M buyout - '22, $13.5M option/$1M buyout - '22. The 24-year-old Polanco’s first full MLB campaign was 2015 when he hit .256 with nine home runs, 52 RBIs, 35 doubles, six triples and 27 stolen bases in 153 games. He also ranked second among all NL outfielders with 13 assists, trailing only teammate Starling Marte’s 16 throw-outs. He’s shown flashes and hit bumps throughout his career, missing the end of 2018 with a bum shoulder that required surgery after he dislocated it during an awkward slide. Polanco came back too soon in 2019, got into just 42 games and hasn’t fully recovered yet.

Bucs Fall Short In 4-3 Loss To Chicago; Hayes On 10-Day IL

Today's Game: Zach Davies cruised through the first; not so Mitch Keller. He walked two of the first three Cubbies, and a single to right followed by a right-side bouncer made it 2-0 on that one hit. Phil Evans singled in the second while the Cubs went down in order. Fraze walked in the third; Ian Happ led off the Cubbie half by depositing a middle-middle slider into the batter's eye. After an out, Kells walked two more Baby Bruins but worked out of it. He's already at 77 pitches. It was a 1-2-3 fourth for the Pirates, and Chris Stratton claimed the bump, tossing a clean frame. The fifth was quiet for Pittsburgh and Duane Underwood took his turn, spinning a three up-three down inning. 

Bryan Reynolds singled with two gone in the sixth and yo - Colin Moran went deep just beyond the basket to make it 3-2. That was followed by an infield knock and walk, bringing on Dan Winkler. He got Michael Perez, who flew out 377' to the track in left center. Underwood stayed on and gave up a leadoff two-bagger. A right-side grounder and through-the-wickets whiff by Evans (the runner would have been frozen if fielded cleanly) plated an insurance run. Sam Howard was waved on and walked the bases full. Sam then got a comebacker DP (1-2-3 if you're scoring) to escape his self-made jam. Ryan Tepera worked the seventh. An opening walk was erased by a pop and line-out DP thanks to Tony Alford's nap at first, 5-to-3. Kyle Crick wasted no time returning to the slab and a walk/wild pitch combo didn't come back to bite him.

Kyle Crick is back from his daddy break - photo 2021 Pirates

Rex Brothers took the ball with an out in the eighth and gave up an infield rap to B-Rey and double to Redbeard. Evans singled in a run before Gregory bounced into a 4-6-3 DP. Dave Bednar gave up a couple of well hit balls in the Chi-Town half but still sat down all three Cubbies. Craig Kimbrel got the bottom of the order in the ninth and mowed them down, with a little help from a wide strike zone (Alford was rung up on ball four) and an at 'em ball off Wilmer Difo's bat.

The Bucs were there own worst enemies today as walks, a gift run and baserunning haunted them. The plate ump also had a bad day; if robots take their job, they'll have no one to blame but themselves. The team generated enough chances to win but were way too generous to their opponents, at least during this series. Now on to Cincinnati...

Notes:

• The middle of the order banged out seven hits and scored/drove in all three runs; Phil Evans had three knocks while Colin Moran & Bryan Reynolds each had a pair. The rest of the lineup had no runs and no hits to its credit.
• Pirates starters have lasted 11 innings in the three Wrigley games. Pittsburgh has used 13 of its 15 rostered pitchers (JT Brubaker & Trevor Cahill start the next series against Cincy) in the set.
• Ke'Bryan Hayes MRI results found inflammation (swelling) in his wrist and he was placed on the 10-day IL after a workout showed some weakness in his glove hand. Wilmer Difo was called up to take his spot on the roster. Difo wasn't on the 40-man roster, so RHP Tyler Bashlor was DFA'ed to clear room. No one is quite sure how long Young Hayes will be out, but it does highlight one consequence of the Pirates short bench - they can't afford to carry anyone who may sit out four or five days.

Tomorrow's Game: The Buccos travel to Cincy's GABP and will send out JT Brubaker to tackle Jose DeLeon. The game will begin at 6:40 and be on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan. The Reds took two of three from the Redbirds while the Pirates dropped two of three in the Windy City.

Sunday: Keller v Davies; Crick Back/Crowe Optioned; Good News On Hayes, HBD Mitch

Today's Game: The Opening series comes to a rubber match end with a 2:20 game at Wrigley. It will be carried by AT&T SportsNet PIT2  and 93.7 The Fan. It'll be a beautiful Easter Day to play, with the sun beaming and temps near 70.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Colin Moran 1B, Phil Evans 3B, Greogory Polanco RF, Michael Perez C, Tony Alford CF, Mitch Keller P. Newman replaces Ke'Bryan Hayes in the two hole and C Jake Stallings gets an early blow; sure leaves the back end of the order lookin' threadbare.

Phil Evans gets his first start of the campaign - photo Pirates 2021

Pitchers: RHP Mitch Keller butts heads with RHP Zach Davies. Mitch had a rough spring; his development will be a key to the Bucco rebuild. He's taken on the Cubs three times and lasted 12 IP in those starts with four homers against and an 0-2/6.20 slash. Davies is a first-year Cub, but knows Pittsburgh well from his years with the Brewers and with 14 starts overall, his record is 4-5/4.44.

Notes:

• Whew! Ke'Bryan Hayes' X-rays of his left hand/wrist have come back negative, so he should be back in action sooner rather than later.
• The Pirates reinstated RHP Kyle Crick from the covid-IL and optioned RHP Wil Crowe to the alternate site to clear a roster spot.
• Today is Mitch Keller's birthday; happy 25th orbit around the sun to Kells.

Tomorrow's Game: The Buccos travel to Cincy's GABP and will send out JT Brubaker to tackle Jose DeLeon. The game will begin at 6:40 and be on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

4/4 Through the 1970s: Sangy, Mota, Easler Trades; Playful Pirates; LaRusso Cut; Shifty; Refunds; HBD Jim, Les & Bill

• 1883 - OF Bill Hinchman was born in Philadelphia. He played for the Bucs from 1915-18 and again in 1920. Bill started the first two seasons, hitting over .300, but faded at the end, finishing his five-year Bucco stint with a .284 BA. Hinchman was a Pirates coach in 1923 and scouted for the club from 1921 to 1958, with a pretty keen eye - he signed Lloyd Waner, Arky Vaughan, Rip Sewell, Cookie Lavagetto, and Billy Cox. 

Bill Hinchman - 1991 TSN Conlon Collection

• 1903 - LHP Les Bartholomew was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Les got into nine big league games, six as a 25-year-old rookie with the Pirates in 1928. He earned no decisions and ran up a 7.15 ERA. He tossed three more games for the White Sox in 1932 and hung up the spikes. He spent just five seasons in organized ball before returning to a day job in the sheet metal trades. 
• 1938 - A half dozen Pirate players “were feeling playful” per Post Gazette writer Edward Balinger and got into a wrestling match while aboard a train. The result was that Russ Bauers, a big righty slated to work Opening Day, wrenched his knee. He didn’t start a game again until April 25th and didn’t pick up his first win until June 1st. That was the year the Bucs lost six of their last seven games to finish two games out of first; the loss of their ace to horseplay may have been the difference between the flag and staying home. 
• 1942 - IF Jim Fregosi was born. Jim spent the last season and change of his 18-year career with the Bucs in 1977-78, batting .263 as a bench guy. Pittsburgh released him at the Angels' request; they wanted him to become their manager, and Fregosi segued from player to skipper. He managed four MLB teams over 15 years (Angels, Phillies, White Sox & Blue Jays) with some downtime as a Triple-A helmsman, retiring from baseball in 2000. 
• 1954 - While the popularity of infield shifts has taken off in recent seasons, it’s not a modern stratagem. The Post-Gazette noted that the KC Athletics pulled a “Kiner shift” on young Pirate slugger Frank Thomas with three infielders on the 3B side of second base during an exhibition. The shift was made famous in the forties when it was employed against Ted Williams and dates back to at least the twenties. 

KC pulled the ol' Kiner shift on Frank Thomas - 2012 SP Legendary Cuts 

• 1954 - Instead of sitting on an unexpected small windfall, the Bucs got into the tax refund spirit, announcing a ticket reimbursement of 19 cents/per box seat, 16 cents/per reserved seat and a thin dime per general admission for pre-season ticket holders after a federal levy had been cut in half. And it wasn’t credited toward the purchase of future ducats; the Pirates paid their customers back in cold cash. 
• 1963 - OF Manny Mota was traded by the Houston Colt .45's to the Pirates for Howie Goss and $50,000. Mota spent six years as a Pirate, hitting .297 as a fourth OF’er/pinch hitter. He went on to a 13 year career with LA (he spent 20 seasons in MLB) as a pinch hitter deluxe, and when he was finished hitting, his 34 consecutive seasons as a Dodgers coach was the longest in team history and the second-longest streak in MLB history behind Nick Altrock. Howie played one season for Houston, hit .209, and never got back to the bigs. The unsuspecting Goss struggled to get in touch with his family who had left Florida just prior to the deal and were driving to Pittsburgh. The Florida Highway Patrol found them and redirected the Goss clan westward to Texas. 
• 1975 - The Pirates released minor league infielder Tony LaRussa after he hit .260 at Class AAA Charleston in 1974. He retired in 1977 and came back to annoy the Bucs as the manager of the St. Louis machine that ran roughshod over the NL Central during his tenure as skipper. 
• 1977 - OF Mike Easler was traded by the California Angels to the Pirates for RHP Randy Sealy. The Hit Man spent six seasons with the Bucs, hitting .302 and earning an All-Star spot in 1981. The Pirates then sold him to the Red Sox after the 1978 campaign but traded a couple of minor leaguers to get him back before the 1979 season began. Persistent suitor Boston eventually got his services for the ‘84 season, sending John Tudor to Pittsburgh for Easler; apparently both clubs really liked the guy. Sealy, who had originally been drafted by the Pirates, spent seven years in the minors and finished his career tossing in Florida’s short-lived Senior Professional Baseball League. 

Manny Sanguillen - 1979 Topps

• 1978 - The Pirates sent OF Miguel Dilone, P Elias Sosa and IF Mike Edwards to the A’s for C Manny Sanguillen, who was traded to Oakland 17 months earlier for Chuck Tanner and cash. He spent three more seasons in Black & Gold, mainly as a bench player behind Ed Ott and Steve Nicosia as his heyday was in the rear view mirror. Dilone carved out a 12-year career, returning to the Bucs briefly in 1983. Sosa was also in the middle of a 12-year MLB run while Edwards played regularly for a couple of years for the A’s but was finished after the 1980 campaign.