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Pittsburgh

Author: Wilbur Miller

Having followed the Pirates fanatically since 1965, Wilbur Miller is one of the fast-dwindling number of fans who’ve actually seen good Pirate teams. He’s even seen Hall-of-Fame Pirates who didn’t get traded mid-career, if you can imagine such a thing. His first in-person game was a 5-4, 11-inning win at Forbes Field over Milwaukee (no, not that one). He’s been writing about the Pirates at various locations online for over 20 years. It has its frustrations, but it’s certainly more cathartic than writing legal stuff. Wilbur is retired and now lives in Bradenton with his wife and three temperamental cats.

April 17, 1979: Blyleven Shelled in Phillies Rout

A second matchup between future Hall-of-Fame pitchers was badly one-sided as the Phillies jumped all over Bert Blyleven.  Steve Carlton, meanwhile, had less trouble...

First Pitch: If There Was a Minor League Season, Part 7

In our hypothetical minor league season, Greensboro will likely have the most interesting team of all. Not the least interesting aspect will be how the...

April 16, 1979: A Rainout and a Question for Readers

The Pirates' game against the Phillies at Three Rivers was rained out.  It'd be made up as part of a doubleheader in August. With no...

April 15, 1979: Pirates Miss Chance to Sweep Cards

The Pirates had a chance for a four-game sweep of St. Louis, but a bullpen meltdown let the chance slip.  The Cards won, 9-4,...

April 14, 1979: Ed Ott Bombs the Cards

The Pirates dropped St. Louis for the third straight time, 7-4, behind four RBIs by Ed Ott and a solid start from Ed Whitson. The...

April 13, 1979: Milner Bombs the Cards

John Milner launched a pair of dingers to lead the Pirates to a 7-6 win over St. Louis. Bruce Kison had a rough start, but...

April 12, 1979: Don Robinson Serves as Stopper

Back home against St. Louis, Don Robinson threw a complete game to end the Pirates' three-game losing streak.  Dave Parker and John Milner produced...

April 11, 1979: Pirates Drop Third Straight

The Pirates lost their third straight game, a 5-4 affair to the Phillies. In a matchup of future Hall-of-Famers, neither Steve Carlton nor Bert Blyleven...

April 10, 1979: Pirates Drop Makeup Game to Phillies

The Pirates' bullpen faltered yet again as they lost the makeup of the previous day's rainout on the road to Philadelphia, 7-3. John Candelaria made...

April 9, 1979: A Rainout and a Minor Transaction

The Pirates' April 9 game in Philadelphia got rained out.  With an off-day scheduled the very next day, they played the makeup game then. The...

April 8, 1979: Pirates Drop A Close One

Another bullpen breakdown cost the Pirates the rubber match in their three-game, season-opening series against Montreal.  Four late runs gave the Expos a 5-4...

April 7, 1979: Pirates Get a Win and Make a Trade

On the season's second day, the Pirates got their first win in a wild one against Montreal, 7-6.  They also made a big move...

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