10/24 From 1955: Trevor Trade, Williams Signs, Coach Maz, Nellie Croons, '06 CBA OK'ed, HBD Colin, Chase, Chris, Arthur, Rafe, Dave & Junior

1959 - C Adalberto “Junior” Ortiz was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Junior caught for the Bucs from 1982-83 (.264 BA), spent a year with the Mets, and came back again between 1985-89. In seven seasons, the reserve hit .262 during his career. We’re not sure where Junior picked up his moniker (he’s not a junior by name, but he did start stateside in the minors at age 17 and reached the Bucs as a 22 year-old, so maybe it’s just due to his youth). Ortiz embraced it; he even joked after the birth of Adalberto Jr. that he would call him “Junior Junior.” 

1959 - RHP Dave Johnson was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Dave got his first pro shot with Pittsburgh in 1987, giving up seven runs in 6-1/3 IP. He bounced back to have a couple of solid stints for Baltimore before calling it quits after five years of MLB duty following the 1993 season. His son, Steve, also worked in the show, tossing for Baltimore O’s and Seattle Mariners. 

1961 - SS Rafael Belliard was born in Pueblo Nuevo, Dominican Republic. He played his first nine seasons (1982-90) in Pittsburgh as a good glove shortstop, hitting .218 during that time but ranking first in the NL in fielding percentage in 1988. Belliard went on to play the second half of his career in Atlanta and was part of the ‘91-92 teams that beat the Bucs in the NLCS. He’s coached for the Tigers in the majors & farm, and been a minor-league coach for Atlanta. Since 2019, Rafe has worked for KC as an IF coordinator/special ass't of baseball ops.

1969 - LHP Arthur Rhodes was born in Waco, Texas. Rhodes spent 20 years in the show and pitched for nine teams. He was also a Bucco for a brief winter visit. The Pirates got him from Oakland in late November of 2004 along with Mark Redman for Jason Kendall; two weeks later he was on his way to Cleveland for Matt Lawton. His last MLB gig was in 2011 before he retired officially prior to the 2015 campaign and now coaches for the Hagerstown club of the Atlantic League.

1971 - Pitcher Nellie Briles converted from the mound to the stage as he opened an eight-day run at the Holiday House in Monroeville. His act was well received, with a set list of pop hits and, of course, “Take Me Out To the Ballgame.” He cracked wise between tunes, and dedicated the song “We Almost Made It This Time, Didn’t We?” to Earl Weaver. Briles actually was a fairly talented performer, working the local night club circuit (and Mr. Kelly’s in Chicago) for a couple of years with a song & comedy routine and even recording a novelty disk ("Hey Hank, I Know You're Gonna Do It," inspired by Henry Aaron). He then became a TV voice before passing away in 2005.

1972 - Bill Mazeroski was officially released from the Pirates after 17 seasons, becoming Bill Virdon’s third base coach. He only played 34 games and hit .188 in his final campaign as a bench infielder (.260 lifetime). The Hall-of-Famer left a legacy of 10 All-Star games, eight Golden Gloves and two World Series championships. His number #9 was retired in 1987 and his statue was erected at PNC Park in 2010. He still shows up in the spring to mingle with the boys as health allows. Also, IF Jose Pagan was released after eight years in Pittsburgh with a .263 BA in 625 games. He caught on for a final campaign with Philly and then returned to the flock as a Bucco coach until his pssing in 2026. 

1978 - RHP Chris Bootcheck was born in LaPorte, Indiana. Chris worked parts of seven big league seasons (2007 with the LAA was his only full season in the show) and made a stop in Pittsburgh in 2009, earning no decisions while putting up an 11.05 ERA in 13 outings. Bootcheck did earn a paycheck for 14 professional seasons, including a couple in Japan, before retiring after the ‘14 campaign at the age of 35. He’s coached for the Georgia State University Panthers since 2016.  

1996 - RHP Chase Shugart was born in Bridge City, Texas. He was a 12th round draft pick of Boston in 2018 and made his MLB debut in 2024. It was a brief, cup--of-coffee look and the BoSox DFA’ed him in the offseason. The Bucs swapped untested minor league RHP Matt McShane, who ended the year in High A, for Shugart. Chase started at Indy but came on to become a solid contributor to the Bucco bullpen, slashing 4-3/3.40 in 35 outings while winning his first MLB game.

Chase Shugart - 2025 Pirates image

1997 - RHP Colin Selby was born in Chesapeake, Virginia. He was drafted in the 16th round of the 2018 draft by the Bucs and worked through the system, converting from a starter to the bullpen.  Selby’s a high strikeout, high walk guy who showed well in the Arizona Fall League and was called up from Indy (0-0-6/3.86; 41 K & 22 BB in 30-1/3 IP) in early August, 2023. He slashed 2-2/9.00 in 21 outings, struggling with long ball and control issues. Colin was traded to KC in ‘24, and the Royals sold his contract to the O’s; he spent most of his time stashed in AAA as a yo-yo arm in ‘24-’25.

2005 - LHP Dave Williams avoided arbitration and signed a one-year/$1.5M deal with the Pirates. Williams had slashed 10-11/4.41 for the Bucs in ‘05 in his fourth campaign with the club, then after signing was swapped to Cincinnati for 1B Sean Casey. That was just his first move; the Reds sent him to the Mets early in the ‘06 campaign. He underwent surgery for a herniated disc in 2007, and that ended his MLB career. Dave pitched in the minors, Japan and an indie league, coached a bit for Toronto and at last check owns a Georgia pharmacy. 

2006 - The Players Association and MLB announced that they had agreed on a new CBA (two months early!) that would run for five years through the 2011 season. It jiggled some items and finances, but there were no major changes except that the winning All-Star team would host the World Series and the removal of MLB’s chief threat to the union, contraction. The players voted on and ratified the new deal in December, continuing labor peace since 1995.

2015 - The Miami Marlins traded RHP Trevor Williams to the Pirates for Rookie League hurler Richard Mitchell. The Fish had earlier hired Pirates pitching assistant Jim Benedict, and it was thought that swapping a potential MLB back-ender for a long shot prospect was de facto compensation for the signing. Willy made 109 Bucco outings (94 starts) with a line of 31-37/4.43. His last couple of seasons were rough and he signed with the Cubs as a FA in 2021. He was traded to the Mets the following year, and is now tossing for the Nats. The 20-year-old Mitchell never advanced past Rookie League ball.

10/23: Mac Hired, Cobra AP All-Star, Danny MOTY, Dizzy Dean Tour, Manny Joins Up, Josh #2, Glasnow MiLB POTY, Frank Fired, Prine Resigns, Feeney Honored, HBD Zach, Denny, Jim, Groundhog, Billy & Lave

1881 - LHP Lafayette “Lave” Winham was born in Brooklyn. He relieved once in 1902 for the hometown Superbas and the Pirates took him via waiver wire the following season. His counting numbers in a small sample were excellent - 3-1/2.25, 22 K in 36 IP, quite good for the era - but he walked 21 over the same period, gave up a hit per inning and less than half the runs he surrendered (nine of 20) were earned, although his FIP wasn’t too bad at 3.28. But that was his last MLB campaign, and one more year in the minors closed out his pro days. 

1910 - C Billy Sullivan Jr. was born in Chicago. The son of 16-year vet C Billy Sullivan, he played football at Notre Dame and was advised by his dad to get a good contract and avoid the minors if he wanted to play baseball; Junior apparently listened. While his compensation isn’t known, he began his MLB career as a 20-year-old, avoiding the farm entirely. He put in 11 years with six teams before he entered the service in 1941; he didn’t return to baseball until 1947 at age 36 for a last hurrah with the Pirates. He hit .255 in 38 games, not too shabby considering the five-year layoff, and with that out of his system, he retired to Florida where he ran a construction firm.

1918 - LHP Frank “Groundhog” Thompson was born in Merryville (Maryville?), Louisiana. Groundhog got his name due to his unique appearance; he had a short (5’2”), squat build, cleft lip and bulging eyes to go along with a fastball, sinker and curve. He spent 10 years in the Negro Leagues, toiling for Homestead from 1946-48, and was a member of the Grays last championship club. 

1931 - RHP Jim Bunning was born in Southgate, Kentucky. The Hall of Famer tossed for the Bucs in 1968 and part of 1969, compiling a 14-23 mark with a 3.84 ERA before being traded to the LA Dodgers for a pair of minor leaguers as a 37-year-old. In a 17-year career, Bunning tossed a perfecto and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame. He did pretty well as a politico in Kentucky when he was done twirling the horsehide, climbing the electoral ladder from a member of City Council to eventually become a six-term Congressman and two-term Senator.

Deans Visit Town - 10/24/1934 Press

1934 - The final game of Dizzy & Daffy Dean’s tour (the Deans were ending their barnstorming to begin a vaudeville tour) was played at Forbes Field as the Crawfords won, 4-3, before 2,500 fans. The contest featured a tasty matchup, with Dizzy facing Satchel Paige; Dean had gone 30-7/2.66 during the year while Satch posted a Negro League line of 13-3/1.54. The game turned intense in the fourth inning when the players went at it after an ump changed a call on the Craws’ fiery Vic Harris, who erupted (he and the man in blue had a history, it seems). Harris was removed from the game and charged with assault by bruised and battered chief umpire Jim Ahearn, earning the Crawford six months probation from a local magistrate. Peace wasn’t restored until a flying squad from #4 Station House on Forbes Avenue came to the rescue. As for the match itself, the Deans held a 3-1 lead in the eighth when the Crawfords scored three times with two down, keyed by a two-run homer by Josh Gibson, who had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Oscar Charleston and Curt Harris also had a pair of raps for Pittsburgh to help Bert Hunter claim the win over the Dean team.

1958 - In his first full year as skipper, Danny Murtaugh won the United Press “Manager of the Year” award. Hired on an interim basis after Bobby Bragan was fired in 1957, Murtaugh hit the ground running and finished the year with a 26-26 record. He was rewarded with a one-year deal and took the club from 62 wins and last place in ‘57 to 84 victories and a second-place finish in 1958. The Whistling Irishman easily defeated Fred Haney of the Milwaukee Braves and Bill Rigney of the San Francisco Giants, taking 18 of the 24 votes cast by the UPI writers’ panel.

1978 - Dave Parker led the voting as a selection to the Associated Press National League All-Star squad. Easily outpolling the Reds’ George Foster. The Cobra led the Senior Circuit with a .334 BA and came in second with 117 RBI. Parker was the only Bucco who was named to the NL team.

1981 - RHP Manny Sarmiento was sold by the Boston Red Sox to the Pirates. He gave the Pirates two strong campaigns in 1982-83, going 12-9/3.25 in 87 appearances (17 starts) while working 249 frames but blew out his elbow in camp the next season, effectively finishing his career.

Manny Sarmiento - 1983 Topps

1982 - RHP Denny Bautista was born in Sanchez, Dominican Republic. The vet pitched in 2008-09 for the Pirates, going 5-4/5.89. Denny was a second cousin of Pedro Martinez and while pitching chops didn’t prove to be a family hand-me-down, he did manage a seven-year MLB career, ending with the Giants in 2010. Bautista then tossed for the Korean, Mexican and Dominican Leagues through the 2015-16 winter campaign, with a 2015 stop in the Boston system.

1987 - Malcolm “Mac” Prine resigned as president of the Pittsburgh Associates, the Pirates ownership group that he had helped to cobble together back in 1985. He cited conflicts with GM Syd Thrift, whom he had hired, as the reason for leaving. Carl Barger, who was also involved in the formation of the PA, replaced Mac and in turn got Thrift’s resignation after the 1988 season ended.

1992 - RHP Zach Thompson was born in Burleson, Texas. Zach went 3-7 as a 27-year-old rookie for Miami, but with a strong 3.24 ERA and was part of the return from the 2022 Jake Stallings trade. The soft tosser was hoped to shore up a thin starting staff and broke camp as part of the Pirates rotation, but finished the year with a 3-10/5.18 line and swingman status. He was traded to Toronto in the postseason and spent the year tossing for Class AAA Buffalo. Zach worked briefly for the Atlanta Braves in ‘25.

1996 - Post Gazette sports writer Charley Feeney was selected for the Spink Award, awarded by the BBWAA. Feeney was the Pirates' beat man from 1966-86 and became the fourth local media dude to be so honored, joining broadcasters Bob Prince (1986) and Milo Hamilton (1992), along with writer/editor Wendell Smith of the Pittsburgh Courier (1993). Smith also won the Spink honor; the Gunner and Milo were Ford Frick Award winners and all are recognized in the "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mac Gets The Job - 10/24/2000 photo Martha Rial/Post-Gazette

2000 - The Pirates hired deposed manager Gene Lamont’s batting coach, Lloyd McClendon, as their new skipper even though he had no prior experience as a manager. McClendon spent his last five MLB seasons as a player with the Buccos before joining Lamont’s staff. He inked a three-year deal, thought to be worth $500K per season. Lloyd managed Pittsburgh through 2005, spent time with Jim Leyland as a coach at Detroit and was the skipper for Seattle from 2014-15. He returned as Motown’s hitting coach and ‘20 interim manager, but didn’t survive the ensuing postseason shuffle, returning a year later when was named manager of Detroit’s AAA Toledo club in 2022 as his last stop.

2014 - 21-year-old RHP Tyler Glasnow was selected as MiLB.com’s Starting Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The 6-7 hurler, selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft and signed to a $600K bonus, went 12-5 with a 1.74 ERA while averaging 11.4 K per nine innings at High Class A Bradenton and he zoomed through the Bucco organization. He got some MLB starts in 2016-17, but was relegated to bullpen duty the following year before being sent to Tampa Bay as part of the Chris Archer deal. His Bucco line was 3-11/5.79 in 56 games, with 17 starts; as a Ray, he has a 27-16/3.20/12+ K per nine innings slash in his six years (71 starts) while dropping his walk rate from six batters per game to three despite a rash of injuries (arm, TJ surgery, oblique); last year was his first Rays campaign that Ty posted over 20 starts (21) and 100+ innings (120 IP) of work. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.

2017 - Josh Bell’s .255/26 HR/90 RBI line was pretty good for his rookie campaign but not strong enough to catch LA Dodger sensation Cody Bellinger (.267/39/97) for The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year. Bell came in second, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals Paul DeJong and nosing out the Chicago Cubs Ian Happ, behind the landslide win (97 votes to 2-2-1) by Bellinger. 

2019 - After 12 years at the helm, Pirates President Frank Coonelly was let go as Pittsburgh continued to clean house. Former Penguins COO and at-the-time Islander Business Operations guy Travis Williams was named to replace him the following Monday; his name was leaked within hours of Coonelly’s dismissal. The move made baseball/business operations more independent of one another, although it didn’t loosen the payroll purse drawstring appreciably.

10/22: Clines-Dyer, Cutch TSN All-Star, Clint TSN Manager OTY, Big Daddy TSN Comeback Player, Scrap Iron SI Cover, HBD Alen, Bix, Keith, Wilbur, Harry The Hat, Possum & Jughandle Johnny

1885 - Pittsburgh hosted a prototype world series that it wasn’t even part of. The 1885 World Series was an ad hoc post-season playoff roadshow between the NL champion Chicago White Stockings and American Association champion St. Louis Browns, played in four different cities. The fifth game was played at Recreation Park in Pittsburgh. The day was cold and fewer than 500 people showed up. Chicago won 9-2, with the game called after seven innings because of darkness.

1895 - RHP “Jughandle Johnny” Morrison was born in Pellville, Kentucky. He worked eight seasons (1920-27) for the Pirates with an 89-71-14 record and 3.52 ERA. In 1921, he was part of a Pirate brother act when sib Phil made the roster. Jughandle twice led the senior circuit in shutouts with three in 1921 and five in 1922.  But his best campaign was in 1923 when he was 25-13-2/3.49 w/301 innings worked. He led the NL in outings in 1924 with 41 and again in 1925 with 44, with 51 starts in that span. In 1925, Johnny was 17-14-4 for the pennant-winning Pirates and pitched three games in the World Series against the Washington Senators without a decision, striking out seven in 9-1/3 frames. He got his nickname from his sweeping curve that bent like a jug handle.

1916 - Announcer Jim Woods was born in Kansas City. He was a sidekick of Bob Prince at KDKA from 1958-69, where he was known as "The Possum." Woods worked for the Yankees, Giants and NBC before coming to Pittsburgh, moving later to the Cardinals, Athletics and Red Sox, then finishing his career as an announcer for the USA Network's Thursday Night Baseball games. Woods picked up his nickname of "Possum" while with New York. He had a slight overbite and close-cropped hair, and as he walked into the clubhouse fresh from a haircut, Enos Slaughter (or perhaps Whitey Ford; they're the two likeliest suspects), looked him over and said, "I've seen better heads on a possum." Prince picked up on and popularized the Yankees moniker so that even the Gunner's wife Betty would introduce Woods’ spouse Audrey as “Mrs. Possum.”

1916 - Harry “The Hat” Walker was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Walker was hired in 1965 to replace Danny Murtaugh, who stepped down for health reasons. The Pirates contended for the pennant during the 1965 and 1966 seasons, finishing third behind the left-coast one-two punch of the champion Los Angeles Dodgers and runner-up San Francisco Giants. But when the 1967 Pirates stumbled to a .500 mark in mid-season, Walker was let go in favor of his predecessor, Murtaugh. He left his mark, though, by building an attacking, offensive mindset within the organization. Walker got his nickname from his habit of tugging on his cap between pitches as a player.

Wilbur Wood - photo/Cooperstown Collection

1941 - RHP Wilbur Wood was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The knuckleballer spent four years with Boston and then 1964-65 w/Pittsburgh (1-3/3.18 in 37 games), never finding a spot while mixing his regular stuff with the dancer. He was traded to the White Sox for Juan Pizarro. That’s where Hoyt Wilhelm convinced him into converting into a straight knuckler and his career took off. He made 292 relief appearances over four years for Chicago and then flipped to the rotation, where he made 40> starts for five straight years, worked 300+ IP for four of those seasons and won 20+ games four times (he won 16 times & threw 291 IP in 1975). He ended his 17-year career in 1978 at age 37 with 651 appearances (297 starts), 164 wins, a 3.24 ERA and 52.2 WAR.

1968 - C Keith Osik was born in Port Jefferson, NY. Osik played for the Bucs from 1996-2002 as a catcher and utility guy, even pitching twice in blowout games while hitting .231. He’s been the head baseball coach since 2005 at Farmingdale State College SUNY, a Division III school located on Long Island, and taken his Rams to eight NCAA D-3 Tournament appearances as skipper.

1974 - The Pirates traded OF Gene Clines to the New York Mets for C Duffy Dyer. Dyer was a Pirate reserve for four years, mostly playing behind Manny Sanguillen. Clines didn’t do much for the Mets, but still had a couple of decent seasons left in him before hanging up the spikes after the 1979 season with a 10-year .277 career BA (.287 as a Pirate). He then coached for the Astros, Mariners, Cubs, Giants and Dodgers organizations until he passed away in Florida in 2022.

1979 - Phil Garner was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated during SI’s WS coverage. Scrap Iron had a hot hand and ended up a pretty solid choice for SI to feature, hitting .500 (12-for-24) in the October Classic, banging out four doubles, scoring four runs and driving home five teammates.

1982 - Utility man Brian Bixler was born in Sandusky, Ohio. He was drafted by the Pirates in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft from Eastern Michigan U. Bix looked good in the minors and even made Team USA in 2007. He got 68 yo-yo games between 2008-09 to show his stuff, but hit just .189 for Pittsburgh. The Bucs traded him to Cleveland; then the Tribe sold him back to the Pirates and 11 minor-league games later Pittsburgh sold him to the Nats. BB played a bit for the Washington Nats and the Houston Astros, then hung up the spikes after the 2014 season following a stint in the San Diego Padres’ system.

Big Daddy - 1985 Fleer

1985 - RHP Rick Reuschel, 36, won The Sporting News NL “Comeback Player of the Year” award by going 14-8/2.27 for the Bucs after posting a 2-5/5.17 line with the Cubs in 1984. He still had plenty in the tank, going on to win 58 more games from 1986-89 for the Pirates and Giants. Big Daddy was preceded by The Deacon, Vern Law (1965), and Willie “Pops” Stargell (1978) as Pittsburgh Comeback awardees with Frankie Liriano joining the club in 2013.

1992 - Utilityman Alen Hanson was born in La Romana, Dominican Republic. A prize IF prospect (his development allowed the Bucs to let Dilson Herrera go in a trade), his bat and glove never quite matched the hype. In two call-ups with the Pirates in 2016-17, he was seldom used and produced little (92 PAs, .205 BA). Out of options, the Pirates waived him in June of 2017 and he was claimed by the White Sox. Alen hit .231 for them, playing five positions plus DH while swiping nine bases in 11 tries. He joined the Giants in 2018, playing four spots and batting .252 in a career-high 110 games, but it didn’t carry over - he got into just 18 games for Toronto in 2019, hitting .163. He’s been playing in the Dominican & Mexican leagues since that time, with a ‘23 stop in Japan.

2013 - The Sporting News named Clint Hurdle NL Manager of the Year as he led the Pirates to the playoffs after breaking a 20-year string of losing seasons with a 94-win campaign. The Bucs won the NL Wild Card Game against the Reds before dropping a five-game series against the NL Central champs St Louis in the 2013 NLDS. The Baseball Writers seconded the emotion on November 12th.

2014 - CF Andrew McCutchen was the only Pirate named to The Sporting News NL All-Star team even though the club earned a wild-card berth. Still, the Bucs showed well - 3B Josh Harrison & 2B Neil Walker were runners-up, while C Russ Martin and LHP Tony Watson were also in the mix, finishing third.

10/21: Danny MOTY, Giusti Deal, Pena Lure, KD Contract, All-Stars Johnny & Ralph, Frankie Comeback, Cam ExOTY, Jim Signs, AVS FA, Burwell Bumped, RIP Herb, HBD Marc, Ron & Pap

1917 - LHP Frank “Pap” Papish was born in Pueblo, Colorado. Frank worked five post-war years from 1945-49 pretty effectively for the White Sox and Indians, but his effort to squeeze out one more campaign in Pittsburgh fell flat, as he required some hospital time for a bad back. The 32-year-old southpaw retired just seven of the 19 batters he faced and compiled a 27.00 ERA. He began and ended his Pirates stay at AAA Indianapolis, where he rebounded for the remainder of 1950 but from ‘51-53 couldn’t put up an ERA south of five. Pap retired from pro ball at 35 after brief auditions with the Indians, White Sox and Senators.

1941 - OF Ron Davis was born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. He ended his five-year MLB run, mostly spent with Houston, with Pittsburgh in 1969, batting .234 primarily as a pinch hitter after coming over from St. Louis in the Tommie Sisk/Chris Cannizzaro deal. Davis finished out his pro days with two more seasons in AAA. His son, Ike, spent time with the Bucs in 2014. 

1947 - In its second-ever MLB All-Star team, the Associated Press named Pirates OF Ralph Kiner to the 10-man squad. Ralph had some pretty sweet company in the pasture, joining Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio while earning a spot by hitting .313 with 51 HR and 127 RBI. Oddly enough, he didn’t garner a spot on the NL All-Star team, but did begin a six-year AS run the following season.

1948 - Third base coach Bill Burwell was relieved of his major league duties by manager Billy Meyer. Burwell stayed with the organization and was reassigned as a minor league pitching coach (he notably mentored Vern Law, teaching him how to change speeds and throw the change-up) and scout. He later rejoined the big club from 1958-62 as the pitching guru for Danny Murtaugh.

Dave Giusti - 1971 Pirates Picture Pack

1969 - RHP Dave Giusti and C Dave Ricketts came over from St. Louis for 1B/OF Carl Taylor and minor league OF Frank Vanzin. Giusti spent seven years in the Buc bullpen and posted a 47-28-133/2.94 line after the Pirates converted him from a starter to the relief corps, a switch that made his trade one of the Buccos' shrewder deals. Ricketts didn’t have a lot of on-field impact (he hit .182 in his only Bucco season) as a player, but was a popular clubhouse figure. He played basketball at Duquesne with his brother Dick and coached in Pittsburgh from 1971-73 before returning to the Cards to become a long time field coach and catching mentor. Taylor spent four more years in the show as a bench player, including a brief return to Pittsburgh in September of 1971, while Vanzin never advanced past Class AAA and was done with pro ball after 1970.

1970 - Danny Murtaugh was voted as the NL Manager of the Year by the Associated Press. The sportswriters/broadcasters gave him a 146-131 margin over Sparky Anderson, skipper of the West Division titlists, the Cincy Reds. Murtaugh’s Bucs finished five games ahead of the Cubs in the NL East but Sparky had the last laugh - the Pirates were swept by the Redlegs in the NLCS, losing the opener in extra innings, then dropping the next pair of games by 3-1 and 3-2 counts.

1970 - RHP Marc Wilkins was born in Mansfield, Ohio. He spent his entire six-season MLB career (1996-2001) as a Bucco reliever (he started two games as a rookie), putting up a line of 19-14-3/4.28 while appearing in 245 outings. It was a pretty strong run for a guy who Pittsburgh selected in the 47th round of the 1992 draft. The U of Toledo product is now a financial advisor in Mansfield.

Marc Wilkins - 1997 Ultra reverse

1982 - The Los Angeles Examiner wrote that the Dodgers and Pirates were tinkering with a deal that would send 24-year-old C Tony Pena to LA for either OF Mike Marshall, 22, or 1B Greg Brock, 24. Though the talks broke off, the youngsters were all legit. Marshall lasted 11 years in the show, belting double-digit home runs for eight straight campaigns while compiling a .270  BA and landing in an AS Game. Brock spent 10 years in the league, hitting with some pop but putting up a .265+ average just twice, with a lifetime .248 BA. Pena was special. He earned five All-Star slots in an 18-year run, batting .260. Tony was eventually traded for Andy Van Slyke after the 1986 campaign. 

1983 - 2B Johnny Ray was named to the UPI NL-All Star team after batting .283; he also won a Silver Slugger award. In housekeeping news, the Pirates added AAA Hawaii prospects OF Bobby Bonilla, IF Denny Gonzalez and RHPs Mike Bielicki & Ray Krawczyk to the 40-man roster to replace free agent departees OF Dave Parker and pitchers Kent Tekulve, Mike Bibby and Dave Tomlin. 3B Richie Hebner would join the list of Buccos flying the coop a week later.

1987 - Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press reported some tire kicking: A discussed deal for OF Glenn Wilson with the Phils was at an impasse (Philly wanted young, front-line pitching, either Doug Drabek or Mike Dunne) and talks re: LA OF Mike Marshall were going on but “not serious” yet, per Thrift. It was a busy day. Manager Jim Leyland announced that his contract for 1988 was signed, Thrift and Prine were at loggerheads over Syd’s upcoming deal (it was supposedly agreed on on October 1st but not signed), banging heads on who had the final OK on personnel moves, and KDKA agreed to broadcast all 162 games on radio and 42 on TV. This agreement left the Pirates holding radio rights instead of KDKA, which allowed KD to establish a fixed fee while the Pirates became responsible for marketing, raising national advertising revenues and providing the broadcast crew. It was a two-year agreement with an option year kicker.

Mike Dunne - 1987 Donruss Rookies

1994 - Andy Van Slyke became a free agent. In his eight years (1987-94) with Pittsburgh, he slashed .283/.353/.458 and was a three-time All Star. But at 34 and with a bad back, he managed to snag just a one-year/$700K deal with the Baltimore Orioles only after a spring training audition. He played sparingly for them and was traded to Philadelphia Phillies, where he got into just 80 games and was done as a big leaguer after the 1995 campaign.

1997 - Cam Bonifay was selected as the MLB Executive of the Year by The Sporting News (the voting was taken among Front Office execs). Working on a minimal budget ($9M!), the “Freak Show” Pirates stayed in contention into September and finished the year at 79-83 and in second place in the NL Central after being projected as a 100-loss team before the season opened.

2013 - LHP Francisco Liriano (16-8, 3.02) was named The Sporting News “Comeback Player of the Year” for 2013. Frankie had posted ERA’s north of 5.00 in three of his four prior seasons but sparkled for the Bucs. The runner up was RHP Mark Melancon, the Bucs set-up/closer arm, and third place went to OF Marlon Byrd, who the Pirates picked up from the Mets during the stretch run.

2017 - Former Pirate scout Herb Raybourne passed away at his Florida home at age 82. A minor league player for the Giants, the Panamanian started his career as a bird dog for Pittsburgh, signing fellow countrymen Manny Sanguillen, Rennie Stennett and Omar Moreno. Raybourne moved on to KC and later became the Yankees' Latin American scouting director, where he landed his biggest fish, Mariano Rivera, before finishing his career as Toronto’s Director of Scouting.

10/20: Roberto Pgh HoF, Ray Miller Hired, QB's In The Draft, '70 Shuffle, Cobra & Gustine Rumors, Fireman Commits, Spaulding World Tour, HBD Jose, Jerry & Jocko

1864 - UT John “Jocko” Fields was born in Cork, Ireland. Jocko played everything on the field (mainly OF & C), hitting .265 as a member of the Alleghenys (1887-89), the Burghers of the Players’ League (1890) and the Pirates in 1891, his last major league season. Jocko played in the minors through 1896, then held jobs with the railroad and county before passing away in 1950.

1888 - In what may have been the first and surely the grandest international barnstorming tour ever undertaken, Albert Spaulding, with a team of Chicago players (including Mark “Fido” Baldwin & John Tener, both whom would later pitch in Pittsburgh) and an “All-America” team (The Allegheny’s Fred Carroll was on that nine along with future OF/manager Ned Hanlon), left Chicago and played exhibitions in the US West, then took a liner to play in Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon, Egypt, Italy, France, England, Scotland and Ireland before getting back home for more exhibitions, finally wrapping it up on 4/20/1889. 

1948 - RHP Hugh Casey announced that he would sign with the Pirates for the upcoming season after being released by the Brooklyn Dodgers at the end of the 1948 campaign. It was a big deal for the Bucs as Casey led the NL in saves twice, the latest being in ‘47. But “Fireman,” who was 35, had been troubled by a bad back and only lasted until August with the Bucs, going 4-1-5/4.66 before being released and claimed by the Yankees in his last big league campaign.

1948 - In his “Village Smithy” column in the Pittsburgh Press, sports editor Chet Smith shot down the Frankie Gustine-to-the-Cubs rumors that had been floating around. He wrote that the Cubs had a longtime interest in Gustine to fill its hole at third base, so they offered C Clyde McCullough and an unspecified pitcher or two for Gustine to Pirates GM Roy Hamey during trade talks dating back to the World Series. Hamey replied that McCullough would have to be joined by pitchers Hank Borowy and Cliff Chambers for him to consider a deal, and that price ended the convo. But Smith should have left the fortune-telling to Nostradamus; the Bucs sent Gustine (and Cal McLish) to the Cubs for McCullough and Chambers six weeks later. Though coming off an All-Star season and just 29-years-old, Frankie only hit .226 as a Cub in ‘49 and would last one more MLB season. McLish turned into a workmanlike hurler, twirling 11 more big league seasons and winning 89 games after the deal. Chambers pitched two plus seasons for the Bucs, going 28-28/4.33 before being traded to the Cards in 1951. McCullough put in four Pirates campaigns, starting over 300 games and hitting .258. Borowy, btw, had his contract purchased by the Bucs in 1950 and tossed poorly for two months (1-3/6.39) before he was sold to the Tigers, where he ended his career in 1952.

Frankie Gustine - 1949 Bowman

1961 - Ump Jerry Meals was born in Butler. He came up on a MLB fill-in basis in 1992 and earned a regular spot on the blue crew in 1998; he’s been a crew chief since 2015. Jerry has worked the WBC, two AS games, nine division/league championship series and a WS. Meals has had his share of controversial calls, including the missed play at the plate against the Braves in 2012 that began the Pirates spin around the drain and birthed a “Jerry Meals says he’s safe” meme. He lives in Ohio just across the PA state line and graduated from Salem HS (OH).

1970 - The Pirates did a bit of roster shuffling, selling OF Angel Mangual to the A’s to conclude the earlier Mudcat Grant deal, sending RHP Gene Garber to Columbus and placing C Milt May on the military reserve list while promoting SS Frank Taveras, UT Rimp Lanier and LHP Brad Gratz to the 40-man roster, which was filled the next day by the additions of RHP Bruce Kison and OF Mel Civil. The Mangual sale also ended the recent pow-wows with Oakland; the Bucs had already snagged Grant from Charlie Finley, and speculation that the teams were working on multiplayer swap featuring Reggie Jackson were put to rest; it ends up the Bucs did just fine in ‘71 without him. 

1970 - Dan Marino and John Elway weren’t the only pro football quarterbacks that had baseball scouts sniffing around them. UPI reported that the Pirates, along with the Yankees, Mets and Reds, had contacted Notre Dame QB Joe Theismann to gauge his interest in MLB. The college 3B was coy, saying that he’d be interested if his football career didn’t pan out. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 39th round of the 1971 draft, but that gridiron thing did pan out pretty well for Joe, even with time honing his craft in the CFL and that brutal leg-snapping NFL finale.

1980 - RHP Jose Veras was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Jose tossed for nine years and made 440 appearances for eight teams, stopping in Pittsburgh during the 2011 campaign where he posted a 2-4-1/3.80 line in 79 outings. The reliever last pitched in the indie leagues in 2016 followed by a short stint in the Dominican Winter League that marked the end of his pro road.

Dave Parker - 1981 Kelloggs

1981 - Dan Donovan of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that the New York Yankees, about to lose Reggie Jackson to free agency in a mutual decision and looking for a big bat replacement, had interest in Dave Parker, and for a pitcher and prospects, the Bucs were all ears. But it ended up all smoke and no fire. Jackson did leave, signing a five-year deal with the California Angels, but the Cobra stayed in Pittsburgh through 1983 until the end of his contract (it was said that the Yankees were put off by his physical condition). Parker then signed a two-year agreement with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. 

1986 - Ray Miller was hired as Jim Leyland’s pitching coach, the fourth Bucco PC in four years (Ron Schueler, Grant Jackson and Harvey Haddix preceded him). He had been the Orioles’ pitching guru for eight years (1978-85) before taking on the managing job at Minnesota. Miller was fired by the Twinkies in September, freeing him up for the Pirates job. He stopped the merry-go-round, holding the position through 1996 while coaching Doug Drabek to a Cy Young, the third pitcher under Miller’s wing to earn the honor. Ray rejoined the O’s after Leyland jumped to Florida, managing them in 1998-99. He retired from baseball in 2005 for health reasons and passed on in 2021 at the age of 76.

2025 - Roberto Clemente was part of the inaugural class of the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame, a Smallman Street bronze star sidewalk tribute recognizing Southwestern PA civic and cultural movers and groovers. The first class honored City superstars Arriba, George Benson, Nelly Bly, Rachel Carson, Andrew Carnegie, Michael Keaton, Fred Rogers, Jonas Salk, Andy Warhol and August Wilson.

Weekly Report: Brandon & Tri GG Finalists, Bucs Up For Selig, Pops On TSN Greatest Players List, G7G, Bananas Visit PNC In '27, Series Almost Set

Championship Series Season...

Pirates Stuff: 

• Per media reports, the Pirates have agreed to re-sign OF Kyler Fedko to a two-year minor league deal. Fedko, 27, is a Gibsonia guy from Vincentian Academy who made his MLB debut with Minnesota in June. He was DFA'ed by the Twins and signed with the Bucs in September after a knee injury; he hopes to be back in action by May, though that would be an optimistic time frame. Kyle hit .274 w/17 HR in 266 ABs at AAA St. Paul before Minny called him up. If the name seems familiar, he's John Fedko's son, former local sportscaster (Fedko Zone).
• Brandon Lowe (2B) and Jared Triolo (UT) are NL Golden Glove finalists. Lowe had a +15 OAA (outs above average), tied for second among second basemen after posting the worst range among 2B in 2025. Tri was the NL’s utilityman Gold Glover in 2024. This season he was mostly used at SS & 3B but also played 1B, RF and CF.

• The Pirates are one of five finalists for the Selig Award, joining the Cubs, Twins, Rays and Nationals as the teams up for the '26 charitable & philanthropic award. The Pirates were nominated for the Chill Mobile, a mental health unit on wheels created to address youth mental health. Since its 2022 beginnings, the program has reached more than 44,200 students across the region.
• The Sporting News series on Baseball's Greatest Players continued with the Most Beloved. No surprise to find out Willie Stargell made that list, along with Buck Leonard of the Homestead Grays.
• And yes, there was a nice crowd outside the Forbes Field wall for the Game Seven Gang's annual Maz Day get together; the sunny 80-degree weather couldn't have been better nor the memories.

MLB Stuff:

• The Savannah Bananas announced Thursday that they will return to Pittsburgh to play the Indianapolis Clowns on Aug. 6-7. They sold out a pair of games the last time they visited PNC Park in 2025.
• Andrew McCutchen is joining SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio as a Postseason analyst, appearing every Wednesday and Thursday on “Power Alley” through the World Series. 

• LHP Tim Mayza, who had a brief run with the Bucs in 2025 before being released, signed with the Phils. He's been with them since the Pirates let him go, posting a 3-4/3.62 line in 68 2025-'26 outings.
• The fallout begins: The Astros announced that they will not renew manager Joe Espada’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of the month. Espada managed Houston from 2024-26. Several of his coaches were also released although ol' Bucco Dave Clark will return.

Playoff Stuff:

• Milwaukee swept the Dodgers in the NLCS while the Rays are up three-games-to-two v the Guardians. Not only will it be an interesting World Series but it's certain to fire up the small market v large market debate re: a cap when the contract talks resume. 

10/19: Kerrigan Becomes PC, Parade Day, The Hat Hired, '60 All-Stars, Movie Celebs, Cleve Series, HBD Jordan, John, James, JA, Rajai, Jose, Rimp, Don, Tom L & Tom M

1874 - OF Tom McCreery was born in Beaver. The local kid played for five MLB teams in nine seasons, and spent three campaigns (1898-1900) with the Pirates, batting .303 as a switch hitter. Tom became the only player in major league history to hit three inside-the-park homers in a single game in 1897 as a Louisville Colonel. He later became head baseball coach at Pitt for the 1912 season. Tom lived out the remainder of his days in his hometown, and stayed connected to the game with the semi-pro Rochester Athletics.

1887 - The 55-win Alleghenys of the National League and the 39-win Cleveland Blues of the American Association met in a four-game postseason exhibition series set up by their leagues. This date was the opener in Cleveland. The Alleghenys won that lidlifter 9-6 behind Pud Galvin. The teams combined for 26 hits; more telling were the 11 errors. The second game went the Blues' way as George Hays suffered an 11-8 defeat. Cleveland scored six unearned runs thanks to Pittsburgh committing seven more errors. When the Alleghenys returned to Recreation Park, they took the next two games handily, 6-3 behind Galvin and 16-7 with Ad Gumbert on the hill. This was before the World Series concept was accepted, but the NL and AA did have a championship series to battle for the short-lived Dauvray Cup. The two league champs, the Detroit Wolverines (NL) and St. Louis Browns (AA), played a 15-game set that was easily taken by Motown w/10 wins.

1897 - OF Tom Lovelace was born in Wolfe City, Texas. Tom was a minor league vet, who played on the farm from 1920-1932, and he got one at-bat in the majors, with the Pirates in September of 1922, resulting in a ninth-inning lineout. He and a handful of other youngsters who were on the roster didn’t get to see much time; though the Pirates faded from the pennant chase, they were involved in a three-way battle for second-place money. They might as well have played the kids; they finished third with St. Louis, a game behind second-place Cincinnati.

1931 - C/coach Don Leppert was born in Indianapolis. Don made his MLB debut with the Bucs in 1961-62, appearing in 65 games and hitting .266 before he was traded to Washington where he spent two more years (he was a 1963 All-Star) to play out his big league time. After he retired in 1966, Leppert managed a year in the minors for Pittsburgh and then was a Pirates MLB coach for nine more years. He also worked for Toronto, Houston and Minnesota. Don retired to Florida in 1996 after a couple of knee replacements (a catcher’s hazard) and passed away in 2023 Fun fact: On June 18th, 1961, Leppert homered in the second inning of his MLB debut against the Cards’ Curt Simmons on the first pitch he saw as an MLB'er.

Don Leppert - 1962 Topps

1948 - OF/3B Lorenzo “Rimp” Lanier was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. The Pirates drafted him out of high school in the 37th round of 1967 and sent him to Salem. He hit well for the next three seasons, albeit without much power, and got a September look for the powerhouse 1971 Bucs, going 0-for-4 in six games. His star dimmed after that; he was sent down in 1972, had trouble with AAA pitching & his fielding, and he left baseball after the 1973 campaign at age 24.

1949 - Donora’s Stan Musial was honored as a Pennsylvania Ambassador for promoting the state with a ceremony at his hometown St. Dominic’s Hall. 400 fans filled the venue with speakers from business and government honoring “The Man,” including Bucco broadcaster Rosey Rowswell.

1951 - The original “Angels in the Outfield” movie was released. The film was shot primarily at Forbes Field (with Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning getting its fair share of love) and featured cameos by Bing Crosby (part owner), Ralph Kiner, George Strickland, Ed Fitz Gerald, George Metkovich, Sam Narron, Lenny Levy and Pie Traynor. Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio also made bit appearances. 

1960 - Four Pirates were named to the United Press All-Star team: RHP Vern Law, SS Dick Groat, 2B Bill Mazeroski and RF Roberto Clemente. It capped a huge campaign for Groat, who won the batting title by hitting .325 and was the NL’s MVP. Law was a 20-game and Cy Young winner, Maz was a World Series hero and Roberto hit .314 with 16 HR in his breakout campaign. All four had been regular season All-Stars, with Maz and Arriba eventually elected into the HoF. The next day, the AP picked their team - Law was named to the first team while Clemente and Groat made the second squad. Maz missed out, losing the voting horse race to Pete Runnels & Nellie Fox. 

1964 - Harry “The Hat” Walker was named manager of the Pirates, replacing Danny Murtaugh after an 80-82 season and sixth place finish in the National League (the Whistlin’ Irishman left because of health, not record, and became GM Joe Brown’s chief player evaluator). On the same day, Walker added his first coach when Hal Smith announced he’d come out of retirement to coach. Brown had discussed the job with ex-Cards manager Johnny Keane but it never was a serious courtship as Keane had the Yankee position lined up and instead recommended Walker. After a couple of competitive seasons (the Pirates came in third with 90+ wins both years and finished second and then first in NL team BA), The Hat was let go in 1967 after a 42-42 start and replaced by...Danny Murtaugh.

Post Gazette 10/20/1979

1979 - The World Champion Pirates had their moment of glory in downtown’s Market Square when 29 members of the team & their families were cheered by 15-35,000 fans (take your pick; crowd estimates were all over the place); by any measure, the noontime celebration was packed. Tom Hritz of the Post Gazette wrote that “Market Square was so crowded you couldn’t get an X-ray through it.” Sister Sledge’s “We are Fam-a-lee” blared over the loudspeakers on the sunny day as Milo Hamilton and Lanny Frattare MC’ed the event. The local politicos got first crack at the mic, causing disgruntled chants of “We want the Bucs” that were finally answered when Tim Foli led off the Pirates lineup. The biggest cheer was for Willie Stargell, who wore a stetson with a gold star and told the fans that “You are as responsible for winning the World Series as we are.” The afternoon’s comic relief was provided by a hot air balloon that refused to fly right, alternating between dropping on the fans below it and snagging on buildings until it tore.

1980 - 3B/OF Jose Bautista was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He played for the Bucs from 2004-08, and hit .241 with 43 HR in that span before being traded to Toronto in 2008 for Robinzon Diaz. Joey Bats blossomed after becoming a Blue Jay, leading the AL in home runs and RBI twice before becoming a 37-year-old nomad in 2018, ending his MLB stay with Philly. He played for the Dominican Republic’s Olympic team in 2020, helping the club to earn the bronze medal. Diaz didn’t leave much of a mark. He didn’t crack the majors again after his Pittsburgh stop, and last played in 2016-17 in the Dominican Winter League.

1980 - OF Rajai Davis was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Raj was a late round pick in 2001 by the Bucs. He showed speed and a pretty good stick in the minors, but was always one step behind guys like Chris Duffy, Nyjer Morgan and Nate McLouth. He got parts of two years with the Pirates, seeing action in 44 games and hitting .242 before being traded for Giants’ P Matt Morris in 2007 in a last-straw deal that greased the skids for Dave Littlefield. Davis played for eight teams over 14 big-league years through 2019 with a .262 lifetime BA and 415 stolen bases. Morris was released by the Bucs in late April of 2008 after going 3-8/7.02 to end his big league days on the slab after 11 seasons.

1982 - RHP James Anthony “JA” Happ was born in Peru, Illinois. JA debuted with the Phils in 2007 and has been in the majors ever since. He played a key role in the Pirates’ 2015 playoff run when the Bucs sent RHP Adrian Sampson to Seattle for Happ, who went 7-2/1.85 down the stretch to help Pittsburgh to a wildcard finish. The Pirates let him walk after the campaign. JA worked through 2021 before retiring, with 18 years in the show, tossing for eight teams.

JA Happ - 2015 Topps Insert

1984 - RHP James McDonald was born in Long Beach, California. The righty came to Pittsburgh in 2010 as part of the Octavio Dotel deal, and was an up-and-down member of the rotation until 2013, going 27-24/4.21 in his four Pirate years. J-Mac had a breakout campaign in 2012 (9-3/2.37) until after the All-Star break when the wheels fell off, and he never found his groove again. He lost the 2014 season to a shoulder injury and that ended his career.

1987 - RHP John Holdzkom was born in Pasadena, California. After extreme control issues cost him his gig in the Mets system, Holdzkom was pitching indy ball when scout Mal Fichman signed him to a contract with the Pirates in 2014. Big John zipped through the minors and got a September call-up, striking out the side in his first outing and finishing the year with a line of 1-0/2.00 with 14 K in nine innings. He was sent back to the minor leagues to start the 2015 season, where nagging injuries and inconsistency with control, mixed with him being on the gray side at age 28, kept him on the farm. He had a rough offseason; his brother Lincoln died in a car crash in December and he was DFA’ed in April of 2016. The White Sox signed him to a minor league deal but released him after six games and he’s been on the outside since then. He ended his exile by signing up to pitch in New Zealand during the 2018-19 season, and that was his last post.

1990 - RHP Jordan Lyles was born in Hartsville, South Carolina. Lyles, picked 38th overall in the 2008 draft by the Astro’s, worked his way up to their top pitching prospect and a spot in the 2010 Futures game. But his eight-year career didn’t exactly follow the script; he slashed 31-52/5.28 for four clubs, starting out as a rotation arm and being bumped to the bullpen. The Pirates signed him to a one-year/$2.05M free agent deal at the 2018 winter meeting after he had looked sharp from the pen the prior year for San Diego and Milwaukee. He got off to a hot start then cooled off; he was sent to Milwaukee and was re-energized. After stops with the Rangers, Orioles and Royals, Lyles last work from a pro mound was as part of the Dodgers system in 2024.

2008 - Joe Kerrigan was named the Pirates pitching coach, replacing Jeff Andrews, who only lasted a season after being promoted from the Bucco minor league system. Joe had 18 years experience at the job with four other organizations and wanted the pitchers to work inside and throw strikes, a familiar recipe. But like Andrews ahead of him, he lasted just a year before he walked the plank along with John Russell and his staff after the 99-loss 2009 campaign.