Pirates Are Playing Like It Is 1960 Again

Call it coincidence, call it fate, call it luck. Call the 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates eerie reminders of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, who came from nowhere to win the wildest World Series in history.

Nobody is talking ’90 World Series yet, but if the Pirates contend for the National League East championship -- their 17-8 record as of Tuesday gave them a three-game division lead -- comparisons to the 1960 team, nicknamed “Destiny’s Darlings” by late announcer Bob Prince, are bound to continue.

Perhaps 1960 Series hero Bill Mazeroski instilled some of that old black-and-gold magic on the 1990 Pirates by throwing out the first pitch at their April 13 home opener.

“The start they’ve had is certainly comparable to 1960,” reliever ElRoy Face said. “We got off to a great start and that gave us all the confidence in the world.”

The ’60 Pirates, 11-3 in April, won nine in a row and were buoyed into first place by a successful early-season West Coast road trip. The ’90 Pirates, 14-6 in April, recently won nine of 10 and used a 10-3 road trip to take over the NL East lead.

“I compare this team to 1960. ... the way they’re winning games,” former pitcher Bob Friend said. “The 1960 team won 27 games in its last at-bat. This team is getting the big hit late in the game, the great pitching and the great defense.”

There are plenty of other comparisons, some uncanny, some just unusual:

--Neither team was given much chance to contend.

--Both teams had similar heritages. The ’60 Pirates were a few years removed from the “Rickey Dinks,” the 1950s teams of General Manager Branch Rickey that survived three successive 100 loss-plus seasons. The ’90 Pirates are a few seasons removed from the drug scandal days of the mid-’80s and a combined 202 losses in 1985 and 1986.

Only two years before the ’60 Pirates won it all on Mazeroski’s ninth-inning homer in Game 7 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, the Pirates came out of nowhere to finish second. But in 1959 they slumped to fourth.

--Their offenses revolved around right fielders named Roberto: Roberto Clemente (1960) and Roberto “Bobby” Bonilla (1990). Interestingly, the Pirates shifted Bonilla from third base to right only this spring.

--Both teams had defensive whiz center fielders who wore No. 18 and were acquired in trades from St. Louis: Bill Virdon (1960) and Andy Van Slyke (1990). Interestingly, Virdon spent hours this spring working with Van Slyke in Bradenton, Fla.

“Van Slyke plays center field just like Virdon,” Friend said.

--The 1960 Pirates had a roly-poly, tobacco-spitting catcher named Smoky Burgess. The 1990 Pirates have a chunky, tobacco-chawing catcher named Mike LaValliere.

--The ’60 Pirates jelled after trades with Cincinnati brought them Burgess, third baseman Don Hoak and pitcher Harvey Haddix. Several ’90 Pirates have Cincinnati backgrounds, including General Manager Larry Doughty, reliever Bill Landrum, first baseman Gary Redus.

--Both teams had state-of-the-art defensive second basemen, Mazeroski and Jose Lind (1990), and take-charge, team-leader third basemen: Hoak (1960) and Wally Backman (1990).

--Both teams had versatile reserve outfielders with Italian heritages: Gino Cimoli (1960) and John Cangelosi (1990).

--The 1960 Pirates’ left fielder was Bob Skinner, whose son, Joel, is a major league catcher. The 1990 Pirates’ left fielder is Barry Bonds, whose father, Bobby, is a former San Francisco Giants’ star.

--The 1960 Pirates got a career year from a journeyman left-hander named Vinegar Bend Mizell. The ’90 Pirates are enjoying a similar season from well-traveled left-hander Neal Heaton.

--Both teams platooned at first base (1960: Dick Stuart and Rocky Nelson, 1990: Sid Bream and Redus) and at catcher (1960: Burgess and Hal W. Smith, 1990: LaValliere and Don Slaught). Smith and Slaught were acquired in off-season trades.

--Both teams share the same equipment manager (John Hallahan), same public address announcer (Art McKennan), strong starting pitching and a good bullpen. Face was the premier reliever of his day; the 1990 Pirates’ bullpen earned run average of 1.67 is the best in the National League.

And, though they are physically dissimilar, Face noted that managers Danny Murtaugh and Jim Leyland have similar temperaments and flexible rosters that provide the kind of maneuverability that can compensate for injuries. The 1960 Pirates won with NL Most Valuable Player Dick Groat on the bench in September with a broken wrist.

“Danny knew which players to kick in the butt and which players to baby,” Face said. “Danny knew how to handle a team. From what I’ve seen, Leyland’s the same way. ... I think he’s doing a great job.”

Now, Face said, all the 1990 Pirates must do to complete the comparison is win a pennant, a fitting way to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1960 world championship.

“We started feeling (in 1960) there was no way we weren’t going to win the pennant,” he said. “I have no idea what this (1990) team is going to do.”