OT: Greatest Moment in Pirates' History?
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I think few would doubt the Maz homer was the greatest moment in Pirate history. The greatest moment I saw personally was Roberto's 3,000th hit.
The worst day in Pirate history is easy. It is the day Bob Nutting took over.
I just recalled another significant Pirate moment I witnessed that, few, perhaps will remember. It was September 1, 1971, and I was at Three Rivers when the Bucs fielded the 1st all Black/Latino lineup in Major League History. Back in those days my family had Pirate season tickets so I didn't miss many games.
https://theundefeated.com/features/...h-pirates-fielded-the-first-all-black-lineup/
https://theundefeated.com/features/...h-pirates-fielded-the-first-all-black-lineup/
The year they actually spend some money to put a real team on the field. Pittsburgh fans have been great to the Pirates and all they get in return is a team that might get into the third wildcard.
I have mentioned this before, but recalling the Maz homer, in 1960 my Mom was a very heavy smoker despite all efforts by my Dad and I to get her to quit. She was at game 7 and when the Pirates came up in the bottom of the 9th, she promised God if the Bucs won she would never smoke another cigarette. They did and she kept her word. She never smoked again.
I was only nine years old but my brother and his pregnant wife were there. In the left field bleachers. He still has the ticket stubs. I heard many stories of the insane asylum that was Forbes Field and Oakland that day.
Think about how long it's been since there has been a truly great moment for the Pirates. I saw something the other day celebrating an opposing pitcher dropping the baseball. I couldn't tell if that was a joke or not.
Well that’s not really true. Bitch about Nutting all you want the Pirates were in the playoffs 3 years in a row and had the second best record in baseball a couple of years ago. Check out the Pirates in the early 50s and mid 80s.Sadly true.
I have that exact picture hanging at home wit Maz's autograph on it . and the cert. of authenticity .
Cool stuff I think .
This brings back very fond memories as growing up in South Carolina on many summer nights after sundown my father would go out and sit in the car and listen to Pirates broadcasts (couldn't get them clear enough in the house radio). My father and uncle became Pirate fans for some reason while they were in the Army during WWII, I'm not sure how that happened. I remember listening with him to those teams a little later with Clemente, Maz, Matty Alou, Gene Alley, Clendenon, Veale, Blass,Bailey, Stargell etc. For some reason my father complained all the time about Clendenon, but my brothers and I liked him. The only thing I can think of was that as I look at his stats, he did strike out alot, ( probabaly with men on base, haha)
Their youngest brother came North in the 1950's and he had a lot to do with me ending up in PA after high school in the early 70's
P. S. For those in a bad mood today I apologize for responding with thoughts that have nothing to do with the OP.
Their youngest brother came North in the 1950's and he had a lot to do with me ending up in PA after high school in the early 70's
P. S. For those in a bad mood today I apologize for responding with thoughts that have nothing to do with the OP.
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Never saw that bottom picture before. That's great angle of the bedlam at home plate and in the stands.
When Sid Bream ran, time went in reverse.
Bonds still couldn’t nail him.....smizik always said Bonds made a good throw, Spanky maintained Sid was out.
I knew grown men nearly brought to tears. Imo worst moment in sports history of the city of Pittsburgh, any time any sport any era....
He's been the owner for 12 seasons and in 8 of those the Bucs were below .500.
Now, it is true that they won 98 games in 2015 (the third of 3 playoff seasons), but the very next season they won 20 less (78). I will not tell anyone how to run his business, but it appears another sub .500 year is on the way. I no longer follow baseball as I once did but a friend who has had season tickets since 2014 gave them up this year because he is fed up with Nutting. Attendance was down over a million fans last year from just 3 years earlier (1,465,316 in 2018 from 2,498,596 in 2015) because many fans are like my friend and have no confidence in current ownership. Perhaps I am wrong, as I often am, but, going forward, I don't expect the Pirates to ever be in a World Series with Nutting as an owner.
Unfortunately we will all be dead or close to it. He said he is passing it onto his daughters.
Note Yankee catcher Johnny Blanchard leaving to NY clubhouse thru Pirates dugout. What a walk that must have been
The only hope of getting the Nutting Losers family out is if baseball changes its MO but with all the money being made in the game that seems highly unlikely.
First of all a good throw doesn't come in 8 feet towards first base.
And I have looked at that play many times and it looks like Sid's front foot is over and not on the plate as Spanky tags his other leg.
In my time I have had a few sick to my stomach feelings. That was one of the worst.
A few others were
David Volek
Scotty "f***ing" Reynolds.
Bob Moose's wild pitch
Alfred Papunu, TE for the Chargers, catching a TD pass from out of nowhere to turn a 10-0 Steeler lead into an eventual loss in the AFC championship game.
I am in no way shape or form defending the spending practices of Nutting. I realize he can't spend like the Dodgers or Yankees and I don't think anyone expects him to. But to continue to compete with an annual payroll of 75 to 100 million dollars is just not going to cut it. They had a nice approach which got them back to respectability then, after the 2015 season, didn't follow up by spending a little more money to fill in some gaps. their payroll right now is in the mid 70s. They have money to sign some nice free agents. I can't wait to see if they try to improve before April but I am not holding my breath.
This was obvious. However, 1971 world series game 6 in the 9th inning, "the throw". Had the Pirates won this game, Clemente's throw would have gone down as maybe the greatest ever. The pirates lost in extras and won game 7. If you dont remember the throw, its worth watching.
In 1998, the day Kevin "Pennsylvania" Polcavich actually managed to get a hit
Mr Buffett and I were at a Pirates game possibly 2004 with very few Pirate fans remaining as the game was winding down. The Pirates were getting trounced. When we go to any Pittsburgh sporting event we stay until the game is over. 0.0???
Prior to the end of the game the Pirates announcer invited all remaining fans to visit the Pirates Club for $ 2 can and bottled domestic beers.
That was one of The Greatest Moments In Pirates History.
"save a horse ride a cowboy"
Signed: Mrs Buffett
GO CSU Rams & PITT Panthers
Prior to the end of the game the Pirates announcer invited all remaining fans to visit the Pirates Club for $ 2 can and bottled domestic beers.
That was one of The Greatest Moments In Pirates History.
"save a horse ride a cowboy"
Signed: Mrs Buffett
GO CSU Rams & PITT Panthers
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Was at Pitt for summer orientation and watched the last game at Forbes out of my Towers window. Couldn't see everything, but enough.
While at Pitt, saw the First Night game in WS history.
Sitting behind home plate at 3RS, saw Willie blast one into the upper deck in RF. It was a Titanic shot, but curled foul at the last minute! About 30 feet above the foul pole, still not sure it didn't cross it fair!
Used to see Richie Hebner at Coyne's Bar, they had an Atlantic Richfield player photo of him on the wall, and he used to sit under it and drink water! Tell stories about banging chicks on home plate at the stadium!
Had Series tickets right behind the 3rd base dugout the year Guisti served up the HR to Bench to blow the deciding game of the playoff. Got my refund at PNC and blew it all on beer and food, ending up at the O, eventually getting sick, for the perfect ending!
Was a fun time to be at Pitt! Hockey games as well at the igloo. Walk up and get seats right behind the glass!
While at Pitt, saw the First Night game in WS history.
Sitting behind home plate at 3RS, saw Willie blast one into the upper deck in RF. It was a Titanic shot, but curled foul at the last minute! About 30 feet above the foul pole, still not sure it didn't cross it fair!
Used to see Richie Hebner at Coyne's Bar, they had an Atlantic Richfield player photo of him on the wall, and he used to sit under it and drink water! Tell stories about banging chicks on home plate at the stadium!
Had Series tickets right behind the 3rd base dugout the year Guisti served up the HR to Bench to blow the deciding game of the playoff. Got my refund at PNC and blew it all on beer and food, ending up at the O, eventually getting sick, for the perfect ending!
Was a fun time to be at Pitt! Hockey games as well at the igloo. Walk up and get seats right behind the glass!
I was in 8th.grade—watch the game in the principals office — needless to say we went crazy. Maz lived in Braddock at that time and Groat lived in Swissvale. North Braddock Scott Hi beat Braddock a few shot weeks later. Those where the days my friend,I thought they would never end.
The Sunday the Pirates won the '71 Series, my wife and I were coming back to Pitt from a weekend at home. We got to the Greyhound Station, and the entire downtown was in pandamonium! No buses were running, so ended up walking most of the way back to Oakland in the dark lugging two heavy suitcases!
The streets were clogged with revelors. Horns blowing, gridlock, craziness!
I guess trying to mimic the 1960 event.
Needless to say, it was a rough trip!
The streets were clogged with revelors. Horns blowing, gridlock, craziness!
I guess trying to mimic the 1960 event.
Needless to say, it was a rough trip!
Well, it wasn't the greatest, but if you would insist that ther greatest moments revolve around winning a WS... and you should... then that home run Willie Stargell hit in the 7th game of the 79 series to put the team ahead for good, is certainly the LAST great moment that the Pirates will ever have. Until every Nutting passes away anyway.
My earliest recollection was the spring/early summer of 1973
I was 9 years old and by then , watching them win it all 2 years before made me want to go to 3 rivers and see our Buccos do it again .
Unfortunately for me and the rest of the world , there was having to come to grips with the fact that one of the all time greats on the Pirates and in baseball was killed not long before that day I saw , in person , my first major league baseball game .
Willie Stargell took the pain away from that tragedy .
I couldn't have been happier that Pop's shined in '79 .
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It sure sucked the air out of that New Year's celebration. Woke up New Year's day to THAT news! It was hard to believe, but it was true. So sad for his family, and all Pirate fans. He still easily had a few good years left in him for us to enjoy.
Sanguillen was tasked to play right field in his place for a while. He adored Roberto. I think Al Oliver finally settled in as his replacement, but no one could replace "The Great One"!
Man . Talk about a good time to be alive . 9 through 16 years old .
Being a die hard Steelers/Pirates fan was just forged into a little kid , young mans blood .
And yinz kidz wonder why us old guys get so passionate n'at ! Lol .
Personally imo . Clemente's # shouldn't have been worn by anyone after that new years eve . At that time though . A lot of things were said and printed about him and that only after time they would even consider talking about retiring 21 .
Yeah .
I still remember waking up , having fallen asleep in the living room after banging pots n pans outside for the "new years"(remember doing that ?) My 16 year older sister crying her eyes out and looking at the tv news .
I actually think it was Sam Nover I heard and watch reporting it .
Channel 11 ?
These days, the "bug" is the tsetse fly. Carrier of SLEEPING SICKNESS!
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