On Their Way Out

The Pirates, like all 120+ year old institutions, have some traditions that have taken deep root over the years. One that I am most fond of, is the traditional last dance partner of players on their way out of the major leagues.

It’s something that started way back in the days of Chester Alan Arthur, and continues today under George W. Bush. I thought I’d list a few of them for your reading pleasure.

Pud Galvin-OK, since I’m sure most of you haven’t heard too much about the 19^th century players, Pud Galvin is a Hall of Famer. His years of glory were for the Buffalo Bisons of the National League from 1879-1885. Twice a 46-game winner for them, he started falling apart in 1885, when he was sold to the Alleghenies. Although he was a serviceable pitcher for the Pirates, and in fact became the first ever 300-game winner in 1888 when he went 23-25 for them, he never was the star he was in Buffalo. He even had the ignominy of being dealt to the St. Louis Browns in his last season of 1892 for Cub Stricker. He has been defamed by Keith Olbermann several times as an injector of monkey testosterone.

Waite Hoyt-The great member of the ’27 Yankees was a Pirate? Sure was. Part of the great unloading of Red Sox talent to the Yankees, he pitched in seven World Series between 1921 and 1931. But by 1932 he’d already been released by the Dodgers and the Giants, and the Pirates signed him up in 1933. He actually had a fairly decent season with them in 1934 when he went 15-6 and struck out a career high 105 batters. But he had losing seasons every other year for the Buccos except 1936. In another Pirate tradition, he was sold for cash in 1937, and was gone for good by May of 1938.

Rip Collins-An important member of the “Gashouse Gang” Cardinals of the 1930s, he was a power hitting first baseman. Key word, was. Rip was from Altoona, PA and after he had been traded from the Cardinals to the Cubs, had spent 1939 and ‘40 down in the minors. No matter, the Pirates gave him his last blast of major league life. It was back down to the minors after that as a player manager in the Pirates farm system, and he even had enough life left in him to be minor league player of the year in 1944.

Mickey Vernon-This longtime Senator Great and 7 time all-star was a coach on the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. They activated him in September, and he finally got the thrill of playing on a pennant winner for his last 8 at-bats in his career. His pinch hit on September 6^th against the Cubs helped make a winner of Clem Labine. Clem, a longtime Dodger reliever, was on his way out as well, but pitched in the 1960 World Series and went 4-1 for the Pirates the next year. He didn’t quite go out a Pirate, as he pitched 3 games for the 1962 Mets before being released.

Cito Gaston-The first black manager to win a World Series had a Pittsburgh Pirate past? He sure did. In the exciting pennant drive of 1978 he was purchased on September 22^nd from the Braves. He made his Pirate debut in the next to the last game of the season. The Pirates had blown a 4-1 lead from a Willie Stargell grand slam in the first, and trailed 4-10 going into the bottom of the ninth. This was the infamous Randy Lerch 2 home runs game that I’m still pissed off about. Anyway, Ed Ott led off the inning with a single, Cito then pinch hit for Jim Bibby and singled to left. Frank Taveras bunted his way on loading the bases against Tug McGraw. Omar Moreno hit a grounder to second to bring in Ott, then stole second to leave a base open for Dave Parker. His single plated Gaston and Omar, and a bobble on the relay by Larry Bowa enabled Parker to get to second. Ron Reed came in to face Bill Robinson who then drove Parker home bringing Pops up as the tying run with still only one out. But it was all over after a whiff of Pops and Bowa refusing to boot a last grounder from Phil Garner. Cito called it quits in the last game of the season, playing with Dave May, the man traded for Hank Aaron, and yet one more guy on his way out, who walked and stole a base in his last game. That was Dave’s only contribution as a Pirate, he was 0-4 otherwise.