Pittsburgh Pirates - wikipedia Pittsburgh Pirates This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Pittsburgh Pirates ( disambiguation ). Pittsburgh Pirates 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates season Established in 1882 Team logo Cap insignia Major league affiliations National League ( 1887 -- present ) Central Division ( 1994 -- present ) East Division ( 1969 -- 1993 ) American Association ( 1882 -- 1886 ) Current uniform Retired numbers 8 9 11 20 21 33 40 42 Colors Black, Gold, White Name Pittsburgh Pirates ( 1891 -- present ) Pittsburgh Alleghenys ( 1887 -- 1890 ) Allegheny ( 1882 -- 1886 ) Other nicknames The Bucs, The Buccos, The Black and Gold Ballpark PNC Park ( 2001 -- present ) Three Rivers Stadium ( 1970 -- 2000 ) Forbes Field ( 1909 -- 1970 ) Exposition Park III ( 1891 -- 1909 ) Recreation Park ( 1884 -- 1890 ) Exposition Park I, II ( 1882 -- 1883 ) Major league titles World Series titles ( 5 ) 1909 1925 1960 1971 1979 NL Pennants ( 9 ) 1901 1902 1903 1909 1925 1927 1960 1971 1979 Central Division titles ( 0 ) None East Division titles ( 9 ) 1970 1971 1972 1979 1990 1991 1992 Wild card berths ( 3 ) 2013 2014 2015 Front office Owner ( s ) Robert Nutting Manager Clint Hurdle General Manager Neal Huntington President of Baseball Operations Neal Huntington The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) as a member club of the National League ( NL ) Central division. The Pirates play their home games at PNC Park ; the team previously played at Forbes Field and Three Rivers Stadium, the latter of which was named after its location near the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. Founded on October 15, 1881 as Allegheny, the franchise has won five World Series championships. The Pirates are also often referred to as the `` Bucs '' or the `` Buccos '' ( derived from buccaneer, a synonym for pirate ). The franchise joined the NL in its eighth season in 1887 and was competitive from its early years, winning three NL titles from 1901 to 1903, playing in the inaugural World Series in 1903 and winning their first World Series in 1909 behind Honus Wagner. The Pirates have had many ups and downs during their long history, most famously winning the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees on a game - winning walk - off home run by Bill Mazeroski, the only time that Game 7 of the World Series has ever ended with a home run. They also won the 1971 World Series, led by the talent of Roberto Clemente, and the 1979 World Series under the slogan `` We Are Family '', led by `` Pops '' Willie Stargell. After a run of regular - season success in the early 1990s ( winning three straight East Division titles ), the Pirates struggled mightily over the following 20 years, with 20 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 to 2012 -- the longest such streak in North American professional sports history -- before posting a winning record in 2013 of 94 -- 68, qualifying them for the NL Wild Card. They advanced to the NL Division Series round, where they lost in 5 games to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirates made the playoffs in both 2014 and 2015, losing in the Wild Card Game both times. Contents 1 Franchise history 2 Rivalries 2.1 Historical 2.1. 1 Philadelphia Phillies 2.2 Within the Central Division 3 Current roster 4 Players 4.1 Baseball Hall of Fame 4.2 Ford C. Frick Award recipients 4.3 Team captains 5 Retired numbers 6 Franchise records 6.1 Won - loss records 6.2 First - in - MLB accomplishments 7 Minor league affiliations 8 Civil rights advocacy 9 Fanbase 10 Community activities 11 Radio and television 11.1 Figures with broadcasting resumés 12 Logos and uniforms 13 See also 14 References 15 External links Franchise history Main article : History of the Pittsburgh Pirates Professional baseball has been played in the Pittsburgh area since 1876. The teams of the era were `` independents '', barnstorming throughout the region and not affiliated with any organized league, though they did have salaries and were run as business organizations. On October 15, 1881, the strongest team in the area joined the American Association as a founding member to begin play in 1882. Their various home fields in the 19th century were in a then - separate city called Allegheny City, across the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. The team was listed as `` Allegheny '' in the standings, and was sometimes called the `` Alleghenys '' ( not the `` Alleghenies '' ) in the same generic way that teams from Boston, New York, and Chicago were sometimes called the `` Bostons '', the `` New Yorks '', and the `` Chicagos '', in the sports writing style of that era. After five mediocre seasons in the A.A., Pittsburgh became the first A.A. team to switch to the older National League in 1887. At this time, the team renamed itself the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, although Allegheny remained a separate city until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. At that time, owner - manager Horace Phillips sold the team to Dennis McKnight ; Phillips stayed on as manager. Before the 1890 season, nearly all of the Alleghenys ' best players bolted to the Players ' League 's Pittsburgh Burghers. The Players ' League collapsed after the season, and the players were allowed to go back to their old clubs. However, the Alleghenys also scooped up highly regarded second baseman Lou Bierbauer, who had previously played with the AA 's Philadelphia Athletics. Although the Athletics had failed to include Bierbauer on their reserve list, they loudly protested the Alleghenys ' move. In an official complaint, an AA official claimed the Alleghenys ' signing of Bierbauer was `` piratical ''. This incident ( which is discussed at some length in The Beer and Whisky League, by David Nemec, 1994 ) quickly accelerated into a schism between the leagues that contributed to the demise of the A.A. Although the Alleghenys were never found guilty of wrongdoing, they made sport of being denounced for being `` piratical '' by renaming themselves `` the Pirates '' for the 1891 season. The nickname was first acknowledged on the team 's uniforms in 1912. The Pirates were a strong team in the early 1900s, winning National League pennants from 1901 -- 1903 and taking their first World Series title in 1909. They again won the NL in 1925 and 1927 and the World Series in 1925. After a slow period, they returned to dominance and won the 1960 World Series, 1971 World Series and 1979 World Series. They won Eastern Division titles from 1990 -- 1992 but did not return to the post-season after that until 2013. On Opening Day 2015 the Pirates ' loss to the Cincinnati Reds represented its 10,000 th franchise loss since moving to the NL. This made the Pirates the fourth MLB team to achieve this distinction, following the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs. Their victory over the Colorado Rockies later in 2015 on September 24 made them the 7th team in MLB history to reach 10,000 wins. Rivalries Historical Philadelphia Phillies Main article : Phillies -- Pirates rivalry The rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pirates was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the National League. The rivalry started when the Pittsburgh Pirates entered the NL in 1887, four years after the Phillies. The Phillies and the Pirates had remained together after the National League split into two divisions in 1969. During the period of two - division play ( 1969 to 1993 ), the two National League East division rivals won the two highest numbers of division championships, reigning almost exclusively as NL East champions in the 1970s and again in the early 1990s. the Pirates nine, the Phillies six ; together, the two teams ' 15 championships accounted for more than half of the 25 NL East championships during that span. After the Pirates moved to the National League Central in 1994, the teams face each other only in two series each year and the rivalry has diminished. However, many fans, especially older ones, retain their dislike for the other team, with regional differences between Eastern and Western Pennsylvania still fueling the rivalry. Within the Central Division The Pirates have long - standing, albeit sometimes dormant, rivalries with their fellow NL Central Division teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers ( with The Sausage incident and the ' You can steal first ' game ) and the Chicago Cubs ( with the Homer in the Gloamin ' and most recently, the 2015 NL Wild Card game ). The intensity of the rivalries often depend upon the competitiveness of the teams involved during that season. Current roster Pittsburgh Pirates 2018 spring training roster view talk 40 - man roster Non-roster invitees Coaches / Other Pitchers 76 Darío Agrazal 51 Johnny Barbato 43 Steven Brault -- Nick Burdi 45 Gerrit Cole 77 Luis Escobar 24 Tyler Glasnow 68 Clay Holmes 41 Daniel Hudson 49 Nick Kingham 70 George Kontos 39 Chad Kuhl 52 Jack Leathersich -- Jordan Milbrath 66 Dovydas Neverauskas 46 Iván Nova 73 Felipe Rivero 37 Edgar Santana 31 A.J. Schugel 50 Jameson Taillon 53 Nik Turley 34 Trevor Williams Catchers 29 Francisco Cervelli 32 Elías Díaz 58 Jacob Stallings Infielders 55 Josh Bell 63 Chris Bostick 23 David Freese 5 Josh Harrison 10 Jordy Mercer 62 Max Moroff 3 Sean Rodriguez -- Engelb Vielma Outfielders 26 Adam Frazier 47 Jordan Luplow 6 Starling Marte 22 Andrew McCutchen 27 Austin Meadows 36 José Osuna 25 Gregory Polanco Pitchers -- Richard Rodríguez Manager 13 Clint Hurdle Coaches 86 Heberto Andrade ( bullpen catcher ) 18 Kimera Bartee ( first base ) 2 Jeff Branson ( hitting ) 89 Jordan Comadena ( bullpen catcher ) 15 Joey Cora ( third base ) 85 Dave Jauss ( coach ) 75 Jeff Livesey ( assistant hitting ) 14 Tom Prince ( bench ) 56 Euclides Rojas ( bullpen ) 54 Ray Searage ( pitching ) Restricted list 16 Jung - ho Kang 40 active, 0 inactive, 1 non-roster invitees 7 - or 10 - day disabled list * Not on active roster Suspended list Roster, coaches, and NRIs updated December 14, 2017 Transactions Depth Chart → All MLB rosters Players See also : Pittsburgh Pirates award winners and league leaders Baseball Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famers Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Pittsburgh Pirates Jake Beckley * Bert Blyleven Jim Bunning Max Carey Jack Chesbro Fred Clarke Roberto Clemente Joe Cronin Kiki Cuyler Barney Dreyfuss Frankie Frisch Pud Galvin Goose Gossage Hank Greenberg Burleigh Grimes Ned Hanlon Billy Herman Waite Hoyt Joe Kelley George Kelly Ralph Kiner Chuck Klein Freddie Lindstrom Al López Connie Mack Heinie Manush Rabbit Maranville Bill Mazeroski Bill McKechnie Hank O'Day Branch Rickey Billy Southworth Willie Stargell Casey Stengel Pie Traynor Dazzy Vance Arky Vaughan Rube Waddell Honus Wagner * Lloyd Waner Paul Waner * Deacon White Vic Willis Quinn Spencer Players and managers listed in bold are depicted on their Hall of Fame plaques wearing a Pirates or Alleghenys cap insignia. * -- depicted on Hall of Fame plaque without a cap or cap insignia due to not wearing a cap or playing when caps had no insignia ; Hall of Fame recognizes Pittsburgh as `` Primary Team '' -- inducted as Executives / Pioneers due in part to their contributions to baseball as executives with the Pirates ; depicted on their plaques without a cap. -- inducted as player ; managed Pirates or was player - manager -- inducted as manager ; played for Pirates / Alleghenys or was player - manager -- inducted as umpire ; played for Pirates / Alleghenys or was player - manager Ford C. frick award recipients Pittsburgh Pirates Ford C. Frick Award recipients Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Milo Hamilton Bob Prince Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as broadcasters for the Pirates. Team captains Dick Groat - 1962 Bill Mazeroski 1963 -- 1972 Willie Stargell 1973 -- 1982 Retired numbers See also : List of Major League Baseball retired numbers Along with the league - wide retired numnber of 42, there are nine retired Pirates jersey numbers at this time. As of February 6, 2014, Bill Mazeroski is the lone survivor of Pirates with retired numbers Billy Meyer Mgr Retired 1954 Ralph Kiner LF Retired September 19, 1987 Willie Stargell LF, 1B Coach Retired September 6, 1982 Bill Mazeroski 2B Mgr Retired August 7, 1987 Paul Waner RF Retired July 21, 2007 Pie Traynor 3B Mgr Retired April 18, 1972 Roberto Clemente RF Retired April 6, 1973 Honus Wagner SS Mgr, Coach Retired 1956 Danny Murtaugh 2B Coach, Mgr Retired April 7, 1977 Jackie Robinson -- All MLB Honored April 15, 1997 Jump up ^ This was Wagner 's uniform number only during his tenure as coach. Wagner played before there were uniform numbers. Jump up ^ Robinson 's number is retired throughout all Major League Baseball Franchise records Won - loss records 100 Wins in a Season 1902 ( 103 -- 36 ), Fred Clarke 1909 ( 110 -- 42 ), Fred Clarke 100 Losses in a Season 1890 ( 23 -- 113 ), Guy Hecker 1917 ( 51 -- 103 ), Jim Callahan, Honus Wagner, and Hugo Bezdek 1952 ( 41 -- 113 ), Billy Meyer 1953 ( 50 -- 104 ), Fred Haney 1954 ( 53 -- 101 ), Fred Haney 1985 ( 57 -- 104 ), Chuck Tanner 2001 ( 62 -- 100 ), Lloyd McClendon 2010 ( 57 -- 105 ), John Russell First - in - MLB accomplishments First ever Major League Baseball game broadcast on the radio, a game between the Pirates and the host Philadelphia Phillies aired August 5, 1921, on KDKA ( AM ) Pittsburgh. The Pirates won the game 8 -- 5. In 1925, the Pirates became the first MLB team to recover from a 3 - games - to - 1 deficit in winning a best - of - seven World Series ; they then became the first MLB team to repeat that feat in 1979. During the 1953 season, the Pirates became the first team to permanently adopt batting helmets on both offense and defense. These helmets resembled a primitive fiberglass `` miner 's cap ''. This was the mandate of general manager Branch Rickey, who also owned stock in the company producing the helmets. Under Rickey 's orders, all Pirate players had to wear the helmets both at bat and in the field. The helmets became a permanent feature for all Pirate hitters, but within a few weeks the team began to abandon their use of helmets in the field, partly because of their awkward and heavy feel. Once the Pirates discarded the helmets on defense, the trend disappeared from the game. In 2014, Major League Baseball allowed pitchers to choose to wear a padded hat that aims to combine the added safety of a helmet with the comfort of a baseball cap. The cap would prove widely unpopular, with only Alex Torres of the New York Mets choosing to wear it. First franchise to win a World Series on a home run ( 1960 World Series ) in the 7th game. The only other team to meet this feat is the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, though they accomplished it in game 6. In 1970 the Pirates became the first major league club to create their uniforms using a cotton - nylon blend featuring pull - over shirts and beltless pants. The first all - minority lineup in MLB history took the field on September 1, 1971. The lineup was Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillén, Dave Cash, Al Oliver, Jackie Hernandez, and Dock Ellis. The first World Series night game was played in Three Rivers Stadium on October 13, 1971 -- eleven years to the day since Mazeroski 's walk - off homer brought the Pirates their last World Series title in 1960. In this case, however, it was Game 4 between the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles, rather than a decisive Game 7. Apparently, good things happen for the Pirates on this date, as they knotted the ' 71 Series at two games apiece on their way to their fourth title. The first MLB scout to win the `` Scout of the Year Award '', Howie Haak, in 1984, three additional scouts from the organization have subsequently won the award. The first combined extra inning no - hitter in MLB history took place at Three Rivers Stadium on July 12, 1997. Francisco Córdova ( 9 innings ) and Ricardo Rincón ( 1 inning ) combined to no - hit the Houston Astros, 3 -- 0 in 10 innings. Pinch - hitter Mark Smith 's three - run walk - off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning sealed the victory and the no - hitter for the Pirates. It remains the only such no - hitter to date. In November 2008, the Pirates became the first MLB team to sign Indian players when they acquired the non-draft free agents of Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel. This was also seen by Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, as `` not only add ( ing ) two prospects to our system but also hope to open a pathway to an untapped market. '' The Pirates are the first team in professional sports to have 20 consecutive losing seasons. This streak lasted from 1993 to 2012. This is the longest such streak in North American professional sports history. The Pirates are the first MLB team ( as well as only second in major professional sports ) to be owned by an openly gay owner, although Kevin McClatchy had already divested his shares in the Pirates when he openly announced his homosexuality in September 2012. On April 6, 2015, the Pirates ' loss to the Cincinnati Reds earned the team its 10,000 franchise loss and making the Pirates the first MLB team to reach their 10,000 th loss on an Opening Day. On May 9, 2015, the Pirates became the first MLB team to turn a 4 -- 5 -- 4 triple play. The triple play occurred during a 7 -- 5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The play occurred when the Cardinals ' Yadier Molina lined out to Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker. Walker then threw to third baseman Jung Ho Kang to double off the Cardinals ' Jhonny Peralta for the second out. Kang then threw the ball back to Walker, who was standing on second base for the final out after St. Louis ' Jason Heyward froze between second and third. On April 24, 2017 the Pirates fielded the first baseball player to be born and raised in Lithuania, to reach the major leagues, Dovydas Neverauskas. In 1933, Joe Zapustas was the first Lithuanian - born player to play in MLB, as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics, however he grew up in Boston. On April 26, 2017, the Pirates promoted South African Gift Ngoepe from the AAA Indianapolis Indians ; making him the first African - born player in MLB history. On August 23, 2017, the Pirates became the first team in MLB history to break up a no - hitter in extra innings with a walk - off home run. The home run was hit by Josh Harrison in the tenth inning, off of pitcher Rich Hill, to give the Pirates a 1 - 0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Minor league affiliations Main article : List of Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates Level Team League Location Years AAA Indianapolis Indians International League Indianapolis, Indiana 2005 -- AA Altoona Curve Eastern League Altoona, Pennsylvania 1999 -- Advanced A Bradenton Marauders Florida State League Bradenton, Florida 2010 -- West Virginia Power South Atlantic League Charleston, West Virginia 2009 -- Short Season A West Virginia Black Bears New York -- Penn League Granville, West Virginia 2015 -- Rookie Bristol Pirates Appalachian League Bristol, Virginia 2014 -- GCL Pirates Gulf Coast League Bradenton, Florida 1978 -- DSL Pirates 1 Dominican Summer League Dominican Republic 1990 -- Pirates ' past and present minor league affiliate club listing Civil rights advocacy Throughout the 1940s Pirates owner William Benswanger was a leading advocate of integration of the Major Leagues, once planning a tryout for African American players to sign up for the club. The Pirates organization was the first in baseball to have both an African - American coach and manager, when Gene Baker broke the color line in 1961 and 1962 respectively. On September 21, 1963 the Pirates were the first MLB team to have an African - American manager in Gene Baker, as he filled in for Danny Murtaugh. On September 1, 1971, manager Murtaugh assembled a starting lineup that was completely composed of minorities for the first time in MLB history. Fanbase Despite having some notable fans including former part - owner Bing Crosby, Michael Keaton, Regis Philbin and Kermit The Frog, the Pirates are considered by most to be a distant third in Pittsburgh behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins in popularity among Pittsburgh 's three major professional sports teams. However, due to their long history in Pittsburgh dating back to the 1882 season, the team has retained a strong loyal following in the Pittsburgh region, especially among older residents. Upon the team ending their 20 - season streak with a losing record in 2013, the fan support for the club has grown once again but still remaining a distant third behind the city 's other 2 more relevant sports franchises. While the team 's recent struggles compared to Pittsburgh 's other two teams can be partly to blame ( since the Pirates last World Series championship in 1979, the Steelers have won the Super Bowl 3 times ( XIV, XL, and XLIII ) and the Penguins the Stanley Cup five times in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, and 2017, including both in 2009 ), distractions off the field have also caused the team 's popularity to slip in the city. While the team was ranked first in Pittsburgh as recent as the late 1970s, the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985 and two relocation threats since are believed to have also seen the team 's popularity dipped. The team 's standing among fans has, however, improved along with the team on the field and the opening of PNC Park in 2001. Community activities Each year, the Pirates recognize six `` Community Champions '' during a special pregame ceremony. Piratefest is a yearly event that is held by the Pittsburgh Pirates in January. The event is, in essence, a baseball carnival for the whole family. It features autograph sessions from current and former Pirates players and coaches, live events and games, carnival booths, baseball clinics, `` Ask Pirates Management '', and appearances by the Pirate Parrot. Piratefest is held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. Radio and television Further information : Pittsburgh Pirates Radio Network and List of Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasters In 2007, the Pirates chose to end the longest relationship between a team and a radio station in American professional sports. KDKA first broadcast the Pirates on August 5, 1921 ; with Westinghouse foreman Harold Arlin behind the mic. Broadcasts ended in 1924, but returned in 1936. Except for a few years on WWSW in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Pirates were on KDKA for 61 years. KDKA 's 50,000 - watt clear channel enabled Pirates fans across the eastern half of North America at night to hear the games. That changed for the 2007 season, when the Pirates moved to FM talk radio station WPGB. The Pirates cited the desire to reach more people in the 25 -- 54 age bracket coveted by advertisers. The acquisition of the rights means that Clear Channel Communications holds the rights to every major sports team in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have long had a radio network that has extended across four states. Stations for the 2007 season include Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland radio broadcasters. On October 1, 2011, Clear Channel announced that they will not renew their deal with the Pirates. It was speculated that the club 's radio broadcasting rights would likely be transferred back to CBS Radio via FM sports radio station KDKA - FM, which became official on October 12. On March 2, 2016 it was announced a new deal was reached for the Pirates to remain on KDKA - FM. Games are televised on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, the Pirates ' cable television outlet since 1986, when it was known as KBL. During the 2016 season, the Pirates averaged a 7.22 rating and 83,000 viewers on primetime TV broadcasts. There has been no over-the - air coverage of the Pirates since 2002, when some games were on WCWB. KDKA - TV aired Pirates games for 38 years ( 1957 -- 1994 ). Games aired on WPXI ( 1995 -- 1996 ) and on WPGH - TV and WCWB ( 1997 -- 2002 ). Announcers Greg Brown, Bob Walk, John Wehner, and Steve Blass shuttle between the radio and TV booths. After the departure of play - by - play announcer Tim Neverett, who accepted a play - by - play radio position with the Boston Redsox following the 2015 season, former Milwaukee Brewers announcer Joe Block began Play - by - Play Duties beginning with the 2016 season. Former Pirates closer Kent Tekulve, a member of the team 's 1979 World Series Championship team, served as a post-game analyst for the team on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh. Tekulve announced his retirement at the end of the 2017 season. On October 1, 2008, longtime play - by - play announcer Lanny Frattare retired after 33 seasons, having called Pirates ' games since the 1976 season. He is the longest - tenured announcer in Pirates ' history, surpassing the man he replaced, the late Bob Prince ( 28 seasons, 1948 -- 1975 ). Figures with broadcasting resumés Eric Bolling Nellie Briles Steve Blass Joe Garagiola Ralph Kiner Bob Walk John Wehner Logos and uniforms 1888 : `` Alleghenys '' Logo 1900 -- 1906 1907 1908 -- 1909 1915 -- 1919 1921, 1932 1922 1923 -- 1931 1933 -- 1935 1936 -- 1947 1948 -- 1959 1960 -- 1967 1968 -- 1986 1987 -- 1996 1997 -- 2013, 2014 -- present : Secondary Logo 1997 -- 2009 : Alternate Logo 2010 -- present : Alternate Logo 2014 -- present The Pirates have had many uniforms and logo changes over the years, with the only consistency being the `` P '' on the team 's cap. It was adopted in 1948. Aside from style changes in the cap itself, the `` P '' logo has remained since. The Pirates have long been innovators in baseball uniforms. In 1948, the team broke away from the patriotic `` Red, White, & Blue '' color scheme when they adopted the current black & gold color scheme, to match that of the colors of the Flag of Pittsburgh and, to a lesser extent at the time, the colors of the then - relatively unknown Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. While they were not the first baseball team to do this, they were one of the first to do this permanently. Along with the San Francisco Giants, the Pirates are one of two pre-expansion National League teams that completely changed their colors, although red returned as an `` accent color '' in 1997 and remained until 2009. In the late 1950s, the team adopted sleeveless jerseys. While not an innovation by the team ( that honor goes to the Cincinnati Reds ), the Pirates did help to popularize the look. The team brought back the vested jerseys in 2001, a style they retained until 2009, although the away jerseys said `` Pittsburgh '' in script instead of `` Pirates. '' In 2009, they introduced a new home, away and alternate black jersey all with sleeves. However, they kept the pinstriped sleeveless vest for Sunday home games. To coincide with the move into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, the team introduced pullover spandex uniforms, the first such team in baseball, and a look that would quickly be adopted by most other teams by the end of the decade. The Pirates ditched the pullover style in favor of the traditional button - down style in 1991, one of the last teams to switch. The Pirates were also innovators in third jerseys. Even though it would be the Oakland A 's that would beat them to having such jerseys, the Pirates, by 1977 had different uniform styles that included two different caps, two different undershirts, three different jerseys and three different pairs of trousers. They would actually rotate ( and sometimes mix, with painful results ) these styles daily until returning to the basic white and gray uniform ensemble in 1985. In 1976, the National League celebrated its 100th anniversary. To coincide with it, certain NL teams wore old - style pillbox hats complete with horizontal pinstripes. After the season, the Pirates were the only team to adopt the hats permanently, ( alternating between a black hat and a gold hat for several seasons until keeping the black hat in 1985 ) and kept the hat through the 1986 season, which would be Barry Bonds rookie season with the team. The hats, which recall the team 's last World Series championship season ( 1979 ), remain popular items in the throwback market. The 2013 season marked the last of one of the team 's former logos, introduced in 1997 just after former owner Kevin McClatchy took over the team. The Pirates chose to use the `` P '' on their caps as the primary logo ; however, the former logo will continue to be used as a secondary logo. On December 13, 2014, the Pirates unveiled a new camo alternate jersey, which honors the soldiers in the Armed Forces. It was worn on every Thursday home game during the 2015 season. On February 18, 2016, the Pirates unveiled a new throwback alternate uniform in the style of the 1979 team. This uniform features yellow jerseys and old - style pillbox hats. It will be worn on every Sunday home game during the 2016 season. See also Baseball portal Pittsburgh portal Green Weenie References General Markusen, Bruce. The Team That Changed Baseball : Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. Yardley : Westholme Publishing. 2005. ISBN 1 - 59416 - 030 - 9 McCollister, John ( 1998 ). The Bucs ! : The Story of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Lenexa : Addax Publishing Group. ISBN 1 - 886110 - 40 - 9. Nemec, David ( 2004 ). The Beer and Whisky League : The Illustrated History of the American Association -- Baseball 's Renegade Major League. Guilford : The Lyons Press. ISBN 1 - 59228 - 188 - 5. In - line citations Jump up ^ `` Pirates Uniforms and Logos ''. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved April 22, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Kjeld, Pollux Variste ( 11 October 2011 ). `` Denny McKnight ''. Chrono Press -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ `` Pittsburgh Pirates - BaseballLibrary.com ''. ^ Jump up to : `` Pirates official team history, part 1 ''. Pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Purdy, Dennis ( 2006 ). The Team - by - Team Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball. New York City : Workman. ISBN 0 - 7611 - 3943 - 5. Jump up ^ Why is our baseball team called the Pirates ? Pittsburgh City Paper, August 14, 2003. ^ Jump up to : Wilmoth, Charlie ( April 6, 2015 ). `` Johnny Cueto, Todd Frazier help Reds beat Pirates 5 -- 2 on Opening Day ''. Bucs Dugout. Retrieved June 10, 2015. Jump up ^ Woolsey, Matt ( April 28, 2009 ). `` In Depth : Baseball 's Most Intense Rivalries ''. Forbes. ^ Jump up to : Collier, Gene ( July 4, 2005 ). `` Pirates -- Phillies : A Rivalry Lost and Missed ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1. ^ Jump up to : Von Benko, George ( July 7, 2005 ). `` Notes : Phils -- Pirates rivalry fading ''. Philadelphia Phillies. MLB. Retrieved January 3, 2011. Jump up ^ Stark, Jayson ( September 10, 1993 ). `` Baseball Owners Vote to Break Each League Into Three Divisions ''. Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A1. ^ Jump up to : Collier, Gene ( September 27, 1993 ). `` Pirates, Phillies Have Owned the Outgoing NL East Division ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1. Jump up ^ `` Pirates perform rare three - peat feat 4 -- 2 ''. USA Today. September 28, 1992. p. 5C. Jump up ^ `` It 's Philly vs. the Burgh ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 11, 2008. p. B1. Jump up ^ `` World Series 1 -- 3 Comebacks -- MLB ''. ESPN. October 27, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2010. Jump up ^ MLB.com ( January 2, 2010 ). `` LCS, World Series 3 -- 1 comebacks MLB.com : News ''. Mlb.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Oakland A 's Fan Coalition -- Athletics baseball enthusiasts dedicated to watching a winner ''. Oaklandfans.com. July 12, 1980. Retrieved December 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` MLB approves protective cap for pitchers in time for 2014 season ''. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 26. Jump up ^ `` San Diego Padres reliever Alex Torres was the first pitcher to try out MLB 's new protective hat ''. San Diego Padres. Jump up ^ `` Dressed to the Nines : A History of the Baseball Uniform ''. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved November 26, 2014. Jump up ^ John Perrotto ( August 14, 2006 ). `` Baseball Plog ''. Beaver County Times. Jump up ^ `` Honoring First All - Minority Lineup ''. New York Times. September 17, 2006. p. Sports p. 2. Jump up ^ `` Sporting News description and assertion of first combined extra-innings no hitter ) ; ( http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT199707120.shtml Box score via Baseball Reference ''. External link in title = ( help ) Jump up ^ Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com ( January 2, 2010 ). `` Indian hurlers ' inking opens new market pirates.com : News ''. Pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Pirates find 2 pitchers from Indian reality show -- Baseball - NBC Sports ''. Nbcsports.msnbc.com. November 25, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2010. Jump up ^ Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com ( January 2, 2010 ). `` Bucs sign pair of Indian hurlers pirates.com : News ''. Pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ Bruni, Frank ( 2012 - 02 - 22 ). `` Coming Out in the World of Sports ''. New York Times. Retrieved 2012 - 09 - 22. Jump up ^ Ex-Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy comes out as gay -- ESPN. Espn.go.com ( 2012 - 09 - 26 ). Retrieved on 2013 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ Abrotsky, Justin L. ; Stone, Avery ( May 9, 2015 ). `` Pittsburgh Pirates pull off first 4 -- 5 -- 4 triple play in MLB history against Cardinals ''. USA Today. Retrieved May 11, 2015. Jump up ^ Nesbitt, Stephen J. ( April 27, 2017 ). `` Dovydas Neverauskas makes history for Lithuania ; Adam Frazier to DL ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Jump up ^ Pirates ' Gift Ngoepe : Promoted by Pirates CBS Sports, 26 April 2017 Jump up ^ Biertempfel, Bob ( August 23, 2017 ). `` History at PNC Park ! Pirates ' Josh Harrison ends Rich Hill 's no - hit bid with walk - off homer ''. Pittsburgh Tribune - Review. Retrieved August 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Negro League Baseball : The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution -- Neil Lanctot -- Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved on 2013 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ Let us not forget about Gene Baker. Thesouthern.com ( 2013 - 02 - 19 ). Retrieved on 2013 - 07 - 23. Jump up ^ Vascellaro, Charlie ( September 1, 2011 ). `` Bucs broke ground with first all - minority lineup ''. Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved May 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Pittsburgh PA News, Weather and Sports - WTAE - TV Pittsburgh Action News 4 ''. WTAE. Jump up ^ Anderson, Shelly ( November 7, 2007 ). `` Penguins Notebook : In this case, No. 20 ranking is huge ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 7, 2008. Jump up ^ America 's Game : The Super Bowl Champions. The 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Jump up ^ Cook, Ron ( September 29, 2000 ). `` The Eighties : A terrible time of trial and error ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Jump up ^ Pittsburgh Pirates Fans Hopeful At Home Opener At PNC Park `` CBS Pittsburgh Jump up ^ `` Annual African American Heritage Weekend Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21 to be Hosted by Pitsburg Pirates ''. Ask Blackie : African American Entertainment, Music, News and Anything Afro - American. Ask Blackie. Retrieved November 3, 2011. ( People ) all nominated by their fellow citizens for having positively contributed to the betterment of the diverse community in our region. Jump up ^ `` Piratefest webpage ''. Jump up ^ `` Pirates Radio Network pirates.com : Schedule ''. Pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com. January 2, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Smizik on Sports -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ''. Communityvoices.sites.post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 02. Jump up ^ `` Pirates, KDKA - FM agree to broadcasting deal ''. Pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com. October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Pirates, KDKA - FM agree to new contract ''. Post-Gazette.com. March 2, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2016. Jump up ^ Here Are The 2016 MLB Prime Time Television Ratings For Each Team - Maury Brown, Forbes SportsMoney, 28 September 2016 Jump up ^ `` Pirates broadcaster leaves for Boston ''. Post-Gazette.com. December 28, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Cohen, Bob ( February 11, 2013 ). `` Pirates will commission new logo for 2014 season ''. Pittsburgh Tribune - Review. Jump up ^ `` Pirates ditch Jolly Roger logo ''. ESPN. Associated Press. January 8, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Pittsburgh Pirates new 1979 uniforms jersey 2016 ''. MLB.com. February 18, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Team That Changed Baseball : Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates ''. Westholme Publishing. April 3, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2010. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pittsburgh Pirates. 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Bristol Pirates Rookie GCL Pirates DSL Pirates All - time Minor league affiliate history World Series Championships ( 5 ) 1909 1925 1960 1971 1979 League pennants ( 9 ) American Association none National League 1901 1902 1903 1909 1925 1927 1960 1971 1979 Division titles ( 9 ) East 1970 1971 1972 1979 1990 1991 1992 Central none Wild Card berths ( 3 ) 2013 2014 2015 Media AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh KDKA - FM Pirates Radio Network Steve Blass Joe Block Greg Brown Bob Walk John Wehner Seasons ( 137 ) 1880s 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890s 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900s 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910s 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930s 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Links to related articles Preceded by Chicago Cubs 1907 and 1908 Washington Senators 1924 Los Angeles Dodgers 1959 Baltimore Orioles 1970 New York Yankees 1977 and 1978 World Series Champions Pittsburgh Pirates 1909 1925 1960 1971 1979 Succeeded by Philadelphia Athletics 1910 and 1911 St. Louis Cardinals 1926 New York Yankees 1961 and 1962 Oakland Athletics 1972, 1973 and 1974 Philadelphia Phillies 1980 Preceded by Brooklyn Superbas 1900 Chicago Cubs 1906, 1907, 1908 New York Giants 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924 St. Louis Cardinals 1926 Los Angeles Dodgers 1959 Cincinnati Reds 1970 Los Angeles Dodgers 1978 National League Champions Pittsburgh Pirates 1901, 1902, and 1903 1909 1925 1927 1960 1971 1979 Succeeded by New York Giants 1904, 1905 Chicago Cubs 1910 St. Louis Cardinals 1926 St. Louis Cardinals 1928 Cincinnati Reds 1961 Cincinnati Reds 1972 Philadelphia Phillies 1980 Preceded by New York Mets 1969 New York Mets 1973 Philadelphia Phillies 1976, 1977, and 1978 Chicago Cubs 1989 National League Eastern Division Champions Pittsburgh Pirates 1970, 1971, and 1972 1974 and 1975 1979 1990, 1991, and 1992 Succeeded by New York Mets 1973 Philadelphia Phillies 1976, 1977, and 1978 Philadelphia Phillies 1980 Philadelphia Phillies 1993 Pittsburgh Pirates retired numbers 1 Billy Meyer 4 Ralph Kiner 8 Willie Stargell 9 Bill Mazeroski 11 Paul Waner 20 Pie Traynor 21 Roberto Clemente 33 Honus Wagner 40 Danny Murtaugh Championship Navigation Boxes Pittsburg Pirates 1901 National League Champions Ginger Beaumont Kitty Bransfield Jack Chesbro Fred Clarke Lefty Davis Ed Doheny Bones Ely Tommy Leach Sam Leever Jack O'Connor Deacon Phillippe Ed Poole Claude Ritchey Jesse Tannehill Honus Wagner Snake Wiltse George Yeager Chief Zimmer Manager Fred Clarke Regular season Pittsburg Pirates 1902 National League Champions Ginger Beaumont Kitty Bransfield Jimmy Burke Jack Chesbro Fred Clarke Wid Conroy Lefty Davis Ed Doheny Tommy Leach Sam Leever Jack O'Connor Deacon Phillippe Claude Ritchey Harry Smith Jesse Tannehill Honus Wagner Chief Zimmer Manager Fred Clarke Regular season Pittsburg Pirates 1909 World Series champions Ed Abbaticchio Bill Abstein Babe Adams Chick Brandom Bobby Byrne Harry Camnitz Howie Camnitz Fred Clarke Sam Frock George Gibson Ham Hyatt Tommy Leach Sam Leever Lefty Leifield Nick Maddox Dots Miller Gene Moore Paddy O'Connor Deacon Phillippe Bill Powell Mike Simon Charlie Wacker Honus Wagner Vic Willis Chief Wilson Manager Fred Clarke Regular season Pittsburgh Pirates 1925 World Series champions Babe Adams Vic Aldridge Clyde Barnhart Carson Bigbee Max Carey Kiki Cuyler Johnny Gooch George Grantham Ray Kremer Stuffy McInnis Lee Meadows Eddie Moore Johnny Morrison Red Oldham Earl Smith Pie Traynor Glenn Wright Emil Yde Manager Bill McKechnie Regular season Pittsburgh Pirates 1960 World Series champions 2 Bob Oldis 4 Bob Skinner 5 Hal Smith 6 Smoky Burgess 7 Dick Stuart 9 Bill Mazeroski 11 Dick Schofield 12 Don Hoak 14 Rocky Nelson 16 Gene Baker 18 Bill Virdon 19 Bob Friend 20 Gino Cimoli 21 Roberto Clemente 22 Joe Gibbon 23 Joe Christopher 24 Dick Groat ( NL MVP ) 26 Roy Face 29 Clem Labine 30 Wilmer Mizell 31 Harvey Haddix 32 Vern Law ( CYA ) 35 Fred Green 39 George Witt 48 Tom Cheney Manager 40 Danny Murtaugh Coaches 41 Bill Burwell 42 Mickey Vernon 43 Sam Narron 44 Frank Oceak 45 Lenny Levy Virgil Trucks Regular season Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 World Series champions 2 Jackie Hernández 4 Charlie Sands 7 Bob Robertson 8 Willie Stargell 9 Bill Mazeroski 11 José Pagán 14 Gene Alley 15 Gene Clines 16 Al Oliver 17 Dock Ellis 18 Vic Davalillo 20 Richie Hebner 21 Roberto Clemente ( World Series MVP ) 23 Luke Walker 25 Bruce Kison 27 Bob Johnson 28 Steve Blass 29 Milt May 30 Dave Cash 31 Dave Giusti 32 Bob Miller 34 Nelson Briles 35 Manny Sanguillén 38 Bob Moose 39 Bob Veale Manager 40 Danny Murtaugh Coaches 5 Dave Ricketts 41 Bill Virdon 42 Don Osborn 43 Don Leppert 44 Frank Oceak Regular season National League Championship Series Pittsburgh Pirates 1979 World Series champions 3 Phil Garner 5 Bill Madlock 6 Rennie Stennett 8 Willie Stargell ( NL, NLCS, and World Series MVP ) 10 Tim Foli 14 Ed Ott 15 Enrique Romo 16 Steve Nicosia 17 Lee Lacy 18 Omar Moreno 19 Jim Rooker 22 Bert Blyleven 23 Grant Jackson 24 Mike Easler 25 Bruce Kison 26 Jim Bibby 27 Kent Tekulve 28 Bill Robinson 34 John Milner 35 Manny Sanguillén 36 Matt Alexander 39 Dave Parker 43 Don Robinson 45 John Candelaria 49 Dave Roberts Manager 7 Chuck Tanner Coaches 31 Harvey Haddix 32 Joe Lonnett 42 Alex Monchak 48 Bob Skinner Regular season National League Championship Series Pittsburgh Pirates managers Al Pratt ( 1882 -- 1883 ) Ormond Butler ( 1883 ) Joe Battin ( 1883 -- 1884 ) Denny McKnight ( 1884 ) Bob Ferguson ( 1884 ) George Creamer ( 1884 ) Horace Phillips ( 1885 -- 1889 ) Fred Dunlap ( 1889 ) Ned Hanlon ( 1889 ) Guy Hecker ( 1890 ) Bill McGunnigle ( 1891 ) Ned Hanlon ( 1891 ) Tom Burns ( 1892 ) Al Buckenberger ( 1892 -- 1894 ) Connie Mack ( 1894 -- 1896 ) Patsy Donovan ( 1897 ) Bill Watkins ( 1898 -- 1899 ) Patsy Donovan ( 1899 ) Fred Clarke ( 1900 -- 1915 ) Nixey Callahan ( 1916 -- 1917 ) Honus Wagner ( 1917 ) Hugo Bezdek ( 1917 -- 1919 ) George Gibson ( 1920 -- 1922 ) Bill McKechnie ( 1922 -- 1926 ) Donie Bush ( 1927 -- 1929 ) Jewel Ens ( 1929 -- 1931 ) George Gibson ( 1932 -- 1934 ) Pie Traynor ( 1934 -- 1939 ) Frankie Frisch ( 1940 -- 1946 ) Spud Davis ( 1946 ) Billy Herman ( 1947 ) Bill Burwell ( 1947 ) Billy Meyer ( 1948 -- 1952 ) Fred Haney ( 1953 -- 1955 ) Bobby Bragan ( 1956 -- 1957 ) Danny Murtaugh ( 1957 -- 1964 ) Harry Walker ( 1965 -- 1967 ) Danny Murtaugh ( 1967 ) Larry Shepard ( 1968 -- 1969 ) Alex Grammas ( 1969 ) Danny Murtaugh ( 1970 -- 1971 ) Bill Virdon ( 1972 -- 1973 ) Danny Murtaugh ( 1973 -- 1976 ) Chuck Tanner ( 1977 -- 1985 ) Jim Leyland ( 1986 -- 1996 ) Gene Lamont ( 1997 -- 2000 ) Lloyd McClendon ( 2001 -- 2005 ) Pete Mackanin ( 2005 ) Jim Tracy ( 2006 -- 2007 ) John Russell ( 2008 -- 2010 ) Clint Hurdle ( 2011 -- ) Major League Baseball ( 2017 ) American League East Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Central Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Minnesota Twins West Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers National League East Atlanta Braves Miami Marlins New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Central Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals West Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Postseason World Series Champions NL NL Champions NLCS NLDS AL AL Champions ALCS ALDS Wild Card Game Appearances Streaks Droughts 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Question: when is the last time the pirates won the world series
Answer: 1979