The Pirates Reader

Whether winning world championships or falling into last place, fielding teams with Hall of Fame players or trotting out bumbling boys of summer, the Pittsburgh Pirates have thrilled, frustrated, and fascinated generations of fans since 1876. To date, the Pirates have won five World Series and have a total of thirty-six players and managers in the Hall of Fame-including Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Lloyd and Paul Waner, Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, and Bill Mazeroski. The Pirates Reader is a tribute to the fans, players, and teams who have forged the franchise's rich history. Richard Peterson has collected the writing of baseball's greatest storytellers and brings to life the players, games, and magical moments for this classic and well-loved team. Whether winning world championships or falling into last place, fielding teams with Hall of Fame players or trotting out bumbling boys of summer, the Pittsburgh Pirates, for over a century, have thrilled, frustrated, and fascinated generations of fans. One of the oldest franchises in major-league baseball, the team began in 1876 as the Pittsburgh Alleghenies. They entered the National League in 1887, and within a few years, their name was changed to the Pirates after "stealing" second baseman Louis Bierbauer away from the Philadelphia Athletics. Barney Dreyfuss purchased the team at the turn of the century, and began a winning tradition that brought four pennants and a World Series championship to Pittsburgh in a span of ten years.The Pittsburgh Pirates now own five world championships, and have had thirty-six players and managers inducted into the Hall of Fame -- including Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Lloyd and Paul Waner, Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell, the great Roberto Clemente, and the hero of the 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski. The team plays in a state-of-the-art ballpark -- PNC Park -- reminding many fans of the once palatial Forbes Field. Yet, the history of the Pirates has also been dotted with disappointing moments and underachieving teams. Pittsburgh survived Branch Rickey's rinky dinks, Bob Moose's wild pitch, the drug trials of the mid-1980s, Barry Bonds's late throw to the plate, and, most recently, a decade of losing seasons. In The Pirates Reader -- a tribute to those Pittsburgh teams, their fans nationwide, and to the franchise's rich history of baseball -- Richard Peterson has collected the writing of baseball's greatest storytellers. Included are early pioneers of sports journalism, such as Henry Chadwick, the father of baseball statistics, and Alfred H. Spink, founder of The Sporting News. Writing Baseball -- From Backlots To Big Leagues: Pittsburgh's Early Baseball -- Building A Winning Tradition -- The Greatest World Series Ever And The Damn Yankees -- From Depression Baseball To Depressing Baseball -- A Miracle Season And The End Of An Era -- Winning It All-and Losing Much More -- Trouble, Transition, And A New Beginning -- Touched By Magic. Edited By Richard Peterson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.