Pittsburgh Pirates History

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball History

Pittsburgh Pirates (baseball), professional baseball team and one of six teams in the Central Division of the National League (NL). Formerly called the Alleghenies and the Innocents, the club adopted its current name in 1890 after it was accused of pirating a player from a competing franchise. The Pirates play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and wear uniforms of white, yellow, and black.

The Pirates have assembled powerful teams in virtually every era of their 100-plus year history. The club won its first World Series championship in 1909 and claimed its fifth in 1979. Pittsburgh has fielded many great players, from early stars Jim Pud Galvin, Rabbit Maranville, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, and Lloyd Waner and Paul Waner (the only pair of brothers in the Baseball Hall of Fame) to modern-day heroes Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente, Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, and Willie Stargell.

Many Pittsburgh standouts were known for their consistency. Wagner was a seven-time batting champion and career .327 hitter. The Waner brothers batted .300 or better in 25 of their combined 29 complete seasons with the Pirates. Vaughan hit at least .300 in each of his 10 seasons in Pittsburgh, while Traynor bettered .300 in 10 of 13 seasons. In each of his seven years with the Pirates, Kiner led or tied for the NL lead in home runs. Clemente, Wagner, and Paul Waner each eclipsed the prestigious 3000-hit milestone during their careers. With sluggers Clemente, Stargell, and Dave Parker the Pirates were a formidable power during the 1970s, capturing six division titles, two NL pennants, and two World Series championships.

Professional baseball in Pittsburgh dates to April 15, 1876, when the Alleghenies played their first organized game at Union Park. The team disbanded in 1877 and re-formed in 1882 as part of the new American Association, established as a rival to the NL. The club joined the NL in 1887 and three years later became known as the Pirates, after coaxing Philadelphia Athletics second baseman Louis Bierbauer to move to Pittsburgh.

Three future Hall of Famers joined the Pirates in 1900—outfielder and player-manager Fred Clarke, pitcher Rube Waddell, and shortstop Honus Wagner. The three formed the core of Pittsburgh’s pennant-winning teams of 1901, 1902, and 1903. Manager Barney Dreyfuss became known as the Father of the World Series after challenging the American League—champion Boston Pilgrims to a best-of-nine-game series in 1903, which the Pirates lost, five games to three.

The addition of right-handed pitcher Babe Adams helped Pittsburgh capture its first World Series championship in 1909. Adams won three games in the series, which featured a matchup of batting champions Wagner and Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers.

In 1925 Pittsburgh put together a lineup of outfielders Max Carey and Kiki Cuyler and third baseman Pie Traynor to win the NL pennant and defeat the Washington Senators in the World Series. By 1927 brothers Lloyd and Paul Waner had joined the team. The Pirates won the NL pennant that year but were swept in the World Series by the New York Yankees, who fielded star sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Along with the Waners, shortstop Arky Vaughan helped keep the Pirates in contention during the 1930s. But Pittsburgh’s power declined in the late 1940s, despite the addition of outfielder Kiner in 1946. The club continued to lose through the 1950s.

Pittsburgh rebounded in 1960, when pitcher Harvey Haddix led the Pirates to their first NL pennant in 33 years. Shortstop Dick Groat was named NL most valuable player (MVP) and Danny Murtaugh was named manager of the year. The Pirates beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Roberto Clemente, a young outfielder on Pittsburgh’s championship team of 1960, became one of baseball’s most talented and admired players in the 1960s, consistently batting above .300 and winning four batting titles. Clemente led the Pirates to an NL pennant in 1971 as well as a seven-game victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. Pittsburgh’s domination continued throughout the 1970s. Sluggers Dave Parker, NL MVP in 1978, and Stargell, NL MVP in 1979, powered the Pirates to the another NL pennant in 1979 and helped erase a two-game deficit to defeat Baltimore in the World Series.

After a string of losing seasons in the 1980s, the Pirates began to rebuild under manager Jim Leyland. A series of trades brought third baseman Bobby Bonilla, shortstop Jay Bell, pitcher Doug Drabek, and outfielder Andy Van Slyke on to the Pirates’ roster to join outfielder Barry Bonds. From 1990 to 1992 the Pirates won three straight division crowns. In both 1990 and 1992, Leyland was named NL manager of the year and Bonds was NL MVP. By the mid-1990s, however, Pittsburgh had dropped out of contention.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
1909 - d. Detroit in 7 games
1925 - d. Washington in 7 games
1960 - d. NY Pirates in 7 games
1971 - d. Baltimore in 7 games
1979 - d. Baltimore in 7 games.
Won the NL Pennant in 1901, 1902, 1903, 1909, 1925, 1927, 1960, 1971, 1979

TOP MANAGER
Danny Murtaugh managed the pirates from 1957-1964, 1967, 1970-71, 1973-76, and finished with a 1115-950 record. Jim Leyland managed from 1986-96 and finished with an 851-863 record. Frank Frisch was manager from 1940-46 and has a 538-528 record. Fred Clarke was the Pirates manager from 1900-1915 and has a record of 1422-969. Leyland was named NL Manager of the Year in 1990 and 1992.

MVPS
Dick Groat (1960), Roberto Clemente (1966), Dave Parker (1978), Willie Stargell (1979 co-winner), Barry Bonds (1990, 1992)

CY YOUNG
Vernon Law (1960), Doug Drabek (1990)

ROOKIE OF YEAR
The franchise has no Rookies of the Year. The Pirates are the only franchise that was in existence at the time the award was initiated that hasn't had at least one Rookie of the Year.

RETIRED NUMBERS
1 - Billy Meyer (Mgr)
4 - Ralph Kiner (OF)
8 - Willie Stargell (1B)
9 - Bill Mazeroski (2B)
20 - Pie Traynor (3B)
21 - Roberto Clemente (OF)
33 - Honus Wagner (SS)
40 - Danny Murtaugh (Mgr)