Here's something a little different. These days it's easy for fans to buy these. I'm not sure how widely available these were back in 1977.
Cover art "Chuck Tanner & The 1977 Bucs" by Dan Bridy. Bridy was a prolific illustrator, most notably of children's books. He passed away last year.
Much of the book featured extensive commentary and statistics of each Pirates player, from veterans to up-and-coming prospects. Most of the commentary is pretty dry, so it was funny to see in Jim Rooker's bio "Jim is a very sharp dresser thanks to his wife Betty who makes all his clothes".
This was an unusual bit of minutiae, which I guess was relevant for reporters covering the team.
Check out the board of directors. Yes, it's that Bing Crosby. He was a part-owner of the Pirates from 1946 until his death shortly after the 1977 season. Among other things, Crosby was responsible for the Pirates signing pitcher Vern Law.
Here are the home numbers for each team public relations director.
This list includes the fans' vote of Greatest Pirates ever, as voted in 1969. Gus Suhr over Willie Stargell really surprised me. Going into '69 Stargell was already a two-time all-star with five straight 20-HR seasons, and he added another that year, hitting .307 with 29 HR and 92 RBI. Suhr played ten years for the Pirates (1930-1939) and did not put up nearly as good numbers, though he did have three 100-RBI seasons.
Where to find the Pirates on the road, and where to find visiting clubs in Pittsburgh.
The only advertising is on the back cover. The illustration style is similar to the front cover, but the players are not wearing Pirates pillbox hats and that is clearly Yankee Stadium in the background.
NOW IF WE COULD ONLY GET THE HOME (OR CELL) PHONE NUMBERS OF THE PR FOLKS TODAY.
ReplyDeleteYup, media guides, very well-known to journalists, at least those who were around pre-2000. We used to have a ton of them in the old office where I worked, stacked up in the back. Wish I still had those, don't know where they went.
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