1979 Pirates question

[cheo25]

The gold pillbox caps were worn with black jerseys and, sometimes, the white jerseys. The Pirates got rid of the pinstripes after the 1979 season and stopped mixing and matching at home then, too, wearing the solid whites exclusively from 1980 til the reintroduction of a black alt jersey in 1997. The black pillbox cap was worn with the home unis. The gold caps stayed around to be worn with the black jerseys on the road through 1984. The Pirates mixed-and-matched on the road through '84, then went to a gray uniform set on the road for 1985. The black pillbox stayed around for '85 and '86, then they switched to the current solid black cap in '87.

And during the pillbox era, the Pirates wore a gold batting helmet exclusively, but they switched to black when they ditched the pillbox hats after '86.

[Mac the Knife]

The Pirates ditched the pillboxes for the start of the 1987 season, which they billed as their 100th year (though it was actually 1986).

The team had announced that it was making "changes" for the 100th anniversary but hadn't really said much about what they were. On opening day, 50,000+ (myself included) at Three Rivers were astonished when the pillbox hats were gone. The old timers were ecstatic, while the younger set were upset as I remember.

[timmy b]

The gold pillbox caps were worn with black jerseys and, sometimes, the white jerseys. The Pirates got rid of the pinstripes after the 1979 season and stopped mixing and matching at home then, too, wearing the solid whites exclusively from 1980 til the reintroduction of a black alt jersey in 1997. The black pillbox cap was worn with the home unis. The gold caps stayed around to be worn with the black jerseys on the road through 1984. The Pirates mixed-and-matched on the road through '84, then went to a gray uniform set on the road for 1985. The black pillbox stayed around for '85 and '86, then they switched to the current solid black cap in '87.

And during the pillbox era, the Pirates wore a gold batting helmet exclusively, but they switched to black when they ditched the pillbox hats after '86.

cheo25 nailed it.

however when they brought out these unis originally in 1977, i think the bucs tried every conceivable combination with not just the unis, but the accessories.

let's try this:

9 uni combos

2 different caps

2 different undersleeves

2 different hose.

i think they could've had up to 72 different combinations, including accessories, and in 1977, i think they tried them all.

there was a week late in the season (can't remember the year) in the 1980-1984 era that the buccos called "black and gold days" and the pirates sported the black and yellow combos for a week long homestand. but other than this, cheo is right, they wore the whites exclusively from 80-84.

tb

[cheo25]

The gold pillbox caps were worn with black jerseys and, sometimes, the white jerseys. The Pirates got rid of the pinstripes after the 1979 season and stopped mixing and matching at home then, too, wearing the solid whites exclusively from 1980 til the reintroduction of a black alt jersey in 1997. The black pillbox cap was worn with the home unis. The gold caps stayed around to be worn with the black jerseys on the road through 1984. The Pirates mixed-and-matched on the road through '84, then went to a gray uniform set on the road for 1985. The black pillbox stayed around for '85 and '86, then they switched to the current solid black cap in '87.

And during the pillbox era, the Pirates wore a gold batting helmet exclusively, but they switched to black when they ditched the pillbox hats after '86.

cheo25 nailed it.

however when they brought out these unis originally in 1977, i think the bucs tried every conceivable combination with not just the unis, but the accessories.

let's try this:

9 uni combos

2 different caps

2 different undersleeves

2 different hose.

i think they could've had up to 72 different combinations, including accessories, and in 1977, i think they tried them all.

there was a week late in the season (can't remember the year) in the 1980-1984 era that the buccos called "black and gold days" and the pirates sported the black and yellow combos for a week long homestand. but other than this, cheo is right, they wore the whites exclusively from 80-84.

tb

Thanks for the clarification on the "black and gold days", Timmy.