A Look at Jackie Robinson Against the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball would have been celebrating Jackie Robinson Day today.  Here is what he did against the Pirates in his career.

Another significant date is passing by the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball.  On April 15th, 1947 Jackie Robinson made his début against the Boston Braves.  It not only changed Major League Baseball but also sports as a whole.  Jackie Robinson not only became the first African American to play professional baseball, but he also had a lot of success doing so as he put together a really impressive Hall of Fame career.

If Jackie Robinson was playing against the Pittsburgh Pirates today he would be what is known as a “Pirates Killer.” There are certain players around Major League Baseball who have earned this type of title over the years.  This is reserved for a player who for whatever reason performs extremely well against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jackie Robinson put up the best numbers of his Hall of Fame career against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overall, Robinson played in 202 career games against the Bucs, only playing more games against the New York Giants racking up 211 games against them.  Still, he put up better numbers against the Pittsburgh Pirates than anyone else he appeared against.

In Robinson’s 202 games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he hit for an outstanding batting average of .342.  This was tied for the highest mark of his career against a specific team; he also hit .342 against the St. Louis Cardinals in six fewer games.  However, Robinson’s OPS against the Pittsburgh Pirates is the most significant stat.  He hit for an OPS of .990 against the Bucs, his next best mark against a team was .944.  Robinson not only hit a ton against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he also made it hurt when he did.

Robinson also made sure to put on a hitting clinic when he came to Pittsburgh as well.  The infielder played in 102 games at Forbes Field, hitting .342 with a .981 OPS.  Both numbers match up with his career numbers against the Bucs, showing he was consistent against them both home and away.

Jackie Robinson changed the world when he put on a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey and took the field back on April 15th, 1947.  He became the first African American to play in the MLB and also quickly became one of the best players in the game.  While doing so, he posted the best numbers of his career against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Today, Robinson would have been considered a “Pirates Killer.”  Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball take time to celebrate what he did for the MLB and the world.