1970 Pittsburgh Pirates season
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh Pirates
season resulted in the team winning their first National League East
title with a record of 89-73, five games ahead of the Chicago Cubs
. However, they lost the NLCS
to the NL West
Champion Cincinnati Reds
, three games to none.
The Pirates were managed by Danny Murtaugh
and played their home games at Forbes Field
during the first part of the year, before moving into the brand new Three Rivers Stadium
on July 16.
to the University of Pittsburgh
, who wanted the land for expanded graduate
facilities. Pitt then leased Forbes back to the Pirates until a new multipurpose stadium could be built. The Steelers opted to play at Pitt Stadium
in the meantime. In June 1970, the Pirates played their final game at Forbes Field. It was a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago Cubs
and Bill Mazeroski
got the final hit at Forbes Field.
A site on the North Side had been chosen earlier in the year, but it took until April 25, 1968 to finally break ground. Three Rivers Stadium
opened on July 16, 1970, and became the home of the Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
won the series, three games to none, over the Pirates.
1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
season resulted in the team winning their first National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
title with a record of 89-73, five games ahead of the Chicago Cubs
1970 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* November 17, 1969: Oscar Gamble and Dick Selma were traded by the Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies for Johnny Callison and a player to be named later...
. However, they lost the NLCS
1970 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 3, 1970 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaCincinnati boasted dual heroes in subduing the Pirates in the opening game. Gary Nolan, an 18-game winner during the regular season, pitched nine shutout innings to edge Dock Ellis...
to the NL West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
Champion Cincinnati Reds
1970 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1970 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 102-60, 14½ games ahead of the runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games in the 1970 National League Championship Series to win their...
, three games to none.
The Pirates were managed by Danny Murtaugh
Danny Murtaugh
Daniel Edward Murtaugh was an American second baseman, manager, front-office executive and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his 29-year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager...
and played their home games at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
during the first part of the year, before moving into the brand new Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
on July 16.
Three Rivers Stadium
In 1958, the Pirates had sold Forbes FieldForbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
to the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, who wanted the land for expanded graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
facilities. Pitt then leased Forbes back to the Pirates until a new multipurpose stadium could be built. The Steelers opted to play at Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium was a stadium located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers...
in the meantime. In June 1970, the Pirates played their final game at Forbes Field. It was a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago Cubs
1970 Chicago Cubs season
- Offseason :* November 17, 1969: Oscar Gamble and Dick Selma were traded by the Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies for Johnny Callison and a player to be named later...
and Bill Mazeroski
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
got the final hit at Forbes Field.
A site on the North Side had been chosen earlier in the year, but it took until April 25, 1968 to finally break ground. Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
opened on July 16, 1970, and became the home of the Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Notable transactions
- February 4, 1970: Bo BelinskyBo BelinskyRobert "Bo" Belinsky was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who became an instant southern California celebrity as a rookie with the original Los Angeles Angels, especially when the fourth of his season-opening four straight wins was a no-hit, no-run game against his former...
was traded by the Pirates to the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Dennis RibantDennis RibantDennis Joseph Ribant is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cincinnati Reds.-References:...
.
Regular season
- June 12, 1970: Dock EllisDock EllisDock Phillip Ellis, Jr. was a professional baseball player who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, among other teams in Major League Baseball. His best season was 1971, when he won 19 games for the World Series champion Pirates and was the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star...
threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres1970 San Diego Padres season-Offseason:* January 17, 1970: John Scott was drafted by the Padres in the 1st round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft .-Regular season:...
. Allegedly, Ellis pitched the no-hitter on acid. According to Ellis, in Donald HallDonald HallDonald Hall is an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2006.-Personal life:...
's book, In the Country of Baseball, the Pirates were starting a west-coast road trip. After the Pirates landed in San Diego, Ellis visited his hometown of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for a party. Ellis had forgotten he was slated to pitch the next day, so he started doing acid the night before the game. At around 10 a.m., after catching maybe an hour of sleep, he realized he was in the wrong place.
Notable transactions
- June 4, 1970: Dave ParkerDave ParkerDavid Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...
was drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft1970 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The regular and secondary phases of the January draft proved more fruitful to major league clubs than the June draft...
. - June 22, 1970: Chuck HartensteinChuck HartensteinCharles Oscar Hartenstein [Twiggy] is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Hartenstein batted and threw right-handed...
was selected off waivers from the Pirates by the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
Roster
| 1970 Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 112 | 367 | 84 | .229 | 7 | 39 | |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 230 | 61 | .265 | 7 | 29 | |
| 19 | 20 | 1 | .050 | 0 | 0 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 196.2 | 10 | 12 | 3.52 | 120 | |
| 30 | 201.2 | 13 | 10 | 3.21 | 128 | |
| 6 | 33.1 | 1 | 2 | 3.51 | 14 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2.78 | 24 | |
| 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.56 | 14 | |
| 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.70 | 17 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13.50 | 1 | |
National League Championship Series
The Cincinnati Reds1970 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1970 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 102-60, 14½ games ahead of the runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games in the 1970 National League Championship Series to win their...
won the series, three games to none, over the Pirates.
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati - 3, Pittsburgh - 0 | October 3 | Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to... |
33,088 |
| 2 | Cincinnati - 3, Pittsburgh - 1 | October 4 | Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to... |
39,317 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh - 2, Cincinnati - 3 | October 5 | Riverfront Stadium | 40,538 |
Awards and honors
- Danny MurtaughDanny MurtaughDaniel Edward Murtaugh was an American second baseman, manager, front-office executive and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his 29-year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager...
, Associated Press NL Manager of the Year
1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 41st midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 14, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the...