OnlyBucs

005640545B41515A574072555F535B5E1C51320 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him. :'(

0C212C3D3A2B3C7C7F4E0 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him.  :'(


Nice post, Bob. I met him twice at his golf club in the handful of times we've played at Champion Lakes and he was as you described. Part of the reason Pittsburgh's a special place is because of him.



When he was traded to St. Louis, it was devastating to me as a 10-year old. It was such a loss I didn't know how I was going to go on. So I immediately became a Cardinals fan to try to adapt and, to this day, they're my second favorite team.

782E382C233929222F380A2D272B232664294A0 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him.  :'(


Nice post, Bob.  I met him twice at his golf club in the handful of times we've played at Champion Lakes and he was as you described.  Part of the reason Pittsburgh's a special place is because of him.



When he was traded to St. Louis, it was devastating to me as a 10-year old.  It was such a loss I didn't know how I was going to go on.  So I immediately became a Cardinals fan to try to adapt and, to this day, they're my second favorite team.
Now that Kolton Wong is gone!

714F4A42514949426247504314260 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him.  :'(


Nice post, Bob.  I met him twice at his golf club in the handful of times we've played at Champion Lakes and he was as you described.  Part of the reason Pittsburgh's a special place is because of him.



When he was traded to St. Louis, it was devastating to me as a 10-year old.  It was such a loss I didn't know how I was going to go on.  So I immediately became a Cardinals fan to try to adapt and, to this day, they're my second favorite team.
Now that Kolton Wong is gone!


Must we continue to mention his name?

2A7C6A7E716B7B707D6A587F75797174367B180 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him.  :'(


Nice post, Bob.  I met him twice at his golf club in the handful of times we've played at Champion Lakes and he was as you described.  Part of the reason Pittsburgh's a special place is because of him.



When he was traded to St. Louis, it was devastating to me as a 10-year old.  It was such a loss I didn't know how I was going to go on.  So I immediately became a Cardinals fan to try to adapt and, to this day, they're my second favorite team.
Now that Kolton Wong is gone!


Must we continue to mention his name?


That just seems Wong.

486568797E6F78383B0A0 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him.  :'(


Nice post, Bob.  I met him twice at his golf club in the handful of times we've played at Champion Lakes and he was as you described.  Part of the reason Pittsburgh's a special place is because of him.



When he was traded to St. Louis, it was devastating to me as a 10-year old.  It was such a loss I didn't know how I was going to go on.  So I immediately became a Cardinals fan to try to adapt and, to this day, they're my second favorite team.
Now that Kolton Wong is gone!


Must we continue to mention his name?


That just seems Wong.


::)

436E63727564733330010 wrote: Dick Groat passed away today. 


Very sad news.  He was my first baseball hero.  He signed a baseball for me last summer when I played golf at his course.  I’m not into memorabilia but that’s a keeper for me.
The first time I went to a Pirates fantasy camp in 2000, Groat and Tekulve were my team's coaches for the week. Both were tremendously nice guys. It was quite a treat for me, especially since Groat had been one of my favorite Bucs as a kid. One day, after we played at Pirate City and returned to the Holiday Inn where we were staying, I was sitting at the bar in the lounge and heard Groat's voice behind me as he entered the lounge yelling to the bartender, "Give Bob a beer!" Just the idea that Dick Groat! was buying me a beer was almost inconceivable to me.



But he topped it for me a year later. On the final day of camp we played a 3-inning game against the Pirate alumni. Groat wasn't my coach that year so he was with his friends in the Bucs dugout. John Smiley was still in his 30s and pitched against us and was striking out most of the campers with fastballs. I barely got a piece of the ball but legged it out for an infield hit. After the game, we all shook hands. I had hit pretty well for Groat the year before and as we shook hands he told me, "I told them in the dugout that Smiley would never strike you out." I attended a lot of Pirate fantasy camps but that might be my fondest memory: that Dick Groat would vouch for me and I came through for him. It's hard to put into words the feeling of interacting as an adult with a boyhood baseball hero. Groat was a great athlete and a great person. I can't say enough good things about him.  :'(


Possibly to put it into perspective for younger fans, for a certain segment of Pirates faithful, Dick Groat was his era's Andrew McCutchen; perhaps even moreso. Groat was a native Yinzer. We'd probably need to go at least a generation earlier for anyone before him.

Heineman to Jays for Vinny Capra

Steven Brault trying for comeback as outfielder.



https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/ ... m=facebook

I didn't know until today that J.R. House is a coach for the Reds. I saw him play in Altoona when he was a top Buc prospect.