The Pittsburgh Pirates

It’s hard to believe that Pittsburgh’s beloved baseball team was anything other than the Pirates. However, the organization was originally called the Pittsburgh Alleghenies. There is little wonder why the team chose Alleghenies for any native of the area as they pass by the Allegheny River that flows through the Allegheny Mountains in Allegheny County.

One would think that the team had chosen the appropriate name and the term would stick, but the team became the Innocents in 1890. The team enjoyed this youthful designation until 1891 when the team was given nicknamed the Pirates. The nickname was not invented by fans. In fact, it was first used to criticize the team for making a questionable move during a quarrelsome time in baseball history.

The very first baseball game played in the city of Pittsburgh by professional teams was in 1876 by the Alleghenies. The team was in the midst of some revolutionary times in baseball history during the late 1880’s and into the turn of the Century. The National League banned beer in the stadiums and it banned Sunday games. This led to the formation of the American Association. There is no surprise that Pittsburgh joined the brew-loving league around 1882.

The two baseball leagues were able to function very well until the formation of the Player’s League. The third league, also called The Brotherhood, came into existence in 1890 and this organization wreaked havoc on the baseball industry. Pittsburgh’s team, the Innocents, joined the rebel Player’s League. So did Lou Bierbauer from the Philadelphia Athletics, and here is where the name-calling begins.

Lou Bierbauer was an extremely talented second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics until he (if you’ll excuse the pun) jumped ship to join the Innocents of the newly formed Player’s League. The Player’s League existed for only one year. After the league folded, the players were expected to go back to their original teams.

On Valentine’s Day in 1891, Lou Bierbauer was awarded to the Pittsburgh Innocents during the off season. Rumor had it that the team stole the second baseman from Philadelphia through a clerical error or through using questionable tactics during arbitration. The Innocents were nicknamed the Pirates for making the piratical move.

The nickname stuck and Pittsburgh’s baseball team has been the Pirates ever since. The team did not make it official until 1912, when the commonly used name appeared on the players’ jerseys. Everything worked out in the end. Pittsburgh won an outstanding second baseman and it got a catchy name with a rich history. Makes you wonder what happened to the Philadelphia Athletics.