October 12, 2026
October 12, 2026
1990 Pittsburgh Pirates: Power and Skill
The 1970s were a very fun time in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise, as the team made multiple appearances in the World Series. Though the 1980s weren’t as kind to the Pirates, it appeared that the beginning of the 1990s would be kinder as they found themselves back in the hunt for a World Series championship.
The 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates went 95-67, winning the National League East Division by 4 games over the New York Mets. The Pirates went 49-32 at their home ballpark of Three Rivers Stadium and 46-35 on the road. In blowout games decided by a margin of 5 or more runs, the Pirates went 27-17. They played good baseball throughout every month of the regular season, going 14-6 in April, 15-11 in May, 14-13 in June, 15-11 in July, 17-14 in August, and 19-10 in September.
Left fielder Barry Bonds was already showing promise as an emerging star, batting .301 with 33 home runs and 114 RBIs on 156 hits, 32 doubles, and 52 stolen bases. Bonds was named the National League Most Valuable Player. Center fielder Andy Van Slyke batted .284 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs on 140 hits, 26 doubles, 6 triples, and 14 stolen bases. Van Slyke won a Gold Glove for his solid defensive play in the outfield. Right fielder Bobby Bonilla batted .280 with 32 home runs and 120 RBIs on 175 hits, 29 doubles, and 7 triples.
First baseman Sid Bream batted .270 with 15 home runs and 67 RBIs on 105 hits and 23 doubles. Bream won the Hutch Award. Third baseman Wally Backman signed with the Pirates as a free agent on January 31, and in 104 games he batted .292 with 92 hits and 21 doubles. Third baseman Jeff King had 14 home runs and 17 doubles in 127 games. Shortstop Jay Bell had 148 hits, 28 doubles, 7 triples, and 10 stolen bases. Second baseman Jose Lind had 134 hits, 28 doubles, and 5 triples. Catcher Don Slaught had 69 hits and 18 doubles in 84 games, while catcher Mike LaValliere had 72 hits and 15 doubles in 96 games.
When it came to pitching, the Pirates found ways to piece together a starting rotation that could keep opposing offenses at bay. Doug Drabek was the ace of the staff, going 22-6 with 131 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA while recording 9 complete games and 3 shutouts. Drabek was named Pitcher of the Month for both July and August, and his solid pitching all year long earned him the National League Cy Young Award.
Neal Heaton went 12-9 with a 3.45 ERA. Bob Walk went 7-5 with a 3.75 ERA, recording 1 complete game, 1 shutout, and 1 save. Zane Smith went 6-2 in 10 starts, posting a 1.30 ERA with 3 complete games and 2 shutouts. Despite going 9-10, John Smiley recorded 2 complete games. Randy Tomlin went 4-4 with a 2.55 ERA and 2 complete games.
Closer Bill Landrum was a solid reliever who routinely shut down the opposition, going 7-3 with 13 saves and a 2.13 ERA. Relief pitcher Bob Patterson went 8-5, including 5 starts, with 5 saves and a 2.95 ERA. Stan Belinda had 8 saves and a 3.55 ERA despite going 3-4. Bob Kipper went 5-2 with 3 saves and a 3.02 ERA, and Scott Ruskin went 2-2 with 2 saves and a 3.02 ERA.
Three Pirates players went to the 1990 MLB All-Star Game as reserves: Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Neal Heaton. The team’s success was made possible by the managing skills of Jim Leyland. Recognizing his leadership, MLB honored Leyland as Manager of the Year.
Before the regular season ended, the Pirates went on a 7-game winning streak to build momentum heading into the postseason. The streak began with a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on September 23 and ended with a 2-0 shutout of the same Cardinals on September 30.
The National League Championship Series was an opportunity for the 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates to return to what the franchise was known for in the 1970s. However, the Cincinnati Reds had other ideas, eliminating the Pirates by winning the series 4 games to 2.
The Pirates started the NLCS the right way, winning Game 1 on October 4 at Riverfront Stadium by a score of 4-3. In the bottom of the 1st inning, first baseman Hal Morris had an RBI single, and then left fielder Eric Davis and right fielder Paul O’Neill each added RBI doubles. The Pirates rallied in the top of the 3rd when Jose Lind hit an RBI triple, and they tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the 4th when Sid Bream launched a 2-run home run. Andy Van Slyke eventually came through with an RBI ground-rule double in the top of the 7th to put Pittsburgh ahead.
After the Reds won 3 straight games to take a commanding 3 games to 1 series lead, the Pirates won Game 5 on October 10 at Three Rivers Stadium by a score of 3-2. Doug Drabek pitched 8.1 innings, giving up 7 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs while striking out 5. In the top of the 1st inning, center fielder Herm Winningham hit a sacrifice fly to score shortstop Barry Larkin. The Pirates answered in the bottom of the 1st as Van Slyke hit an RBI triple, Barry Bonds grounded into a forceout at second base to score Van Slyke, and Don Slaught hit a sacrifice fly to score Bonds. Larkin had an RBI double for the Reds in the top of the 8th, but Cincinnati fell short. Full series results are available at Baseball-Reference.
Just as the 1990s were beginning, so too were the Pittsburgh Pirates’ appearances in the National League Championship Series, as they found themselves right back in the same position the following year in 1991.
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