History of Pittsburgh Pirates in Timeline

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh, competing in MLB as part of the National League Central Division. Founded in 1881 as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys and joining the National League in 1887, the Pirates were in the National League East from 1969-1993. The franchise has a history of success, having won five World Series championships and nine National League pennants. Additionally, they have nine National League East division titles and have appeared in the Wild Card Game three times.

1901: Won National League Pennant

In 1901, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the first of three consecutive National League pennants.

1903: Hosted first modern World Series

In 1903, Exposition Park hosted the first modern World Series.

1903: Played in Inaugural World Series

In 1903, the Pittsburgh Pirates played in the inaugural World Series.

1909: Last season at Exposition Park

1909 was the Pittsburgh Pirates' last season at Exposition Park.

1909: Played at Forbes Field

From 1909 to 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates played at Forbes Field.

1909: Moved to Forbes Field and Won World Series

In 1909, the Pittsburgh Pirates moved to Forbes Field and defeated the Detroit Tigers to win their first World Series title.

1909: Won First World Series Title

In 1909, the Pittsburgh Pirates, led by Honus Wagner, won their first World Series title.

1909: Pirates and Tigers in the 1909 World Series

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers played against each other in the 1909 World Series.

1912: Fenway Park

In 1912, Fenway Park was built.

1912: Pirates nickname acknowledged on uniforms

In 1912, the nickname "Pirates" was first acknowledged on the team's uniforms.

1912: Team Name Acknowledged

In 1912, the team's name was first acknowledged, with a pinstripe jersey that had "Pirates" running vertically down the placket.

1914: Jackie Robinson Ballpark

In 1914, Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach was established.

1917: 51-103 Record

In 1917, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a disastrous 51–103 record.

1920: Exposition Park razed

Exposition Park was razed prior to 1920.

August 5, 1921: First baseball game broadcast on the radio

On August 5, 1921, the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast the first-ever baseball game over the radio on KDKA, with Harold Arlin announcing the game from Forbes Field.

1923: Construction of LECOM Park

LECOM Park was constructed in 1923.

1924: Brief Change to Black and Gold

The Pirates had made a similar change to black and gold in 1924, but the change did not last beyond that season.

1925: Bill McKechnie led the Pirates

In 1925, Bill McKechnie led the Pirates.

1925: Forbes Field Expansion

In 1925, Forbes Field was expanded with capacity almost doubled from its initial 23,000 in 1909 to 41,000.

1925: Won Second World Series Title

In 1925, the Pittsburgh Pirates won their second World Series title, becoming the first team to come back from a 3–1 deficit in the World Series.

1927: Lost World Series to Yankees

In 1927, the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to the World Series but were swept by the "Murderer's Row" Yankees.

1933: Team Name on Road Uniforms

In 1933, the team's name appeared on the club's road uniforms again, this time written horizontally in a more ornate style.

May 25, 1935: Babe Ruth's Final Home Runs

On May 25, 1935, Forbes Field is remembered for hosting the final three home runs of Babe Ruth's career.

1936: Rosey Rowswell joins broadcast team

In 1936, Rosey Rowswell joined the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast team.

1936: Regular broadcasts begin, Rosey Rowswell becomes voice of Pirates

In 1936, regular broadcasts of Pittsburgh Pirates games began, and Rosey Rowswell became the voice of the team.

1938: Missed Pennant

In 1938, the Pittsburgh Pirates almost won the pennant but were passed by the Chicago Cubs in the final week of the season.

1938: Elimination from Pennant Race

The Cubs eliminated the Pirates from the pennant race in the last week of the 1938 season.

1940: Pirate Head on Jerseys

An image of a pirate's head appeared on the home and road jerseys for the 1940 season.

1941: Pirate Head on Jerseys

An image of a pirate's head appeared on the home and road jerseys for the 1941 season.

1942: "Pittsburgh" on Road Uniforms

In 1942, "Pittsburgh" first appeared on the road uniforms.

1947: Bob Prince joins broadcast booth

In 1947, Bob Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast booth.

1948: Adoption of Black & Gold Color Scheme

In 1948, the team broke away from the patriotic "Red, White, & Blue" color scheme when they adopted the current black & gold color scheme, to match that of the colors of the Flag of Pittsburgh and the colors of the then-relatively unknown Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.

1948: Team colors become black, gold, and white

Since 1948, the Pittsburgh Pirates' colors have been black, gold, and white.

1953: Milwaukee County Stadium opened

In 1953, Milwaukee County Stadium opened and it was the first two-deck ballpark before PNC Park was built.

February 1955: Death of Rosey Rowswell

Rosey Rowswell, the voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates, died in February 1955, leading to Bob Prince becoming the lead play-by-play man.

1957: KDKA-TV airs Pirates games

From 1957 to 1994, KDKA-TV aired Pittsburgh Pirates games.

1960: Prince calls championship on NBC

In 1960, Bob Prince called the Pittsburgh Pirates' championship as part of the national broadcast for NBC.

1960: World Series Home Run

In 1960, Forbes Field is remembered for hosting Bill Mazeroski's championship-winning blast in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.

1960: Returned to the World Series

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to the World Series and won with a walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski in Game 7.

1960: Won World Series against Yankees

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series against the New York Yankees, with Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run in Game 7.

1961: Gene Baker breaks the color line as a coach

In 1961, Gene Baker broke the color line to become the first African-American coach in baseball for the Pirates.

1962: Gene Baker breaks the color line as a manager

In 1962, Gene Baker broke the color line to become the first African-American manager in baseball for the Pirates.

September 21, 1963: Gene Baker first African-American manager

On September 21, 1963, Gene Baker became the first African-American manager in MLB history when he filled in for Danny Murtaugh.

1966: Creation of Green Weenie

In 1966, Bob Prince, nicknamed "The Gunner", created the Green Weenie.

1969: National League split into two divisions

In 1969, The Phillies and the Pirates remained together after the National League split into two divisions.

1969: Joined National League East

In 1969, the Pittsburgh Pirates became a member of the National League East division.

1969: Spring Training at LECOM Park

Since 1969, the Pirates have held Spring Training at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.

1970: Uniform Changes with Move to Three Rivers Stadium

Coinciding with the move into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, the team switched to a darker shade of gold and changed their caps from black to gold with a black brim; they also introduced pullover nylon/cotton jerseys and beltless pants as part of their new uniform set.

1970: Move to Three Rivers Stadium

In 1970, the Pirates moved into the multipurpose Three Rivers Stadium, which they shared with the Steelers.

1970: Began playing at Three Rivers Stadium

In 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates began playing at Three Rivers Stadium.

1970: Won National League East

In 1970, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the newly created National League East.

1970: Departure from Forbes Field

Midway through the 1970 season, the Pirates left Forbes Field. Located in a sparsely populated area of the city when it opened in 1909, by the 1960s Forbes Field was surrounded by the University of Pittsburgh campus.

September 1, 1971: All-minority lineup assembled

On September 1, 1971, manager Danny Murtaugh assembled a starting lineup composed entirely of minority players for the first time in MLB history.

1971: Prince calls championship on NBC

In 1971, Bob Prince called the Pittsburgh Pirates' championship as part of the national broadcast for NBC.

1971: Blass wins Game 7 of World Series

In 1971, Steve Blass won Game 7 of the World Series.

1971: Won World Series and All-Black and Latino Lineup

In 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series and on September 1 became the first team to field an all-Black and Latino lineup.

1971: World Series Win

In 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series, led by Roberto Clemente.

1972: National League East Title

In 1972, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the newly created National League East division.

1974: National League East Title

In 1974, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the National League East division.

1975: Prince and King fired

In 1975, Bob Prince and his broadcast partner Nellie King were fired, drawing the ire of the Pittsburgh Pirates fanbase.

1975: National League East Title

In 1975, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the National League East division.

1976: Hamilton and Frattare take over as broadcast team

In 1976, Milo Hamilton and Lanny Frattare took over as the new broadcast team for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1976: National League Centennial Pillbox Hats

In 1976, to coincide with the National League Centennial, certain NL teams wore old-style pillbox hats complete with horizontal pinstripes. After the season, the Pirates were the only team to adopt the hats permanently.

1977: Introduction of Third Jerseys

The Pirates switched back to a brighter shade of gold for the 1977 season, and became one of the first teams to wear third jerseys, starting in 1977, the Pirates had uniform styles which included two different caps and three different uniforms: an all-black set, an all-gold set, and a white set with black-and-gold pinstripes.

1979: Last World Series win before a period of struggle

After winning the World Series in 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates entered a long period of struggle.

1979: Hamilton leaves to join the Chicago Cubs

In 1979, Milo Hamilton left the Pittsburgh Pirates to join the Chicago Cubs after feeling criticized for not being Bob Prince.

1979: Won World Series and individual awards

In 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series, with a Pittsburgh player winning MVP in every available category and adopted the disco song "We Are Family" as their theme song.

Loading Video...

1979: Last World Series championship

In 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates won their last World Series championship.

1979: World Series Win

In 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates, under the leadership of Willie Stargell, won the World Series.

1979: World Series Uniform Combinations

The Pirates wore four different uniform combinations in the 1979 World Series.

1980: Pinstripes Removed from White Uniforms

In 1980, the pinstripes came off the white uniforms, but the Pirates continued to utilize the three uniform set.

1983: Blass becomes color analyst

In 1983, Steve Blass began working as a color analyst for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1985: Pittsburgh drug trials

In 1985, the Pittsburgh drug trials contributed to a dip in the Pittsburgh Pirates' popularity.

1985: Return to Traditional Uniforms

In 1985, the team returned to the straightforward home whites/road grays combination.

1986: Jim Leyland becomes Pirates manager

In 1986, Jim Leyland became the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, beginning a tenure that would last until 1996.

1986: Pirates games televised on KBL

In 1986, Pittsburgh Pirates games began being televised on KBL, which later became SportsNet Pittsburgh.

1987: Return of Solid Black Cap

In 1987, the solid black cap with a gold "P" returned and has been the team's primary cap ever since.

1990: Won Division Title

In 1990, the Pittsburgh Pirates won a division title.

1990: Script Wordmarks

Script wordmarks had previously been seen on the road jerseys from 1990 until 2000.

1991: Return to Button-Down Style

In 1991, the Pirates ditched the pullover style in favor of the traditional button-down style, one of the last teams to switch.

1991: Penguins win the Stanley Cup

In 1991, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

1992: Penguins celebrate Stanley Cup win at Three Rivers Stadium

In 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated their Stanley Cup win at the Pittsburgh Pirates' old home, Three Rivers Stadium.

1992: Penguins win the Stanley Cup

In 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

1992: Lost National League Championship Series

In 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost in the National League Championship Series.

1993: National League split into two divisions

In 1993, During the period of two-division play (1969–1993), the two National League East division rivals won the two highest numbers of division championships, reigning almost exclusively as NL East champions in the 1970s and again in the early 1990s.

1993: Start of losing streak

In 1993, the Pittsburgh Pirates began a 20-season-long losing record streak.

1993: Left National League East

In 1993, the Pittsburgh Pirates ceased to be a member of the National League East division.

1993: LECOM Park Renovation

LECOM Park underwent a major renovation in 1993.

1994: Pirates moved to National League Central

After the Pirates moved to the National League Central in 1994, the teams face each other only in two series each year and the rivalry has diminished.

1994: Greg Brown and Bob Walk join broadcast booth

In 1994, Greg Brown and Bob Walk joined the Pittsburgh Pirates broadcast booth as play-by-play announcer and analyst, respectively.

1994: End of KDKA-TV airing Pirates games

KDKA-TV stopped airing Pittsburgh Pirates games in 1994.

1994: Rivalry Considered One of the Best

The rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pirates was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the National League until 1994.

1995: WPXI airs Pirates games

From 1995 to 1996, WPXI aired Pittsburgh Pirates games.

1996: Team Purchased and Third Jersey Added

After Kevin McClatchy purchased the team in 1996, the Pirates added a third jersey and utilized red as an accent color, including red brims on the team's caps.

1996: Jim Leyland's departure

Jim Leyland's tenure as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates came to an end in 1996.

1996: End of WPXI airing Pirates games

WPXI stopped airing Pittsburgh Pirates games in 1996.

1997: Series with the Cleveland Guardians begins

From 1997 to 2001, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians played a three-game series each year as part of interleague play.

1997: WPGH-TV and WCWB air Pirates games

From 1997 to 2002, WPGH-TV and WCWB aired Pittsburgh Pirates games.

1997: Red Returns as Accent Color

Red returned as an "accent color" in 1997.

October 1, 2000: Final Game at Three Rivers Stadium

The Pirates played their final game at Three Rivers Stadium on October 1, 2000.

2000: Last year at Three Rivers Stadium

2000 was the last year that the Pittsburgh Pirates played at Three Rivers Stadium.

2000: Script Wordmarks

Script wordmarks had previously been seen on the road jerseys from 1990 until 2000.

2001: End of annual series with the Cleveland Guardians

2001 marked the end of the annual three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians that had been ongoing since 1997.

2001: Opened PNC Park

In 2001, the Pittsburgh Pirates opened their new stadium, PNC Park.

2001: Began playing home games at PNC Park

Since 2001, the Pittsburgh Pirates have played their home games at PNC Park.

2002: End of over-the-air coverage of the Pirates

After 2002, with the exception of games on Fox, there has been no over-the-air coverage of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2002: Sporadic series with the Cleveland Guardians

From 2002 to 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians played each other periodically as part of interleague play.

2005: Sleeveless White Jersey

A sleeveless white jersey with pinstripes was worn as an alternate home jersey from 2005 to 2010.

2005: Jim Leyland becomes Tigers manager

In 2005, Jim Leyland became the manager of the Detroit Tigers, further connecting him to both the Pirates and Tigers franchises.

2005: John Wehner joins broadcast crew

In 2005, former Pittsburgh Pirate and Pittsburgh native John Wehner joined the broadcast crew as an analyst.

2006: Hosted MLB All-Star Game

In 2006, PNC Park hosted the MLB All-Star Game.

2007: Red Alternate Jersey Added

A red alternate jersey was added for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

2007: Pirates move to WPGB radio station

In 2007, the Pittsburgh Pirates ended their long relationship with KDKA and moved to FM talk radio station WPGB to reach a younger demographic.

2008: Frattare's last season

2008 marked the end of Lanny Frattare's tenure as the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in Pittsburgh Pirates team history.

2008: Red Alternate Jersey

A red alternate jersey was added for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

2008: LECOM Park Renovation

In 2008, LECOM Park underwent a major renovation that added lights.

2009: Sidney Crosby brings Stanley Cup to PNC Park

After the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, captain Sidney Crosby brought the cup to PNC Park.

2009: Neverett replaces Frattare

In 2009, Tim Neverett replaced Lanny Frattare as the play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2009: Alternate Black Jersey

In 2009, the Pirates began wearing an alternate black jersey with a gold "P" at both home and on the road.

2009: Penguins win the Stanley Cup

In 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

2009: End of Red as Accent Color

Red remained as an "accent color" until 2009.

2010: End of Sleeveless White Jersey

A sleeveless white jersey with pinstripes was worn as an alternate home jersey from 2005 to 2010.

October 1, 2011: Clear Channel ends deal with Pirates

On October 1, 2011, Clear Channel announced that they would not renew their deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2012: Home Plate and First Base Marked

In 2012, members of the Society for American Baseball Research marked and painted the home plate and first base of the former Three Rivers Stadium on the 40th Anniversary of Roberto Clemente's 3,000th hit.

2012: End of losing streak

The Pittsburgh Pirates' 20-season-long losing record streak ended in 2012.

2013: Battling for Central Division Title

From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates battled with the St. Louis Cardinals for the Central Division title, with the Cardinals narrowly winning the division each year. The two teams faced off in the 2013 National League Division Series, which the Cardinals won in five games.

2013: Throwback Uniforms

From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates wore throwback uniforms for Sunday home games: the early 70s pullover uniforms from 2013 to 2015, and the gold top/black pants from the late 70s from 2016 to 2019.

2013: Fan support grows

In 2013, after ending their 20-season losing streak with a winning season, the Pittsburgh Pirates saw a growth in fan support, though they remained less popular than the Steelers and Penguins.

2013: Returned to Postseason

In 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to the postseason, defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Game.

2013: Won Wild Card Game

In 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the National League Wild Card Game, marking a rare postseason victory during their period of struggle.

2013: Jim Leyland's departure from the Tigers

Jim Leyland's tenure as manager of the Detroit Tigers ended in 2013, but he remained a popular figure in Pittsburgh.

2014: Wild Card Spot

In 2014, The Pirates had a contentious battle with the Milwaukee Brewers for a Wild Card spot.

2015: Neverett's last season

2015 was Tim Neverett's last season as the play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2015: National League Wild Card Game

From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates battled with the St. Louis Cardinals for the Central Division title, with the Cardinals narrowly winning the division each year. The two teams faced off against the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game.

2015: Throwback Uniforms

From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates wore throwback uniforms for Sunday home games: the early 70s pullover uniforms from 2013 to 2015, and the gold top/black pants from the late 70s from 2016 to 2019.

2015: Biggest crowd in stadium history

In 2015, the National League Wild Card Game saw the biggest crowd in PNC Park's history, with 40,889 fans.

2015: 10,000th loss

On Opening Day in 2015, the Pirates loss marked the team's 10,000th loss, making them the fourth MLB team to achieve this distinction.

2015: Alternate Camo Jersey

Since the 2015 season, the Pirates have worn an alternate camo jersey for select home games.

March 2, 2016: Pirates reach deal to remain on KDKA-FM

On March 2, 2016, a new deal was reached for the Pittsburgh Pirates to remain on KDKA-FM, with KDKA-AM returning as the AM flagship station for select games.

2016: Pirates average 83,000 viewers on TV broadcasts

During the 2016 season, Pittsburgh Pirates games averaged 83,000 viewers on primetime television broadcasts.

2016: Throwback Uniforms

From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates wore throwback uniforms for Sunday home games: the early 70s pullover uniforms from 2013 to 2015, and the gold top/black pants from the late 70s from 2016 to 2019.

2016: Joe Block becomes play-by-play announcer

In 2016, Joe Block became the second play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates after working for the Milwaukee Brewers.

2016: Penguins win the Stanley Cup

In 2016, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

2017: Penguins win Stanley Cup and throw first pitch at PNC Park

In 2017, after winning the Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins brought the cup to PNC Park and threw out the first pitch.

2017: Penguins win the Stanley Cup

In 2017, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

2017: LECOM Park Renamed

Since 2017, LECOM Park has been named for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

2018: Andrew McCutchen Trade

In 2018, fan relations deteriorated following the Andrew McCutchen trade, leading to the Pittsburgh Pirates ranking 27th in MLB attendance.

2018: Camo Alternates Updated

The camouflage alternates were updated for the 2018 season, now white with camo green wordmarks, numbers, piping, and patches.

June 12, 2019: Bill Mazeroski lone survivor of retired Pirates

As of June 12, 2019, Bill Mazeroski is the only living member of the Pittsburgh Pirates who had their number retired.

2019: Throwback Uniforms

From 2013 to 2015, the Pirates wore throwback uniforms for Sunday home games: the early 70s pullover uniforms from 2013 to 2015, and the gold top/black pants from the late 70s from 2016 to 2019.

2019: Blass retires

In 2019, Steve Blass retired from his role as a color analyst for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

January 24, 2020: Revival of Script "Pittsburgh" Wordmarks

Ahead of the 2020 season, the Pirates revived the script "Pittsburgh" wordmarks on their gray road and new black alternate road jerseys, which were unveiled on January 24, 2020.

2020: Six Games Played in 2020

In 2020, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians played six games due to an abbreviated MLB schedule focusing on regional matchups.

2022: End of the sporadic series with the Cleveland Guardians

From 2002 to 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians played each other periodically as part of interleague play.

2022: Pirates establish a Hall of Fame

In 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates formally established a team Hall of Fame to honor influential ballplayers in Pittsburgh baseball history. 19 individuals were inducted in the first class, including Pittsburgh Pirate inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, former players, broadcasters, and coaches. The Hall of Fame inducted players who played for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords, and were honored with a plaque displayed by the entrance with the statue of Roberto Clemente.

December 16, 2023: Pirates become joint owners of SportsNet Pittsburgh

On December 16, 2023, the Pittsburgh Pirates became joint owners of SportsNet Pittsburgh, with operations to be produced by NESN.

2023: Return to annual series with the Cleveland Guardians

Beginning in 2023, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians will play a three-game series each season due to the new "balanced" schedule.

2023: Camo Home Alternate Retired, City Connect Uniform Unveiled

In 2023, the Pirates retired the camo home alternate to comply with the new "4+1" rule, restricting teams to a home, away, two alternate uniforms and a City Connect uniform. The Pirates continued to wear the camo cap on occasion with the home white uniform. They also unveiled their City Connect uniform, featuring a gold top and black pants with a gold "P" cap with black brim. The jersey itself features the abbreviation of Pittsburgh "PGH".