Longtime broadcaster and 1971 World Series hero Steve Blass announced Tuesday morning during a press conference at PNC Park that the 2019 season will be his last in the Pirates’ booth. While Blass is stepping down from those duties, he will remain with the team as a goodwill ambassador moving forward.
The 2019 season will be Blass’ 60th in the organization and 35th as a broadcaster. The Pirates signed Blass, a right-handed pitcher, in 1960 following his graduation from Housatonic (Conn.) High School and he pitched in the major leagues for them for 10 seasons between 1964-74.
Blass’s biggest moment came in the winner-take-all Game 7 of the 1971 World Series when he pitched a four-hit complete game to beat the Orioles 2-1 at Baltimore.
Blass, 76, began his broadcasting career in 1983 when he served as color commentator for Hall of Fame play-by-play man Bob Prince on Home Sports Entertainment, the long-defunct cable network. Blass then joined the Pirates’ radio broadcast crew in 1986 and has done games on radio and TV ever since.
A tipoff that Blass might be retiring came when the Pirates recently released their promotional schedule. A dual Blass player/broadcaster bobblehead doll will be given to fans on Sept. 28 at PNC Park when the Pirates host the Reds on the next-to-last day of the season.
Blass had a 103-76 record and 3.63 ERA in 282 career games, including 231 starts. Perhaps his best season was in 1972 when he went 19-8 with a 2.49 ERA and finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting to Hall of Fame left-hander Steve Carlton.
However, Blass’ control suddenly deserted him during spring training in 1973. He walked 91 batters in a combined 93 1/3 innings during the 1973 and 1974 seasons, then retired during spring training in 1975.
