Moments of Joy and Heartbreak

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a long history, peppered with moments significant both to Pirates fans and Major League Baseball. While the Pirates are recognized as fielding the first all-black lineup in 1971, the 66 games in this book include one of the first matchups in the majors to involve two non-white opening hurlers (Native American and Cuban) in June 1921. We relive no-hitters, World Series-winning homers, and encounter the story of the last tripleheader ever played in major-league baseball. Some of the games are wins; some are losses. All of these essays provide readers with a sense of the totality of the Pirates' experiences: the joy, the heartbreak, and other aspects of baseball (and life) in between. Contributors: >Contents: MAY 10, 1882: First Major-League Game in Pittsburgh; APRIL 22, 1891: Opening Day 1891; OCTOBER 4, 1892: Pirates Set Wins Record; OCTOBER 13, 1903: First World Series; SEPT 20, 1907: Maddox First Bucs No-Hitter; JUNE 29, 1909: Farewell to the Old Yard; JUNE 30, 1909: Forbes Field Opening Day; JULY 3, 1910: Chief Hits for the Cycle; AUGUST 22, 1912: "Wagner Wields Willow," Hits for the Cycle; OCTOBER 2, 1920: Only Major-League Tripleheader; JUNE 30, 1921: "Chief" Yellow Horse Defeats Luque; JUNE 20, 1925: Cuyler, Carey, and Co. Steamroll Brooklyn; OCTOBER 15, 1925: Game 7 1925 World Series; JUNE 24, 1933: Arky Vaughan Hits for the Cycle; JUNE 19, 1934: Traynor as Pirates Manager; APRIL 27, 1938: Vaughan Slams Cubs; MAY 4, 1938: Lloyd Waner's Big Game; MAY 30, 1939: Rizzo's Nine RBIs; AUGUST 27, 1949: Tiny Bonham's Last Game; JUNE 25, 1950: Kiner Hits for the Cycle; SEPT 23, 1951: Dickson's 20th Win; JUNE 6, 1952: Bucs Shave The Barber; APRIL 13, 1954: Law Return from Military; MAY 16, 1954: Rookie Roberts Collects 3 Hits; SEPT 24, 1955: Friend Clinches ERA Title; JULY 25, 1956: Clemente Grand Slams; JULY 18, 1957: Arroyo's Final Victory; MAY 1, 1958: Frank Has A Big Day; MAY 26, 1959: Haddix Pitches 12 Perfect Innings; AUGUST 6, 1960: "We Had 'em All the Way"; OCTOBER 13, 1960: Mazeroski's Homer; APRIL 15, 1961: Friend Bests Drysdale; SEPT 21, 1963: Gene Baker: First African American Manager; JULY 22, 1964: Mazeroski, Lynch, and Stargell Rout Cardinals; JUNE 1, 1965: Veale's 16 Strikeouts; OCTOBER 2, 1966: Matty Alou Batting Title; MAY 15, 1967: Clemente Blasts 3 Homers; SEPT 20, 1969: A Trophy No-Hitter: Bob Moose; JUNE 12, 1970: Dock Ellis No-Hitter; JUNE 28, 1970: Human Locusts Day; AUGUST 14, 1971: Gib No-Hitter; AUGUST 23, 1971: Best Game for Al Oliver; SEPT 1, 1971: First All-Black Lineup; OCTOBER 17, 1971: World Series Game 7; SEPT 30, 1972: Clemente Collects Number 3,000 in Last At-Bat; APRIL 6, 1973: No Clemente in Right; JUNE 13, 1973: Blass Loses Control; SEPT 16, 1975: Stennett Leads Rout; SEPT 25, 1976: The Tragic Death of Bob Moose; OCTOBER 3, 1976: Murtaugh's Final Games; OCTOBER 17, 1979: Pirates Win the Series; MAY 19, 1981: Bibby's Near No-Hitter; SEPT 25, 1985: Reuschel Inspires Bucs; OCTOBER 13, 1992: Pirates Back Wakefield in NLCS; JULY 12, 1997: Cordova, Rincon, & Smith Fireworks; JULY 28, 2001: Pirates' Comeback; JULY 2, 2010: Ohlendorf Wins; JULY 26, 2011: A Really Bad Call; SEPT 9, 2013: Pirates End the Streak; OCTOBER 1, 2013: NL Wild Card Game; JUNE 20, 2015: Scherzer No-Hitter; OCTOBER 7, 2015: NL Wild Card Game; APRIL 26, 2016: McCutchen 3 Home Runs