8/27 Through the 1950s: Tiny's Last Start; Buck, Josh ASG; Carey Me Home; Game Tales; HBD Cholly, Eddie & David

• 1875 - RHP David Wright was born in Dennison, Ohio. He had a slim MLB resume, working one game for the Bucs in 1895 and giving up six runs in two innings featuring a pair of wild pitches, then tossing a barely more successful outing for the Chicago Colts two years later. 
• 1887 - The Alleghenys gave up the most runs in club history when they were bombed by the Boston Beaneaters 28-14 at North Side's Recreation Park. It was the sixth season of the franchise and its first in the NL, with the Alleghenys finishing sixth with a record of 55–69. 
• 1894 - IF Eddie Mulligan was born in St. Louis. Mulligan had a long minor league career with short MLB interludes. He made his big league debut with the 1915-16 Chicago Cubs, then returned to the minors. In 1921, he joined the Chicago White Sox after the Black Sox scandal and after two seasons there, he went back to the minors with the San Francisco Seals. Five years later in 1928, Mulligan spent his final season in the majors as a utility infielder for the Pirates, batting .233. Eddie returned to the Pacific Coast League for another decade. Overall, he spent 17 years in the PCL for eight teams, banging out 2,574 hits. He was elected to the PCL Hall of Fame and was later recognized when honored with the King of Baseball award given by Minor League Baseball. 
• 1903 - IF Charlie “Cholly” Engle was born in New York City. Cholly had a couple of cups of coffee in the show, then got his only real taste of the bigs with Pittsburgh in 1930 when he got into 67 games, playing 2B, SS & 3B while hitting .264. Cholly played in the minors for eight years after that, then managed on the farm through the 1950 season. Engle went on to run a bar/restaurant in San Antonio for 25 years after his baseball days. 

Max Carey - 1916 The Sporting News

• 1917 - In the fourth inning in New York at the Polo Grounds, Max Carey beat out a bunt and moved to second on a single by Tony Boeckel. Both runners stole on the next pitch from Rube Benton and when Boekel and the Giants 2B Buck Herzog got jumbled up at second, Carey steamed home before they could untangle themselves. Wilbur Cooper made that one run stand up to top Benton and the G-Men, 1-0. It was Carey’s 13th swipe of home; he would set the NL standard of 33 steals of home during his career. The loss didn’t slow down NY, which won the NL title with 98 victories. The Pirates went the opposite way, winning just 51 times and finishing in the cellar. 
• 1925 - The Bucs tossed their second straight shutout against Boston at Braves Field, winning 1-0. The Pirates Vic Aldridge and Boston’s Larry Benton traded four-hitters; Pie Traynor drove in Eddie Moore with the game’s only run with a bases-loaded walk. The day before, Lee Meadows threw a nine-hit, 2-0, whitewash of the Braves, and did it without striking out a soul. 
• 1936 - The Pirates beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 6-3, at Forbes Field. The highlight came after the game, when losing pitcher Van Lingle Mungo, in a snit because of the four errors the Dodgers made that led to four unearned runs, left the team and returned to Brooklyn (he got over it and tossed through 1941 for the Dodgers). The righty would later become famous for another 15 minutes when the 1969 song "Van Lingle Mungo" by Dave Frishberg hit the charts. 
• 1939 - Game Two of the Negro League East-West All-Star game was held at Yankee Stadium. The East won, 10-2, behind Homestead Gray C Josh Gibson’s four RBI. Teammate Buck Leonard also started. Held in addition to the All Star Game played in Chicago each year, the second ASG gave fans an added opportunity to eyeball the action in the pre-TV days. 

Josh Gibson -2021 jg20mvp custom/efdot studio

• 1948 - The Phillies lost on a walk off homer by Bucco pitcher Kirby Higbe, who went long in the ninth at Forbes Field to help himself to a 4-3 win after working a scoreless inning of relief behind Elmer Riddle. It was the last of three career homers for Higbe. 
• 1949 - Pitcher Ernie “Tiny” Bonham won his last MLB start by an 8-2 count over Philadelphia. The ten year vet had complained of stomach problems, and died September 15th at the age of 36 after surgery performed the week before at Presbyterian Hospital uncovered intestinal cancer. His wife Ruth was the first baseball widow to collect a death benefit under the new player pension plan, receiving $90 a month for the next 10 years. 
• 1952 - IF Mike Edwards was born in Fort Lewis, Washington. Mike was drafted four times, finally signing with the Bucs in 1974 as a seventh-round selection from UCLA. He got his first taste of the bigs with Pittsburgh briefly in 1977 before he was shipped to the Oakland A’s as part of the Manny Sanguillen trade. He had a good year in ‘78, but 1980 would be his last MLB campaign. Edwards closed out his career in 1984, playing in Mexico and Japan.

8/27 From 1960: Byrd-Herrera; Oberkfell-Gregg; Pedro on Hold; Pops on SI; Mega Rally; Game Tales; HBD Nick, Jordy & Mike

• 1961 - RHP Mike Maddux (Greg’s older bro) was born in Dayton, Ohio. Maddux had a 15-year, eight team MLB stay and spent a few weeks with the Bucs in 1995, getting in eight games and going 1-0/9.00. He was released in May and signed with the Red Sox. He retired in 2000 and has since coached in the Astros’ system and on the big league level with the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and currently with the St. Louis Cardinals. 
• 1963 - The Pirates topped the Mets, 2-1, as Bob Friend went wire-to-wire with a seven-hitter while fanning six Mets, to best Grover Powell and Galen Cisco at Forbes Field. NY had a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth when Manny Mota’s little league homer walked off the game. With Ducky Schofield aboard after a one-out walk, Mota singled. The ball scooted past center fielder Duke Carmel, allowing Ducky to score. The ball was run down by right fielder and former Bucco Joe Christopher, who airmailed his peg over the plate. Mota sailed home for the win as Cisco, backing up the play, slipped while chasing down the wayward toss and his throw home was a step late. Ironically, Christopher was a late-inning defensive sub for Duke Snider. 
• 1965 - The Bucs scored six times in the ninth at Forbes Field to take the Astros into extra frames, eventually winning their seventh game in a row in 11 innings, 10-9. Andre Rodger’s one-out knock was the game-winning blow; Harry Walker sent him up to pinch hit for Willie Stargell against lefty Danny Coombs. Al McBean, the Pirates sixth pitcher, took home the win. Roberto Clemente threw out a runner going from first to third the hard way. The Pirates ran a wheel play with runners on first and second, and Bob Lillis rolled the ball through the vacant infield. Bill Mazeroski described what followed to Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press "Roberto raced in from right field, dove for the ball, and with his face in the dirt threw out the (back) runner going to third base!" Walker told Biederman that “Clemente made the doggondest (sic) play I ever saw.” It kept the ‘Stros from running away with the game; Houston banged out two more hits after his play. 

Roberto Clemente - 2019 Topps 150 Years

• 1974 - Dock Ellis went gate-to-gate pitching and swung a mean stick, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored, in Pittsburgh’s 13-2 win over San Francisco at Candlestick Park. The Giants scored two runs in the first inning before the Bucs put the game away with nine runs (on three hits - the rest of the Bucco runners were aboard via five free passes, two HBP and a pair of boots; Giant hurler Ed Halicki walked two guys with the bases loaded) in the third. Al Oliver went 3-for-5 with five RBI and Ed Kirkpatrick added three knocks and two walks, plating three times. Richie Hebner had three RBI without a hit, walking twice with the bases packed and lifting a sac fly. The Bucs had 12 hits (10 were singles) but were helped greatly by 13 gift runners. 
• 1979 - Willie Stargell shared the cover of Sports Illustrated with a gang of grizzled all-stars for the feature “Golden Oldies.” Pops was 39 but still hit .281 with 32 long balls. He won the NLCS & World Series MVP awards, was co-winner of the MVP award with St. Louis' Keith Hernandez and shared SI's "Sportsmen of the Year" award with the Steelers’ Terry Bradshaw. 
• 1983 - Lee Tunnell and Ken Dayley tossed five-hitters at TRS with the Bucs coming out on top 2-0 behind a two-run blast by Bill Madlock in the third inning. Both hurlers were in complete command. Tunnell, who went the distance, faced down his only real threat in the second when he left the bases loaded with an out by whiffing the pitcher and coaxing a Brett Butler bouncer to escape. Lee Lacy had two hits for Pittsburgh and scored ahead of Mad Dog’s dinger. The two teams were leading their divisions at game time but both finished the race in second place, behind the Phils and Dodgers. 
• 1986 - SS Jordy Mercer was born in Seiling, Oklahoma. He was a third-round draft choice in 2008, and the Oklahoma State product also played for Team USA. Mercer rode the pine in 2012, saw more playing time in 2013 and won the starting job the next season. He was a dependable if not particularly rangy fielder with a slow-starting bat (he usually ended the year hitting .255-.260) and occasional pop. Jordy signed with Detroit in 2018, moved to the Yankees briefly and later joined the Nats. He retired after the 2021 campaign after a decade spent in MLB. 

Ken Oberkfell - 1988 Topps

• 1988 - The Atlanta Braves sent IF Ken Oberkfell and cash to the Pirates for OF Tommy Gregg. Oberkfell spent a season and change with the Bucs as a seldom used reserve, batting .181 in 34 games, while Gregg played nine more years, mostly as a reserve/platoon outfielder. 
• 1990 - RHP Nick Tropeano was born in West Islip, New York. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Astros in 2011 out of SUNY-Stony Brook and debuted in 2012 with Houston. He was sent to LA in 2014 and tossed for parts of four seasons with the Halos with a line of 11-11/4.51 in 38 outings, then had TJ surgery in 2017. Nick signed with the New York Yankees in 2020, was released in early August and claimed by Pittsburgh, getting a call up on August 23rd and tossing four shutout innings in his Bucco debut. He became a FA after the season and joined the Dodger system. He tossed for the Giants and Mets in 2021 and now is pitching AAA ball for Texas. 
• 2008 - Pedro Alvarez was placed on the restricted list after the MLBPA filed a grievance against MLB over draft picks being signed minutes after the August 15th deadline (Petey had made a verbal agreement). On September 22nd, Álvarez and the Bucs settled on a four-year major league deal worth $6.4M that resolved the complaint to the satisfaction of all parties. 
• 2009 - The first and last Bucco hits left the yard, and that was enough for a 3-2 win against the Phils and future Bucco JA Happ at PNC Park. Cutch opened the game with a long ball, and Garrett Jones ended it with a two-run, game-winning shot in the eight. Denny Bautista got the win against Philadelphia in relief of Charlie Morton, with Matt Capps earning a save. 

Garrett Jones - 2009 Topps Heritage

• 2013 - Looking to strengthen the roster down the stretch, the Pirates pulled off a waiver deal with the NY Mets for vets OF Marlon Byrd, C John Buck and $250K for minor league IF Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later (RHP Victor Black). The deal was triggered by Starling Marte’s hand injury, which kept him out of action for three weeks (he returned September 9th) Byrd (.318, three HR, 17 RBI in 30 games) helped the Bucs to a wildcard spot (he last played in 2016 for Cleveland prior to receiving a second PED suspension) while Buck hit well in Pittsburgh (.333 in nine games) before retiring after the 2014 campaign. Dilson has bounced around (he’s playing indie/Latino ball now) and Black, after a good showing with the Mets in 2013-14, has been injury-bitten and ended his career playing indie ball. He’s now a farm coach for the Pirates.

8/26 Through the 1950s: Mollwitz-Sanders; Wally Ball; Piece of Pie; Six & Seven For Waner; Trip Trips; Out To Pasture; HBD Sparky & Frank

• 1888 - LHP Frank Allen was born in Newbern, Alabama. Allen spent six years twirling big league ball; the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels picked him up at the end of the 1914 campaign from the Brooklyn Robins, then rode him the following year when he slashed 23-13/2.51 after 37 starts and 283-1/3 IP. Allen authored the FL’s first no-hitter as a Reb against the St. Louis Terriers in 1915. He tossed for two more MLB seasons with the NL Boston Braves. Allen started out in 1909 for Mobile of the Southern Association as a 20-year old and hung ‘em up after tossing for Gadsen of the Georgia-Alabama League in 1928 as a 39-year old. 

Mike Smith - photo via Uniondale Cemetery

• 1892 - The Bucs mauled the Philadelphia Phils, 11-3, at Exposition Park. Elmer “Mike” Smith, Doggie Miller and Jake Beckley led the way with a pair of hits each. Smith, usually an OF’er, was the pitcher (he appeared in 17 games, starting 13), and per the Pittsburgh Press, the “(Phils Ed) Delahanty found a package of lard in centerfield and the Phillies tried to work up a story that the ball had been greased...” The Pirates pleaded innocent, and the victory stood. 
• 1894 - 2B Earl “Sparky” Adams was born in Zerbe, Pennsylvania. He played in Pittsburgh in 1928-29, filling in around the infield as needed and even taking some outfield innings while hitting .272 in 209 games. He was well thought of; he came from the Cubs in a trade for Kiki Cuyler. His Pirates time was in the middle of his 13-year career; he went on to have several good campaigns with the Gashouse Gang in St. Louis until a bad knee forced his retirement after the 1934 season. He got his nickname because he was a little bundle (5’4-1/2”) of energy on the field. 
• 1910 - It was a day for outfielders to work on their tans at Forbes Field. Babe Adams, who took the hill in spite of a stomach bug, tossed a six-hitter to top Carrick native Elmer Knetzer (who came home in 1914-15 to pitch for the Pittsburgh Rebels) and Brooklyn 4-2. The Dodger and Pirate outfielders combined for one putout and one assist all afternoon (Pittsburgh’s Chief Wilson gloved a fly to right and the Dodgers’ LF Zack Wheat threw out Bobby Byrnes trying to stretch a double into a triple) to set the MLB record for the least pasture action for two teams in a game. 
• 1912 - In a doubleheader split against the Boston Braves at Forbes Field, Chief Wilson whacked three triples during the two contests, and would bang another three-bagger the next day. Chief had a three-game triple streak earlier in the year and a five-game string that he put together in mid-June. He finished the year with 36 triples, which is still the league high water mark. Chief caught lightning in a jar during this campaign, as he never hit more than 14 three-baggers in any other season. Pittsburgh won the opener, 5-4, and dropped the evening game, 8-4. 

Fritz Mollwitz - 1917 photo Charles Conlon

• 1917 - Kansas City of the American Association sent Fritz Mollwitz to the Bucs in a deal that would stretch into the next year. In February, Pittsburgh received RHP Roy Sanders as a PTBNL and sent the Blues IFs Alex McCarthy & Ike McAuley, along with 1B Ray Miller. Fritz gave the Bucs two decent years, batting .266, faded in 1919 and was sent to St. Louis for his final MLB campaign. Sanders gave Pittsburgh a solid year, going 7-9/2.60 in his final big league season. McCarthy and Miller never played in the show again, while McAuley got a final MLB hurrah in 1925 with the Cubs. 
• 1926 - Rookie Paul Waner went 6-for-6 with two doubles and a triple as the Pirates beat the New York Giants, 15-7, at Forbes Field. Pie Traynor and George Grantham each had three hits; Traynor and Johnny Rawlings added three RBI apiece. Big Poison used six different bats to collect his hits. Per Dom Forker’s “Baseball Brain Teasers,” that was because Waner had been moved up to the second spot in the lineup rather than his customary three-hole slot. Apparently he didn’t check the scorecard and was caught by surprise when he was called to the plate, so he grabbed the first stick he could reach from the bat rack. He banged out a hit, so he went with random bats the rest of the game, each producing a knock. He tried it again in the following contest, went 1-for-3, and returned to his regular twig for the rest of the season, finishing with a .336 BA. 
• 1927 - Boston defeated the Pirates, 6-4, at Braves Field. Paul Waner, who went 4-for-4 the day before, added three more consecutive raps off two Beaneater pitchers before his hitting streak was stopped at seven. He may have taken a breath between knocks after that stretch, but they did keep coming - Big Poison won the NL batting title with a .380 average and was the MVP. 
• 1934 - Chester Williams of the Pittsburgh Crawfords led the East with three hits in the East-West Negro League All-Star game at Comiskey Park. The East won 1-0 in front of 30,000 fans when Jud Wilson drove in Cool Papa Bell in the eighth inning, giving Satchel Paige the win. 
• 1935 - Player-manager Pie Traynor blasted a grand slam and ended the day with five hits and six RBI as the Bucs battered the NY Giants, 10-2, at the Polo Grounds. Woody Jensen and Tom Padden also homered to plow the road for Ralph Birkofer’s sixth win, evening his record. 

Wally Westlake - 1947 Exhibits

• 1947 - The Pirates scored four times each in the first and second innings and added seven more in the fifth (as Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press noted “The Bucs simply had their hitting clothes on...”) as they rolled over the Brooklyn Dodgers, 16-3, at Ebbets Field. Wally Westlake homered, doubled, and drove home five runs as Billy Cox and Cutley Rikard added long balls. Ralph Kiner went 5-for-5 with a walk and Frank Gustine added four hits to help Fritz Ostermueller cruise to victory. Brooklyn’s Dan Bankhead, via the Negro League Memphis Red Sox, became the first black pitcher to work an MLB game when he came on in relief of Hal Gregg. The Bucs gave him a rude welcome on the slab, scoring eight runs in his 3-1/3 frames, though he did swat a two-run homer in his first big league at-bat to help even out his rough debut. 
• 1951 - It was a down-to-the-wire twin bill: The Pirates scored eight runs in the seventh frame to overcome a 9-2 fifth inning deficit and rally past the Dodgers, 12-11, at Ebbets Field in the opener of a twin set. Brooklyn loaded the bases with an out in the ninth, but Murry Dickson weathered the storm to save the win for Vernon Law. Pete Castiglione and Bill Howerton had three RBI each to lead the comeback; Pete homered twice and Bill once. The club dropped the nitecap 4-3 in 10 innings with Preacher Roe topping Ted Wilks, pitching in relief of Bob Friend. 
• 1956 - Bob Friend was dealing today; he tossed a four-hit shutout to top the Cubs, 2-0, in the first game of a twin bill at Wrigley, sparked by Roberto Clemente, who chased home the first run with a two-out double and then scored the second in the eighth inning. Fresh off the complete game victory, Friend then came on to get the last four outs to save Ronnie Kline’s victory in the nightcap, a 2-1 win, to finish the Chicago sweep. Bob Skinner doubled in the first tally in the third frame and came around with the game winner when a Cubbie pickoff throw missed the mark.

8/26 From 1960: Bay-Giles; Davis Dealt; Jordy Jack; Knuckler's Delite; Buster Ball; Braves Baffled; Game Tales; HBD Eric & Jeff

• 1965 - IF Jeff Richardson was born in Grand Island, Nebraska. Richardson spent parts of three seasons (74 games total) in the show, with six games coming in 1991 for the Bucs; he went 1-for-4 during that time with three K. He spent a decade in the minors, closing out his career in 1995 with the Pirates AAA Calgary club. Richardson managed in the Pirates farm system from 1996-1998, then took over as head coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1999. He resigned following the 2002 season to devote more time to his family and business. 

Steve Blass - 1968 KDKA Promo photo

• 1968 - The Bucs beat the Atlanta Braves for the seventh straight time as Steve Blass dodged several bullets to toss a complete game shutout, 4-0. He had only one clean inning, giving up nine hits and a pair of walks but kept the scoreboard blank. Manager Larry Shephard said of his young hurler “He went from my fifth starter (at the beginning of the year) to the top spot” after the win. The Pirates had a small-ball attack: they pushed in their runs on two sac flies, an error and an infield single. Freddie Patek, Maury Wills and Gene Alley each had two raps. 
• 1975 - The first eight Pirates hit safely against the Braves’ Jamie Easterly and Ray Sadecki - Frank Taveras (triple), Rennie Stennett (single), Al Oliver (single), Willie Stargell (single), Richie Zisk (single), Dave Parker (single), Richie Hebner (single) and Duffy Dyer (single) - before Larry Demery flew out‚ tying the MLB record. The Bucs scored six runs in the frame on their way to an 8-2 victory at TRS. Al Oliver and Richie Zisk each collected three hits to help Demery to the win. 
• 1977 - The Bucs rode Bruce Kison’s arm and bat to a 3-1 win over the Padres at San Diego Stadium. Buster gave up a run over seven innings, had three hits, a run scored, the game-winning RBI and a stolen base before Goose Gossage came up to earn a two-inning save. It was Kison’s first win in eight weeks and 11 starts. Frank Taveras chipped in with four hits and the insurance was provided by Dave Parker’s sixth-inning homer. Both guys had base-running blunders to atone for; Frank was thrown out trying to stretch a double and The Cobra was picked off first twice. Pittsburgh cut Philly’s NL lead to 5-1/2 games, but that’s about how it finished as Philadelphia won 101 games, five games ahead of the Bucs. 
• 1979 - Bruce Kison tossed seven strong innings and smacked a grand slam off Bob Shirley, the first Bucco hurler since Al McBean in 1968 to launch a grannie, to lead the Bucs to a 9-2 win over San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. He’s one of six Pirates twirlers to hit a grand salami, joining McBean, Deacon Phillippe (1910), Enrique Romo (1980), Don Robinson (1985) and Denny Neagle (1995). Bill “Mad Dog” Madlock had four knocks, a pair of RBI and two runs scored. 

Larry McWilliams - 1983 Donruss

• 1983 - Larry McWilliams tossed a complete game five-hitter against his old teammates, the Atlanta Braves, as the Pirates romped 9-1 at TRS. The Bucs had 10 hits and were helped by a big three-run blast by Tony Pena and a couple of Bravo boots that led to three unearned scores. Pena, Jason Thompson and Johnny Ray each collected a pair of knocks to back McWilliams. 
• 1985 - C Eric Fryer was born in Columbus. He came to Pittsburgh as part of the Eric Hinske deal in 2009 and got a couple of cups of coffee with the Bucs in 2010-11, getting into 16 games as a C, PH, & OF. He returned in 2016 when injuries cut down the Pirates catching depth, went to the Cardinals in the following season and then retired in 2018. 
• 1987 - The Bucs put up a three-spot against the Reds in the third inning built around John Cangelosi’s triple, but found themselves behind 5-3 going into the eighth at TRS. Andy Van Slyke tied it with two away when he singled home Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds off John Franco; they had just moved up a station thanks to a passed ball. The Pirates used the same two-out formula in the ninth when Al Pedrique’s blooper plated Johnny Ray, who had led off the frame with a double. The win went to Jeff Robinson, who came in for Brian Fisher. 
• 1992 - Pirates rookie Tim Wakefield defeated Tom Candiotti of the Dodgers, 2-0, in the first matchup of knuckleballers in the NL since 1982 when Phil Niekro and Joe Niekro faced off in a Braves-Astros game. Wakefield scattered six hits for the victory while Jose Lind provided the offensive spark for Pittsburgh with a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored. 

Tim Wakefield - 1992 Score

• 2003 - The Pirates shipped Brian Giles to San Diego for Jason Bay, Ollie Perez, and Corey Stewart. Pittsburgh had wanted Xavier Nady in the deal, but SD refused and threw in Bay instead. The flip worked out pretty well, as Bay ended up the NL Rookie of the Year in 2004 and the persistent Bucs finally reeled in the X-Man from the Mets in 2006. 
• 2014 - Gerrit Cole pitched six no-hit innings at PNC Park, but a seventh inning St. Louis rally tied the score at 2-2. Things looked bleak when both Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez left the game with injuries soon after, but Ike Davis brightened up the room in the eighth. With Gaby Sanchez and Starling Marte aboard, he crushed a two-out, two-strike change up 442’ to lead the Pirates to a 5-2 win. Tony Watson got the victory and Mark Melancon earned a save. 
• 2016 - Jordy Mercer capped off a five-run sixth inning with his first career grand slam off Milwaukee’s Matt Garza to give the Pirates a 5-3 win at Miller Park. The Brew Crew answered Jordy’s blast with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the frame, but the bullpens shut the door the rest of the way. Mercer’s slam, which came the day before his 30th birthday, was the fourth of the season for the Pirates and made a winner of starter Ryan Vogelsong, who allowed two runs over 5-1/3 innings with Tony Watson notching the save. 
• 2017 - Gerrit Cole had no success whatsoever against the Reds in his career (he was 0-6 against them in nine outings) until he took matters into his own hands at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. Not only did he throw seven shutout innings, but he homered to do it all in a 1-0 Bucco win. Cole Train's long ball was the third of his career and the first of the year. Per Elias Sports: Cole became the only Pirates pitcher ever to homer in a 1-0 win and the first in MLB since the Rays’ Nate Karns v the Phillies (July, 2015). Cole also went 8-0 in his last nine road starts; the last Pirates pitcher to win eight straight road decisions was Don Robinson in 1982. Redlegs rookie Luis Castillo was his equal but for that one pitch, tossing a three-hitter with nine K in seven frames. 

Gerritt Cole - Topps Now 8/26/2017

• 2020 - The Pirates made a waiver deal with the Phils for LHP Austin Davis, sending Philadelphia a PTBNL (24-year-old Class A RHP Joel Cesar) and cash. Davis had parts of five seasons in the show, with a 1-2/5.64 line. He averaged nearly 10 K per nine innings with a problem with long balls (11 in 58 career IP), but fit the Pirates need for pen depth and a lefty. He got into 15 games for the Bucs, slashing 0-1/4.73, and was traded at the 2021 deadline to Boston for IF Michael Chavis. The BoSox use him as a middle man and sometime opener starter.

8/25 Through the 1970s: Simpson, Cooper Deals; Ump Strike; Wired; Brooklyn Byrne-d; Game Tales; HBD Junior, Euclides, Jim, Sam & Tony

• 1892 - 3B Norman “Tony” Boeckel was born in Los Angeles. He spent the first two years (1917, 1919) of his career as a Pirate, batting .259 in 109 games. He was hurt early in his first campaign, and got in just 65 games after returning from the Navy during the second stint as he lost the job to his 1918 replacement, Walter Barbare, and was waived to Boston. He prospered there from 1920-23, where he was the starter. But he was struck down in early 1924, dying in a car accident at age 31 in San Diego. The Yankees Bob Meusel was riding with him, but was uninjured; Boeckel became the first active MLB player to die in a car wreck. 

Bobby Byrne - 1910 Tip Top

• 1910 - In the 12th inning at Washington Park, Bobby Byrne legged out a hustle double, stole third, then swiped home to beat the Brooklyn Superbas, 4-3. It was the NL's first 20th century extra-inning steal of home. The Superba’s skipper, Bill Dahlen, decided to intentionally walk the bases loaded after the steal of third (a decision that did not sit well with his pitcher, George Bell) to set up the force rather than face Fred Clarke and Hans Wagner. Bell got two strikes on John Flynn, then Byrnes took matters in his own hands and bolted home; the 0-2 pitch was wide and eluded the catcher, so Byrne’s timing was right. As for the Superba strategy, Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “...fans were calling Dahlen a dub, whereas if his plans had worked out right, they would be hailing him as a real genius and wonderful thinker.” 
• 1912 - The Pirates traded for 20-year-old LHP Arley Wilbur Cooper from Columbus of the American Association for a pair of PTBNL and $3,000. He was arguably Pittsburgh’s best franchise pitcher, retiring following the 1926 campaign after spending his first 13 seasons (1912-24) as a Bucco. Coop is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins with 202 while posting a 2.74 ERA, starting 369 games and appearing in 469 outings. He began his professional career in 1911 with minor league Marion, a club that was owned by newspaper publisher and future US President Warren Harding. Legend has it that Harding was the person who recommended Wilbur to the Pirates. He never made the Hall of Fame; he and Babe Adams are on the outside, looking in. 
• 1913 - Coach Sam Narron was born in Middlesex, North Carolina. Narron spent most of his playing career in the minors as a converted OF’er turned catcher, though he appeared in parts of three seasons (1935, 1942 and 1943) with the St. Louis Cardinals, playing in 24 games and getting just 28 at bats. After his playing career ended in 1948, he became the bullpen catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers for two years, then followed GM Branch Rickey to the Pirates (and outlasted him by quite a bit) as the Buccos bullpen coach from 1951 through 1964 for managers Bill Meyer, Fred Haney, Bobby Bragan, and Danny Murtaugh. He lasted until Harry Walker became skipper and axed all of Murtaugh’s coaching staff, and Sam retired to his farm. 

Sam Narron - 1960 image TCMA 1977 card

• 1926 - RHP Jim Suchecki was born in Chicago. He made MLB stops for three teams,the last being the 1952 Pirates, working 10 innings and giving up six runs on 14 hits with six K. The Pirates had purchased him from St. Louis on a “make good” basis, and after a month they returned him to the Browns after he apparently failed to make good, and it was his last MLB stint. He pitched in the pro ranks from 1943-54, with time off to serve in the Navy. After he retired from baseball, Jim worked for a refinery and later operated an employment agency.
• 1929 - Per The Sporting News, the fans were able to hear the calls of home plate umpire Cy Rigler, who was wired for sound, a first in major league history. Wearing a mike and metal-plated shoes, standing on a flat metal sheet, Rigler's calls were broadcast over the Polo Ground speakers as he somehow avoided electrocution. The Giants topped the Pirates, 10-5, as the Bucs committed three errors and allowed six early unearned runs as the clang of their mitts resounded throughout the Polo Grounds without any electronic assistance. 
• 1952 - 18 year old RHP Bill “Ding Dong” Bell tossed his third no-hitter as a member of the Pirates Class D Appalachian League affiliate Bristol, winning, 4-0, in a seven inning game against Bluefield. Bell is one of two professional pitchers to toss three no-hitters in the same season. He was called up in September by the Bucs after posting an 11-3/2.09 slash, though he did have one big red flag there - in 112 IP, he had 194 whiffs, but also 113 walks. Ding Dong made it back to Pittsburgh for a short while in 1955, but his wildness continued - Bell was 0-1/4.32 in his MLB career with 14 walks in 16-2/3 IP, and that tolled the bell for him. 

Ding Dong Bell - via Diamonds in the Dusk

• 1959 - The White Sox sent 3B Bob Sagers and OF/1B Harry "Suitcase" Simpson packing to Pittsburgh in exchange for 34-year-old vet 1B Ted Kluszewski. Klu hit .297 during the rest of the season and .391 with three homers in the World Series for the Sox, playing through the 1961 campaign. Simpson retired after the season and Sagers was a career minor leaguer. Per SABR, Harry wore a size 13 shoe, and a sportswriter dubbed him “Suitcase” Simpson based on a character by that name from the comic strip “Toonerville Folks” with feet as large as suitcases. 
• 1962 - The Pirate players called off a threatened walkout in objection to a rained out game that was rescheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader with another doubleheader already scheduled on Sunday. Bob Friend, the Pittsburgh team rep, was irked that the players weren’t consulted in the decision to reschedule the game. Friend went out and lost the opener, 3-2, to St. Louis at Busch Stadium, giving up a run with two down in the ninth. The Bucs took the second game, 4-0, behind Earl Francis, who tossed a three-hitter and was backed by homers off the bats of Dick Groat and Dick Stuart. They also split the next day’s twin bill. 
• 1967 - Euclides Rojas was born in Havana. He was the Cuban National Team's all-time leader in saves before he left his homeland by raft in 1994, was rescued by the US Coast Guard, and emigrated to America. He was the Buccos bullpen coach from 2010-19, having served in the same position for the Red Sox and the Marlins. Rojas spent 2005-2010 as the Pirates Latin American Field Coordinator and also as a roving minor league instructor in 2002 with an eye on the club's Latin American program. Prior to that job, Rojas spent five seasons as a coach in the Florida Marlins organization. Now he's a player development official for MLB. 

Steve Blass - 1972 Topps

• 1972 - Steve Blass pitched a career-high 11 innings but ended up with a no-decision in a 3-2, 12-inning walk off win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Dodgers at TRS. Steverino had a rare bout of wildness (that would come next year), walking nine and bopping one, but had some glovely fielding behind him to keep the damage to a minimum. Richie Hebner sent the game into overtime with a homer in the ninth, then Manny Sanguillen delivered the game-winning rap with a two-out single in the 12th off reliever Pete Richert. Dave Cash had reached second on a throwing error and scored the winning run. The Dodgers were held to three hits in the second game by Bruce Kison, but split on the day by taking a 4-3 win. A walk came around, another run scored on a balk and Bill Buckner homered after an error for LA. 
• 1974 - OF Gary “Junior” (he’s Gary Matthews’ son) Matthews Jr. was born in San Francisco. He put in 12 big-league years with nine stops, spending 46 games in Pittsburgh in 2001 after he was taken off waivers from the Cubs. He hit .245 and was sold to the Mets in the off season. Known for defensive flair, the late bloomer made the All-Star team in 2006, joining his dad as the 14th father-son combo to appear in the Midsummer Classic. Junior played through 2010. 
• 1974 - The Pirates swept a twin bill at San Diego Stadium, dropping the Padres by 4-1 & 10-2 scores, to vault into first place, 1/2-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh was on a 29-11 roll, having caught fire after a basebrawl with the Reds that seemed to bond them. The Pirates won the lidlifter in 12 innings, with Jim Rooker getting the win by tossing six-hit ball over 11 frames. The Bucs won softly - their runs in the 12th came on a sac fly and a pair of bases-loaded walks. Larry Demery won the nightcap with help from Ramon Hernandez in a game that was a cliffhanger until late, when the Buccos scored nine runs in the seventh and ninth frames. The Pirates won the NL East, but were left in the dust by the LA Dodgers in the NLCS. 

Jim Rooker - 1974 Topps

• 1978 - Major League umpires staged a one-day strike, their first walk-out, to air a laundry list of grievances they had with MLB; semi-pro and amateur arbitrators were used as replacements. The umpires walked out again at the start of the 1979 season. The Major League Umpires Association authorized several disruptive events on behalf of the boys in blue, including the ill-fated mass resignation of 1999, leading the umps to decertify the MLUA and start a new unit called the World Umpires Association (now the MLB Umpires Association), recognized in 2000 by the NLRB and still the umps’ bargaining unit. It includes MLB, some minor league and international umpires (such as the WBC), along with development programs for aspiring men in blue. 
• 1979 - The Bucs scored twice in the ninth after two were out and no one aboard to send the game into extra innings, eventually winning 4-3 in 19 frames over the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium. Dave Roberts pitched out of a pair of bases loaded jams to earn the win. He wriggled off the hook with the sacks juiced and no one away in the 17th inning after escaping in the 16th, when the bases were packed with two outs and he went 3-0 to opposing pitcher John D'Acquisto. The Friars stranded 26 runners, one short of the MLB record. The contest lasted six hours and twelve minutes, the longest Pirate contest until the Jerry Meals 19-inning game at Atlanta in 2011.

8/25 From 1980: Redus Cycle; Mid-Game Melee; Skyblast Misfires; Dunne, DeLeon Gems; Game Tales

• 1981 - The Pirates dropped a wild 9-7 game to the LA Dodgers at TRS. The Bucs rallied from 6-1 and 7-3 deficits (driven by a couple of key errors and a blown call at first), the latter lead erased on a three-run Dave Parker homer in the ninth. Sadly, Kent Tekulve was tapped for a pair in the 10th and the Pirates were out of comebacks. But the real excitement happened out of sight, in the runway between the dugouts when both teams milled about in a mid-game shoving/verbal get together. Pittsburgh’s Paschal Perez had bopped a couple of Trolley Dodgers and LA’s Reggie Smith called him out; Perez suggested they meet to discuss it, so both teams crammed into the runway in the sixth inning. Although the 145-pound Perez carried a bat to the rendezvous, no blows were exchanged as Bill Robinson had him in tow. Willie Stargell explained to Russ Franke of the Pittsburgh Press “There wasn’t any fight. We just went in there to hold the daily lottery drawing.” In better news, the Pirates signed impending FA John Candelaria to a one-year contract for 1982; he was out for the current season with a torn bicep, getting just six starts before the injury. 

Candy Man - 1981 Fleer

• 1982 - The Pirates blew a 4-1 lead at TRS, allowing San Diego to edge ahead in the eighth. But they tied the game in their half when Tony Pena’s grounder scored Lee Lacy and walked it off with a ninth-inning victory when Jim Morrison singled in Enrique Romo, running for Willie Stargell, with the game winner. Kent Tekulve claimed the win. It was a doubly dark day for the Padres; they not only lost the game but also Tony Gwynn, who broke his wrist diving for a fly ball. 
• 1983 - Behind the 11-strikeout performance of 22-year-old rookie Jose DeLeon and clutch hits by Jim Morrison and Tony Pena, the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak to claw back into a virtual first-place tie with Philadelphia with a 5-3 win over the Astros at TRS. Morrison came off the bench to collect two hits & two RBI, Pena also had a pair of raps, including a solo home run, & chased home two more runs while Lee Lacy was a burr under Houston’s saddle with a hit, two walks, a stolen base and a run scored. Rod Scurry came on to get the last out. 
• 1984 - Lee Lacy had three hits and chased home three runs to help John Candelaria to his 11th win, 5-3, over the Reds at TRS. But the big news was after the game - a postgame pyrotechnics show that drew a crowd of 21,385 went haywire when a skyrocket landed behind the home plate stands, injuring 18 and sending 11 of the group to the hospital with burns.
• 1987 - Mike Dunne fired his best game of the year, a two-hitter, as the Bucs defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 1-0, at TRS. Johnny Ray’s first-inning RBI single that scored Andy Van Slyke, who had also singled and stole second ahead of Ray, was the game-winner. He struck out seven, allowed just one runner to reach second, and retired the last 10 batters. Ted Power was Cincy’s hard-luck loser; he only gave up four hits, two of them to the first three batters he faced. For Dunne, it was the icing on a super rookie campaign when he finished with a line of 13-6/3.03 and was named the NL Rookie Pitcher Of the Year by The Sporting News, but the righty only won 12 more games during the remainder of his career while battling shoulder injuries. 

Mike Dunne - 1987 Topps Rookies

• 1989 - OF Gary Redus hit for the cycle in a 12-3 win over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium, scoring three times and driving in four runs as the Pirates won their fifth game in a row. Barry Bonds homered and scored three times while Andy Van Slyke banged a pair of doubles to pave the road for Jeff Robinson, who banged out three hits to help himself, and Mike Smith. 
• 1991 - Pittsburgh blasted four homers off the bats of Cecil Espy, Jay Bell, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla to whip the SF Giants. 8-3. at TRS. Bell had three hits, scored three times and had a pair of RBI while Espy added three RBI and Spanky Lavalliere collected three hits to back John Smiley’s 15th win, saved by Stan Belinda, who worked the final three frames. 
• 1992 - Andy Van Slyke had three hits, including a homer and double, drove home four runs and scored twice as the Bucs beat LA, 10-3, at Dodger Stadium. Leadoff hitter Alex Cole had three hits and scored three times as Danny Cox got the win in relief of Danny Jackson. 
• 1996 - Jeff King swatted five hits, including a homer and double, but it was in vain as the Bucs lost a 13-9 decision to Colorado at Coors Field. Jay Bell and Nelson Liriano also went deep, but four Bucco pitchers couldn’t hold off the Rockies with Marc Wilkins taking the loss. 
• 1997 - Joe Randa and Mark Smith homered in the ninth inning on back-to-back pitches for a 4-3 walk-off win over the Dodgers at TRS, giving the Bucs a DH split. Both blows came off Todd Worrell, who got the call when Eddie Williams walked the first hitter. Marc Wilkins, who worked the last two frames, claimed the win. Pittsburgh was clobbered, 8-2, in the opener. 

Mark Smith - photo All Sport

• 2006 - In a Skyblast concert the Buc PR department would rather forget, San Francisco punk cover band Me First & the Gimme Gimmes were booed out of PNC Park and their three-day booking canceled. They were lucky to get away with that; the 32,000 fans were in a forgiving mood after a 5-3 Bucco win over the Astros before the group took the stage. East End native and band singer Spike Slawson said “It was an obscene amount of money for the work we did...We’re a punk band. Getting booed by a sports crowd makes us viable.” Viable, maybe; bookable, nah. 
• 2009 - Andrew McCutchen hit his first MLB walk off homer in the ninth to beat Philadelphia and Brad Lidge 6-4 at PNC Park. Brandon Moss had tied the game moments earlier with a single and trotted home with the winning run ahead of Cutch. Matt Capps gave up a pair in the ninth to the Phillies for the rare daily double of a blown save and win. 
• 2020 - Coming into Chicago with a head of steam after sweeping the Brewers, the Pirates had the wind taken out of their sails when they were no-hit by Lucas Giolito at Guaranteed Rate Park. The White Sox’ Giolito walked one (in the fourth inning) and struck out 13 in the 4-0 win and survived a two-out, two-strike bullet (102.6 EV) by Josh Bell to right that Adam Engel gloved. It was the first no-hitter of the 2020 campaign and the 13th time the Buccos franchise was no-no’ed, with the last being in 2015 at the hands of the Nat’s Max Scherzer.

8/24 Through the 1970s: Silver Fox Sold; HoF Duel; 12-Hit Shutout; Middle Muscle; Meltdown Begins; Game Tales; HBD Al, Matty, Jewels & Billy

• 1881 - C George “Billy” (it was his middle name) Kelsey was born in Covington, Ohio. His MLB credentials consist of two games played for the Pirates in 1907 as a 25-year-old, going 2-for-5. He did toil for nine seasons with various farm clubs and later managed in the Texas League (player/manager for Oklahoma City) and the Western Association (Tulsa).

Jewel Ens - undated photo Mears Collection/TSN

• 1889 - IF Jewel Ens was born in St. Louis. He was with the Pirates from 1922-25, hitting .290 as a seldom used bench player/coach. Jewel then coached the Bucs from 1926-29 and 1935-39, managing the club in between from 1929-31, putting up an overall 176-167 slate while finishing second once. He also coached for the Detroit Tigers (1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933; 1941) & Boston Braves (1934), then spent eight seasons (1942–49) as manager of the Syracuse Chiefs, then the Reds' top farm club. He was elected to the International League Hall of Fame in 1950, the year of his death. Jewel, btw, isn't a moniker - it was his given first name. 
• 1890 - OF Ralph “Matty” Mattis was born in Roxborough, Pennsylvania. Matty spent seven years in the minors as a pretty good batter with a lifetime .303 BA, but his only major league shot was in 1914 with the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels where he hit .247 in 36 games. The pasture was a crowded place to elbow into that season; the Rebels carried, at one time or another, eight OF’ers including player/manager Rebel Oakes, the team’s namesake. 
• 1897 - C Al Bool was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He played three years of big league ball, with his busiest year being in 1930 with the Pirates. He got into 78 games and hit .259, then moved to Boston in the off-season. He played one more year and retired to become a Nebraska farmer. 
• 1921 - The Pirates, in front by 7-1/2 games with 35 to go, dropped a double dipper to the Giants at the Polo Grounds before 35,000. Art Nehf won the lid lifter, 10-2, to hand Babe Adams his first loss in 10 games while Phil Douglas took the nightcap, 7-0. Manager George Gibson called a team meeting after the losses, per the Pittsburgh Press, and “...club matters were discussed, but they were discussed in a way that hurt. Errors of omission and commission were probed down to the raw flesh…” It didn’t rally the boys; they would end up blowing the title to the Giants by four games, going 14-21 over their final 35 contests. 

George Grantham - 1928 Strip Card

• 1928 - The Pirates romped over the NY Giants, 16-5, at Forbes Field. The middle of the Pittsburgh order - Paul Waner, George Grantham and Pie Traynor - pounded out seven hits, including a homer and three triples, drove in 11 runs and scored six more to rev the engine. Every Pirates position player had at least two hits as the Bucs banged out 19 knocks. 
• 1930 - The Pirates sold LHP Jesse Petty to the Cubs. He was part of the return for SS Glenn Wright (Buc manager Donie Bush was a Petty fan, having coached him in the minors), and The Silver Fox (he had prematurely graying hair) was solid in his first season, with 11 wins and a 3.77 ERA for 1929. He got off to a rough start for the Bucs in 1930 and was shipped to Chicago. He pitched a little better though not very often in the Windy City, and it ended up his last MLB campaign. Petty then pitched and managed through the mid-30s in the minors. 
• 1956 - The Cards defeated the Pirates, 6-2, at Busch Stadium in a game notable for its batting order. Manager Bobby Bragan batted the pitcher seventh, Maz eighth and Hank Foiles ninth. Mazeroski went 1-for-3 while Foiles homered. The pitcher, Fred Waters, went 0-for-3. Bragan used the ploy next season, too, and then it wouldn’t be repeated in Pittsburgh again until 2008 when John Russell penciled in Paul Maholm to bat eighth, ahead of Jack Wilson. 
• 1959 - Bob Friend gave up 12 hits, but went the distance to shut out SF‚ 6-0. He struck out eight and stranded a dozen G-Men at Forbes Field, backed by a pair of Rocky Nelson homers. Nelson had three hits, three RBI and three runs scored; Dick Groat also posted a trio of raps. 

Bert Blyleven - 1978 Hostess

• 1978 - The Pirates won their 10th game in a row by dropping the Braves, 5-1, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in a matchup of future Hall-of-Famers Bert Blyleven and Phil Niekro. Bert not only pitched his way to victory, but his two-out, bases-loaded double in the seventh cleared the sacks to break a 0-0 tie. Pittsburgh dropped the next two games, then started a fresh 11-game winning streak. But in the end, the Pirates couldn’t catch up to the Phils, who won the division by 1-1/2 games over the 88-73 Buccos. The race went to the wire, with Philly clinching the crown with a 10-8 win over Pittsburgh in the campaign’s next-to-last game.

8/24 From 1980: Reds Broomed; Pre-Game Pow Wow; RunFest; Flag Fever; Sniffin' Sierra; Good Gott; Game Tales; HBD Kevin

• 1980 - RHP Kevin Correia was born in San Diego. He signed as a FA with the Pirates and slashed 11-7/4.01 before the 2011 break and was named to the All-Star team for the first (and only) time of his career, but faded during the stretch. Correia became a long man/sixth starter in 2012 after Wandy Rodriguez was picked up at the deadline, although KC was on a five-game winning streak. He was the first Pirates' pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1981 to start a game one day after appearing in relief when he volunteered to take the hill rather than have the Pirates call up a minor-league starter in 2012, losing the start 3-1. KC signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins following that season after going 24-22/4.49 in his two Pirates campaigns, and tossed his last game in 2015 for the Phillies to end a 13-year MLB career. 
• 1982 - The Bucs looked out of it, down to San Diego by a 5-1 count after six at TRS, but they kept chipping away. They got a pair back in the seventh when a Padre error opened the gate, cut the lead to one in the eighth on Tony Pena & Johnny Ray doubles, and then tied it in the ninth with some flair when Bill Madlock stroked a two-out homer off Gary Lucas. The Friars stranded a pair in both the 10th and 11th frames, with SS Dale Berra making a play in the hole to save a run. The Pirates walked it off in the 11th after Lee Lacy singled, stole second, tagged to third and came in with two outs on Pena’s bouncer up the middle. Lee and Tony led the hit parade with three raps each while Kent Tekulve faced one batter in the final frame for the win. 
• 1984 - Jose DeLeon went into the seventh inning against the Reds pitching a no-hitter, but lost it and the game when ex-Buc Dave Parker singled in a run to give Cincy the lead and eventual 2-0 win at TRS behind a three-hitter by Jeff Russell. Parker had the only Red hit. 

Jim Gott - 1987 Donruss

• 1987 - Peter Gammon wrote in Sports Illustrated that GM Syd Thrift called a team meeting for his young and underachieving Pirate club (53-71) and asked the team to set goals. Reliever Jim Gott suggested aiming for 25 wins in the final 38 games. “Be realistic,” Thrift replied. It ended up that Gott was indeed a bit unrealistic - the team won 27 down the stretch, starting a seven-game winning streak that night with a 5-4 win over the Reds. Gott earned the save. The Pirates hot streak allowed them to finish at a competitive 80-82, though they were still a couple of seasons away from contention under Jim Leyland in the early 90s. 
• 1989 - The Pirates dropped the Houston Astros, 3-2, in 14 frames at TRS. Doug Drabek tossed a nine-inning two-hitter that was tainted by two unearned runs due to three Bucco errors. Doug Bair got the win after Jose Lind’s bonus time sac fly brought home Gary Redus. 
• 1992 - Knight-Ridder News reported that the Pirates were considered the frontrunners to land Texas Ranger rental OF Ruben Sierra, an All-Star hitting .278 w/14 HR. He was in the walk year of his contract and would be owed $1.35M for the rest of the year. Ruben was a right fielder, a spot the Pirates were filling by committee, and even wore #21 in honor of his countryman, Roberto Clemente, but he ultimately went to Oakland as part of a big trade package for Jose Canseco. The major hitch was that Texas wanted SS Carlos Garcia, and the Pirates were reluctant to deal a top prospect for a one-and-done player. 
• 1997 - The “Freak Show” Pirates were on a roll after sweeping the SF Giants at TRS, having won 9-of-12 games to claw their way to within three games of first. The Post Gazette had them featured above the fold on the front page and wrote “And what is this strange ailment suddenly gripping Western Pennsylvania...Pennant fever?” Alas, though it was a precursor of Buctober a couple of decades later, the Corsairs hit their high point on September 2nd when they got within a 1-1/2 games of first place, only to fade and finish in second, five games off the pace. 

• 2002 - The Milwaukee Brewers pounded out 20 hits against the Buccos at PNC Park but it was for naught as the Pirates out-slugged the Brew Crew 17-10. Pittsburgh coasted with a 16-hit attack of their own and were up, 7-2, after three frames and 14-3 after seven innings. The Pirates had seven multi-hit performance, led by Brian Giles with three knocks, and banged out nine two-baggers and a pair of homers (Craig Wilson, Armando Rios) as every Pittsburgh starter scored (Pokey Reese & Rob Mackowiak touched home three times) and all but one chased home runs (Craig Wilson four RBI, Giles and Jason Kendall three). Kip Wells got the win, with help from three relievers.
• 2005 - The Pirates were clobbered by the Cards at PNC Park, 8-3, but staged a much better show before the gates opened. As the two teams were changing over during batting practice, 2-1/2 hours before the game, Redbird coach Dave Duncan chirped at Pirates reliever Rick White, who had buzzed Hector Luna earlier in the set after Luna had gone hard into Jose Castillo and tore up his knee. Lloyd McClendon took exception at the barking, the pair became animated during their discussion, and Bucco coach Gerald Perry stepped between the duo, eventually popping Duncan in the jaw. Dunc and St. Louis reliever Ray King were both dragged away from the escalating brouhaha, and peace was restored under the watchful eye of four bemused city cops (there was no ump intervention; the shoving match was over before they arrived in the yard).
• 2007 - The Pirates’ Xavier Nady hit a two-out homer to tie the game in the ninth off Brad Lidge and then the Bucs erupted in the 15th inning to take an 8-3 victory from the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Adam LaRoche’s three-run shot in the 15th off Travis Driskill was the big blow. Shane Youman picked up the win after two innings of scoreless relief with four K against Houston. Six Pirates relievers tossed eight shutout frames, giving up just six hits and striking out eight. The Nady-Lidge result was deja vu all over again from Opening Day in Houston, when the X-Man pounded a two-out, ninth-inning bomb to knot the score in a game the Pirates won in the 10th frame. 

Xavier Nady - 2007 Topps Gold

• 2019 - After going 8-30 after the All-Star break and falling deep into the cellar, the Pirates showed signs of life against the Cincinnati Reds. After scoring twice in the ninth to walk off Cincy, 3-2, the night before, the Bucs unloaded the lumber in a 14-0 romp at PNC Park. Colin Moran smacked a pinch-hit grand slam, Josh Bell swatted a three-run four-bagger and Kevin Newman reached base five times with three raps and a pair of free passes to lead the attack. Trevor Williams scattered three hits over six innings with three guys behind him spinning shutout ball. The Corsairs followed up by jumping to an early lead in the third game of the series the next afternoon to broom the Redlegs, 9-8, their first sweep since downing San Diego in June.

8/23: J-Hay Walk Off; String of Hits; Heart Of the Order Beats; Grannie Adam; Zisk, Scoops, Roberto Rampages; Pops Out; Game Tales; HBD Tyler, Denny & Guy

• 1901 - RHP Guy “Mississippi Mudcat” Bush was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi. Guy worked in 1935-36 for Pittsburgh toward the end of his 17-year career, posting a line of 12-14-4/4.46 in 57 outings. He started in his first season and was converted to the pen in his second; that didn’t go so well and he was released in July. He did make the record books with the Bucs, though - he served up Babe Ruth’s final two home runs at Forbes Field in 1935 with the Bambino’s last dinger being the first ever to clear the right-field roof. He got his nickname from Chicago sportswriters who liked to describe him as a homespun backwoods boy. 

Howie Camnitz - 1907 Pgh Press

• 1907 - Howie Camnitz threw a five-inning, complete game no-hitter (although not even earning an asterisk as it didn’t go the required nine innings) with four walks against the New York Giants Mike Lynch, who only surrendered two singles, at the Polo Grounds. The game was the nitecap of a doubleheader. After the first match went extra innings (the Pirates won 4-2 in 10 frames behind Sam Leever and Honus Wagner’s three hits), the teams agreed to the shortened, five frame second game. Pittsburgh took the truncated nightcap by a 1-0 tally. 
• 1910 - Despite manager and LF’er Fred Clarke’s four assists from the outfield, the Bucs fell, 6-2, to the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field. Clarke’s four toss-outs - one at home, another at third, and two more at second - set an individual NL record. He also made a neat running catch in the eighth inning to take away extra bases from John Titus. Chief Wilson joined in with an assist from RF, bringing the team's total to five, which tied the NL single-game mark. 
• 1959 - The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Dodgers, beating Don Drysdale in both games. As a starter, Drysdale lost the opener, 9-2, lasting 2-2/3 frames, then relieved in the nitecap, taking a 4-3 loss in the 10th inning. ElRoy Face won his 16th of the year without a loss in the second game, equaling Cal Hubbell's (1936) and Ewell Blackwell's (1947) record streaks. 
• 1970 - Roberto Clemente had his second straight five-hit game against Los Angeles, the first 20th century major leaguer to collect 10 hits in consecutive games (per Bill Christine of the Press, skipper Danny Murtaugh said: “Ten hits in two games! When I was playing, it would take me three or four weeks to get that many.”) Clemente banged a homer, double, three RBI and scored four runs in the 11-0 win at Dodger Stadium. Bill Mazeroski added four raps while Freddy Patek, Matty Alou and Manny Sanguillen each had three knocks as the Buccos collected 23 hits against the Angelinos. Steve Blass cruised to the victory, tossing a complete game four-hitter with eight whiffs. 

Al Oliver - 1971 Topps

• 1971 - Al Oliver was hot, going 5-for-6 against the Braves with two homers, four runs scored and five RBI in a 15-4 Pirates romp at Atlanta Stadium, falling a double shy of the cycle (in the ninth, he swatted his second homer instead of a two-bagger; we suspect that he considered it a fair trade-off). Roberto Clemente added three hits, including a long ball, while four more Bucs had two raps each. Bob Moose got the win though Nellie Briles had to pick up the final four frames. The Bravos returned the favor the next day by romping 15-5. 
• 1975 - Richie Zisk went 4-for-4 with a homer, a double and a sac fly to drive home six runs, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Pirates gifted the Giants seven unearned runs in the fifth inning to drop a 12-7 decision at TRS. With two outs and two on, Joe Morgan’s grounder ticked off Rennie Stennett’s mitt and the floodgates opened - three pitchers, three walks, two hits and a wild pitch later, the G-Men had overrun Bruce Kison and company. 
• 1977 - It was a back-and-forth game to the end: up by a run with Goose Gossage on the bump in the ninth, Padre Gene Tenace launched a two-out solo homer to tie the game after the Pirates had rallied for the lead in the eighth. But Al Oliver had an answer when he led off the Bucco half with a blast off Rollie Fingers to give the Pirates a 7-6 win over San Diego at TRS. Scoops and Dave Parker had a pair of hits each and Bill Robinson added a two-run long ball to give the Goose a blown save/victory. It was also announced that Willie Stargell would have surgery on his elbow and he’d be lost for the rest of the season after having already spent six weeks on the DL. He bounced back after the procedure during the next campaign, landing an All-Star berth in ‘78. 
• 1980 - RHP Denny Bautista was born in Sanchez, Dominican Republic. He was the epitome of a journeyman, tossing for six teams in seven MLB years while slashing 11-15/5.88. The Pirates traded with Detroit for him in 2008, returning a minor leaguer, and from 2008-09, his Pittsburgh line was 5-4/5.89 in 49 outings. The 6’5” reliever moved on to the Giants in 2010 for his last big league campaign, and closed out his pro years in Korea and Mexico. 

Denny Bautista - 2008 Topps

• 1988 - Dave LaPoint tossed a five-hitter and Andy Van Slyke drilled a two-run homer in the seventh to carry the Bucs to a 2-0 win over Cincinnati at TRS. LaPoint and Norm Charlton traded zeroes until the seventh. After the Bucs scored, the Red staged a two-out rally in the eighth to chase LaPoint, but Jim Gott came on to save the day. LaPoint ended up a rental who went 4-2/2.77 for the Bucs in the stretch, with this being his sole shutout start. 
• 1993 - RHP Tyler Glasnow was born in Newhall, California. Glasnow was the Pirates 5th round pick in the 2011 draft and the prep star gave up a ride to the University of Portland by signing for a $600 K. Tyler dominated in the minors and was a consensus Top 25 Prospect, getting his first call to the show in 2016. He broke camp with the club the following year but was sent back to Indy in June after being batted around in the rotation and got 13 starts with the big club in 2017. He was sent to Tampa Bay in 2018 as part of the Chris Archer deal after working out of the Bucco bullpen and became a poster boy for change-of-scenery swaps. 
• 2001 - The Pirates defeated the Diamondbacks, 5-1, in front of 30,784 at PNC Park, despite a 16-strikeout performance by Randy Johnson, who became the first pitcher in history to fan 300 batters in four straight seasons. Johnson only gave up six hits, but he walked nine batters in the loss to Tony McKnight and the bullpen. The big blows off the Big Unit were a two-run homer by Kevin Young and two-run pinch-hit double by Keith Osik, both in the seventh. 
• 2002 - The Pirates were down, 3-2, in the seventh against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, and it had been a frustrating day - they had left the bases loaded with two gone in the first and with nobody out in the sixth. They looked destined to fall into the same trap once again when Pittsburgh juiced the bases with no outs, then Craig Wilson and Kevin Young fanned. Adam Hyzdu came to the rescue; he popped an 0-1 pitch into the stands for his third long ball in four games (Adam’s granny broke a string of 11 straight solo bombs by the Pirates) to give the Bucs a lead they wouldn’t lose. The bullpen was nearly flawless; Mike Lincoln got the win, Brian Boehringer the hold and Mike Williams notched his 36th save as they tossed four scoreless frames, giving up just two hits, to carry home the 6-3 victory.

Mike Williams - 2008 Upper Deck 40 Man

• 2014 - The Pirates 4-5-6 hitters (Neil Walker, Russ Martin & Pedro Alvarez) went 7-for-11 with three walks, two doubles, three homers, six runs scored and 10 RBI to help rough up the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 at Miller Park. Alvarez hit a pair of opposite field homers after a six week long ball drought, one of them coming back-to-back following Martin’s blast into the bullpen. Edinson Volquez got the win with clutch pitching - he gave up 11 hits in 5-2/3 IP, but stranded runners at second and third with no outs once and later in the game worked out of a bases loaded jam with one out against Ryan Braun & Aramis Ramirez coming up.
• 2016 - The first six Pirates to bat hit safely against Houston’s Joe Musgrove - Adam Frazier (single), Matt Joyce (double), Andrew McCutchen (double), Gregory Polanco (single), David Freese (single) & Josh Bell (single) - before Bell was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, and the Bucs scored four times on the way to a 7-1 victory at PNC Park. Ivan Nova tossed a complete game six-hitter on 98 pitches, losing a shutout in the ninth inning, while Polanco launched a pair of home runs. It was the first time since 1975 that the Pirates strung together that many knocks to open a game when the first eight Buccos banged out hits. Despite that soft rookie outing, Musgrove joined the Pirates as a major piece of the 2018 Gerrit Cole trade with the ‘Stros, then in turn becoming the centerpiece of a 2021 trade to San Diego. 
• 2017 - The Dodgers Rich Hill took a perfect game into the ninth inning at PNC Park and a no-hitter into the 10th; both went by the wayside as the Pirates prevailed in an unlikely 1-0 victory. The perfecto was lost on Logan Forsythe’s error while the no-no, shutout, and game were deep-sixed by Josh Harrison’s leadoff, walk-off homer in overtime. Trevor Williams matched zeroes with him through eight innings without the style points - he gave up seven hits, four walks and bopped a batter, but stranded nine runners thanks to a pair of DPs and a throw-out on the bases. Felipe Rivero and Juan Nicasio kept the Trolley Dodgers at bay for the win. Game factoids: J-Hay is the first and so far only player to end a no-hit bid with a walk off HR. On the bump, Hill became just the second pitcher to lose a no-hitter via a walk off hit, joining the original Heartbreak Kid, the Pirates’ Harvey Haddix, who lost his perfect game in 1959 in the 13th inning. Going into the game, the Pirates had scored five or more runs in seven straight games for the first time since 1996, so Hill was spinning his magic against a team that was on a roll. 

Michael Feliz - 2019 photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

• 2019 - A couple of “up” outings by a pair of Pirates pitchers who had decidedly up-and-down seasons and a ninth-inning uprising carried the Bucs to a 3-2 win over the Reds at PNC Park. Mitch Keller struck out nine in six innings, but left runners on first and third with no outs during a 1-1 game for Michael Feliz in the seventh. It took Feliz 12 pitches to retire the next three Redlegs swinging. Cincy edged ahead in the eighth, but the Pirates lit it up in the ninth. Four of the five batters hit safely - the only out was a sac bunt - with Adam Frazier’s rap tying the game and Pablo Reyes walking it off with a single to give Felipe Vazquez the victory.