FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates Trivia Quiz

The '79 Pirates were a great team that brought a World Series title to Pittsburgh. Let's see how much you remember about that season.

A multiple-choice quiz by napoleon321. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
napoleon321

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
230,011

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
9 / 15

Plays
859

Last 3 plays: Guest 199 (7/15), Guest 174 (9/15), Guest 174 (8/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Who managed the Bucs in 1979? Hint

Gene Lamont

Danny Murtaugh

Chuck Tanner

Billy Meyer

NEXT>

Question 2 of 15

2. The Pirates had a losing record against only one National League team in 1979. Who were they? Hint

Los Angeles Dodgers

Montreal Expos

Philadelphia Phillies

Cincinnati Reds

NEXT>

Question 3 of 15

3. Who led the Pirates pitching staff in wins in 1979? Hint

John Candelaria

Bert Blyleven

Bruce Kison

Jim Rooker

NEXT>

Question 4 of 15

4. What schedule oddity did the Bucs have to get through in July? Hint

Play 3 doubleheaders in 5 days

Play 7 day games after 7 night games

Play 21 consecutive games on the road

Play 16 games on the West Coast

NEXT>

Question 5 of 15

5. On September 1st, Kent Tekulve was sent to play left field after giving up a bunt single to Jack Clark of the Giants. Who came into the game to face San Francisco's Darrell Evans? Hint

Enrique Romo

Jim Bibby

Bert Blyleven

Grant Jackson

NEXT>

Question 6 of 15

6. In the 1970s, the trade deadline was mid-June. What two players did the Pirates acquire via trade in 1979? Hint

Omar Moreno and Jim Bibby

Bill Madlock and Tim Foli

Don Robinson and Jim Rooker

Bert Blyleven and Phil Garner

7. On August 5th, the Pirates and Phillies played a wild back and forth game at Three Rivers Stadium. The game was tied at eight in the ninth inning, when John Milner hit a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam off who? Hint

Jim Kaat

Steve Carlton

Tug McGraw

Rawly Eastwick

NEXT>

Question 8 of 15

8. In a game marred by rain delays in Montreal on September 18th, Willie Stargell finally ended a marathon game by hitting a hanging forkball over the wall in the 11th inning to give the Bucs a 5-3 win at 2:00 in the morning that demoralized the Expos. Who threw the hanging forkball? Hint

Dale Murray

Bill Lee

Woodie Fryman

Bob James

NEXT>

Question 9 of 15

9. As any true playoff race should, the 1979 NL East Division race came down to the final day. The Pirates needed to beat the Chicago Cubs, or which other team had to lose? Hint

Montreal Expos

Philadelphia Phillies

New York Mets

St. Louis Cardinals

NEXT>

Question 10 of 15

10. Who would the Bucs face in the NLCS? Hint

Houston Astros

Cincinnati Reds

Los Angeles Dodgers

San Francisco Giants

NEXT>

Question 11 of 15

11. One of the most famous shots in Pirate history was Bert Blyleven freezing an opposing player with his trademark curveball in the final at-bat of the NLCS to send the Bucs to the World Series. Who was victimized by that final pitch? Hint

Jerry Turner

Jack Clark

Cesar Geronimo

Rick Monday

NEXT>

Question 12 of 15

12. The Pirates' opponents in the World Series were the Baltimore Orioles. Who did the Orioles beat in the ALCS to get to the World Series? Hint

New York Yankees

Chicago White Sox

Kansas City Royals

California Angels

NEXT>

Question 13 of 15

13. Manny Sanguillen helped the Pirates win game 2 in Baltimore with an RBI single in the ninth inning off which Baltimore pitcher? Hint

Jim Palmer

Don Stanhouse

Dennis Martinez

Mike Flanagan

NEXT>

Question 14 of 15

14. Before game 5 in Pittsburgh, two events occured to motivate the Pirates. One was that they heard that the city of Baltimore had already planned a victory parade as they were up 3 games to 1 in the best of seven Series. The other was more melancholy. Whose mother had died that morning? Hint

Chuck Tanner's

Phil Garner's

Willie Stargell's

Kent Tekulve's

NEXT>

Question 15 of 15

15. Who made the final out of the 1979 World Series by harmlessly flying out to centerfield? Hint

Eddie Murray

Harold (Pat) Kelly

Kiki Garcia

Rick Dauer

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Most Recent Scores

Nov 15 2024 : Guest 199: 7/15
Nov 09 2024 : Guest 174: 9/15
Oct 30 2024 : Guest 174: 8/15
Oct 28 2024 : Guest 50: 5/15
Oct 25 2024 : francoharris32: 10/15
Oct 17 2024 : Guest 198: 9/15
Oct 11 2024 : Linda_Arizona: 9/15
Sep 28 2024 : Guest 73: 11/15
Sep 26 2024 : SATINPANTIES: 8/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who managed the Bucs in 1979?

Answer: Chuck Tanner

Tanner gained a reputation for unorthodox moves, like having Kent Tekulve play left field, and pitching around a batter to get to Eddie Murray in the World Series.

2. The Pirates had a losing record against only one National League team in 1979. Who were they?

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

The Pirates went 4-8 in the regular season against the Reds, but swept them out of the NLCS. They were 10-8 against Philadelphia, 11-7 against Montreal (their top two contenders in the East), and 8-4 against Los Angeles.

3. Who led the Pirates pitching staff in wins in 1979?

Answer: John Candelaria

Candelaria led the Pirates with 14 wins. Both Kison and Blyleven won 13 games, while Rooker won only 4.

4. What schedule oddity did the Bucs have to get through in July?

Answer: Play 3 doubleheaders in 5 days

The Pirates played doubleheaders on July 19th against Houston, and on the 22nd and 23rd against Atlanta. The Bucs went 5-1 in those games, but were so exhausted that they were easily swept by the Reds in the series following Atlanta.

5. On September 1st, Kent Tekulve was sent to play left field after giving up a bunt single to Jack Clark of the Giants. Who came into the game to face San Francisco's Darrell Evans?

Answer: Grant Jackson

Tekulve was furious at first ("There's no way you can pull me out of the game. Jack Clark just bunted on me!"), and then Chuck Tanner told him to play left field. Jackson got Evans to fly out (to Tekulve!), and the Bucs escaped San Francisco with a 5-3 victory.

6. In the 1970s, the trade deadline was mid-June. What two players did the Pirates acquire via trade in 1979?

Answer: Bill Madlock and Tim Foli

Foli was acquired from the Mets, and he hit .290, with several clutch hits in the playoffs. Madlock, who had a reputation as a troublemaker in San Francisco, was put in his place quickly by manager Chuck Tanner, who told him that "If he ever threw a lineup card in his face (referring to an incident in which Madlock tore up the lineup card and threw it in the face of the Giants' manager), Tanner would hand his head to him."

Answer: Tug McGraw

McGraw was brought in to face light hitting Pittsburgh catcher Steve Nicosia, but Chuck Tanner countered by pulling Nicosia (who had gone 4 for 4 that game), and sending up Milner in his place to take away the McGraw screwball. It paid off, big time. According to Kent Tekulve, Nicosia was not surprised. Nicosia told him, "I'm a .220 career hitter. What were my odds of going 5 for 5?"

Answer: Dale Murray

Murray's hanger gave the Pirates a much needed win. If the Pirates lost that game, they likely would not have made the playoffs.

9. As any true playoff race should, the 1979 NL East Division race came down to the final day. The Pirates needed to beat the Chicago Cubs, or which other team had to lose?

Answer: Montreal Expos

The Bucs beat the Cubs 5-3, and the Phillies defeated Montreal 3-2, to give the Pirates a playoff spot. Montreal finished 2 games back, St. Louis 12 games back in third place, Philadelphia 14 games back in fourth, Chicago 18 games back in fifth, and New York finished dead last at 35 games back with the worst record in the National League.

10. Who would the Bucs face in the NLCS?

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

The Reds won the NL West by 1.5 games over the Houston Astros.

Answer: Cesar Geronimo

Geronimo (a lefty facing a righty) buckled on a Blyleven curveball that dropped right into the strike zone for strike three, and the Pirates were World Series bound!

12. The Pirates' opponents in the World Series were the Baltimore Orioles. Who did the Orioles beat in the ALCS to get to the World Series?

Answer: California Angels

The Orioles defeated the Angels 3 games to 1.

13. Manny Sanguillen helped the Pirates win game 2 in Baltimore with an RBI single in the ninth inning off which Baltimore pitcher?

Answer: Don Stanhouse

The Pirates knew that they could hit Stanhouse from his years in Montreal, where they lit him up. Manny hit a bad ball (as he was a bad ball hitter) from Stanhouse that allowed catcher Ed Ott to score what turned out to be the winning run.

Answer: Chuck Tanner's

Tanner said, "She decided to ask a favor of the Great Scorekeeper". The Pirates came out full of adrenaline, and crushed the Orioles 7-1.

15. Who made the final out of the 1979 World Series by harmlessly flying out to centerfield?

Answer: Harold (Pat) Kelly

Kelly's lazy fly ball settled into Omar Moreno's glove, and the Pirates celebrated a 4-1 win that gave them the World Series title.

Source: Author napoleon321

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.