The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the most storied histories in the annuals of baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia captures these fabulous times through the stories of the individuals and the collective teams that have thrilled the Steel City for 125 years. The book breaks down the team with a year-by-year synopsis of the club, biographies of over 180 of the most memorable Pirates through the ages as well as a look at each manager, owner, general manager and announcer that has served the club proudly. Now updated through the 2014 season, The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia will provide Pirates fans as well as baseball fans in general a complete look into the team's history, sparking memories of glories past and hopes for the future. Highlights include: • Single-season and career records • Player and manager profiles • Pirates award winners • Synopses of key games in Pirates history Now fully updated, this is one of the most comprehensive books ever written about the Pirates, and a resource that no Bucs fan should be without. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Author and sports historian David Finoli's inside look at the 50 greatest male and female athletes in Pittsburgh history. Greatness in sport is both undefinable and immediately recognizable. Though it is rare, Western Pennsylvania has been graced with a long history of athletes who embody the essence of greatness. They have proudly represented the region in sports such as boxing, golf and track; carried their collegiate teams to victory; and worn the black and gold of the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. Pittsburghers still recall how Mario Lemieux glided effortlessly through an opposing defense before befuddling the goalie or Arnold Palmer's unique swing that made the everyday duffer feel like he was one of them. Fans debate whether Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger is the better quarterback and what the legacy of Barry Bonds is, while keeping Roberto Clemente among their most cherished icons. Take a deep dive into all of that and more and re-discover the best of the best in Pittsburgh sports history.
Pittsburgh is synonymous with winning. From the Penguins and Steelers to the Pirates and Panthers, the Steel City knows championships. The Negro League's Crawford and Homestead Grays are too often overlooked in the city's sports history but were as talented as any team that has played there. Names such as Lemieux, Crosby, Roethlisberger, Bradshaw, Clemente and Stargell are legends of American sport and members of Pittsburgh's most cherished franchises. The 1970s Steelers were known as the Steel Curtain. The Penguins have raised the Stanley Cup five times. Author Dave Finoli ranks the fifty greatest teams that won trophies, brought glory and lifted the hearts of Pittsburgh's devoted sports fans.
In 1909, Pittsburgh Pirates president Barney Dreyfuss began construction on a new facility for his team in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. Dreyfuss decided to call his palace--the first concrete and steel facility built in the National League--Forbes Field, after the British general John Forbes, a hero in the French and Indian War. Opened on June 20, 1909, Forbes Field was a hit from the onset; the venue hosted large crowds that came to watch the Pirates win in their first World Series against the Detroit Tigers that year. As the years went on, Forbes Field became synonymous with the greatest sports memories in the city's history. Patrons saw the trials and tribulations of the Steelers as well as some of the greatest collegiate football teams in the history of the game. The University of Pittsburgh won three collegiate football national championships, and Duquesne University and Carnegie Tech also fielded many winning teams while calling Forbes Field home. Alongside football, boxing was a constant event at the famed facility, hosting some of the most memorable pugilists this city has ever produced. Above all else, it was a baseball mecca. While the field is no longer in use, the wall remains intact, reminding Pittsburghers of the field's rich history.
In the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, no team has been more memorable than that of 1960. In the decade before, the team produced only two winning records: a second-place finish in 1958 and in 1959. In 1960, they put it all together to win the pennant. Their reward was a trip to the World Series against the favored New York Yankees. In the Yankees" three winning games, they outscored Pittsburgh 38-3, but the Pirates were able to win three to send it to Game 7. In one of the most exciting contests in the history of the sport, the Pirates came up in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied. At exactly 3:36 p.m., Bill Mazeroski hit a home run over the left field wall to give the Pirates a memorable championship. This book tells the story of that magnificent team and its glorious victory, which will be etched into the minds of Pittsburgh baseball fans forever.
Ten years after a one-loss season and being ranked third in the nation, the University of Pittsburgh's historic football team had fallen on hard times. In 1973, the team hired former All-American Johnny Majors to right the ship, and he promptly recruited Tony Dorsett and Al Romano. Over the next four years, the new-look Panthers were brought back to prominence with stunning victories, culminating in the 1976 NCAA National Championship. Dorsett, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, became the first college running back to eclipse two thousand yards in a season and was awarded the Heisman Trophy in the championship year. Author David Finoli tells the story of one of the most dramatic turnarounds in college football history.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have thrilled their fans for more than 120 years. Beginning as the Allegheny's, the Pirates boast 35 hall of famers, five world champions, nine National League pennants, and nine division titles. Treasured memories, from Honus Wagner's all-around excellence and Mazeroski's remarkable 1960 World Series blast to Roberto Clemente's grace on and off the field, are captured in this book.
Let’s say you’re the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, deciding which players should start in Game 7 of the World Series against the American League champs. But instead of choosing from the current roster, you have every player in the team’s 131-year history in your clubhouse. Who’s your starting pitcher: lefty John Candelaria, steady Bert Blyleven, Cy Young winner Doug Drabek, or crafty Rip Sewell? Who bats cleanup—hitting-machine Honus Wagner, home-run champ Ralph Kiner, Willie “Pops” Stargell, or the hugely talented Barry Bonds? Combining career stats, common sense, and a host of intangibles, veteran sportswriter Dave Finoli imagines an embarrassment of riches and sets the all-time All-Star Pirates lineup for the ages.
For 46 days in the spring of 1884, Altoona had the honor of having a major-league baseball team, the Mountain City. For the next 115 years, despite the fact that baseball flourished here in the form of the game that the men of the Pennsylvania Railroad played, professional baseball floundered as six teams came and six teams left. Finally, in 1999, Altoona proved it could support a professional team when the Curve came to town. Since then, an impressive 10 percent of the towns population has shown up at every game, showing the love the community has for the national pastime.
Like virtually every other aspect of American life, baseball was affected by World War II. Many of its players left the playing field for the battlefield, but the game continued, played by those who stayed behind. Wartime baseball entertained a nation in desperate need of a diversion and a morale boost in a time of crisis. This book studies baseball during World War II, with both a statistical analysis of the game and stories of its players--those who went to war and those who did not. It provides recaps for each season between 1942 and 1945, and season-by-season recaps and highlights for each team. Starting lineups of the war years are compared to the starting lineups of 1941 (the last year of peacetime baseball) to show how dramatically the war changed the game. A list of players who went to war is provided, along with a list of players who replaced them on the roster if they were starters or starting pitchers. Brief statistical sketches of players who went to the war discuss their play before and after and how they were replaced. Other lists include wartime players who lost their starting jobs in 1946; minor league players who died in the war; and Negro League players who were drafted.
When the National League decided on June 22, 1932, to place numbers on the backs of uniforms to make it easier for fans to follow their favorite players, no one knew at the time just what a landmark decision it would turn out to be. In fact, when the Pittsburgh Pirates donned numbered jerseys eight days later against the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field, the uniform numbers were so unimportant on the team’s list of priorities that it was second billing to the main event of that day: the first Ladies Day in Pirates history. The secondary event would turn out to be an iconic moment in baseball history, as players are now closely associated with their uniform numbers. For example, two Hall of Famers for the Pirates wore the number 21: Arky Vaughan and Roberto Clemente. Both ironically died young while trying to help others, and 21 has become the most sacred number in Steel City sports lore. Pirates by the Numbers tells the tales of these players and more in a format that will include the greatest players to wear a specific number, the worst, and the most unique. The book highlights the first players to wear particular numbers and how they performed in their inaugural games, the first to hit home runs, and the first pitchers to win games. You’ll also find a list by year of every player and the numbers he’s worn that fans have used to identify him over the past eighty-four years. The players of the Pittsburgh Pirates have worn eighty-one different numbers. This book tells each player’s stories in a unique and compelling way that every Pirates fan will love. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The 1909 World Series featured Hall of Fame players Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner and was the first championship to extend to Game Seven, the final and deciding game. This work examines the entire regular season of both the Tigers and the Pirates but pays special attention to the seven games of that World Series. Includes 54 photographs, complete club statistics, biographical and career thumbnails, box scores for each series game, and tables on the acquisition of each player as well as information on how they departed.
Between 1929 and 1937, Hall of Fame coach Jock Sutherland took the championship program at the University of Pittsburgh that was built by his mentor Glenn "Pop" Warner, and won five of the nine national championships the school now claims. While a successful period, it was also controversial: Sutherland enjoyed the support of a group of wealthy boosters named the Golden Panthers, who helped him secure the services of the best players western Pennsylvania had to offer. While they made sure the players had what they needed, the school also made sure they had enough money to be comfortable. Critics accused Pitt of employing what amounted to professional athletes in a college sport. These accusations not only embarrassed the school administration, but led to the end of their dynasty and its coach. This book tells the exciting tale of their championship run, and describes how their downfall began what has since been a continual academics versus athletics tug-of-war at the school.
The 1970s were both successful and tragic for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They won five NL Eastern Division crowns and the 1971 World Championship, but lost the great Roberto Clemente in a plane crash and pitcher Bob Moose in a car accident during this time. By the end of the 1970s, the Pirates were a good team but no longer considered favorites to win a World Series. Thanks to a fantastic finish in 1978, the Pittsburghers gained new hope for the 1979 season. As intriguing as the season was, it wasn't until the evening of August 25th that the Pirate fans really started to believe "it" could happen. The history of that magical ball club is covered here, from how the 1979 world champion team was built, to a thorough look at the season and post season, to how "The Family" finally fell. Also included are biographical sketches of all players who appeared on the team's roster that year and a section of complete statistics.
When the National League decided on June 22, 1932, to place numbers on the backs of uniforms to make it easier for fans to follow their favorite players, no one knew at the time just what a landmark decision it would turn out to be. In fact, when the Pittsburgh Pirates donned numbered jerseys eight days later against the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field, the uniform numbers were so unimportant on the team’s list of priorities that it was second billing to the main event of that day: the first Ladies Day in Pirates history. The secondary event would turn out to be an iconic moment in baseball history, as players are now closely associated with their uniform numbers. For example, two Hall of Famers for the Pirates wore the number 21: Arky Vaughan and Roberto Clemente. Both ironically died young while trying to help others, and 21 has become the most sacred number in Steel City sports lore. Pirates by the Numbers tells the tales of these players and more in a format that will include the greatest players to wear a specific number, the worst, and the most unique. The book highlights the first players to wear particular numbers and how they performed in their inaugural games, the first to hit home runs, and the first pitchers to win games. You’ll also find a list by year of every player and the numbers he’s worn that fans have used to identify him over the past eighty-four years. The players of the Pittsburgh Pirates have worn eighty-one different numbers. This book tells each player’s stories in a unique and compelling way that every Pirates fan will love. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The Epicenter of Steel City Sports From Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood has been home to some of the most iconic moments in sports history. Including the Fitzgerald Field House and the Duquesne Gardens, Oakland has drawn in both professional and college sports fans alike. Local authors and sports historians David Finoli, Tom Rooney, Robert Healy III, Douglas Cavanaugh and Chris Fletcher celebrate the glorious victories and heartbreaking losses throughout the history of Pittsburgh's Oakland section, the epicenter of Steel City Sports.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a vast and celebrated history dating back to 1887, winning five World Championships and nine National League pennants since their inception. Many baseball legends have called Pittsburgh home, including Hall of Famers Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Paul Waner, and Arky Vaughan. Although the Pirates have had their fair share of losing seasons, recent postseason appearances have brought life back into this storied franchise. The 50 Greatest Players in Pittsburgh Pirates History celebrates the best to ever wear a Pirate uniform. David Finoli carefully and diligently ranks the Steel City icons based on statistics, awards, achievements, and postseason success. Each entry includes biographical information, accomplishments, and recaps of the player’s greatest moments. In addition to stories of glory on the field, Finoli also shares important events that took place away from the diamond, such as Roberto Clemente personally bringing supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua, a selfless act that led to his tragic death. Two concluding chapters cover the ten Pirates who almost made the cut and the players who went on to greatness after leaving the Pittsburgh organization. More than 25 photographs throughout the book enhance the rankings of these Pittsburgh legends. Sure to inspire debate and controversy among Pirate fans old and new, The 50 Greatest Players in Pittsburgh Pirates History isan engaging look at the many players who have been a part of the franchise’s long and memorable history.
Steel City Sports as a Catalyst for Change Though Pittsburgh athletics had many of the same barriers to equality and racial discrimination as the rest of the nation for far too long, the city has celebrated some of the most important moments in the integration of sports in the country. Pittsburgh was the only city with two Negro League teams, fielding such future Hall of Famers as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige. Local high school basketball stars Chuck Cooper, Bill Nunn, Jr., Dick Ricketts, Maurice Stokes, and Jack Twyman held integrated pick-up games at local parks such as Mellon Park in Shadyside in the 1950s. In college football, Connellsville native Jimmy Joe Robinson became the first African American player on Pitt's football team in 1945 as the school continued to integrate its squad ahead of federal desegregation. The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists present the compelling, heartbreaking and courageous history of how Pittsburgh's integration of sport helped lead the nation.
Chronicles the fifty greatest games in the history of the Pittsburgh baseball team from 1900 to the present, providing box scores and analyses for each featured matchup.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have thrilled their fans for more than 120 years. Beginning as the Allegheny's, the Pirates boast 35 hall of famers, five world champions, nine National League pennants, and nine division titles. Treasured memories, from Honus Wagner's all-around excellence and Mazeroski's remarkable 1960 World Series blast to Roberto Clemente's grace on and off the field, are captured in this book.
On April 25, 1950 Boston Celtics Owner Walter Brown got up at the table and declared he was taking Chuck Cooper with the fourteenth pick in the draft. When someone reminded him that Cooper was black Brown declared "I don't care if he is striped, plaid, or polka dot, Boston takes Charles Cooper." Thus began the odyssey of Chuck Cooper as the Jackie Robinson of the NBA, as he was the first African American that the league drafted. Along with Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, and Earl Lloyd they cleared the lane for all who followed. The Cooper story begins though in 1926 and builds to his All-American career at Duquense University. It was there that he became the second player to score a 1,000 points in his career, set the school single season scoring record and became only the second African American to be named to a consensus All-American team before beginning his historic NBA career with the Boston Celtics. As impressive as his basketball career was, it was his second act in life that was even greater. He broke barriers as the first African American department head for the city of Pittsburgh and also as an urban affairs officer for Pittsburgh National Bank where he had the opportunity to help those in need. The story of Chuck Cooper is incredible and the pages written by David Finoli and Chuck Cooper III tell the complete story of this iconic figure in American sports history.
For 46 days in the spring of 1884, Altoona had the honor of having a major-league baseball team, the Mountain City. For the next 115 years, despite the fact that baseball flourished here in the form of the game that the men of the Pennsylvania Railroad played, professional baseball floundered as six teams came and six teams left. Finally, in 1999, Altoona proved it could support a professional team when the Curve came to town. Since then, an impressive 10 percent of the town's population has shown up at every game, showing the love the community has for the national pastime.
We're gathered here: To select and celebrate the Steel City 500, the greatest athletes in Western Pennsylvania history. A few notes of explanation as you're getting your beer and preparing to argue with the choices. First, in the case of team sports, we're limiting our picks to those who competed here at either the collegiate or professional level. That same rule doesn't hold true for individual sports (more on that in a minute). Therefore, of our great legacy of NFL quarterbacks like Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Dan Marino, only Marino qualifies for inclusion on the Steel City 500 list (No. 20), based upon his exploits at the University of Pittsburgh. Likewise, Donora's Stan "The Man" Musial doesn't crack the list, despite being one of the 20 greatest baseball players of all time, because he unfortunately never played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. For us, high-school athletics paled in comparison, so we chose to identify those who competed at a higher level. (However, we'e not nuts, so we included a separate listing of great athletes who hailed from but never played here.) How did we choose the 500, you may ask, and was there beer involved? Carefully and yes. We cast a wide net in determining what athletes and indeed what sports to include. Among the 500 you'l find the expected football, baseball, hockey and basketball players. But you'll also find boxers, swimmers, jockeys, wrestlers, sprinters, long jumpers, golfers and tennis players' and a whole host of others who competed in individual sports. We have a number of Hall of Famers. Some from Cooperstown and Canton, but also others from Danai Beach, Florida, home of the Fishing Hall of Fame as well as the Basketball, Hockey, College Football, Track, Soccer, Bowling and Tennis halls of fame just to name a few. We don't have any figure skaters because we don't consider it a sport but rather an activity. But who in their right mind can come up with rankings when you're comparing and contrasting across different sports? How do you determine that a great running back ranks higher than a power-hitting first baseman? Good question. There were a number of factors weighed: Records held and other awards/achievements, longevity/number of great seasons in Pittsburgh, championships, inclusion into halls of fame and impact. That's why Louise Fulton comes in at No. 194. As the first African-American woman to win a title on the Women's Professional Bowlers Association Tour in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, she had impact at a turbulent time. And yes, we'll probably hear it for ranking a horse, Adios, at No. 32. But before you say nay (or is it neigh?), take a look at our reasoning. Chances are you might not agree with where some of our competitors fall in the list. Barry Bonds outside the top 20? You'll see why. That's the beauty of this project, the discussions that are sure to ensue. The other highlight for us is to be able to showcase many of the top athletes you may not have heard of or have been overlooked. Western Pennsylvania has a great sporting heritage. Join us in celebrating it.
Southwestern Pennsylvania is heralded by many as the birthplace of professional football. Here lived the athletes who were first paid to play. In Pittsburgh, the Allegheny Athletic Association paid Pudge Heffelfinger $500 in 1892 to help them beat their rivals, the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In Latrobe, the first all-professional club was fielded in 1897. The Birthplace of Professional Football celebrates the contributions that the towns in southwestern Pennsylvania made to the sport, a national obsession in this country. These stories also come from towns such as Jeannette and Greensburg and include Latrobe's failed attempt to secure the Professional Football Hall of Fame in the late 1940s and 1950s.
A veritable smorgasbord of pigskin pleasures. Stories from the high schools, the colleges, the pros, and the earliest days of the game as it has been played in Western Pennsylvania. Covers 1890-2004 season. Includes photos, charts, interviews, analysis and opinion.
Pittsburgh is synonymous with winning. From the Penguins and Steelers to the Pirates and Panthers, the Steel City knows championships. There must be something special in the water to make Pittsburgh so particularly gifted with its sports teams. The most famous teams in the city's history would most likely be the 1970s Steelers, known as the Steel Curtain for obvious reasons, and the Penguins who raised the Stanley Cup five times. Names such as Lemieux, Crosby, Roethlisberger, Bradshaw, Clemente and Stargell are legends of American sport and members of Pittsburgh's most cherished franchises, but for every sports legend and multi-million dollar franchise, there are a dozen more talented players and long-past teams that have been forgotten to history; the Negro League's Crawford and Homestead Grays are too often overlooked in the city's sports history but were as talented as any team that has played there. Author Dave Finoli ranks the fifty greatest teams that won trophies, brought glory and lifted the hearts of Pittsburgh's devoted sports fans.
The 1970s were both successful and tragic for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They won five NL Eastern Division crowns and the 1971 World Championship, but lost the great Roberto Clemente in a plane crash and pitcher Bob Moose in a car accident during this time. By the end of the 1970s, the Pirates were a good team but no longer considered favorites to win a World Series. Thanks to a fantastic finish in 1978, the Pittsburghers gained new hope for the 1979 season. As intriguing as the season was, it wasn't until the evening of August 25th that the Pirate fans really started to believe "it" could happen. The history of that magical ball club is covered here, from how the 1979 world champion team was built, to a thorough look at the season and post season, to how "The Family" finally fell. Also included are biographical sketches of all players who appeared on the team's roster that year and a section of complete statistics.
Steel City Sports as a Catalyst for Change Though Pittsburgh athletics had many of the same barriers to equality and racial discrimination as the rest of the nation for far too long, the city has celebrated some of the most important moments in the integration of sports in the country. Pittsburgh was the only city with two Negro League teams, fielding such future Hall of Famers as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige. Local high school basketball stars Chuck Cooper, Bill Nunn, Jr., Dick Ricketts, Maurice Stokes, and Jack Twyman held integrated pick-up games at local parks such as Mellon Park in Shadyside in the 1950s. In college football, Connellsville native Jimmy Joe Robinson became the first African American player on Pitt's football team in 1945 as the school continued to integrate its squad ahead of federal desegregation. The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists present the compelling, heartbreaking and courageous history of how Pittsburgh's integration of sport helped lead the nation.
The Epicenter of Steel City Sports From Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood has been home to some of the most iconic moments in sports history. Including the Fitzgerald Field House and the Duquesne Gardens, Oakland has drawn in both professional and college sports fans alike. Local authors and sports historians David Finoli, Tom Rooney, Robert Healy III, Douglas Cavanaugh and Chris Fletcher celebrate the glorious victories and heartbreaking losses throughout the history of Pittsburgh's Oakland section, the epicenter of Steel City Sports.
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