- 1882
- 1909
- 1925
- 1960
- 1970
- 1971
- 1979
- 2001
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Pittsburgh Pirates Team Formation
The new owners also signed up several players from American Association teams. One of them was highly regarded second baseman Lou Bierbauer, who had previously played with the A.A.’s Philadelphia Athletics. The Athletics failed to include him on their reserve list, and the Alleghenys picked him up. This led to loud protests by the Athletics, and in an official complaint, ... -
World Series Winner 1909
The 1909 World Series featured the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates won the Series in seven games to capture their first championship of the modern Major League Baseball era and the second championship in the club’s history. -
World Series Winner 1925
In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games. -
World Series – 1960
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League (NL) and the New York Yankees of the American League (AL) from October 5 to 13, 1960. It is most notable for the Game 7, a ninth-inning home run hit by Bill Mazeroski, winning the game for the Pirates 10–9, and also winning them their third ... -
Three Rivers Stadium
The ground was broken in April 1968 and an oft behind-schedule construction plan lasted for 29 months. The stadium opened on July 16, 1970, when the Pirates played their first game. In the 1971 World Series, Three Rivers Stadium hosted the first World Series game played at night. The following year the stadium was the site of the Immaculate Reception. ... -
World Series Winner 1971
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night. The two teams proved to be evenly matched, as the Series went the full seven games, with the Pirates’ Steve Blass pitching ... -
World Series Winner 1979
The 1979 World Series matched the National League’s Pittsburgh Pirates (98–64) against the American League’s Baltimore Orioles (102–57), with the Pirates coming back from three games to one deficit to win the Series in seven games. The Pirates were famous for adopting Sister Sledge’s hit anthem “We Are Family” as their theme song. -
PNC Park Opens
The Pirates opened a new stadium, PNC Park, in 2001. Due to its simple, unpretentious concept and strategic usage of the remarkably beautiful Pittsburgh skyline, it is frequently regarded as in a recent ESPN article as currently the best park in baseball. Despite this, the Pirates’ performance has translated to subpar attendance figures. Through the end of the 2012 season, ...
History of the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Pirates play their home games at PNC Park; the team previously played at Forbes Field and Three Rivers Stadium, the latter of which was named after its location near the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. Founded on October 15, 1881, as Allegheny, the franchise has won five World Series championships. The Pirates are also often referred to as the “Bucs” or the “Buccos” (derived from buccaneer, a synonym for pirate).
Established
1882
City
Pittsburgh
League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1887 – 1999 / National League
1882 – 1886 / American Association
Team History
1882 – Present / Pittsburgh Pirates
Nickname
Pirates – After the Players League collapsed in 1890, the National League’s Pittsburgh club signed two players, including Lou Bierbauer, whom the Philadelphia Athletics had forgotten to place on their reserve list. A Philadelphia sportswriter claimed that Pittsburgh “pirated away Bierbauer” and the Pirates nickname was born. Alternate nicknames such as “Bucs” or “Buccos”, short for “buccaneer”, have been used through the years.
Championship
World Series 5
1979, 1971, 1960, 1925, 1909
Stadium
2001 – Present / PNC Park
1970 – 2000 / Three Rivers Stadium
1909 – 1970 / Forbes Field
1891 – 1909 / Exposition Park II
1884 – 1890 / Recreation Park
1882 – 1883 / Exposition Park I
Owner
2007 – Present / Robert Nutting
1996 – 2007 / Kevin McClatchy
1985 – 1996 / Pittsburgh Associates
1946 – 1985 / John W. Galbreath
1932 – 1946 / Bill Benswanger
1900 – 1932 / Barney Dreyfuss
1891 – 1900 / William Kerr & Phil Auten
1887 – 1891 / William A. Nimick
1882 – 1887 / Denny McKnight
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
1 / Billy Meyer
4 / Ralph Kiner
8 / Willie Stargell
9 / Bill Mazeroski
11 / Paul Waner
20 / Pie Traynor
21 / Roberto Clemente
33 / Honus Wagner
40 / Danny Murtaugh
42 / Jackie Robinson
*Blue is this team’s history