Pittsburgh Pirates - The Reagan Years (1980-1989)
 
   
 

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        Yr P W L   Yr P W  L   Yr P W L                  
        1980 3 83 79   1983 2 84 78   1987 4 80 82               1980  
        1981 x 46 56   1984 6 75 87   1988 2 85 75               Decade  
        1982 4 84 78   1985 6 57 104   1989 5 74 88               Click  
                  1986 6 64 98                         on Logo  
                                                       
                                                             
   
  Titles: Top Pirates Players of the Eighties  
  None  
    Pitchers:  
  Ballpark: Rick Rhoden (20.61) -   53  
  Three Rivers Stadium  John Candelaria (14.19)_ -   31  
    Doug Drabek (8.12) -   25  
  Team Name: Don Robinson (3.15) -   25  
  Pirates Larry McWilliams (9.01) -   23  
    Kent Tekulve (9.72) -   23  
  Owners:  Rick Reuschel (11.22) -   21  
  John Galbreath (1980-1985) Bob Walk (4.97) -   20  
  Pittsburgh Association (1986-1989) Jim Bibby (4.45) -   19  
    John Smiley (3.57) -   13  
  General Managers: Mike Dunne (1.57) -   12  
  Harding Peterson (1980-1985) Jim Gott (1.06) -   11  
  Joe L Brown (1985) Brian Fisher (-1.31) -   10  
  Syd Thrift  (1985-1988) Rod Scurry (4.76) -   8  
  Larry Doughty (1988-1989) Cecilio Guante (4.07) -   5  
       
  Managers: Catchers:  
  Chuck Tanner (1980-1985) Tony Pena (22.42) -   57  
  Jim Leyland (1986-1989) Mike Lavalliere (5.95) -   17  
       
  Hall of Famers: First Basemen:  
  Barry Bonds (Pending) Jason Thompson (9.75) -   34  
  Dave Parker (Pending) Sid Bream (6.16) -   20  
       
  Rookie of the Year:  Second Basemen:  
  None Johnny Ray (19.37) -   28  
    Jose Lind (5.57) -   5  
  MVP    
  None ShortStop:  
    Dale Berra (5.79) -   17  
  Cy Young:    
  None Third Base:  
    Bill Madlock (14) -   35  
  No Hitters: Bobby Bonilla (12.49) -   29  
  None Jim Morrison (8.19) -   18  
       
  Notable Events: Outfield:  
    Barry Bonds (23.53) -   48  
  1980 -The Pirates won a world title in 1979, but that was a last hurrah. The title Andy Van Slyke (15.44) -   39  
  was the last remnant of the team that GM Joe L Brown had built. It was all  Lee Lacy (11.78) -   38  
  downhill from here in the Eighties. Pittsburgh won as a Family in 1979. The  Omar Moreno (1.24) -   29  
  Family became exceptionally dysfunctional in the early Eighties as the Mike Easler (7.34) -   28  
  clubhouse became more of an opium den than a locker room. RJ Reynolds (5.31) -   17  
    Dave Parker (2.39) -   16  
  1980 - Catcher Tony Pena, 23, is a rookie. He was an International Free Agent    
  signed by the Joe L Brown regime in 1975. Pena was one of the top catchers Notable Events:  
  in the game in the Eighties and early Nineties.    
  1986 - Outfielder Barry Bonds, 21, is a rookie. Bonds was the sixth overall   
  1981 - Second baseman Johnny Ray, 24, is a rookie. He was a twelfth round pick in the1985 amateur draft. He is one of the greatest hitters in baseball  
  pick in the 1979 amateur draft.   history, but will not be elected into the Hall of Fame due to steroids use.  
   Altho, to be fair to Bonds, he had had a Hall of Fame career already prior to the   
  1982 - Willie Stargell retires at age 42 - his loss hurt clubhouse dynamics badly. steroids use. But when this magnificent talent began using roids, his play   
    became other worldly.  There was a time when you would not think twice  
  1985 - The team is sold by the Galbreath family after John dies to a consortium  about walking him with the bases loaded to minimize the potential damage.   
  of Pittsburgh businessman called the Pittsburgh Association. Harding Peterson,    
  who later did a great job with the Yankees, is let go as GM. By this time, in 1985, 1986 - Outfielder Bobby Bonilla, 23, is a rookie. His odyssey to get here  
  the Pirates were in total disarray and had sunk to last place with a 57-104 record. started with him being signed as an undrafted free agent in 1981 by the Pirates,   
   Former GM Joe L. Brown is brought back to right the ship and he brings in Syd getting selected by the White Sox in the 1985 Rule 5 draft, and then the  
  Thrift as General Manager who, in turn, brings in Jim Leyland as manager  Pirates paying with pitcher  Jose DeLeon to get him back. Bonilla developed   
  Brown once again works his magic for Pittsburgh as his hand picked team of into one of the top hitters in  the game in his stint with the Bucs.  
  Thrift and Leyland will turn the franchise around.    
    1986 - Lefthander John Smiley, 21, is a rookie. Smiley was a twelfth round   
  1986 - Altho' they still stink in 1986, Thrift starts bringing in some serious young pick in the 1983 amateur draft.   
  talent and Leyland, an unknown, starts putting his stamp on the club and the    
  clubhouse which had gone off the rails. 1987 - Rookie lefthander Doug Drabek, 24, is acquired from the   
     Yankees for veteran Rick Rhoden. Drabek would become a stud.  
  1986 - Centerfielder Andy Van Slyke, 26, is acquired from the Cards     
  along with catcher Mike Lavalliere, 26, for Tony Pena. Van Slyke becomes 1989 - Shortstop Jay Bell, 23, is obtained in a deal from Cleveland  
  one of the top centerfielders in baseball. Lavalliere has a nice career as well.    
  1989 - The Bucs finish last in the Division going 74-88. Not to worry Pirates  
   fans, there's some serious young talent being amassed here.