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

Level Six

Giancarlo Stanton Almost A Pirate?

After the 2013 trade deadline, a rumor surfaced that the Pittsburgh Pirates at the very least kicked the tires on then Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. This was also before he signed his mega-deal extension. It’s unknown how far talks went, but the ripple effect that this could have made would have been massive. Could you imagine an outfield of prime Stanton, McCutchen, and Marte? What would this have done for the Pirates? Maybe someone like Gregory Polanco or Jameson Taillon would have never played for the Pirates.

Tyler Glasnow A Houston Astro?

Another rumor from the 2013 trade deadline comes from the Houston Astros and the Pirates. The Astros were shopping right-handed pitcher Bud Norris. Norris, who was in his age-28 season and having a solid campaign, was on a team amid a rebuild. The Pirates couldn’t land Norris, but one prospect that was being talked about was right-hander Tyler Glasnow. At the time, Glasnow was one of the Pirates’ top pitching prospects after being drafted in the 2011 draft. However, Glasnow had yet to reach top 20 prospect status. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if this were to go through. The Chris Archer trade may never have been made. Since Bud Norris was sent to the Baltimore Orioles for Josh Hader, Hader may be a shutdown closer for the Astros than the Brewers. Maybe Brett Phillips never hits his 2020 World Series Game 4 walk-off because he and Hader were sent to the Brewers for Carlos Gomez in 2015. The ripple effect is about 10x more extensive than if Giancarlo Stanton was a Pirate.

Into The Allegheny

Just five home runs have left PNC Park and have landed in the Allegheny River on the fly. Former first baseman Josh Bell hit two of them at the peak of the juiced ball era. Daryle Ward is responsible for another. Garrett Jones hit one in 2013 and Pedro Alvarez two years later in 2015. In total, 58 home runs have reached the Allegheny, whether on the fly, after bouncing or rolling in.

The Sax Man

If you’ve gone to a Pittsburgh Pirates game, then you know who I’m talking about. Before games, you’ll see a man playing the saxophone on the Clemente Bridge. That man is Reggie Howze and if you see him next time you go to a Pirate game, think about leaving a tip in his sax case.

Ground Rule Triple

This refers to an event that happened in the 1903 World Series. The series was wild, with 17 ground-rule triples being hit. You’re probably wondering how a ground-rule triple and this is how. Because Exposition Park was so overcrowded, spectators were allowed onto the very deepest part of the outfield. If a ball rolled under the rope kept the spectators back, the team was allowed a ground-rule triple. Nothing like early 1900’s baseball.

“I’ll Walk Home”

During a game in Philadelphia against the cross-state rival Phillies, the Pirates had scored ten runs in the top of the 1st inning on June 8th, 1989. With the ridiculous lead and 1988 All-Star Bob Walk on the mound, Pirates’ announcer Jim Rooker announced that he would walk home if the Pirates lost. The exact quote was, “If we lose this game, I’ll walk home.” Well, the Pirates blew a 10-run lead to lose 15-11. While the announcer and former pitcher didn’t walk home that very day, Rooker made an event of it, lining up sponsors for a charity walk marathon. Rooker started the 320-mile trek from Veterans Stadium to Three Rivers on October 5th, and by October 18th, Rooker had reached Pittsburgh. However, he did raise $81K for charity along the way.