OnlyBucs

I just saw that Gene Michael who guided the Yanks as GM and played for the Bucs in 1966 passed away. Michael and Bob Bailey were traded by the Bucs in the winter of 1966 for Maury Wills. It was a deal that the Pirates hoped would get them to the World Series, but it did not happen. Wills played for the Bucs for two seasons and then was taken in the Fall 1968 expansion draft.

3D31306B626B636E69766C5B0 wrote: I just saw that Gene Michael who guided the Yanks as GM and played for the Bucs in 1966 passed away. Michael and Bob Bailey were traded by the Bucs in the winter of 1966 for Maury Wills. It was a deal that the Pirates hoped would get them to the World Series, but it did not happen. Wills played for the Bucs for two seasons and then was taken in the Fall 1968 expansion draft.
'66 was the year Al Luplow played for the Pirates. Bucs were hoping to win it all in 1967 but were short on starting pitching after Veale.

Michael was a very good fielding SS but a weak hitter. He was blocked by Gene Alley and wanted to be traded. He had a 10 year MLB career and played until age 37.

We would be sitting a couple of rows behind him just about every April in the Box Seats at Trenton Thunder games. Didn't see him this season.