1979 Pirates Tribute

[JackLambert58]

I was going to post this in the game thread for last night, but a championship team deserves far better than to be embedded there along with the current version which is far inferior. If I weren't just coming back from summer vacation in Maine, I'd have made ever effort to go to Pittsburgh to catch this.

Last night, the Pirates paid tribute to the 1979 World Champions. 40 years ago, and it seems like yesterday in a lot of ways to me - it was my senior year of high school, and both the Steelers and Pirates made Pittsburgh the City of Champions. And in a lot of ways, it seems like a lifetime ago given the Pirates overall futility since then. I will always remember and love this team.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/m ... /39788531/

https://937thefan.radio.com/articles/19 ... rld-series

[JackLambert58]

Most of the reason I continue to do the game threads is in honor of the great Pirates teams and players I grew up with like the '79 Champs. These guys gave a shit. These guys benefitted from an organization that wanted to win. The 70's were the decade that ushered in the free agent frenzy, and the Pirates were able to be at the top of their division throughout that decade.

[franco>madden]

Nice tribute, Jack. Thanks for posting and for all you do.

Was just out of high school too --- damn, time sure flies huh? Don't know why but it took me by surprise when I realized the songs from the 1980s we were listening to in the car last night were on the SoCal "oldies" station ...

[COR-TEN]

I was at game three that series, I think. I remember because of stargell's double, which we in the outfield thought was going over the fence. Bounced off the wall IIRC. Even though they lost, TRS was rockin'

[bradshaw2ben]

I went to 67 games that year. My last year without a driver's license, so it was one of the few things I could do to get out of the house, and I embraced it fully!

That team was magical... Pops had such a knack for the clutch hit. If you needed a ground ball, he'd hit one. If you needed an RBI single, he'd get it. If you needed a double or a HR, he got those, too. Chuck Tanner pressed every button, lived and died by his platoons (how do you deal with having 4 great OF? You platoon!), used the entire 25 man roster and then some, made all the right moves.

Teke and Grant Jackson were as good a late bullpen lockdown as you'll ever see.

I remember Dale Berra hitting a 3-run homer to win some game they had no business winning-- that was when I remembered my dad talking about the way the '60 team just found a way to win the close games, like they were magic.

And, of course, my favorite memory from that year was... after a whole season of going to games by myself, my dad decided he'd join me for a game where the Pirates were expected to clinch the Division. Just before the last pitch, he turned to me and said: "Pay attention, because you might not ever see this again in your whole life!" As I've told the story many times, I don't remember the pitch, barely remember the celebration... but I'll never forget the old man at that moment.

[franco>madden]

Great story B2B. Thanks for sharing it.

Still remember watching the Buccos with my old man too, wish he was still here to share the misery .

[bradshaw2ben]

My dad purely suffered through sporting events. I couldn't even watch the Steelers with him. I remember the 4th SB title game vs the Rams, he watched downstairs and I watched upstairs because he was bitching and proclaiming gloom and doom for like three hours

[Ice]

He would have loved our game threads.

[COR-TEN]

My dad purely suffered through sporting events. I couldn't even watch the Steelers with him. I remember the 4th SB title game vs the Rams, he watched downstairs and I watched upstairs because he was bitching and proclaiming gloom and doom for like three hours

I dunno. IIRC, it was super close until mid 4th, when stallworth blew it open with a couple of big plays, a TD for 70 some yards. Then a franco td. I was nervous as well until then. Bradshaw had three INT, and game stats show it was really close. Franco had 46 yards, 2.3/carry. They shut down the running game.

I saw the game with my brother, who knows little about football, and my father, who knew nothing about football. They were, I guess, being PGH loyalists. It was the only SB I watched with them. Saw more Ali fights than football games with them.

Fuck me. This is a baseball thread.

[jeemie]

My dad purely suffered through sporting events. I couldn't even watch the Steelers with him. I remember the 4th SB title game vs the Rams, he watched downstairs and I watched upstairs because he was bitching and proclaiming gloom and doom for like three hours

I dunno. IIRC, it was super close until mid 4th, when stallworth blew it open with a couple of big plays, a TD for 70 some yards. Then a franco td. I was nervous as well until then. Bradshaw had three INT, and game stats show it was really close. Franco had 46 yards, 2.3/carry. They shut down the running game.

I saw the game with my brother, who knows little about football, and my father, who knew nothing about football. They were, I guess, being PGH loyalists. It was the only SB I watched with them. Saw more Ali fights than football games with them.

Fuck me. This is a baseball thread.

For me, I relaxed a little when Lambert picked off Ferragamo because until that happened, it felt like the Rams' offense could do whatever it wanted. They were driving for another score after it was 24-19 when he threw that pick.

Then Franco's TD and I was fine. But those Rams were a fucking gritty team.

Game 7 in 1979, I watched sitting on the steps peeking around the corner at the TV...my mom had sent me to bed if you can believe it.

No way was I missing it though...even though I got "scolded" when I got caught celebrating too loudly after Pops' HR and was finally noticed.

[COR-TEN]

But those Rams were a fucking gritty team

Yup. The first three SB I was 99% sure the steelers would win. Even the crygirls. And they were fucking good. I laughed when what's his face TE dropped a sure TD. But even if he had held on, I had faith swanny, stallworth, franco, brad and co would save the day.

Those rams, OTOH, were as you say, gritty and dangerous. I can totally see B2B's father yelling for most of the game. I was on the edge of my seat.

I stopped watching baseball when bonds, bonilla, and leyland et al fucked the entire thing up in the matter of a few minutes. I had friends on the phone to get me playoff tickets in the 9th inning when they failed to send in the knuckle baller to save the game.

[bradshaw2ben]

The Rams were much, much better than history treats them. Haden was such a shitty/soft QB that he cost them a couple of Super Bowl appearances. Once they put Ferragamo in, things turned around in a hurry.

I recently watched the 1971 series... back when there was ESPN Classic showing actual games. I was stunned about how fast the pace of play was. Roberto was absolutely regal in that series, so when he dropped that deadball era, into a 15mph wind HR in Game 7... it was a fitting end to a great series.

By the way, these '60s uniforms rule:

[Legacy User]

He would have loved our game threads.

[bradshaw2ben]

He would have loved our game threads.

TRUTH

[JackLambert58]

Loved the 60's sleeveless jerseys. So glad when the Bucs brought them back when PNC opened. I don't mind the current unis and do love the alternate black with the gold P, but they can shit can the '79 unis and the Stargell star hat. '70's shit style at it's worst. Never a fan.

Re: SB XIV, don't forget the Rams had some ex-Steelers coaches under Malavasi. They knew a lot of the playbook. Didn't like the circumstances as the Rams were basically playing at home in Pasadena, and being their first SB with an excellent defensive, and some pretty good weapons on offense, I didn't think it bode well. Turned out fine, though, and was the largest margin of victory of those 70's SB wins.

[Drummer Boy]

And one of those coaches, JL58, was their DC, Bud Carson, who went to LA the year before from the Steelers. Carson was hired as DC before the '72 season by Noll. Carson was probably the most important exponent of the original Cover-2 defense (Dungy has always acknowledged that it came from the Noll years), and he was one of the greatest DC's ever to defend blades of grass.

Also I should point out, JL58, that the underweight Lambert was drafted by the Steelers because with his speed and height Carson considered him perfect for the deep middle coverage he was looking for from ILB. Lambert became the first great coverage inside linebacker -- it's ironic that it was Lambert in the deep middle whose interception ended what might have been the Rams' winning drive, with Bud Carson on the other sideline.

[JackLambert58]

And one of those coaches, JL58, was their DC, Bud Carson, who went to LA the year before from the Steelers. Carson was hired as DC before the '72 season by Noll. Carson was probably the most important exponent of the original Cover-2 defense (Dungy has always acknowledged that it came from the Noll years), and he was one of the greatest DC's ever to defend blades of grass.

Also I should point out, JL58, that the underweight Lambert was drafted by the Steelers because with his speed and height Carson considered him perfect for the deep middle coverage he was looking for from ILB. Lambert became the first great coverage inside linebacker -- it's ironic that it was Lambert in the deep middle whose interception ended what might have been the Rams' winning drive, with Bud Carson on the other sideline.

Great info there, Drummer! Thanks!

[Legacy User]

Loved the 60's sleeveless jerseys. So glad when the Bucs brought them back when PNC opened. I don't mind the current unis and do love the alternate black with the gold P, but they can shit can the '79 unis and the Stargell star hat. '70's shit style at it's worst. Never a fan.

Re: SB XIV, don't forget the Rams had some ex-Steelers coaches under Malavasi. They knew a lot of the playbook. Didn't like the circumstances as the Rams were basically playing at home in Pasadena, and being their first SB with an excellent defensive, and some pretty good weapons on offense, I didn't think it bode well. Turned out fine, though, and was the largest margin of victory of those 70's SB wins.

they should return to those Roberto unis and leave em be. not the it matters to this bunch !