Category: Pittsburgh Pirates

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Pittsburgh Pirates

Tom Gorzelanny’s bobblehead has a piss poor attitude


We don’t know about you guys, but, frankly, we think the whole bobblehead craze should have never come back from the grave. But like lava lamps and Danny Bonaduce, they just won’t die! However, we must admit that we’re a big fan of Pirates pitcher Tom Gorzelanny’s doll which appears to be giving the finger to the all the fans who received the giveaway on Saturday when Pittsburgh played Philadelphia. Although, we think he’s giving the bird, the debate over which finger is actually protruding from the glove rages on.

Which finger is it — the index, or the middle?

Pirates’ spokesman Jim Trdinich said the team sends photographs of players to a company that makes its bobbleheads, and the company tries to replicate those pictures as best they can when it designs the dolls.

Trdinich said he can’t tell which finger is sticking out of Gorzelanny’s glove in the photo that went to the bobblehead company, but he said it was not done in bad taste.

Gorzelanny’s doll comes in a box with an action photograph of him on the side. In that picture, he does have a finger sticking through his glove, but the camera angle makes it difficult to see which finger it is.

Yea, and Shaq didn’t drop the F-bomb or S-bomb live on TV.

Links:

[ThePittsburghChannel.com]: Is Pittsburgh Pirates Bobblehead Giving The Finger?

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Pittsburgh Pirates

Oct 13 in Sports History: Pirates win the World Series


In 1960: In perhaps the greatest Game 7 in sports history, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit the first series-winning, bottom-of-the-ninth homerun in 57 World Series’ to defeat the heavily favored New York Yankees. With the score tied 9-9 at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, Mazeroski connected off a 1-0 Ralph Terry pitch and drove it over the left field fence to give the Pirates their first title since 1925. Overlooked was the fact that the Pirates spoiled a remarkable comeback by the Yankees in the top half of the inning. Trailing 9-7 after unknown Hal Smith’s three-run homer in the eighth, the Yankees rallied behind Mickey Mantle and Bobby Richardson to tie the game. Maz trumped them all with his famous blast in the ninth, and sent jubilant Pirates fans onto the field and into the streets of Pittsburgh in celebration. It was one of the most contrasting World Series’ ever, as the Yankees won their games by scores of 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0, while the Pirates won the closer ones, 6-4, 3-2, 5-2 and 10-9. According to baseball library.com, Game 7 was the only WS game in history in which no strikeouts were recorded by either team. Mazeroski, known more for his defense than his bat, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001.

In 1982 After 70 years, the International Olympic Committee posthumously restored the two gold medals Jim Thorpe had won in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Thorpe had easily won gold and set records in the pentathlon and decathlon. He was stripped of his medals, however, when the IOC discovered that the had been paid to play minor league baseball, which compromised his amateur status. Thorpe, a Native American, was widely considered the greatest athlete of his generation. Not only did he dominate the Olympics, but he also played professional baseball for the New York Giants, Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds. He was an All-American running back in college, played pro football for the Canton Bulldogs and was even the first president of the National Football League. olympic.org

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Pittsburgh Pirates

Sept 1 in Sports History: MLB’s first all-black lineup



Willie Stargell was black

In 1971: Manager Danny Murtaugh of the Pittsburgh Pirates starting lineup against the Phillies was Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillen, Dave Cash, Al Oliver, and Jackie Hernandez, with Doc Ellis pitching. It was believed to be the first all-black (with several Latinos, of course) lineup in Major League history. The Pirates won 10-7, and would go on to win the World Series that year.

In 1906: The Philadelphia A’s and Boston Americans played the longest game to date with the A’s winning in 24 innings. Amazingly, A’s starter Jack Coombs and the American’s Joe Harris pitched all 24 innings. Coombs faced 89 batters and struck out 18 for the win, while Harris was the hard-luck loser with 14 K’s while giving up 16 hits. His luck was so horrible that he had a 3-30 career record despite a respectable 3.35 ERA. (Courtesy of the ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia)

In 1996: 10 months after owner Art Modell announced his controversial move to Baltimore from Cleveland, the Ravens (the NFL ruled that the Browns name and colors would remain in Cleveland) played the first game in the city in 12 years and defeated the Oakland Raiders 17-14. The game was played at War Memorial Stadium, the old home of the Colts, who took off for Indianapolis in 1984. Vinny Testaverde of the Ravens ran for the winning score in the fourth quarter. Cleveland would be granted an expansion franchise for the 1999 season. (footballsearchengine.com)

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Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates can’t even do postgame entertainment right



Irony doesn’t work in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates once again proved that they can’t bring in a decent performer when a band they hired to entertain fans waiting for their “Skyblast” fireworks show was booed off the stage. After the Pirates defeated the Astros, punk band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, who play sped up versions of classic tunes from the Beatles, Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel and even the Cheers theme song, were chased while playing a cover of Stairway to Heaven, not realizing that Led Zep is sacred to the mullett-wearing Pittsburgh set.

The 32,000 plus music critics called the band “tone deaf” and “completely inappropriate.” After being flooded with calls, the Pirates asked the Gimmes not to return for their next two shows. Next time, the Pirates should realize that their fans have not come out of the seventies and just hire Donnie Iris to play, like he does for every other event in Pittsburgh.

Links:
[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]: Band strikes out with Pirates fans