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3/31 From 1980: Opening Day Squeakers; Bielecki Deal; Solly, KY Sign; Bell, Tenace Finale; PNC Peek, GABP Opener;

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 7:01

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1984 – C Gene Tenace ended his 15-year career when he was released by the Pirates in spring training after batting .177 for the Bucs in 1983 as a 36-year old. Tenace had a great eye and was an OBP machine. His BA was just .241, but he had a .388 OBP for his career and drew nearly 1,000 walks. Even in his last season with the Bucs, he had more walks than hits.
1988 – The Chicago Cubs traded minor league LHP Mike Curtis to the Pirates for RHP Mike Bielecki. Bielecki turned into a workmanlike journeyman pitcher, working 14 years in MLB (although he did have one big season for the Cubs, going 18-7/3.14 in 1989) while Curtis never got out of AAA, ending his career as an indie league pitcher.
1997 – The Pirates lured FA 1B Kevin Young back to Pittsburgh from KC with a $400K contract. He would sign two more deals with the Bucs worth $28M over the following six seasons before retiring after the 2003 campaign. The 1B hit .259 over 11 years with the Pirates and is back with the club as a special instructor. They also signed undrafted Puerto Rican middle infielder Luis Figeroa, who got a cup of coffee with the Bucs in 2001 and then with Toronto (‘06) and San Francisco in 2007. He played in 18 MLB games overall, batting .125.

KY – 2001 Upper Deck

2001 – PNC Park hosted its first MLB baseball game when the Pirates and Mets played an exhibition. The game was a sellout as NY won, 4-3. The Mets won the next day’s spring game too, 3-2, notable mainly because Aramis Ramirez hit the first HR in the park’s history.
2002 – “Operation Shutdown” OF Derek Bell was released, with the Pirates eating $4.5M in guaranteed money, after Bell told the media that he would sail into the sunset on his yacht rather than be forced to compete for a starting spot. In the first year of his deal, he was nagged by injuries and hit .173 in 46 games, which to many seemed a good enough reason to open the competition. His voyage as a ballplayer was scuttled after he hoisted his anchor: he never appeared in another MLB game. As Mark Madden of the Post Gazette wrote “Derek Bell becomes the ultimate Pirate: Lives on a boat and steals money.”
2003 – Pittsburgh helped the Reds christen Great American Ballpark. President George Bush tossed out the first ball in front of 42,000+ fans, but Cincy played second banana for the yard’s opening act. The Bucs spoiled the inauguration, winning 10-1 behind homers from Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton and Jason Kendall, all launched during a six-run second inning. Kris Benson got the win.
2006 – RHP Salomon Torres agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $6.5M pending a physical, extending his current deal through 2008. He worked 94 games in 2006 (3-6-12/3.28), but after a subpar 2007 campaign, he was shipped to Milwaukee for Marino Salas and minor leaguer Kevin Roberts. Torres considered retirement over relocation, but did join the Brewers, worked the season and then hung up his mitt.

X-Man – 2008 Topps Heritage

2008 – In an Opening Day shootout at Turner Field, the Bucs beat the Braves 12-11 in 12 innings. Damaso Marte and Matt Capps blew a 9-4 ninth inning lead, capped by a fly ball dropping between LF Jason Bay and CF Nate McLouth with two outs to tie the score. Pittsburgh reclaimed the lead in the top of the 12th on a Xavier Nady three-run bomb, but Atlanta almost tied it again with two runs in their half before Franquelis Osario nailed down the save. The X-Man had four hits while McLouth, Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Doumit had three to prime a 17-hit attack.
2014 – Neil Walker blasted a 10th-inning, 3-2 changeup from Carlos Villanueva deep over the Clemente Wall to give the Bucs and Bryan Morris a 1-0 Opening Day win over the Cubs at PNC Park. The Kid’s longball was only the fourth 1-0 walk off homer in Bucco history: Bob Bailey (1965) Bill Virdon (1958), and 1958 Ted Kluszweski (1958) had the others. Francisco Liriano and Jeff Samardzija started the game, leaving it for the bullpens to decide. It also marked the first use of expanded replay, which had been rolled out in the Arizona Fall League, when Cubs manager Rick Renteria challenged a double play in the top of the fifth inning. (The original call on the field of out at first was confirmed).

Source: https://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2021/03/331-from-1980-opening-day-squeakers.html

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