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Tanner, who died at 82, led the Pirates to a dramatic comeback in ’79 World Series.
Former Pittsburgh manager Chuck Tanner, who managed the Pirates to one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history, died Friday in New Castle, Pa., after a long illness. He was 82.
AP FILE PHOTO
PITTSBURGH — Chuck Tanner, the relentlessly upbeat manager who led the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 to one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history, died Friday after a long illness. He was 82.
He died at his home in his hometown of New Castle, Pa., where he had been in hospice care.
“In baseball, we will remember his eternal optimism and his passion for the game,” Tanner’s son, Bruce, said in a statement.
Renowned for his never-wavering confidence and an inherent belief that no deficit was too large to overcome, Tanner managed the White Sox, Athletics, Pirates and Braves to a record of 1,352-1,381 from 1970-88. He won one division title and finished second five times.
“It’s hard to win a pennant,” Tanner once said, “but it’s harder to lose one.”
Tanner’s irrepressible faith was tested in the ’79 Series when Pittsburgh fell behind favored Baltimore 3-1. Facing possible elimination in Game 5 in Pittsburgh, Tanner awoke to learn his mother had died in a nursing home in New Castle.
Saying his mother would have wanted him to do his job, Tanner stayed with his team and took a huge gamble by starting left-hander Jim Rooker, who had won four games all season, rather than future Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven. Rooker held the Orioles to one run over five innings, and the Pirates, led by aging star Willie Stargell, went on to sweep the final three games.
“Chuck was a class act who always carried himself with grace, humility and integrity,” Pirates President Frank Coonelly said in a statement. “While no one had a sharper baseball mind, Chuck was loved by his players and the city of Pittsburgh because he was always positive, enthusiastic and optimistic about his Bucs and life in generally.”
After retiring from managing, Tanner remained involved with the Pirates, most recently serving as a senior adviser to general manager Neal Huntington.
Commissioner Bud Selig called Tanner a “lifetime contributor to baseball.”
“Chuck spent his life serving baseball in a variety of roles,” Selig said in a statement. “And I am particularly glad that in recent years he returned to the Pirates, the club with which he will be forever linked.”
Huntington recalled his early memories of the Pirates and Tanner, and the “genuine affection” that ran through the club.
“This made an impression on me,” he said. “And never did I imagine that I would have the chance to work with Chuck.”