Via the New Castle News, Chuck Tanner died today at the age of 82. Tanner is, of course, the last manager to guide the Pirates to a World Series championship, taking the Fam-a-lee to the title in 1979.
My memory of Tanner will always be the interview he gave on my “Battlin’ Bucs, the first 100 years of the Pittsburgh Pirates” VHS about that series. Tanner’s mother died the morning of Game 5, with the Bucs down 3-1 to the Orioles, but Tanner managed Game 5 anyways. On the tape (which I don’t remember perfectly, to be honest), Tanner remembers telling the team that his mother would’ve wanted him to keep managing. The team was inspired (I mean, who wouldn’t be?) and promised not to let him or his mother down. They didn’t.
Rest in peace, Chuck.
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