Granted, the Pirates did win 88 games for a second place finish in the National League East the previous year. But they weren't getting any younger.
Their most vaunted home run hitter was 39 years old. Their left fielder and two pitchers were 36. And they weren't the only Pirates many expected to hit a career downslide.
Their third baseman, for instance, was having the worst season of his career before coming over in a trade. Even the numbers of their All-Star right fielder were down from the previous year.
The closest thing Pittsburgh had to a true pitching ace was their closer. And he had a funny delivery people would have mocked if it weren't so efficient.
But efficient the Pirates were -- so much so, that even a 3-1 deficit in the World Series vs. Baltimore could not deter them.
Thirty years later, the championship remains a great moment for Pittsburgh. It came during a happy time in the city's sports history, being sandwiched by two Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl wins.
But while the Steelers have won more Super Bowls, the Pirates have not been back the World Series.
Pittsburgh's Pennant Drive
Winning the NL East was no easy task for the Pirates, who went 98-64 to edge the Montreal Expos by two games. Then, they rode their pitching to three-game NL playoff sweep of Cincinnati and a World Series berth.
The Pirates' most talented player was right fielder Dave Parker, who was the reigning NL MVP after hitting a league-best .334 with 30 homers and 117 RBIs in 1978. Parker wasn't quite as effective in '79, but still batted .310 with 25 homers and 90 RBIs.
League MVP honors ended up going to 39-year-old first baseman Willie Stargell, who shared the award with St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Keith Hernandez. Stargell, nearing the end of a 21-year career, belted 32 homers and drove in 82 runs while batting .289. Just as importantly, "Pops" provided a calming influence on the Pirates, who became known as "The Family" after adopting the Sister Sledge hit "We Are Family" as their theme song.
There were other stars. The 36-year-old left fielder, Bill Robinson, had 24 homers and 75 RBIs. Center fielder Omar Moreno put together the best season of his 12-year career, batting .282 and leading the league with 77 stolen bases. Phil Garner enjoyed the most productive season in a 16-year career, batting .293 while playing both second and third base.
Manager Chuck Tanner's team somehow soared without a 15-game winner, but six Pirates won 10 games or more. Among them was reliever Kent Tekulve, whose unique submarine delivery produced a 10-8 record, a 2.75 earned run average, and 31 saves.
Young left-hander John Candelaria led the Pirates in wins, going 14-9 with a 3.22 earned run average. Also reaching double figures were Bert Blyleven (12-5, 3.60), Bruce Kison (13-7, 3.19), part-time starter Jim Bibby (12-4, .281) and reliever Enrique Romo (10-5, 2.99).
Trades Solidify Pirates Lineup
Two trades made a huge difference. In April, the Pirates sent Frank Tavares to the New York Mets for Tim Foli in an exchange of shortstops. Foli responded with a .289 campaign -- his best in 16-major league seasons.
Then in late June, Pittsburgh acquired third baseman Bill Madlock and pitcher Dave Roberts from San Francisco in exchange for three young pitchers.
Madlock, then a two-time batting champion, had been hitting just .261 with the Giants. But he batted .328 with Pittsburgh. His arrival also enabled the Pirates to play Garner at second base instead of slumping Rennie Stennett.
Roberts, meanwhile, gave Tanner an option of two veteran left-handed relievers, joining Grant Jackson.
Orioles Take Control of Series
American League champion Baltimore won 102 games and featured a sterling pitching staff headed by Cy Young winner Mike Flanagan (23-9, 3.08). Ken Singleton (.295, 35 homers, 111 RBIs) and Eddie Murray (.295, 25 HRs, 99 RBIs) provided the power for manager Earl Weaver's team.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh split the first two games of the World Series, with the Orioles winning 5-4, and Pittsburgh bouncing back with a 3-2 triumph.
But in Game 3, Orioles manager inserted Kiko Garcia into the lineup at shortstop and had him bat leadoff. Garcia responded with a 4-for-4, four-RBI effort that ignited Baltimore to an 8-4 win.
In the fourth game, Baltimore scored six runs in the eighth inning and rallied for a 9-6 victory. Pittsburgh lost despite 17 hits. The win went to reliever Tim Stoddard, who five years earlier won a major title as a starting forward for the North Carolina State NCAA championship basketball team.
Pittsburgh Surges to Crown
Tanner's mother died on the morning of Oct. 14, hours before Game 5. The Pirates responded by riding the pitching of Jim Rooker and Blyleven, and the hitting of Foli and Madlock to a 7-1 win.
With the series back in Baltimore, Candelaria and Tekulve combined on a seven-hit shutout as the Pirates beat Jim Palmer and the Orioles 4-0 to even the series.
Stargell was the hero of Game 7, going 4-for-5 and hitting his third homer of the series in a 4-1 win. Bibby, Don Robinson, Jackson and Tekulve teamed up for a four-hitter, as the Pirates became only the fifth team in history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series.
The victory went to Jackson, who pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He, Kison and reserve catcher Manny Sanguillen were also present when the Pirates defeated the Orioles to win their previous World Series, in 1971. But unlike Kison and Sanguillen, Jackson was playing for Baltimore then.
Stargell was named the series MVP, becoming the oldest player to win both season and World Series MVP honors. He batted .400 with four doubles and seven RBIs.
Garner hit .500, going 12-for-24 with four doubles, and Madlock, Parker, Moreno and Foli also had 10 hits in the series. The Pirates batted .323 in the series while Baltimore hit just .223.
Sources:
BaseballReference.com
BaseballAlmanac.com
