PITTSBURGH PIRATES TEAM HISTORY ORGANIZATION Forbes Field, Opening Day 1909 The fortunes of the Pirates turned in 1900 when the National 2019 PIRATES 2019 THE EARLY YEARS League reduced its membership from 12 to eight teams. As part of the move, Barney Dreyfuss, owner of the defunct Louisville Now in their 132nd National League season, the Pittsburgh club, ac quired controlling interest of the Pirates. In the largest Pirates own a history filled with World Championships, player transaction in Pirates history, the Hall-of-Fame owner legendary players and some of baseball’s most dramatic games brought 14 players with him from the Louisville roster, including and moments. Hall of Famers Honus Wag ner, Fred Clarke and Rube Waddell — plus standouts Deacon Phillippe, Chief Zimmer, Claude The Pirates’ roots in Pittsburgh actually date back to April 15, Ritchey and Tommy Leach. All would play significant roles as 1876, when the Pittsburgh Alleghenys brought professional the Pirates became the league’s dominant franchise, winning baseball to the city by playing their first game at Union Park. pennants in 1901, 1902 and 1903 and a World championship in In 1877, the Alleghenys were accepted into the minor-league 1909. BASEBALL OPS BASEBALL International Association, but disbanded the following year. Wagner, dubbed ‘’The Fly ing Dutchman,’’ was the game’s premier player during the decade, winning seven batting Baseball returned to Pittsburgh for good in 1882 when the titles and leading the majors in hits (1,850) and RBI (956) Alleghenys reformed and joined the American Association, a from 1900-1909. One of the pioneers of the game, Dreyfuss is rival of the National League. After the 1886 season, the Kansas sometimes called ‘’The Father of the World Se ries’’ because he City franchise was expelled from the N.L. and Pittsburgh challenged Henry Killilea, the owner of the American League President William A. Nimmick’s application for membership was champion Boston Americans, to a post-season playoff in 1903 accepted. to de termine who was baseball’s best team. On October 1, On April 30, 1887, the Alleghenys defeated the defending 1903, Phillippe defeated the legendary Cy Young, 7-3, in the league-champion Chicago White Stockings, 6-2, before a crowd first World Series game ever played. Boston, however, later 2018 REVIEW 2018 of nearly 10,000 at Recreation Park. The victorious beginning emerged as the Series winner, overcoming a three-games-to- was not an indication of things to come, however, as the team one deficit to win the best-of-nine competition, five games to managed to finish higher than fifth only once in the 13 remaining three. In the Series, Phillippe started five of the games. seasons of the century. In 1890, the Alleghenys’ roster was The Pirates finished as runner-up three times in the next five demolished when key players jumped to a new rival to the years before getting another shot at a World Series title in National League — the Players League. They staggered to a 1909. The Bucs won a club-record 110 games that year with club-record 113 losses as the two leagues engaged in a bitter three pitchers — Howie Camnitz (25), Vic Willis (22) and Lefty battle over talent. Leifield (19) combining for 66 victories. The Series pitted the When the Players League folded after only one season, all league’s batting champions — Wagner and Detroit’s Ty Cobb against each other, but rookie pitcher Babe Adams, who was GENERAL players were expected to return to the clubs they played for in 1889. But in 1891 Pittsburgh signed Louis Bierbauer, a second 12-3 during the regular season, emerged as the Series hero for baseman with Brooklyn of the Players League who had spent the Pirates. the previous four seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics. The While Camnitz, Willis and Leifield failed to win a game, Adams A’s and their American Association brethren immediately won three, in cluding a six-hit shutout in the seventh and accused Pittsburgh of ‘’pirating’’ Bierbauer away from them. deciding game. It was the last of four titles the Pirates would Pittsburgh kept the player and the nickname and became win under Clarke, who managed the club until 1915. known as the Pirates thereafter. HISTORY PIRATES STADIUM HISTORY RECREATION PARK FORBES FIELD THREE RIVERS STADIUM PNC PARK EXPOSITION PARK 1887 1891 1909 1970 2001 - PRESENT POSTSEASON ORGANIZATION The Waners were consistently among baseball’s premier hitters during the 1930’s with Paul amassing more hits (1,959) during the decade than any player in baseball. Traynor was one of the TEAM HISTORY era’s best all-around players and is generally regarded as one of the finest third basemen ever to play the game. Shortstop Arky Vaughan topped the .300-mark in each of his 10 seasons with the Pirates (1932-1941) and his .385 average in 1935 has gone unequalled by any National League performer. He, too, is enshrined at Cooperstown. Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner won or shared the N.L. home run title 2019 PIRATES 2019 in each of the seven seasons that he wore a Pirates uniform Lloyd Waner, Babe Ruth, Paul Waner, Lou (1946-52) — which is a streak that has never been matched in Gehrig prior to the 1927 WS either league. In 1956, Pirate first baseman Dale Long hit home runs in a record eight straight games between May 19th and May 28th (that mark was matched by Don Mattingly in 1987 and THE FORBES FIELD YEARS Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993). Three years later, Harvey Haddix hurled The 1909 season also marked the beginning of a new era in what many consider the greatest game ever pitched when he ballparks as the Pirates christened Forbes Field on June 30 that retired 36 straight Milwaukee Braves hitters over 12 innings on year. Since 1891, the Pirates had called Exposition Park — which May 26, 1959. The same year, ElRoy Face won 17 straight games was located on virtually the same site as Three Rivers Stadium in relief. — their home. Described as the “Hialeah of Ballparks” when it OPS BASEBALL opened, Forbes Field would remain the home of the Pirates for Though the Pirates failed to fin ish higher than seventh from six decades and would host many great moments. 1950 through 1957, the foundation for another championship was being put into place. Standout players were added Pittsburgh sank to the league’s second division for most of throughout the de cade, including 2001 Hall-of-Fame inductee the next de cade, but by the early 1920’s — with an influx Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat, Vernon Law, Bob Friend, Bill Virdon, of outstanding talent which includ ed future Hall of Famers Face and Hall-of-Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente. Pie Traynor, Kiki Cuyler, Rabbit Maranville and Max Carey — Pittsburgh was again a contender. After three straight third- In 1956, Pirate owner John Galbreath hired Joe L. Brown as place finishes from 1922 to 1924, the Pirates won the N.L. title general manager. With the club languishing in last place at by eight and a half games over the second-place New York 36-67 midway through the 1957 campaign, Brown promoted Giants in 1925. coach Danny Murtaugh to field manager. Within three seasons, the Bucs were again champions of the National League and REVIEW 2018 The Series matched Pittsburgh against the Washington again matched against the powerful New York Yankees in the Senators, who jumped out to a three-games-to-one lead. The World Series. This time the Bronx Bombers featured Mickey Pirates, however, bounced back to win the final three games Mantle and Roger Maris. and the Series. Their miraculous comeback included a 15-hit pounding of Hall of Famer Walter ‘’Big Train’’ Johnson The 1960 World Series remains one of the most incredible in Game Seven. post-season encounters ever on record. The Yankees won Game Two, Game Three and Game Six by a combined score of In 1926, a rookie named Paul Waner joined the Bucs 38-3, but the Pirates used great pitching, defense and timely and batted .336. A year later, his brother Lloyd joined him hitting to stretch the Series to a seventh game at Forbes Field. and belted out 223 hits for a club rookie record .355 average Pittsburgh took a 9-7 lead into the ninth — thanks to Hal Smith’s and the Pirates were again National League champions. Paul, three-run homer in the eighth — but the Yankees came up with who was nicknamed ‘’Big Poison’’ — batted .300 or better 14 two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the score. The game times, captured three batting titles and collected 200 or more and the Series ended, however, in the bottom of the ninth as GENERAL hits in eight different seasons. He was named the league’s Mazeroski belted what is perhaps the most dramatic home Most Valuable Player in 1927 and went on to compile 3,152 hits run in baseball history off Ralph Terry. Mazeroski was the only and a .333 career batting average. Lloyd — who was tagged player in baseball history ever to end a World Series with a ‘’Little Poison’’ — hit .300 or better in 10 of his first 12 seasons, home run until Joe Carter of Toronto accomplished the feat in compiled a career mark of .316 and accumulated 2,450 hits. Game Six of the 1993 Fall Classic. Both were elect ed to the Hall of Fame. During the 1960’s, Clemente established himself among the The 1927 World Series featured the Pirates against New York’s game’s elite players.