Pirates By the Numbers: A Complete Team History of the Bucs By Uniform Number

by David Finoli

Overview

When the National League decided on June 22, 1932, to place numbers on the backs of uniforms to make it easier for fans to follow their favorite players, no one knew at the time just what a landmark decision it would turn out to be. In fact, when the Pittsburgh Pirates donned numbered jerseys eight days later against the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field, the uniform numbers were so unimportant on the team’s list of priorities that it was second billing to the main event of that day: the first Ladies Day in Pirates history.

The secondary event would turn out to be an iconic moment in baseball history, as players are now closely associated with their uniform numbers. For example, two Hall of Famers for the Pirates wore the number 21: Arky Vaughan and Roberto Clemente. Both ironically died young while trying to help others, and 21 has become the most sacred number in Steel City sports lore.

Pirates by the Numbers tells the tales of these players and more in a format that will include the greatest players to wear a specific number, the worst, and the most unique. The book highlights the first players to wear particular numbers and how they performed in their inaugural games, the first to hit home runs, and the first pitchers to win games. You’ll also find a list by year of every player and the numbers he’s worn that fans have used to identify him over the past eighty-four years.

The players of the Pittsburgh Pirates have worn eighty-one different numbers. This book tells each player’s stories in a unique and compelling way that every Pirates fan will love.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.

Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613219249
Publisher:	Sports Publishing LLC
Publication date:	04/19/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

David Finoli is a sportswriter from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and three children. A graduate of Duquesne University, he has penned six other books, including The Pittsburgh Pirates and The Birthplace of Professional Football: Southwestern Pennsylvania. Finoli has also contributed to Pittsburgh magazine and the Pirates game day program.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

The Beginning 3

#00-#0 Nothin 'From' Nothin 5

#1 Nice Guys Finish First 8

#2 And A Broadcaster Shall Lead Them 12

#3 Its T Plush's World, We Are Just Living In It 18

#4 We Can Finish Last Without You 25

#5 He Broke Our Hearts 31

#6 Catchers Rule 38

#7 Your Smiling Face 44

#8 Pops 51

#9 Double-Play Madness 55

#10 The First 58

#11 A Long Time Coming 65

#12 Not Just For Quarterbacks Anymore 71

#13 Unlucky 13 77

#14 Operation Shutdown 82

#15 The Original 88

#16 No Respect 93

#17 An Imperfect No-Hitter 99

#18 Where Balls Go To Die 106

#19 The Losing Record 112

#20 Pie A La Mode 118

#21 The Tragic Number 123

#22 Cutch 127

#23 A Manager's Nightmare 134

#24 MVP Haven 140

#25 The Powerless Wonder 147

#26 The Forkball 156

#27 Rubber Band Man 163

#28 The Forever Pirate 170

#29 Arnie Palmer In Baseball Spikes 178

#30 Eephus 186

#31 A Case of Tragic Perfection 192

#32 The Deacon 197

#33 Honus 204

#34 Batman 206

#35 A Smile and a Barbecue 213

#36 Like Father, Like Son 219

#37 Is There Really a Greatest Number 37? 226

#38 Rookie of the Year 233

#39 The Cobra Strikes 238

#40 The Irishman 244

#41 The History Maker 248

#42 All for Jackie 254

#43 The Worst All-Star 258

#44 My Dear Watson 263

#45 Badass 268

#46 Cy Minus the Award 273

#47 Papa Francisco 278

#48 The Tinkerer 283

#49 The Knuckleball 289

#50-#59 Things Get Better In The 50s? 294

#60-#97 From Infinity and Beyond 311

Blank Backs 315

Acknowledgments 317

About The Author 318