The Pittsburgh Pirates: A Look at the Early Years

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Roger l McNamara

*This is the first of a multi-part series. The pieces are intended to continue this path along the Pirate lengthy journey, certainly to include the 1960 dramatic World Series Championship.  

Here begins a series aimed at inviting readers to look back upon Pittsburgh Pirate origins and history, perhaps offering a perspective on the Team’s status as it heads into the 2023 Season, which will mark the 142nd Major League Baseball campaign in franchise history. 

Formative Years.  Professional Major League baseball made its debut at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in 1881, then a member of the American Association and operating under the team name The Allegheny Base Ball Club of Pittsburgh, more simply6 the Alleghenys.  A half dozen years later the team --- then named the Pirates ---was welcomed into the original 12 team National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, whose number shrank to eight within a decade.  Thus did Pittsburgh Baseball attain rivalries with the Boston Braves; Brooklyn Trolley Car Dodgers; New York Giants; Philadelphia Phillies; Cincinnati Red Stockings; Chicago Cubs; and St. Louis Cardinals. 

These early years passed without much success either on the road or in their original Exposition Park home field.  But at the turn of the previous Century the Pirates --- then as now widely referred to as the Bucs --- had grown into a powerhouse. Led by club President William Nimmick and field manager Horace Phillips the Pittsburgh group landed a talented second baseman from rival Philadelphia by the name of Lou Bierbauer.  Although no wrongdoing was ever formally proved the transaction was harshly criticized as “piratical” ---  leading to the adoption of Pirates as official team name.  Whether ethical or otherwise Lou’s addition melded well with a 2nd baseman addition by way of the vanishing Louisville operation by the name of Honus Wagner.  Seasons 1901-03 brought a trio of consecutive NL pennants, the third of which in its turn leading to Major League Baseball’s inaugural World Series.  Although beaten in a best-of-nine set with the American League Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh entrenched itself as a long term force. Some competitive but below championship ensuing seasons would then give way to the Club’s 4th NL Pennant in 1909, the same year in which home field play was moved into Forbes Field, one of America’s steel and concrete athletic field structures.  It would remain a Bucs home for the better part of six decades.

Honus Wagner.  Johannes Peter “Honus” Wagner arrived as a right handed slugging Pirate infielder at 26 years of age in 1900.  His remaining 17 Seasons in the Majors were devoted all to Pittsburgh, for whom he was the first “super” star, one of the early stalwarts in all the Major Leagues.  Home runs were rare in this “dead ball” era, but setting those aside Honus compiled an impressive slate.  Including three seasons played in Louisville, his career totals read:  Plate Appearances 11,766; Official At-Bats 10,439; Safe hits 3,420 (among charter members of the 3,000 Hit Club); Runs Driven In 1,732.   He drew more than 200 walks than strikeouts and was caught stealing a mere 26 times (!) in 749 attempts.  Over 15,550 lifetime fielding chances he gloved his way to a .949 success rate.  Ever an exemplary sportsman and fine gentleman, Honus in 1936 was elected as one of the five Charter Members into the Cooperstown Major League Hall of Fame.  He entered into Rest at Age 81, Carnegie, PA.