Pittsburgh Pirates: The Iceberg of Facts, Stories, & Trivia

Level Four

“Bob” Clemente

Early prints of Roberto Clemente’s Topps cards may have the name Bob Clemente printed on them. Topps had shortened Clemente’s first name to just Bob since Roberto is the Spanish version of Robert, which can be shortened to Bob. Clemente rejected the name choice for his cards, and Topps then printed Roberto on his cards from there on out. While it’s not nearly as rare or valuable as Honus Wagner’s T206 card, a legit card in good condition can still fetch a few hundred dollars. If you were a card collector in the mid-to-late ’50s, a fan of the Pirates, and still have your collection, check it out. It might just have a few hundred dollars within it.

The Hawaii Islanders

The Hawaii Islanders were the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate from 1983 through 1986. They were also an affiliate team for the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, California Angels, Washington Senators, and Kansas City Athletics. The Islanders folded after the 1987 season and became the Colorado Spring Sox during 1988. Because of the worst attendance in the Pacific Coast League, an awful stadium lease, and the logistics of having a major league team affiliate in Hawaii, the Islanders were unable to stay open. However, many notable names, including Bob Walk, Chuck Tanner, Bobby Valentine, Tony Gwynn, and Barry Bonds, all played a game as an Islander.

Captain Jolly Roger

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ mascot is the Pirate Parrot. Everyone knows that, but in the mid-late 2000s, the Pirates had another mascot called Captain Jolly Roger, and the name was voted on in a children’s naming contest. The mascot was introduced in 2006, but by 2010, the Pirates phased out Captain Jolly Roger in favor of just the Pirate Parrot.