1970 Pittsburgh Pirates season

1970 Pittsburgh Pirates
1970 NL East Champions
Major League affiliations
Location
Other information
Owner(s) John W. Galbreath (majority shareholder); Bing Crosby, Thomas Johnson (minority shareholders)
General manager(s) Joe L. Brown
Manager(s) Danny Murtaugh
Local television KDKA-TV
Bob Prince, Nellie King, Gene Osborn
Local radio KDKA
Bob Prince, Nellie King, Gene Osborn
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The 1970 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. Coinciding with their move, the Pirates became the first major league team to adopt pullover jerseys and sans-a-belt pants for their uniforms, a style copied by a majority of the MLB for the next two decades and which the Pirates themselves would wear through the 1990 season.[2]

Offseason

Three Rivers Stadium

In 1958, the Pirates had sold Forbes Field 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.[3]

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.

Notable transactions

Regular season

Season standings

NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
Pittsburgh Pirates 89 73 0.549 — 50–32 39–41
Chicago Cubs 84 78 0.519 5 46–34 38–44
New York Mets 83 79 0.512 6 44–38 39–41
St. Louis Cardinals 76 86 0.469 13 34–47 42–39
Philadelphia Phillies 73 88 0.453 15½ 40–40 33–48
Montreal Expos 73 89 0.451 16 39–41 34–48

Record vs. opponents

1970 National League Records

Sources:
Team ATL CHC CIN HOU LAD MON NYM PHI PIT SD SF STL
Atlanta — 8–4 5–13 9–9 6–12 6–6 6–6 7–5 6–6 9–9 7–11 7–5
Chicago 4–8 — 7–5 7–5 6–6 13–5 7–11 9–9 8–10 9–3 7–5 7–11
Cincinnati 13–5 5–7 — 15–3 13–5 7–5 8–4 7–5 8–4 8–10 9–9 9–3
Houston 9–9 5–7 3–15 — 8–10 8–4 6–6 4–8 6–6 14–4 10–8 6–6
Los Angeles 12–6 6–6 5–13 10–8 — 8–4 7–5 6–5 6–6 11–7 9–9 7–5
Montreal 6–6 5–13 5–7 4–8 4–8 — 10–8 11–7 9–9 6–6 6–6 7–11
New York 6–6 11–7 4–8 6–6 5–7 8–10 — 13–5 6–12 6–6 6–6 12–6
Philadelphia 5-7 9–9 5–7 8–4 5–6 7–11 5–13 — 4–14 9–3 8–4 8–10
Pittsburgh 6–6 10–8 4–8 6–6 6–6 9–9 12–6 14–4 — 6–6 4–8 12–6
San Diego 9–9 3–9 10–8 4–14 7–11 6–6 6–6 3–9 6–6 — 5–13 4–8
San Francisco 11–7 5–7 9–9 8–10 9–9 6–6 6–6 4–8 8–4 13–5 — 7–5
St. Louis 5–7 11–7 3–9 6–6 5–7 11–7 6–12 10–8 6–12 8–4 5–7 —

Notable transactions

Roster

1970 Pittsburgh Pirates
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

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 Mazeroski, BillBill Mazeroski 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
Pagán, JoséJosé Pagán 95 230 61 .265 7 29
Martínez, JoséJosé Martínez 19 20 1 .050 0 0

Pitching

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
Blass, SteveSteve Blass 31 196.2 10 12 3.52 120
Ellis, DockDock Ellis 30 201.2 13 10 3.21 128
Cambria, FredFred Cambria 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
Lamb, JohnJohn Lamb 23 0 1 3 2.78 24
Hartenstein, ChuckChuck Hartenstein 17 1 1 1 4.56 14
Brunet, GeorgeGeorge Brunet 12 1 1 0 2.70 17
Acosta, EdEd Acosta 3 0 0 1 13.50 1

Postseason

National League Championship Series

The Cincinnati Reds won the series, three games to none, over the Pirates.

GameScoreDateLocationAttendance
1Cincinnati – 3, Pittsburgh – 0October 3Three Rivers Stadium33,088
2Cincinnati – 3, Pittsburgh – 1October 4Three Rivers Stadium39,317
3Pittsburgh – 2, Cincinnati – 3October 5Riverfront Stadium40,538

Awards and honors

1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Columbus Jets International League Joe Morgan
AA Waterbury Pirates Eastern League Red Davis
A Salem Rebels Carolina League Billy Klaus
A Gastonia Pirates Western Carolinas League Ed Hobaugh
A-Short Season Niagara Falls Pirates New York–Penn League Irv Noren
Rookie GCL Pirates Gulf Coast League Dick Cole
Rookie GCL Tourists Gulf Coast League Ed Napoleon

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Waterbury

Notes

  1. ↑ From 1882–1906, the team played in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which became annexed by Pittsburgh as the North Shore in 1907.
  2. ↑ http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/history/uniforms_logos.jsp
  3. ↑ The Best Game Ever, Preface, p.xiii, Jim Reisler, Carroll & Graf Publishers, New York, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7867-1943-3
  4. ↑ Bo Belinsky at Baseball Reference
  5. ↑ Dock Ellis No Hitter
  6. ↑ ESPN.com – Page2 – The List: Baseball's biggest rumors
  7. ↑ Dave Parker at Baseball Reference
  8. ↑ Chuck Hartenstein at Baseball-Reference

References

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