Notable Pirate Achievements

Last Updated 10 June 1997

1902:

The Pirates set a record by winning the National League by 27 1/2 games. In 1995, the Cleveland Indians eclipsed this mark in a 5-team division race by beating the Kansas City Royals by 30 games.

1909:

Babe Adams becomes the only rookie pitcher to win 3 games in a World Series. During the season, the club puts together a 16 game winning streak; it still stands as a club record.

1920:

The last Major League Triple Header is played at Forbes Field as Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh in the first two games but the Bucs triumphed in the third game.

1935:

Arky Vaughan hits .385; no one in the National League has achieved the mark since (in a full season - Tony Gwynn hit .394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season; Gwynn had 419 At Bats with 48 walks).

1956:

Dale Long homers in 8 consecutive games, setting a Major League mark. May 19 - 28, 1956. Long's acheivement was recently by tied by Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr (1993).

1959:

Harvey Haddix hurls 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves. He lost the game in the bottom of the 13th inning when Joe Adcock hit a home run. May 26, 1959

1959:

ElRoy Face wins 17 games in a row as a relief pitcher and ends the season with an 18-1 record. His .947 winning percentage is still the best in Major League History. In 1995, Greg Maddux was 19-2, but his winning percentage was "only" .905.

1966:

Matty Alou wins the National League Batting Crown. His brother Felipe in Atlanta was second in the race. They are the only brothers to ever finish 1-2 in a Major League Batting Crown Race.

1971

Willie Stargell sets a Major League Record with 11 Home Runs in April. Graig Nettles (1974), Mike Schmidt (1976), Gary Sheffield, Brady Anderson, Barry Bonds (1996), Larry Walker, Mark McGwire (1997) have tied the mark. Ken Griffey Jr shattered Stargell's mark with 13 April Home Runs in 1997.

1975:

Rennie Stennett goes 7-for-7 in a 9 inning game against Chicago. He is the only Major League player to accomplish this feat since 1892.

1996:

Pittsburgh First Baseman Jeff King became the third player in Major League History to hit two home runs in an inning twice in his career (April 30). He also hit two home runs in an inning on August 8, 1995 at San Francisco. King tied a record set by Willie McCovey in 1973 and 1978 and Andre Dawson in 1978 and 1985.

Barry Bonds joined an exclusive club of Major League players who have collected 300 Home Runs and 300 Stolen Bases in their career. On April 27, Bonds hit two home runs, #300 and #301 at Candlestick Park as the Giants beat the Marlins. Although Bonds accomplished this feat as a Giant, 176 of those HRs and 251 of those SBs were as a Pirate. I was in attendance in the Right-Center Field Pavilion seats that day. He joined his father, Bobby Bonds, god father, Willie Mays, and the Marlins Leftfielder that day, Andre Dawson, in the exclusive 300/300 club.