Pirates of the Past -- cuppa coffee guys

dogknot17@yahoo.co · Post by **dogknot17@yahoo.co** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 2:40 pm

7952534E554D54784F5959553A0 wrote: Benny was the last left handed throwing catcher to play in an mlb game. Catching a handful for the Bucs

I thought someone caught in inning a few years ago. I don't remember who.

That is/was my favorite trivia question. I am just not sure if true anymore. I reword it to "game".

Tintin · Post by **Tintin** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 3:04 pm

Let's see if this works. He was the hope for a bit. 80 ab's with a homer in 3 seasons.

A friend of mine hangs out with him some in Charlotte. He works with underpriveledged kids, I think.

http://rs1008.pbsrc.com/albums/af207/ba ... 0&fit=clip

Ok. How do I get the photo to show up on the page as the rest of you have?

iwatch · Post by **iwatch** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:03 pm

Chuck Goggin was 3 for 8 with the '72 & '73 Bucs.

ArnoldRothstein · Post by **ArnoldRothstein** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:43 pm

405E485D4A41290 wrote: Chuck Goggin was 3 for 8 with the '72 & '73 [/img]

Goggin was Vince Lascheid's best walkup tune ever: "My kind of town...Chuck Goggin is...."

ArnoldRothstein · Post by **ArnoldRothstein** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:49 pm

724F48524F48260 wrote:

Ok. How do I get the photo to show up on the page as the rest of you have?

1. Right click on the photo and click on "Open in new tab"

2. Copy the URL of the photo in the new tab

3. In the box where you type the message, Click on "Insert Image" (third button from left in the top row). Two sets of brackets will appear

4. Paste the URL you copied above in between the two sets of brackets

NCBuccofan · Post by **NCBuccofan** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 5:22 pm

587C686065090 wrote: A guy who had the last cuppa coffee of his MLB career with the Pirates, Benito Santiago

Appeared in a total of 6 games with the Bucs in 2005 before retiring.

DL actually traded a decent prospect for him, Leo Nunez, who was later found to be Juan Carlos Oviedo and a year older. Did ok as a reliever, but shows the stupidity of DL, trading a young pitcher for a 40 year old catcher.

Santiago was released to give more time to David Ross, who they ended up getting rid of anyways. Santiago signed with the Mets after the Pirates and played a few games in AAA.

NCBuccofan · Post by **NCBuccofan** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 5:24 pm

7F5A4D5E7A4E5C4E484F52555E3B0 wrote: This guy only got to smell the coffee:

Hall of Famer Jim Kaat played 25 seasons in the Bigs, and was going for 26 with the Pirates in 1984. I believe he was one of those 'non-roster invitee' guys. Bucs didn't offer him a contract, Kaat retired.

I'm guessing Kaat was the first to wear #39 after Dave Parker left.

Another guy for this list, Mitchell Page, wore it that season, but Kaat would have been first.

NCBuccofan · Post by **NCBuccofan** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 5:46 pm

Mackey Sasser had two very short stints, one in 87 when the Pirates sent Don Robinson to SF. Played 12 games and was shipped off for Randy Milligan the next spring (whoever that is).

He came back in 1995 and retired after 14 games.

Also in 1987, Jose Lind's cousin, Onix Concepción, pinch hit once, and hit a single.

On that 1995 team, Dennis Konuszewski pitched his only MLB game. Faced 5 batters, got one out and gave up 2 runs.

I randomly remember Victor Cole, was at a few of the 8 games he pitched, but remember him because he was born in Russia.

ArnoldRothstein · Post by **ArnoldRothstein** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 7:12 pm

18151423353539303738560 wrote: Randy Milligan the next spring (whoever that is).

.

Randy Milligan was basically the same guy as Orestes Destrade, a big first baseman who was stuck in the high minors who the Pirates picked up before the 1988 season. Milligan played in 40 games in 1988, Destrade in 36, and both were jettisoned the next offseason. As I said above, Destrade went on to have a very good career in Japan. Milligan stayed in the states, but was a favorite among early sabrmetric types, four years as a near-regular with the Orioles with an OBP of .388.

Both of them were 26 by the time they got to Pittsburgh, and wrapped up their major league careers by 1994. They would have been more interesting prospects if they had come along 5-10 years later, with expansion, smaller ballparks, and then the sillyball era.

NCBuccofan · Post by **NCBuccofan** » Tue Jul 05, 2016 7:54 pm

Thanks Babe, I did notice he was productive with the O's just never really heard of him, but I was really only into the Pirates at that point.

Argenis Díaz is a recent cup of coffee type, one of the long line of no hit MIFs that NH has brought in. 22 games and only 36 PAs. Only 8 were starts and 7 were pure PH duties, which is amazing.

Eric Fryer had a few appearances for the Bucs during the catcherpocolyse of 2011. Wonder what he is up to.