List of Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day starting pitchers


The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the National League Central division. Originally known as the Alleghenys, they played in the American Association from 1882 through 1886, and have played in the National League since 1887. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Pirates have used 71 Opening Day starting pitchers since they began to play as a Major League team in 1882. The Pirates have a record of 69 wins and 60 losses in their Opening Day games.
The Pirates have played in several different home ball parks. Between 1882 and 1909 they played in two parks called Exposition Park and in Recreation Park. They played in Forbes Field from 1909 to 1970 and Three Rivers Stadium from 1970 to 2000 and they have played in their current stadium, PNC Park, since 2001. They had a record of no wins and one loss in the first Exposition Park, four wins and no losses in Recreation Park and no wins and two losses in the second Exposition Park. They had a record of four wins and two losses at Forbes Field and a record of five wins and eight losses at Three Rivers Stadium. Through 2010, they have a record of two wins and one loss at PNC Park. That gives the Pirates an overall Opening Day record of 15 wins and 14 losses at home. They have a record of 54 wins and 46 losses in Opening Day games on the road.
Bob Friend has made the most Opening Day starts for the Pirates, with seven. Babe Adams and Frank Killen each made five Opening Day starts for the Pirates, and Deacon Phillippe, Howie Camnitz, Cy Blanton and Bob Veale each made four Opening Day starts. Ed Morris, Pud Galvin, Wilbur Cooper, Ray Kremer, Rip Sewell, Steve Blass, Dock Ellis, Rick Rhoden, Doug Drabek and Francisco Liriano all made three Opening Day starts for the Pirates. Several Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day starting pitchers have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, including Galvin, Burleigh Grimes, Waite Hoyt, Jim Bunning, and Bert Blyleven. Bunning was elected as both a United States congressman and senator from Kentucky after retiring from baseball.
The Pirates have won nine National League titles, in 1901, 1902, 1903, 1909, 1925, 1927, 1960, 1971 and 1979. They went on to win the World Series in 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971 and 1979. Sam Leever was the Pirates Opening Day starting pitcher in 1901, Phillippe was the Opening Day starting pitcher in both 1902 and 1903, Camnitz was the Opening Day starting pitcher in 1909, Emil Yde in 1925, Kremer in 1927, Friend in 1960, Ellis in 1971 and Blyleven in 1979.

Key

Pitchers

SeasonPitcherDecisionFinal
score		OpponentLocationRef
1882Cincinnati Red StockingsBank Street Grounds
1883Philadelphia AthleticsExposition Park I
1884Philadelphia AthleticsRecreation Park
1885St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1886 St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park
1887Chicago White StockingsRecreation Park
1888 Detroit WolverinesRecreation Park
1889 Chicago White StockingsRecreation Park
1890Cleveland SpidersRecreation Park
1891 Chicago ColtsExposition Park III
1892Cincinnati RedsLeague Park
1893Cleveland SpidersExposition Park III
1894 St. Louis BrownsRobison Field
1895 Louisville ColonelsEclipse Park
1896Cincinnati RedsLeague Park
1897 St. Louis BrownsRobison Field
1898 Louisville ColonelsEclipse Park
1899Cincinnati RedsLeague Park
1900St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1901** Cincinnati RedsLeague Park
1902**St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1903** Cincinnati RedsPalace of the Fans
1904 St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1905Cincinnati RedsPalace of the Fans
1906St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1907 Cincinnati RedsPalace of the Fans
1908St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1909 Cincinnati RedsPalace of the Fans
1910 St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1911WCincinnati RedsPalace of the Fans
1912 St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1913 Cincinnati RedsRedland Field
1914 St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1915Cincinnati RedsRedland Field
1916St. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1917Chicago CubsWeeghman Park
1918Cincinnati RedsRedland Field
1919 Chicago CubsWeeghman Park
1920 WSt. Louis CardinalsRobison Field
1921 LCincinnati RedsRedland Field
1922 LSt. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1923WChicago CubsCubs Park
1924 ND Cincinnati RedsRedland Field
1925LChicago CubsCubs Park
1926LSt. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1927**WCincinnati RedsRedland Field
1928 LSt. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1929WChicago CubsWrigley Field
1930 ND Cincinnati RedsRedland Field
1931Chicago CubsWrigley Field
1932 St. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1933WCincinnati RedsRedland Field
1934St. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1935WCincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1936ND Cincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1937 WChicago CubsWrigley Field
1938 ND St. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1939 WCincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1940WSt. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1941 Chicago CubsWrigley Field
1942WCincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1943WChicago CubsWrigley Field
1944St. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1945Cincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1946 ND St. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1947 WChicago CubsWrigley Field
1948Cincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1949 WChicago CubsWrigley Field
1950St. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1951WCincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1952LSt. Louis CardinalsSportsman's Park
1953 LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1954ND Philadelphia PhilliesForbes Field
1955LBrooklyn DodgersEbbets Field
1956 LNew York GiantsPolo Grounds
1957 WNew York GiantsForbes Field
1958 ND Milwaukee BravesCounty Stadium
1959LCincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1960 ND Milwaukee BravesCounty Stadium
1961 ND San Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park
1962 WPhiladelphia PhilliesForbes Field
1963LCincinnati RedsCrosley Field
1964ND Chicago CubsForbes Field
1965 WSan Francisco GiantsForbes Field
1966 ND Atlanta BravesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium
1967 WNew York MetsShea Stadium
1968ND Houston AstrosAstrodome
1969ND St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
1970* ND New York MetsForbes Field
1971WPhiladelphia PhilliesThree Rivers Stadium
1972* LNew York MetsShea Stadium
1973 ND St. Louis CardinalsThree Rivers Stadium
1974*ND St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
1975* ND Chicago CubsWrigley Field
1976ND Philadelphia PhilliesVeterans Stadium
1977 LSt. Louis CardinalsThree Rivers Stadium
1978WChicago CubsThree Rivers Stadium
1979ND Montreal ExposThree Rivers Stadium
1980 LSt. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
1981ND Montreal ExposThree Rivers Stadium
1982ND St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
1983 WSt. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
1984 LSan Diego PadresJack Murphy Stadium
1985 LChicago CubsWrigley Field
1986LNew York MetsThree Rivers Stadium
1987LNew York MetsShea Stadium
1988WPhiladelphia PhilliesVeterans Stadium
1989ND Montreal ExposOlympic Stadium
1990*WNew York MetsShea Stadium
1991* LMontreal ExposThree Rivers Stadium
1992* WMontreal ExposThree Rivers Stadium
1993WSan Diego PadresThree Rivers Stadium
1994LSan Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park
1995LMontreal ExposThree Rivers Stadium
1996WFlorida MarlinsJoe Robbie Stadium
1997 ND San Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park
1998WMontreal ExposOlympic Stadium
1999 LMontreal ExposThree Rivers Stadium
2000LHouston AstrosThree Rivers Stadium
2001LCincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park
2002LNew York MetsShea Stadium
2003WCincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park
2004WPhiladelphia PhilliesPNC Park
2005LMilwaukee BrewersPNC Park
2006 ND Milwaukee BrewersMiller Park
2007ND Houston AstrosMinute Maid Park
2008ND Atlanta BravesTurner Field
2009ND St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium
2010 WLos Angeles DodgersPNC Park
2011WChicago CubsWrigley Field
2012LPhiladelphia PhilliesPNC Park
2013*LChicago CubsPNC Park
2014*ND Chicago CubsPNC Park
2015* ND Cincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park
2016 WSt. Louis CardinalsPNC Park
2017LBoston Red SoxFenway Park
2018ND Detroit TigersComerica Park
2019LCincinnati RedsGreat American Ballpark