Rennie Stennett

BucsFaninGA · Post by **BucsFaninGA** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:33 pm

I was all of 13 years old when Rennie made the move from the Charleston Charlies of the International League to Pittsburgh in 1971. Really liked this kid! He was an exciting hitter, fast base runner as well, could play all over the infield and OF. Does anyone recall him?...He broke his leg sliding into 2nd on Aug 21, 1977. He was never the same after that season...He played 3 more seasons before leaving as a free-agent after Bucs WS in 1979. Giants released him in 1981. Man, he could hit...Loved to hear Bob Prince wax so eloquently about Rennie Stennett #6...

just a blast from the past...Bored hearing so much about the darn Cubbies, so I created something positive from the past about our Buccos!

Beat'em Bucs

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:56 pm

Stennett was a great player before his injury. I was at the game when he broke his leg. I met him a few times at Pirates fantasy camps. Nice guy and very articulate. Which wouldn't be surprising except that both he and Sanguillen are from Panama and Manny's English is barely passable. Stennett was upset in his rookie year in 1971 that he was left off the post season roster after batting .353 in 153 ABs. Dave Cash had taken over at 2B but missed several weeks (I think military leave) and Maz was now the backup at 2B and even played a few games at 3B. Stennett started 33 games at 2B that year and was hitting .385 on 9/16. But he finished on a 2 for 18 skid and I think the Bucs were looking for an excuse to keep Maz on the roster for sentimental reasons even tho he barely played anymore. Maz only batted twice in the post season that year. Stennett should have been on the team at that point. He'll always be remembered for getting 7 hits in a 9-inning game in 1975. When his career ended, Stennett became quite a tennis player.

fjk090852-7 · Post by **fjk090852-7** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:00 pm

I remember Stennett very well. He came up in 1971 sometime in August. You are right, he could sure hit. When Jose Pagan came off the DL the Bucs decided to carry Pagan in the 1971 Post Season and Rennie was not on the playoff roster. Pagan did drive in the deciding run in game 7 of the WS. After the 1973 season the Bucs decided to trade second baseman Dave Cash and put Stennett at second base full time.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 8:01 pm

434F4E151C151D10170812250 wrote: I remember Stennett very well. He came up in 1971 sometime in August. You are right, he could sure hit. When Jose Pagan came off the DL the Bucs decided to carry Pagan in the 1971 Post Season and Rennie was not on the playoff roster. Pagan did drive in the deciding run in game 7 of the WS. After the 1973 season the Bucs decided to trade second baseman Dave Cash and put Stennett at second base full time.

Stennett"s first game was July 10th. Adding Pagan was a no-brainer. But Stennett had become more valuable than Maz at that point. But I guess they couldn't leave Maz off.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/playe ... &year=1971

ArnoldRothstein · Post by **ArnoldRothstein** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 9:06 pm

Stennett had as much range as any second baseman I've seen, and occasionally did impossible things running down grounders in short right. Bill Virdon played him all over the place in 1972, and I thought he had a lot of potential as a center fielder.

SCBucco · Post by **SCBucco** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 9:40 pm

Well, he would help our financial flexibility now.

Quail · Post by **Quail** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 11:09 pm

I was a huge Rennie Stennett fan! As a result, years ago I named one of my cats 'Rennie Stennett'. My veterinarian took one of his kids to a youth baseball camp in Miami one year and it just so happened that Rennie was an instructor at the camp. My vet told Rennie about our cat. He said Rennie was delighted and honored to learn of a cat named after him, and hoped one day to meet him. Wish I could say that cat and ballplayer met up but unfortunately it didn't happen.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 11:24 pm

1337232B2E420 wrote: I was a huge Rennie Stennett fan! As a result, years ago I named one of my cats 'Rennie Stennett'. My veterinarian took one of his kids to a youth baseball camp in Miami one year and it just so happened that Rennie was an instructor at the camp. My vet told Rennie about our cat. He said Rennie was delighted and honored to learn of a cat named after him, and hoped one day to meet him. Wish I could say that cat and ballplayer met up but unfortunately it didn't happen.
I had a cat named Louis Lipps.

CarolinaBucco · Post by **CarolinaBucco** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 2:28 am

Love this thread. Rennie was probably my all-time favorite Pirate, as his heyday with the Buccos was when I was in the age range of 10 to 15 and absolutely loving baseball and baseball cards and listening to Pirates games in North Carolina late at night on KDKA 1020. I also played baseball throughout my youth, and I mostly played 2B, which was another connection to Rennie. What a thrill when he went 7-7 (wasn't the final 22-0?) and what devastation when he tore up his leg. He was never the same, but always my favorite.

BucsFaninGA · Post by **BucsFaninGA** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 10:59 am

Good memories of Rennie Stennett! Thanks everyone for your sharing. Neat to find others who liked old #6!

Beat'em Bucs