Pittsburgh Pirates

Name

The original Name of Pittsburgh's National League franchise was the Pittsburgh Alleghenies. Some contend this is from the county in which Pittsburgh is the seat of government. Others say that it was named after the mountain range in the region. Others maintain that Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which became Pittsburgh's northside after a 1907 annexation, was the tale behind the moniker. It is also one of the three major rivers in the city (the river of that Name joins the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River). In the 1890s, the club was referred to as the Pittsburgh Innocents before the Pirates Name stuck by the end of that decade.

When the renegade Players League dissolved after the 1890 season, most of the league's player contracts were assigned to National League and American Association clubs, mostly to their previous clubs provided they had been "reserved" by their former teams' owners. Highly-regarded second baseman Lou Bierbauer, who had previously played with the Philadelphia Athletics of the Association, was awarded to the Pittsburgh team on the grounds that the A's had not reserved him. This led to loud complaints by the Athletics that the Pittsburgh club were "pirates". This incident (which is discussed at some length in The Beer and Whisky League, by David Nemec, 1994) quickly accelerated into a schism between the leagues that contributed to the demise of the A.A. The colorful epithet stuck with the Pittsburghers, and eventually became the club's official nickname. It was first acknowledged on the team's jerseys in 1912, but even by the 1903 World Series, "Pirates" was in common usage. (Years later, the "Mr. Yuk" poison warning was developed due to the traditional skull-and-crossbones being associated with the Pirates baseball team.)

Pre-1900

Professional Baseball started in Pittsburgh in 1876 though the teams of the era were "independents," barnstorming throughout the region and not affiliated with any organized league, though they did have salaries and were run as a business organization [1]. In 1882 the baseball team in the city joined the American Association as a founding member. After five mediocre seasons in the A.A., Pittsburgh became the first A.A. team to switch to the older, more respectable National League in 1887.

In these early days, the club benefitted three times from mergers with defunct clubs. The AA club picked up a number of Players from a defunct Columbus, Ohio team in 1885. In 1890, they merged with the Players League franchise in the city after that league folded. This same season the team experienced their worst season record in franchise history going 23-113 [2]. In 1900, the Pirates picked up several Players from the defunct Louisville Colonels club, which shared an owner with Pittsburgh, when the NL contracted from 12 to 8 teams after the 1899 season.

1901–1969

Bolstered by former Colonels Honus Wagner (who was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area) and player/manager Fred Clarke, the 1901–1903 Pirates completely dominated the National League, in part because they lost few star Players to the rival American League. However, owing to injuries to their starting pitchers, they lost the first World Series ever played, in 1903 to Boston. Deacon Phillippe pitched five complete games, winning three of them, but it was not enough. With largely the same star Players, the Pirates would continue to be a strong team over the next few years, and got their first World Series title in 1909, defeating the Detroit Tigers in seven games.

The decline of Honus Wagner, considered by many to be the greatest shortstop ever, led to a number of losing seasons, culminating in a disastrous 51-103 record in 1918, However, veteran outfielder Max Carey and young Players Pie Traynor and Kiki Cuyler, along with a remarkably deep pitching staff, brought the Pirates back into the spotlight. The Pirates recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the 1925 World Series over the Washington Senators, and reached the 1927 World Series before losing in a sweep to the New York Yankees, who at that time had built the most dominant team in baseball. The 1927 season was the first for the sharp-hitting combination of brothers Lloyd Waner and Paul Waner, who along with shortstop Arky Vaughan ensured that the Pirates had plenty of Hall of Fame-caliber position Players through 1941. However, the Pirates' crushing defeats of 1927 and 1938 (they lost the pennant to the Chicago Cubs in the final days of the 1938 season) were tremendous setbacks.

The post-World War II years were not kind to the Pirates, despite the presence of a genuine star in Ralph Kiner, who led the National League in home runs for seven consecutive seasons (1946 through 1952). But the team around Kiner placed in the first division only one time — in 1948 — and in 1952 compiled one of the worst records in major league history, winning 42 and losing 112 games (.273) and finishing 54½ games out of first place. In 1946, the long era of ownership by the Barney Dreyfuss family came to an end, as a syndicate that included entertainer Bing Crosby bought the team. By 1950, Columbus, Ohio-based real estate tycoon John Galbreath emerged as majority owner, and his family would run the team for another 35 years and supervise its rise to the top of the NL.

Galbreath's first major move, the hiring of Branch Rickey as general manager after the 1950 campaign, was initially a great disappointment to Pittsburgh fans. Rickey had invented the farm system with the Cardinals and broken the baseball color line with the Dodgers — and built dynasties at each club. But in Pittsburgh, he purged the Bucs' roster of its higher-salaried veterans (including Kiner in 1953) and flooded the team with young Players. Many of those young players faltered; however, those who fulfilled Rickey's faith in them — pitchers Vern Law and Bob Friend, shortstop Dick Groat, second baseman Bill Mazeroski and especially outfielder Roberto Clemente, drafted from Brooklyn after his only minor league season — would form the nucleus of the Pirates' 1960 championship club. Moreover, Rickey put into place one of baseball's most successful farm and scouting systems that kept the team competitive into the late 1970s. But all this was not evident when Rickey retired due to ill health in 1955, with the Pirates still struggling to escape the NL basement.

The postwar Pirates would have only one winning season until 1958, Danny Murtaugh's first full season as their manager. Murtaugh is widely credited for inventing the concept of the closer by frequently playing pitcher Elroy Face late in close games. The 1960 team featured eight All-Stars, but was widely predicted to lose the World Series to a powerful New York Yankees team. In one of the most memorable World Series in history, the Pirates were defeated by more than ten runs in three games, won three close games, then recovered from a 7-4 deficit late in Game 7 to eventually win on a walk-off home run by Mazeroski, a second baseman otherwise better known for defensive wizardry. (The 1960 Pirates were the only team between 1945 and 2001 to have not succumbed to the so-called "Ex-Cubs Factor" in the postseason. They were also unique for winning a World Series on a home run, a feat duplicated by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.)

1960–1967 Logo

The 1960s would continue with extremely solid defensive play by Mazeroski and the first Puerto Rican superstar, Roberto Clemente. Clemente was regarded as one of the game's best all-time hitters, and possessed a tremendous arm in right field. Although not the first black-Hispanic baseball player (an honor belonging to Minnie Minoso), Clemente's charisma and leadership in humanitarian causes made him an icon across the continent. During his playing career, Clemente was vastly overlooked. Looking back, however, many consider Clemente to have been the greatest right fielder in baseball history.

Even with Clemente, however, the Pirates struggled for the remainder of the decade, and Murtaugh was replaced by Harry Walker in 1965.

1970–1979 and "The Family"

1968–1986 Logo

Slugger Willie Stargell became a fixture in the Pittsburgh lineup in the late 1960s, and the Pirates returned to prominence in 1970. Murtaugh returned as manager and the Pirates' home field, Forbes Field, was demolished in favor of the multi-purpose Three Rivers Stadium. In 1970, the Pirates won their first of five division titles over the next six years, and won their fourth World Series in 1971 behind a .414 Series batting average by Clemente. They also thought they had a genuine superstar pitcher (historically rare for the Pirates) in Steve Blass, who pitched two excellent games in the World Series and had excellent seasons in 1968 and 1972. In 1971, the Pirates also became the first Major League Baseball team to field an all-black starting lineup. ^[1] That lineup, on September 1, was Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillen, Dave Cash, Al Oliver, Jackie Hernandez, and Dock Ellis.^[2]

Clemente died in a plane crash on December 31, 1972 while accompanying a shipment of relief supplies to the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. He had reached the milestone of 3,000 career hits, a standup double, just a few months earlier, on September 30, 1972, in what would prove to be his last regular season hit. The Baseball Hall of Fame waived its usual waiting requirement and inducted Clemente immediately. Pittsburgh would eventually erect a statue and Name a bridge and park near the Stadium after him. In 1973, Blass suffered a mysterious breakdown in his pitching abilities and posted an outrageous 9.85 era. To this day, pitchers who suddenly lose the ability to throw strikes are said to have "Steve Blass disease". Some speculated that the emotional shock of his Friend Clemente's death contributed to his breakdown. He retired soon afterwards; he has now been one of the Pirates' radio and TV announcers for almost two decades.

Stargell, speedy Omar Moreno and power-hitting but ostentatious and unpopular Dave Parker became the cornerstones of the Pirates as Murtaugh left and Chuck Tanner took over as manager in 1977. Adopting the popular disco anthem "We Are Family" as their theme song, the Pirates won a fifth World Series, again in seven games, on October 17, 1979.

1980s and 1990s: The Leyland era

1987–1996 Logo

Following was a period of decline until the Pirates were regarded as the worst team in baseball during the mid-1980s. Jim Leyland took over as manager, and the Pirates gradually climbed out of the cellar behind young and exciting Players such as "outfield of dreams" Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds, and Andy Van Slyke; infielders Jay Bell, Sid Bream, and Jose Lind; and pitchers Doug Drabek and Stan Belinda.

As a rookie in 1982 Johnny Ray played in every game and was named the Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News.

In 1988, the young team finished 85-75 and seemed ready to compete for a pennant. The Pirates would indeed win the division three straight times in 1990–92, but the 1989 season was a major setback, with injuries depleting the squad and leading to a 5th-place finish. Among the low points of the season was a game on June 8, 1989, where the Pirates became the first team in major-league history to score 10 runs in the first inning and nevertheless lose the game.^[3] Pirates broadcaster (and former pitcher) Jim Rooker famously vowed that if the team blew the lead, he would walk home from Philadelphia—a vow he fulfilled after the season while raising money for charity.^[4]

The Pirates would win the first three division titles of the 1990s, but failed to advance to the World Series each time, the second two losing closely contested seven-game series to the Atlanta Braves on questionable calls at the end of the final games.

Since the heartbreaking lost to the Braves in the 1992 NLCS, the Pirates have not had a winning season. The closest to a winning team was the 1997 "Freak Show" team, which finished second in the NL Central. This team was eliminated during the season's final week, despite having a losing record and a payroll of only $9 million.

The failure of the Pirates to compete in recent years has been blamed on "small market syndrome"; teams located in small cities such as Pittsburgh,Tampa Bay, and Kansas City cannot compete with New York City and Boston without a salary cap or similar agreement, as the better Players tend to gravitate towards cities where teams generate more revenue, meaning larger salaries.

2000-present: The PNC Park Years

Pirates Alternate Logo 1997-Present

The Pirates opened a new Stadium, PNC Park, in 2001. due to its simple, unpretentious concept and strategic usage of the remarkably beautiful Pittsburgh skyline, it is frequently regarded (as in a recent ESPN article) as currently the best park in baseball. Despite this, the Pirates' performance has translated to subpar attendance figures. With the end of the 2006 season, the Pirates had failed to compile at least a .500 winning percentage in 14 straight seasons. This streak is the longest in any of the country's four major professional sports leagues. ^[5]

Their overall lack of success in the last decade have been blamed partly on former general manager Cam Bonifay, who gave large contracts to Players such as Derek Bell while failing to identify, develop, and retain numerous young potential star Players. Despite poor play in 2001, Bell announced that he would begin "Operation Shutdown", a passive-aggressive ploy in which he would fail to play effectively in response to losing his role as a starter.

Current general manager Dave Littlefield was installed midway through the 2001 season and began overhauling the team to comply with owner Kevin McClatchy's dictum to drastically reduce the payroll. Enigmatic but talented third baseman Aramis Ramírez was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2003 for a fairly minimal return under pressure to dump his $6 million salary for 2004, and he proceeded to become a star for the Cubs. Brian Giles was one of the National League's best hitters for several years, but he and his $9 million salary were also traded in 2003 to the San Diego Padres for youngsters Oliver Pérez, Jason Bay, and Cory Stewart. Pirate fans found this trade much more palatable in the short run, as Pérez led the majors in strikeouts per inning and Bay won the Rookie of the Year Award award in 2004, while Giles put up a subpar season by his standards. After the 2004 season, Jason Kendall went to the Oakland Athletics in a cross-exchange of high-salary Players. Though this rash of trades has not been popular in Pittsburgh, it is generally accepted that it can mostly be attributed to the aforementioned "small market syndrome."

Illustrating the Pirates' rebuilding efforts, at the close of the 2005 season, the team fielded the youngest roster in baseball, with an average age of 26.6. (the next youngest team was the Kansas City Royals, with an average age of 27.1.) During the course of the season, 14 Players were called up from its Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, 12 of whom made their first major league appearance. On September 6, manager Lloyd McClendon was fired after 5 losing seasons as manager. On October 11, Jim Tracy was hired as the new manager.

The 2006 season got off to a slow start with the Pirates losing their first six games. Manager Jim Tracy earned his first win as the new Pirate's skipper on April 9 against the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates hosted the 2006 All Star Game at PNC Park. The Pirates went into the game with a disastrous and disappointing 30-60 record. During the 2nd half of the season the Pirates made a successful turn around and finished the 2nd half with a 37-35 record. This is the first time the Pirates have finished the 2nd half of the season with a winning record since 1992. Third baseman Freddy Sanchez won the National League batting title for the 2006 season with an average of .344. On October 1, 2006 after 51 years, KDKA 1020 AM broadcasted its final Pirates game. The Pirates won the game over the Reds 1-0 . The games will move to WPGB 104.7 FM in the 2007 season as part of a five year deal with Clear Channel Communications.

On January 12, 2007 it was announced that Robert Nutting would replace McClatchy as majority owner. Nutting is currently the 6th majority owner in Pirates history. On January 18, 2007 the Pirates landed 1B Adam LaRoche from the Braves for closer Mike Gonzalez, plus a minor league transaction^[6] giving them the young, left-handed power hitter they had long coveted. They also unveiled a new red alternate jersey which will be worn for home Sunday games and holidays.