“We really had no idea that history was being made.” “It really wasn’t a major thing, until around the third or fourth inning, and Dave Cash was sitting next to me, and one of us said: ‘You know, we got all brothers out there, man,’ and we kind of chuckled because it was no big deal to us,” Oliver continued. Here’s a look at the rest of that fateful Pirates lineup: As a rule, we would start five – if Dock pitched, then it would be six.” “I don’t know how many we had on the 1971 team, but if I had to guess, maybe 11 or 12 black and Latin players. “The Pirates were known for their black and Latin players, and of course on that particular team, we were loaded,” former Pirate Al Oliver told MLB.com. Normal starters Richie Hebner (third base) and Gene Alley (shortstop) were both nursing injuries, which allowed Dave Cash and Jackie Hernandez to fill in. The date marked 24 years after Jackie Robinson officially broke baseball’s color barrier and the Pirates became the first Major League franchise to field an all-black and Latino starting nine.Īlthough the normal Pittsburgh Pirates starting lineup that year was usually filled with players of color, it had never been entirely made up of men of color until Sept. This could lead to Brubaker being moved to the bullpen, or potentially traded, while Wilson could be moved to the bullpen, designated for assignment, or simply start the season at Triple-a Indianapolis.There were only 11,278 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sept. That said, odds are, the Pirates will add multiple starting pitchers between now and Opening Day. As for Wilson, after struggle for much of the season he was able to finish on a high note. As of now these final two spots would likely go to righties JT Brubaker and Bryse Wilson.īrubaker was the Opening Day starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season and put together an overall quality season. Until then, Cherington will have to help give Derek Shelton ammo for the team’s starting rotation. Luis Ortiz should be in this mix as well. Right now, Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, and Johan Oviedo appear to be locks for the team’s Opening Day rotation.īehind these three, however, questions run wild.Īt some point in 2023 Quinn Priester and Mike Burrows should join the team’s starting rotation. There may not be a group on the Pirate roster that looks more different come Opening Day than the starting rotation. We will do that today, taking a look at what the Pirate Opening Day lineup would look like with players currently on the 40-man roster. That said, it’s never too early to begin attempting to project the team’s Opening Day roaster. Catcher, starting pitching, relief pitching, and the outfield remain positions of need. While general manager Ben Cherington has done a good job addressing first base/designated hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates, there is still work to be done by him this offseason. They have also signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana. Thus far, they have traded away Kevin Newman while trading for Ji-Man Choi. But what would the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day roster look like right now?įor their normal standards the Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy this offseason. (Photo by Scott Kane/Getty Images) / As the calendar flips to December there is a lot of roster tweaking to be done. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Octoin St. LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 02: Starter Roansy Contreras #59 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch during the first inning against the St.
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