Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.

By The Green Weenie
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

7/23 From 1970: Spence Slam, 5 For Rock, Rick Roll, Streaks, Sly Guy, Game Days, TRS '74 ASG, Jose-Bo, Danny-Rich, Guillen-Catchers, A-Ram Dump (& Return), Sox Shuffle

Thursday, July 23, 2026 7:01

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

1974 – TRS hosted the 45th All-Star Game, drawing 50,706 fans. The National League romped 7-2 with Pirate lefty Ken Brett, the Bucs only All Star, credited with the win. He tossed a pair of scoreless frames, giving up a hit and a walk. It was the third time the Pirates hosted the All-Star Game (the first two were at Forbes Field in 1944 and 1959). It was the first of two times that the game was played at Three Rivers Stadium, with TRS hosting the ASG again in 1994.

1977 – With some clutch two-out at-bats and a bit of legerdemain from Chuck Tanner, the Bucs scored four times in the seventh to beat Cincinnati 5-4 at Three Rivers Stadium. Down 4-1, the Bucs cut the lead to a run on doubles by Dave Parker and Rennie Stennett around a Bill Robinson knock. Two righty pinch-hitters, Fernando Gonzalez and Jerry Hairston, reached on a walk and infield single to load the bases with two outs. Sparky Anderson saw Willie Stargell with a helmet and bat, so he kept lefty starter Frank Capilla in to instead face Jim Fregosi, who banged out a two-run single to put Pittsburgh up by a run. It was a little chicanery on Tanner’s part as unknown to Sparky, Pops had an elbow problem that was so severe that he couldn’t swing a bat; otherwise Pedro Borbon would have faced Fregosi. Grant Jackson did yeoman’s work when he squelched a bases-loaded threat left by Teke in the eighth and then tossed a 1-2-3 ninth frame against Pete Rose, Ken Griffey and Joe Morgan to save Jim Rooker’s win.

1979 – The Bucs won their ninth game in a row by a 7-1 count over the Atlanta Braves at Three Rivers Stadium in the lidlifter of a twin bill. Tim Foli went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead the attack while Bert Blyleven tossed a four hit complete game. The Bucs pulled off the 500th triple play in MLB history in the second inning of the nitecap when Braves’ pitcher Phil Niekro bounced into a 5-4-3, Bill Madlock-to-Phil Garner-to-Willie Stargell triple killing at TRS, but he had the last laugh as he spun a two-hitter in an 8-0 Atlanta romp, ending the Bucco winning streak.

1982 – Pittsburgh dropped Atlanta 6-0 at TRS as Rick Rhoden did it all. He tossed a six-hit, complete game shutout with only two Braves reaching second, banged out two hits and chased home a pair of runs. Dale Berra had a big day too, making two great plays in the field and scoring three times, one on a swipe of home as part of a double steal with Omar Moreno.

Bobby Bo – 1987 Donruss Opening Day

1986 – The Bucs sent RHP Jose DeLeon to the Chicago White Sox for OF Bobby Bonilla. DeLeon had a long and workmanlike career while Bobby Bo earned four All-Star berths with the Pirates, hitting .284 with 114 HR and 500 RBI for the Pirates from 1986-91. The Pirates had originally signed Bonilla out of high school in 1981, but the White Sox claimed him in 1985’s Rule 5 draft after a FO braincramp. The move ended Lee Mazzilli’s three-year run with the Pirates; he was released to make roster space for Bonilla and signed with his old team, the Mets.

1988 – In a game played “mostly for laughs” per Bob Hertzel of the Press, a team of Pirates old-timers edged a club of former World Series 1-0 at TRS as part of the Equitable Old-Timers series. The only run scored between player antics came in the first frame when Bill Virdon touched home thanks to an Al Oliver double.

1991 – A couple of milestone moments: Longtime Buc coach Jeff Banister made his MLB debut and singled off Atlanta’s Dan Petry in his only big league at bat. Banister was a Pirate lifer after being drafted in 1986 until landing the skipper job in Texas, returning to Pittsburgh’s FO when that gig was up (he’s now the bench coach for Arizona). In the same game, rookie John “Rock” Wehner, now a Pirates broadcaster, went 5-for-5 to become the first ‘Burgh rook since Richie Zisk in 1973 to collect five hits; he single handedly outhit the Bravos 5-to-4. (Wehner had a quick start to his career. He went 4-for-4 a week later and was batting .432 on July 31; he posted a .340 BA in his rookie campaign). The Bucs beat the Atlanta Braves handily 12-3 at TRS that night before 21,644 fans. Gary Redus banged a fifth-inning grand slam and with Spanky LaValliere combined to drive in seven runs while Bobby Bonilla homered to help Doug Drabek post his 10th victory.

1996 – The Pirates sent RHP Danny Darwin to the Astros for minor league RHP Rich Loiselle. Loiselle spent his six-year MLB career (1996-2001) as a Pirate and claimed 29 saves in 1997 after being converted from a starter to the pen. He finished 9-18-49/4.38, going steadily downhill after fairly strong 1997-98 campaigns. The veteran Darwin won 16 more games before hangin’ the spikes up after the 1998 season, closing out 21 years with 171 wins in the show.

Jose Guillen – 1999 Upper Deck MVP

1999 – The Pirates swapped OF Jose Guillen and RHP Jeff Sparks to Tampa Bay for catchers Joe Oliver and Humberto Cota, scuffling for help behind the plate after Jason Kendall broke his ankle. Guillen, who had 28 homers and 154 RBI in his first two seasons, was having a down year after arriving at spring training a month late due to visa problems but proved to be an overpay. He went on to have a half dozen 20+ HR campaigns, including a 31-bomb season in 2003.

2003 – The Pirates traded 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton, and cash to the Cubs for SS Jose Hernandez, RHP Matt Bruback, and 2B Bobby Hill in Dave Littlefield’s darkest day of salary dumping. It was speculated that RHP Kris Benson, not Ramirez, was who the Cubs were after, but he missed his prior start and so Chicago passed on him. The Bucs also dealt Scott Sauerbeck & Mike Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox for Brandon Lyon & Anastacio Martinez. Ten days later, Gonzo was traded back to Pittsburgh with Freddy Sanchez & cash for Brandon Lyon (who had flunked his Pirates physical), Martinez & Jeff Suppan, basically making the new Rube Goldberg deal a swap of Sauerbeck & Suppan for Sanchez and causing one big headache for the traveling secretaries.

2015 – 3B Aramis Ramirez, who began his career as a Bucco, was traded back to the ‘Burg by the Milwaukee Brewers along with cash for minor league reliever Yhonathan Barrios exactly 12 years after he was originally dealt away in a contract dump. A-Ram, who retired at the end of the year, filled a gap on the left side of the infield caused by injuries to Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer and also manned first base for the first time after 2,100+ games at the hot corner.

2018 – In between scattered rain storms, the Pirates licked Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Park by a 7-0 count for their 10th straight win, the team’s longest string since 2004. Trevor Williams tossed his first MLB shutout, a four-hitter cut short after six innings because of the wet weather. Starling Marte extended his hitting streak to 16 games with two hits and two RBI while Josh Harrison cracked a two-out, three-run homer; Marte and Josh Bell also went deep. Jordy Mercer added two hits to the pot and Gregory Polanco banged a two-out, two-run triple. The Bucs’ victory streak ended at 11 games, snapped two days later by Trevor Bauer, 4-0.

Trevor Williams – 2018 Topps

2022 – Jose Quintana, who was rumored to be making his final Pittsburgh start before the trade deadline (Q lasted until August 2nd when he was dealt to the Cards), tossed seven innings of four-hit, shutout ball, and with help from Wil Crowe and David Bednar, put away the Miami Marlins 1-0 at PNC Park. Yoshi Tsutsugo drove in the only run with a two-out single in the sixth as the Bucs kept stubbing their own toe by stranding 10 runners while going 1-for-11 with RISP.

2023 – The Pirates had three wins to date in July, largely due to poor pitching. So they went with a bullpen game, and five Buc twirlers – Ryan Borucki, Osvaldo Bido (the winner), Jose Hernandez, Carmen Mlodzinski and David Bednar (the save) – tossed Pittsburgh’s first shutout in two months, scattering six hits and fanning a dozen LA Halos for a 3-0 victory at Angel Stadium. The Pirates ducked a couple of bullets – with the bases jammed and no outs in the fourth, a liner was turned into a DP, and in the ninth, the Angels jammed the sacks with one away, but a comebacker was converted into a 1-2-3 twin killing. The Corsairs didn’t bang the ball around much, but Bryan Reynolds had two hits, driving in a run and scoring while Endy Rodriguez hit his first MLB homer. On the other side of the pillow, Jared Triolo’s 13-game hitting streak was snapped.

2025 – Andrew McCutchen gave the Bucs an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the first, and Spencer Horwitz made it an easy day for Bailey Falter by banging his first career grand slam in the next frame. Falter went seven innings v Detroit at PNC, giving up a run on four hits as the Pirates won, 6-1. It was Pittsburgh’s third straight win, and after a loss, they tore off five more consecutive dubs. It didn’t move the season’s needle much; the club ended the year with a 71-91 slate and last in the Central Division.

Source: https://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2026/07/723-from-1970-spence-slam-5-for-rock.html

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

LION'S MANE PRODUCT

Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules

Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.

Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.

Comments

Visits:	1,824,363,422
Stories:	8,674,879