3/30 From 1980: Brian Signs, David & Ricardo Join, Bell Sent Home, Spring Sluggers, '21 Team, Opening Dubs; HBD Jake & Dan
- 1985 – LHP Dan Runzler was born in Santa Monica, California. He signed with the Bucs for the 2017 season and was a September call up, getting in eight games with no decisions and a 4.50 ERA after spending the summer at Indy. That was his last MLB duty. After tossing in minor/indie league ball for a couple of years, he’s now a minor league pitching coach in the San Francisco system.
- 1991 – OF Jake Marisnick was born in Riverside, California. The nine-year vet had played for five teams and the Pirates became his sixth when they signed him after he was released late in 2022 camp by the Rangers. Marisnick’s rep was as a good glove, weak bat (.228 lifetime BA) guy who could play all three pasture positions and slotted as the Bucs fourth outfielder after injuries to Anthony Alford and Greg Allen. But he was hurt here, played in 31 games and was waived in early August. His last posting was in the Atlanta Braves system where he was released in late April of ‘25; he’s been a free agent since.
- 1997 – The Pirates officially purchased LHP Ricardo Rincon from the Mexico City Reds, completing the deal after he made the team in camp. In 1997-98, he went 4-10-18/3.17 for the Bucs and was then traded to Cleveland for Brian Giles in one of Pittsburgh’s better baseball deals. He’ll be remembered here for combining with Francisco Cordoba on a 10-inning 1997 no-hitter. Ricardo played on the Mexican WBC teams in 2006 and 2009, last pitching major league ball in 2008, then retiring from the Mexican League in 2012.
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| Derek Bell – 2001 Fleer |
- 002 – “Operation Shutdown” OF Derek Bell, who had already packed his bags and left camp, was officially released after clearing waivers. The Pirates ate $4.5M in guaranteed money, after Bell told the media that he would sail into the sunset on his yacht rather than be forced to compete for a starting spot. In the first year of his deal, he was nagged by injuries and hit .173 in 46 games, which to many seemed a good enough reason to open the competition. His voyage as a ballplayer was scuttled after he hoisted his anchor: he never appeared in another MLB game. As Mark Madden of the Post Gazette wrote “Derek Bell becomes the ultimate Pirate: Lives on a boat and steals money.”
- 2002 – RHP Brian Meadows signed as a minor league free agent with the Pirates. He was called up mid-season and lasted four years with the club, converting from a starter to a reliever who made 133 appearances in his last two seasons with Pittsburgh. Meadows went 8-12-2 with a 4.20 ERA from 2002-05. He lasted one more year with Tampa Bay before retiring.
- 2005 – The Bucs bought C David Ross from the Dodgers. Ross got into 40 games (35 behind the dish) and hit .222. It was fairly early in his 15-year career and he was just 28, but that still made him the graybeard of the backstop brigade, behind 26-year-old Humberto Cota & a pair of 24-year-old up-and-comers, Ryan Doumit and Ronny Paulino. Ross was sent to San Diego at the deadline for SS JJ Furmaniak to help break the logjam. He played through 2016 and then joined the Cubs as a special assistant. He was the Chi-town manager through 2023, in between skippers Joe Maddon and Craig Counsell.
- 2015 – It was just a late spring training tuneup, but if you were at McKechnie Field, you sure got your money’s worth. The Bucs whacked the Phils, 18-4, as Pedro Alvarez homered twice with a grand slam & six RBI (the club hit six dingers: Josh Harrison, Starling Marte, Tony Sanchez & Pedro Florimon also went deep) while the umps ejected three Corsairs (Clint Hurdle, Rick Sofield, & Sean Rodriguez) in a pair of rhubarbs. They may have been fired up by a camp visitor from the ‘Burgh – Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stopped in and hobnobbed with several Bucs. It was a Black & Gold day as Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who grew up in nearby Lakeland, threw out the first pitch.
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| Pedro Alvarez – 2015 Topps Allen & Ginter |
- 2018 – In their earliest-ever season opener (it was eclipsed the following campaign), the Pirates see-sawed to a 13-10 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Ivan Nova twice worked out of bases-loaded, no-out jams, but relievers Michael Feliz and Felipe Rivero were bashed for four runs each, Feliz in 2/3-IP and Rivero failing to get an out in the ninth, blowing a 10-6 lead and sending the game into extra innings. Josh Smoker and game-winner Steven Brault held off Motown until Gregory Polanco mashed a three-run homer in the 13th, set up by two-out singles by Adam Frazier and Josh Harrison. Frazier, Polanco and Josh Bell each had three hits; Harrison, Starling Marte and Fran Cervelli collected a pair of raps. El Coffee had four RBI while Bell and Cervy each knocked home three while Harrison and Polanco scored three times apiece. It was, unsurprisingly, the longest Opener in Bucco history, lasting five hours and 27 minutes.
- 2021 – Derek Shelton picked his first full-season roster. The only real surprise choice was camp standout Dave Bednar, a righty reliever who came to Pittsburgh as part of the Joe Musgrove trade package. He joined a boatload of new faces – P Tyler Anderson, P Trevor Cahill, P Wil Crowe, OF Dustin Fowler, P Luis Oviedo, C Michael Perez & P Duane Underwood Jr. Among those who didn’t make the cut were a mix of FA vets and prospects: IF Wilmer Difo, 3B Todd Frazier, P Carson Fulmer, OF Brian Goodwin, P Geoff Hartlieb, P Clay Holmes, P Chasen Shreve, SS Cole Tucker, P Steven Wright & C Tony Wolters.
- 2023 – The Bucs opened the season at GABP in Cincinnati in front of a record regular season crowd of 44,063 and came away 5-4 victors. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but by the fifth the contest was tied and starter Mitch Keller yanked. The Pirates attack was led by two middle-of-the-infield youngsters – SS Oneil Cruz, with a pair of RBI and runs, homered and his sac fly in the eighth plated 2B Ji-Hwan Bae, who had two hits, two runs, a run driven in, two stolen bases and a walk, with the game winner. The Buc bullpen, a spring question mark, spun 4-1/3 scoreless frames, surrendering two hits and two walks while collecting seven whiffs. Rob Zastryzyn won his first big league game since 2018, Colin Holderman earned a hold and David Bednar put it to bed. Also shining was returning hometown hero Andrew McCutchen, who reached base four times. The Pirates won with only six hits; Cincy pitchers helped the cause by adding nine walks.
Source: https://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2026/03/330-from-1980-brian-signs-david-ricardo.html
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