The 1925 season ended on October 4th of that year, and for the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Cubs finished in eighth and last place in the National League. Managed by Bill Killefer, Rabbit Maranville, and George Gibson, the team compiled a 68-86 record to finish 27.5 games behind the first-place Pirates.
In a 22-inning game against the Dodgers on August 22, 1917, Pirates outfielder Carson Bigbee set a major league record with 11 at-bats. Bigbee collected 6 hits with two RBIs in Pittsburgh’s 6-5 loss to Brooklyn.
Thirteen other players have since matched Bigbee’s single game at-bats mark.
On June 20, 1925, Max Carey became the first switch-hitter to hit for the cycle, helping the Pirates defeat Brooklyn, 21-5. In addition to his four hits in six trips to the plate, the Pittsburgh outfielder scored two runs and drove in four RBIs at Forbes Field.
On June 15, 1940, New York Giants catcher Harry Danning hit for the cycle in a game against Pittsburgh. His home run was an inside-the-park home run that landed 460 feet on the fly in front of the Giants’ clubhouse, wedged behind the Eddie Grant memorial at the Polo Grounds. Pittsburgh center fielder Vince DiMaggio was not able to free it in time to catch Danning rounding the bases.
On April 22, 1962, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Mets to bring their record to 10-0 to start the season. This hot start matched a Major League record at the time for an undefeated record to open the year. For the Mets, meanwhile, the loss meant they fell to 0-9, matching a National League record at the opposite end of the spectrum.
On February 11, 2001 at 8:03 a.m., Three Rivers Stadium was imploded using 4,800 pounds of dynamite in 2,500 spots placed throughout the former home of the Pirates and NFL’s Steelers. Over 20,000 people viewed the implosion from Point State Park, and thousands more watched from various points throughout Pittsburgh. Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit and Mike Schmidt’s 500th career home run are part of the historic legacy of the 30-year-old sports venue.
While coaching a high school basketball team on February 9, 1946, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Preacher Roe got into a fight with the referee that resulted in him hitting his head on the floor and fracturing his skull. As a result, the southpaw would report to spring training a month late, and his pitching suffered during the season, with his record falling to 3–8 and posting an ERA of 5.14 in 1946.
The music for this song is very laid back, but the lyrics are a lot of fun. This tune chronicles that day in 1970 when Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter while high on LSD. I love how the song points out that nobody seemed to realize a no-hitter was in progress while it was happening.
The Pittsburgh Pirates played their final game at Exposition Park against the Chicago Cubs on June 29, 1909. The Pirates won the game 8–1 in front of 5,545 spectators, with George Gibson collecting the final National League hit in the ballpark. The very next day, the Pirates once again played the Cubs, this time with the team opening up Forbes Field.
Jackie Robinson’s first major league steal of home plate came against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 24, 1947. The Brooklyn Dodgers would go on to win that game 4-2 over the Pirates at Forbes Field. Robinson would steal the dish a total of 19 times over the course of his career.
