1947 Pittsburgh Pirates season
| 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates | |
|---|---|
| League | National League |
| Ballpark | Forbes Field |
| City | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[1] |
| Owners | Frank E. McKinney, John W. Galbreath, Bing Crosby, Thomas P. Johnson |
| General managers | Roy Hamey |
| Managers | Billy Herman, Bill Burwell |
| Radio | WWSW Rosey Rowswell, Jack Craddock |
The 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 66th season of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise; the 61st in the National League. The Pirates finished tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for eighth and last in the league standings with a record of 62–92. It was the last season the Pirates used red and blue as their team colors, as they switched to Black and Gold for the following season, and they haven't changed them ever since.
Offseason
- October 2, 1946: Steve Nagy was purchased by the Pirates from the Brooklyn Dodgers.[2]
- Prior to 1947 season (exact date unknown)
- Joe Muir was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates.[3]
- Tod Davis was returned by the Pirates to the Hollywood Stars after the expiration of their minor league working agreement.[4]
Regular season
- June 24: Against the Pirates, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers stole home plate for the first time in his career.[5] The Pirates catcher was Dixie Howell.
Season standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 94 | 60 | .610 | — | 52–25 | 42–35 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 89 | 65 | .578 | 5 | 46–31 | 43–34 |
| Boston Braves | 86 | 68 | .558 | 8 | 50–27 | 36–41 |
| New York Giants | 81 | 73 | .526 | 13 | 45–31 | 36–42 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 73 | 81 | .474 | 21 | 42–35 | 31–46 |
| Chicago Cubs | 69 | 85 | .448 | 25 | 36–43 | 33–42 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 62 | 92 | .403 | 32 | 38–38 | 24–54 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 62 | 92 | .403 | 32 | 32–45 | 30–47 |
Record vs. opponents
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BSN | BRO | CHC | CIN | NYG | PHI | PIT | STL | |||||
| Boston | — | 12–10 | 13–9 | 13–9 | 13–9 | 14–8 | 12–10 | 9–13 | |||||
| Brooklyn | 10–12 | — | 15–7 | 15–7 | 14–8 | 14–8 | 15–7 | 11–11–1 | |||||
| Chicago | 9–13 | 7–15 | — | 12–10 | 7–15 | 16–6–1 | 8–14 | 10–12 | |||||
| Cincinnati | 9–13 | 7–15 | 10–12 | — | 13–9 | 13–9 | 13–9 | 8–14 | |||||
| New York | 9–13 | 8–14 | 15–7 | 9–13 | — | 12–10 | 15–7–1 | 13–9 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 8–14 | 8–14 | 6–16–1 | 9–13 | 10–12 | — | 13–9 | 8–14 | |||||
| Pittsburgh | 10–12 | 7–15 | 14–8 | 9–13 | 7–15–1 | 9–13 | — | 6–16–1 | |||||
| St. Louis | 13–9 | 11–11–1 | 12–10 | 14–8 | 9–13 | 14–8 | 16–6–1 | — | |||||
Game log
| 1947 Game Log: 62–92 (Home: 32–45; Away: 30–47) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April: 8–5 (Home: 3–2; Away: 5–3)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May: 9–12 (Home: 7–4; Away: 2–8)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
June: 8–21 (Home: 2–9; Away: 6–12)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
July: 15–18 (Home: 8–9; Away: 7–9)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August: 14–18 (Home: 5–6; Away: 9–12)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September: 8–18 (Home: 7–15; Away: 1–3)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Legend: = Win = Loss = Tie Bold = Pirates team member |
Opening Day lineup
Notable transactions
- July 23, 1947: Frank Thomas was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates.[6]
- September 23, 1947: Joe Grace was selected off waivers by the Pirates from the Washington Senators.[7]
Roster
| 1947 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dixie Howell | 76 | 214 | 59 | .276 | 4 | 25 |
| 1B | Hank Greenberg | 125 | 402 | 100 | .249 | 25 | 74 |
| 2B | Jimmy Bloodworth | 88 | 316 | 79 | .250 | 7 | 48 |
| SS | Billy Cox | 132 | 529 | 145 | .274 | 15 | 54 |
| 3B | Frankie Gustine | 156 | 616 | 183 | .297 | 9 | 67 |
| OF | Ralph Kiner | 152 | 565 | 177 | .313 | 51 | 127 |
| OF | Wally Westlake | 112 | 407 | 111 | .273 | 17 | 69 |
| OF | Jim Russell | 128 | 478 | 121 | .253 | 8 | 51 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culley Rikard | 109 | 324 | 93 | .287 | 4 | 32 |
| Clyde Kluttz | 73 | 232 | 70 | .302 | 6 | 42 |
| Eddie Basinski | 56 | 161 | 32 | .199 | 4 | 17 |
| Elbie Fletcher | 69 | 157 | 38 | .242 | 1 | 22 |
| Whitey Wietelmann | 48 | 128 | 30 | .234 | 1 | 7 |
| Gene Woodling | 22 | 79 | 21 | .266 | 0 | 10 |
| Bill Salkeld | 47 | 61 | 13 | .213 | 0 | 8 |
| Billy Sullivan | 38 | 55 | 14 | .255 | 0 | 8 |
| Pete Castiglione | 13 | 50 | 14 | .280 | 0 | 1 |
| Billy Herman | 15 | 47 | 10 | .213 | 0 | 6 |
| Roy Jarvis | 18 | 45 | 7 | .156 | 1 | 4 |
| Gene Mauch | 16 | 30 | 9 | .300 | 0 | 1 |
| Al Gionfriddo | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fritz Ostermueller | 26 | 183.0 | 12 | 10 | 3.84 | 66 |
| Mel Queen | 14 | 74.0 | 3 | 7 | 4.01 | 34 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirby Higbe | 46 | 225.0 | 11 | 17 | 3.72 | 99 |
| Tiny Bonham | 33 | 149.2 | 11 | 8 | 3.85 | 63 |
| Preacher Roe | 38 | 144.0 | 4 | 15 | 5.25 | 59 |
| Rip Sewell | 24 | 121.0 | 6 | 4 | 3.57 | 36 |
| Nick Strincevich | 32 | 89.0 | 1 | 6 | 5.26 | 22 |
| Ed Bahr | 19 | 82.1 | 3 | 5 | 4.59 | 25 |
| Roger Wolff | 13 | 30.0 | 1 | 4 | 8.70 | 7 |
| Hank Behrman | 10 | 24.2 | 0 | 2 | 9.12 | 11 |
| Steve Nagy | 6 | 14.0 | 1 | 3 | 5.79 | 4 |
| Hugh Mulcahy | 2 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | 4.05 | 2 |
| Ken Heintzelman | 2 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 20.25 | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Bagby | 37 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4.67 | 23 |
| Elmer Singleton | 36 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6.31 | 24 |
| Al Lyons | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7.31 | 16 |
| Art Herring | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8.44 | 6 |
| Lee Howard | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.38 | 2 |
| Lou Tost | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 0 |
| Cal McLish | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18.00 | 0 |
| Ken Gables | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54.00 | 0 |
Farm system
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Indianapolis Indians | American Association | Jimmy Brown |
| A | Albany Senators | Eastern League | Pinky May |
| B | York White Roses | Interstate League | Ed Turchin |
| B | Selma Cloverleafs | Southeastern League | Carl Fischer and Boom-Boom Beck |
| C | Keokuk Pirates | Central Association | Frank Oceak |
| C | Uniontown Coal Barons | Middle Atlantic League | Alex Stutzke |
| C | Fargo-Moorhead Twins | Northern League | Bruno Haas |
| C | Riverside Dons | Sunset League | Norm DeWeese and Jack Rothrock |
| D | Rehoboth Beach Pirates | Eastern Shore League | Gordon McKinnon and Doug Peden |
| D | Leesburg Pirates | Florida State League | Wilbur Good, Jr. |
| D | Tallahassee Pirates | Georgia–Florida League | Phil Seghi |
| D | Bartlesville Oilers | Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League | Charles Marleau |
| D | Salisbury Pirates | North Carolina State League | Edgar Leip |
| D | Hornell Pirates | PONY League | Art Doll |
Notes
- ^ From 1882–1906, the team played in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, which became annexed by Pittsburgh as the North Side in 1907.
- ^ "Steve Nagy". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Joe Muir". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Tod Davis". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ Eig, Jonathan (2008). Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season. Simon & Schuster. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-74-329461-4.
- ^ "Frank Thomas". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
- ^ "Joe Grace". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
References
- 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates team at Baseball-Reference
- 1947 Pittsburgh Pirates at Baseball Almanac
- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-1-932391-17-6.