10/26: Starling TSN All-Star, Jay Bay TSN ROTY, Barry Bonds & Doug Drabek Declare FA, Syd & Doughty Sign, HBD Diomedes, Wilfredo, Frankie, Marty, Scat, Judy, Harry & Bill

1867 - RHP Bill Garfield was born in Sheffield, Ohio. The Oberlin product tossed his first big league season for the 1889 Pittsburgh Alleghenys, going 0-2/7.76 in 29 IP (two starts, four outings). He worked for the Cleveland Spiders the following year and then spent time in Bradford, Peoria and Sandusky in the minors before hangin’ up his mitt after the 1893 campaign.

1884 - RHP Harry Camnitz was born in McKinney, Kentucky. He worked once for the Pirates in 1909, going four innings and giving up a pair of runs, but that was long enough for him to become an early brother act with teammate sib Howie, who won 109 games with the Bucs. Harry did have a strong minor league career, once winning 27 games for the McKeesport Tubers.

1899 - 3B William Julius "Judy" Johnson was born in Snow Hill, Maryland (This is a consensus date; there are a couple of others floating around). The Hall-of-Famer spent the twenties as a stalwart of the legendary Philadelphia Hilldale Darby teams, then played and managed for the Homestead Grays in 1929-30. He was also with the Pittsburgh Crawfords, serving as team captain from 1932-1936. He retired after 17 seasons with a career .290 BA. The New York Times wrote that "...as a third baseman, Johnson was often compared with Pie Traynor," and the paper recalled Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack’s comment about Johnson: "If Judy were only white," Mack said, "he could name his own price." He inherited his nickname early in his career from a Philly teammate he resembled, “Judy” Gans, who incidentally was from Washington, PA. 

1919 - 3B Jack “Gabby”/”Scat” Cassini was born in Dearborn, Michigan. Jack put 12 years in the minors (he missed three full seasons after entering the Army Air Corp) as a speedy infielder with All-Star chops (he had a lifetime .304 BA on the farm) and six stolen-base titles, but his only stop in the show was in 1949 for the Pirates. He got into eight games w/o touching a bat or mitt; he was used solely as a pinch runner, and did pretty well, scoring three times. After the season, the Pirates sent him to Brooklyn for Danny O’Connell. His playing days were cut short when he was hit in the face by a pitch in 1954, suffering a broken cheekbone and blurred vision. That effectively ended his playing career, but he soldiered on for the next two decades as a scout and minor league skipper for four different organizations - the White Sox, Redlegs/Reds, Mets and Indians.

Marty McLeary - 2006 Upper Deck

1974 - RHP Marty McLeary was born in Kettering, Ohio. After getting a brief taste of the show with San Diego, McLeary got nine outings (two starts) with the Bucs in 2006-07, going 2-0/3.91, and that was the end of his MLB road. He tossed for five different organizations before retiring at age 35 after the 2010 campaign and is now a sales manager for medical devices in Nashville.

1983 - LHP Frankie Liriano was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. One of the Pirates most notable reclamation projects, the southpaw went 41-36 with a 3.67 ERA from 2013-16 for the Bucs and won the 2013 "Comeback Player of the Year" award. In the midst of a dismal 2016 campaign, Frankie was traded to Toronto at the deadline. From there, he ended up with the ‘Stros and a date at the 2017 World Series, moved on to the Tigers in 2018 and returned to the Bucs in 2019. It was his last MLB gig and he officially retired in 2022 after 14 seasons.

1987 - The Pirates announced that they and GM Syd Thrift had agreed to contract terms on October 1st, but Thrift didn’t sign the deal until this date. He insisted on a clause that gave him more trade control, and that remained a bone of contention until Board President Mac Prine resigned a few days earlier. It was a two-year deal, with the salary undisclosed but guesstimated to be in the neighborhood of $200K. Larry Doughty, the Reds scouting director, was also hired as the new Assistant to the General Manager.

1989 - RHP Wilfredo Boscan was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Wil has been in baseball since 2007, spending 11 years in the minors as a starting pitcher while wintering in the Latino leagues six times, and got his only showtime as a Pirate in 2016 when he went 1-1/6.46 in six outings lasting 15-1/3 IP. Wil worked in the Mets minors in 2017, the Venezuelan Winter League that following offseason and in the Mexican League in 2019. He’s still tossing in both Latin leagues.

Wilfredo Boscan - 2016 image/Positively Pittsburgh

1989 - LHP Diomedes Mateo was born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. The Bucs were hoodwinked by Mateo, who they signed in 2009 under the false pretense that he was a 16-year old player named Yoldi Sierra instead of a 20-year-old Diomedes. The MLB fact-checkers quickly found out the ruse and suspended Mateo for two seasons. The southpaw returned in 2011 but was rusty and done in pro ball after 2012 following Low A, Rookie League and Dominican Summer League stops in the Pirates system. 

1992 - It was a dark day for Pirates fans as Barry Bonds and Doug Drabek both declared for free agency. Bonds was a two-time MVP (1990, 1992) and Drabek a Cy Young winner in 1990. Both found considerably greener pastures away from Pittsburgh: Barry signed a six-year/$43.75M deal with the Giants while Doug inked a four-year/$20M contract with the Astros.

2004 - The Sporting News selected LF Jason Bay as the Rookie of the Year. Bay hit .282 with 26 homers and 82 RBIs despite missing the first five weeks of the campaign because of shoulder surgery. He was the third Pirate to win the TSN award behind Jason Kendall (1996) and Johnny Ray (1982), but neither of them took home the big enchilada, the Baseball Writer’s RoY. Jason would become the first Buccaneer to lay claim to that honor two weeks later. 

2016 - LF Starling Marte was named to The Sporting News 2016 National League All-Star Team for the first time. Marte slashed .311/.362/456 with 34 doubles, five triples, nine HR, 71 runs, 46 RBIs, 47 stolen sacks and a 4.9 WAR. He was the only Pirates player to receive votes for AS consideration.

10/25: Garber-Rook Swap, Irishman UPI's '60 MOTY & Friend Comeback Player, Mahatma Out & Joe L In, New KDKA Deal, HBD JJ, Danny, Pete, Nanny & Schoolmaster

1893 - RHP Vic “Hoosier Schoolmaster” Aldridge was born in Crane, Indiana. He only tossed three of his nine MLB seasons for the Pirates (1925-27), but bookended those campaigns with World Series appearances. Vic, who possessed a dandy curveball, went 40-30-2/3.99 for the Pirates, starting 86 times, and went 2-1 in his four Fall Classic starts, claiming both his wins in 1925 against the Senators’ Stan Coveleski. After his retirement from baseball, he was a big man back home, serving as a state senator in the General Assembly and selected to the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. And yes, he was an Indiana schoolmaster before he became a hurler.

1918 - Utilityman Froilan “Nanny” Fernandez was born in Wilmington, California. Nanny played for Boston in 1942, went off to the service and put in a couple of more seasons with the Braves. A quiet bat got him sent back to the farm and eventually swapped into the Pirate system. Fernandez shifted to third base and made it back to the majors with Pittsburgh in 1950, playing 65 games as a backup to Stan Rojek (he played SS, 3B & OF) and batting .258. Fernandez was sent to Indianapolis in 1951 and then played from 1952-55 in the PCL.

1939 - RHP Pete Mikkelsen was born on Staten Island. He tossed for Pittsburgh from 1966-67, posting a line of 10-10-16/3.46 from the pen in 103 outings. Pete played for five different clubs over a nine-year career through 1972 despite suffering from a chronic back injury he received as a Pirate when a truck rear-ended his car in 1967. He’s also a card collector’s mystery man of sorts. Mikkelsen got into a dispute with Topps, and the company didn’t issue a card for him during the last four years of his career.

Pete Mikkelson - 1966 Topps

1955 - Hall-of-Fame executive Branch Rickey stepped down as the Pirates' general manager, replaced by Joe L. Brown. During Mahatma's five-year tenure, Pittsburgh’s “Rickey-Dinks” had three 100-loss seasons. Rickey was, however, credited with developing a solid farm system for the Pirates and stayed with the organization as an advisor. Brown filled some holes with vets via the trade route to supplement the farm and was paid off with a strong ‘58 campaign and eventually claimed the World Series title in 1960. 

1955 - RHP Danny Darwin was born in Bonham, Texas. DD tossed for 21 years and one of his nine teams for a brief spell was Pittsburgh. He signed with the Pirates in 1996 at the age of 40, and they traded him to the Astros for a second tour of duty at mid-season for Rich Loiselle after he put up a solid line of 7-9/3.02. Darwin was known as the "Bonham Bullet" as a nod to the hometown and was dubbed "Dr. Death" by Houston teammate Nolan Ryan because of his feistiness and occasional flyin’ fists. He retired after the 1998 season and coached as a member of the Reds organization. Darwin now coaches youth and clinic baseball between hunting, fishing and “chasing grandkids.” 

1960 - UPI named Danny Murtaugh the NL Manager of the Year by an 18-6 count over the Cards’ Solly Hemus. The Whistling Irishman’s charges won the 1960 World Series while Hemus brought the Redbirds home in third place. Bob Friend (18-12/3.00) took UPI’s NL Comeback Player of the Year award, outdistancing Stan “The Man” Musial, Ernie Broglio, Curt Simmons and Ed Roebuck.

Gene Garber - 1983 Topps Super Vets

1972 - Pittsburgh traded RHP Gene Garber to the KC Royals for LHP Jim Rooker. Rook pitched eight seasons for the Pirates, winning 82 games (with a huge ‘79 WS effort) with a 3.29 ERA before becoming a Buc announcer who once took a charity trek from Philly to Pittsburgh thanks to a Bucco defeat, a hopeful politico, dog trainer, children's book author...he covered a lot of ground. Garber tossed out of various bullpens until 1988, winning 96 games and saving 218 more with a 3.44 ERA. Over his 19-year career, he saved 20+ games five times, with a high water mark of 30 close-outs in 1982 for the Atlanta Braves.

1978 - OF Jerry “JJ” Davis was born in Glendora, California. A first round draft pick in 1997 (eighth overall), Davis made very little noise in the show, playing in just 53 games from 2002-04 for the Pirates and batting .163, mostly as a pinch hitter. He was competing with Jason Bay and Brian Giles for a corner outfield spot in Pittsburgh and then got into manager Lloyd McClendon’s doghouse, with both situations limiting his opportunities to crack the lineup. He spent 2005 in the Washington Nats and Colorado Rockies systems before calling it a career.

1990 - After rejecting KDKA’s offer in April, the Pirates agreed to continue flagship radio rights and a 50-game TV deal for the coming season with the broadcaster, guesstimated to be in the $2.5M range, a slight bump from last year. Neither side would say if the earlier proposal was sweeter than the one reached, but the Pirates were known to be looking for a better deal with other outlets without any luck, so KD’s deal was likely as good as it was going to get. The lineup in the booth remained unchanged with Kent Derdivanis, Lanny Frattare, Steve Blass and Jim Rooker.

10/24 Through 1954: Stretch Song, HBD Reggie, Antelope, Johnny, Ding-Dong, Cal, Pete, Heinie, Chicken, Jay, Bill & Ned

1857 - IF Ned Williamson was born in Philadelphia. Ned launched his career as a 19-year-old with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1877, when the club’s first incarnation began in the minor league International Association. They were pretty good as the Alleghenys won the league title, albeit with a 13-6 record, and all 12 players on the roster eventually ended up in MLB, notably Williamson, Pud Galvin and Chick Fulmer. Ned hit .173 in 19 games for Pittsburgh and then jumped to the NL Indianapolis Blues the next year. In 1879, he began a 11-year run with the Chicago White Stockings, ending his playing days in 1890 with the Chicago Pirates after a knee injury. He also took part in Al Spalding’s famous World Tour of 1888. Ned died in 1894 at age 36 from tuberculosis.

1858 - 3B Bill Kuehne (his surname was an Ellis Island special; in Germany, it was Knelme) was born in Leipzig, Germany. He played every position but pitcher and catcher, hitting .240 in Pittsburgh (he was with the Alleghenys 1885-89 and the Burghers in 1890). His best years were with the Allies, where he batted .299 in 1887 and led the NL with 138 games played in 1888. 

1859 - 1B Jacob “Jay” Faatz was born in Weedsport, New York. He began his four-year MLB career with a 29-game audition with the 1884 Alleghenys, batting .241 and then spending the next three years in the minors before getting another big-league opportunity. Faatz was an argumentative player with a knack for sticking out an elbow or knee and getting plunked, and that fiery temperament led him to become a ringleader in the Players League movement, which put an end to his career. He retired in 1894 after spending some time in the minors and moved to Syracuse to become a sales rep. His highlight came against his old Allegheny teammates in 1889 when he smoked a grounder to third that glanced off the fielder’s foot and kicked into temporary stands along the baseline; by the time the Pittsburgh infield could recover the ball, Jay had a three-run homer (one of three career four-baggers) on a hit that never left the infield.

1870 - OF Phil “Chicken” Routcliffe was born in Frontenac, Ontario. Routcliffe got into one MLB game as an Allegheny in 1890, going 1-for-4 and HBP, scoring once, driving in a run and swiping a sack while corralling three balls in the pasture as the left fielder. Just 19 when he played (although his 1870 birthdate is questionable), he was thought to be a contender for a starting role, but was released shortly thereafter. The Alleghenys must have sensed something; he hit just .213 in the Western League and was out of baseball two years later, working as a newspaper pressman and later as a policeman before being claimed by the 1918 flu epidemic at age 47. His nickname dates back to his youth.

Heinie Smith (w/Buffalo) - 1909 Carolina Brights

1871 - 2B Heinie Smith was born in Pittsburgh. Heinie played for six MLB campaigns and spent 1899 with the Pirates, batting .283 in 15 games (a deceptive small sample; his career BA was .238). Smith had a disastrous turn as big league skipper, losing 27-of-32 games as the Giants player/manager in 1902. That didn’t deter him when his playing days ended; he was the minor league Buffalo Bisons’ manager for a decade and then coached the U of Buffalo for a couple of seasons.

1906 - PH Pete McClanahan was born in Coldspring, Texas. His only big league time came in 1931 as a 24-year-old Pirate, getting into seven games as a pinch-hitter and pinch-runner. He went 2-for-4 with two walks and scored twice, so he fit right into that role. Pete’s calling card was his stick. In six farm seasons in the Texas, Lone Star and Dixie Leagues, he hit .317 before swinging the bat for a final time after the 1933 campaign, giving up the sport at the age 26.

1908 - Edward Meeker recorded "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" for the Edison Phonograph Company, the first recorded version of the tune (it was quickly covered and popularized by Billy Murray & the Haydn Quartet on Victor Records, who turned the song into a 1908 chart-topper). The melody was written earlier in the year by Tin Pan Alley vets Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer (“Shine On, Harvest Moon”) and became a vaudeville hit. Though it remained popular and was updated lyrically in 1927, it was first played in a major league venue at the 1934 World Series and in 1976 became a big league ballyard standard per baseball lore when then-Chicago White Sox announcer Harry Caray began singing it during the stretch, accompanied by organist Nancy Faust, at the urging of Sox owner Bill Veeck. Norworth and Von Tilzer, incidentally, had never seen a ballgame before writing the song, and wouldn’t until decades later.

1927 - RHP Calvin “Cal” Hogue was born in Dayton, Ohio. His MLB career spanned 1952-54, all spent as a Bucco, with a line of 2-10/4.91 in 25 games (16 starts). He got a decent shot in his first campaign after a July call up while the next two seasons were cup of coffee stops. Cal’s issue was finding the dish - he issued 96 bases on balls in 113-2/3 innings as a Pirate. He stayed in the system through the 1957 season before retiring and going home to work as a pipefitter.

Cal Hogue - 1953 Topps Rookie

1933 - RHP Bill “Ding Dong” Bell was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Bell was one of two professional pitchers to throw three no-hitters in the same season (1952), doing the deeds  as a member of Pirates affiliate Bristol in the Class D Appalachian League. Success there didn’t translate into much of a MLB career, though. Ding Dong was given a September call up at age 18 in ‘52 and resurfaced again briefly in 1955, going 0-1/4.32 lifetime for the Bucs. The hiatus was because Bill was drafted by Uncle Sam in 1953 and lost two years to the Army. When he came back, he popped his shoulder while practicing and tried to pitch through a sore wing from that time forward. Bill died at age 28 in 1962, from injuries he had sustained in a January car wreck.

1944 - OF Johnny Jeter was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Johnny began his six-year MLB run with the Pirates, which had signed him out of Grambling, playing here between 1969-70. He hit .252 in 113 games (30 starts) and got a couple of at-bats against the Reds in the 1970 NLCS. JJ put in a pair of seasons with the Padres and played for the White Sox and Indians before he retired. 

1952 - Pirate CF Omar Moreno was born in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. “The Antelope” played eight years in Pittsburgh (1975-82) and led the league in stolen bases twice, swiping 487 sacks as a Buc. Moreno played every game of the 1979 and 1980 seasons, led the National League in at bats both years and hit .333 against the Orioles in the 1979 World Series (he also won a ring with KC in 1985). Known as “The Antelope” for his speed, both on the base paths and in center field (he set the Bucs three top seasons for swiped bags - 96 in 1980, 77 in 1979 and 71 in 1978), his bat never quite caught up to his wheels and he ended his Pirates career with a .255 BA/80 OPS+. One of the good guys of the game, he and his wife Sandra began the Omar Moreno Foundation, a youth baseball charity for underprivileged kids in Panama, and the Antelope is still active in Pirates alumni and PR work. Moreno was inducted into the Latino Hall of Fame in 2014.

1952 - OF Reggie Walton was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Reggie had a 12-year pro career in the majors, on the farm and in Mexico, finishing his big league time with the Pirates in 1982, hitting .200 in a bench role. Reggie was a good stick guy with a .291 minor league batting average, but half of his time was spent swinging in the hitter-friendly PCL and he didn’t show much plate patience (.250/.295 MLB-BA/OBP). He hung ‘em up after the 1983 campaign at age 30 after playing the season for AAA Hawaii.

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.