Former big league right-hander Dave Giusti has passed away, the Pirates announced this morning. He was 86 years old.
“We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in this morning’s press release. “He was a vital member of our World Series winning team in 1971 and spent seven of his 15 big-league seasons with the Pirates before eventually making Pittsburgh his home. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Ginny, his daughters, Laura and Cynthia, and the entire Giusti family.”
Giusti made his major league debut in 1962 — his age-22 campaign — with the Houston Colt .45s and posted an inauspicious 5.62 earned run average through his first 73 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch in the majors in ’63 and logged only 25 2/3 MLB frames in ’64. In 1965, he established himself as a member of Houston’s staff, tossing 131 1/3 innings with a 4.32 ERA. That was a ways higher than the 3.50 league average at that time (77 ERA+, 125 ERA-), but it kicked off a run of four seasons that saw Giusti log regular work as a starter in Houston. From 1965-68, he pitched a combined 814 innings with a 3.90 ERA.
Houston traded Giusti to the Cardinals in the 1968-69 offseason. The Cardinals lost him to the Padres in October 1968’s expansion draft, only to reacquire him two months later. He spent one season with the Cards (3.61 ERA, 99 2/3 innings) before being traded to the Pirates, with whom he’d make his lone All-Star team, tally three separate top-10 finishes in National League Cy Young voting, and win a World Series.
Giusti had been almost exclusively a starting pitcher over his final seasons in Houston, but he made only one start with Pittsburgh in 1970 and only three over his seven seasons in black and gold. Giusti transitioned near seamlessly to relief at a time when doing so wasn’t nearly as common as it is in today’s game. He saved 26 games for the Pirates in 1970, pitching 103 innings with a 3.61 ERA along the way.
Over the next several years, Giusti was a pivotal endgame arm for the Bucs. He saved a career-high 30 games in 1971, pitching to a 2.93 ERA in 86 regular-season frames before tossing 10 1/3 shutout innings during the playoffs as the Pirates went on to win the World Series. Overall, Giusti pitched 618 regular-season innings with the Pirates from 1970-76, piling up 133 saves and a recording a tidy 2.94 earned run average along the way.
The Pirates traded Giusti to the A’s in the 1976-77 offseason — part of a nine-player swap that included notable names like Phil Garner, Rick Langford and Tony Armas. Giusti pitched 85 2/3 innings between the A’s and Cubs, working to a 3.89 ERA in the 15th and final season of his major league career.
Giusti retired with a career 100-93 record, 145 saves, a 3.60 ERA and 1103 strikeouts in 1716 2/3 innings pitched. He won a World Series with the Pirates in ’71, made the All-Star team in ’73, garnered MVP votes in ’70 (sixth) and ’71 (14th), and drew Cy Young votes in ’70 (fourth), ’73 (seventh) and ’74 (ninth).
Fans of Giusti will want to check out Jason Mackey’s tribute to him over at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, wherein former teammates Milt May and Steve Blass discuss the right-hander’s transition to the bullpen, the efficacy of his signature palmball, and the never-give-in mentality that made him such a natural fit for high-leverage spots late in the game. We at MLBTR extend our condolences to Giusti’s family, friends, former teammates and the countless fans he amassed over a lengthy and successful big league career.
R.I.P. Dave. My condolences to his family.
A 1970 ball player that seemed to play on a tour of so many teams. His collection of uniforms I trust had so much color and great stories that went with him.
RIP Dave. Loved watching you pitch for the Pirates.
Impressive that he got cy young votes as a RP during a time when RPs did not matter nearly as much as they do today, really speaks to how dominant he must have been during that 1970 season.
@Formerly Depressed Mets Fan
His career 3.23 FIP vs. 3.60 ERA tells you his run prevention skill was better than his surface numbers, especially once you account for era and role. He posted a 105 ERA- and 96 FIP- for his career, meaning he was consistently better than league average across 1,700+ innings.
Giusti was logging 90–100 innings a year in high-leverage spots, keeping the ball in the park and consistently getting big outs when it mattered. He wasn’t overpowering, but his command, deception, and durability made him an early version of the modern multi-inning closer. His WAR undersells his impact given how relievers were used back then, Giusti was quietly ahead of his time and an underrated cornerstone of the ’71 Pirates.
Tony armas link is wrong.
Shaddup
we need more of those 9 player trades
I remember him especially as a Colt/Astro, and then with the Pirates as an outstanding reliever. He finished his career with the Cubs, as many did back then, and was still pretty good to the end.
As a Cubs fan I did not enjoy seeing him on the hill for the Pirates. He was a tough pitcher.
His bio said that he started shaving at age 12 and he looked like it.
R.I.P – I am not a Pirates fan but he gave up a 9th inning home run to Johnny Bench to tie the 5th game and final game of the ,72 NLCS.
The Pirates were that close to going back to the World Series to defend their title. They lost the game on a wild pitch.
Thanks for the memories.
Just-in-time Giusti (Bob Prince used to say). Bucs had Giusti, Mudcat Grant, Bob Miller and Ramon Hernandez in the pen in ’71, along with Bob Veale. Late innings were locked down.
One of the best of that era. Loved seeing number 31 coming out of the pen during the Pirates glory days in the seventies.
A 1962 Colts 45 player (now Astros). Very memorable, very sad. Rest in peace. The 1962 team is on of my favorite things to learn about in Astros history and one of my favorite teams despite not being alive then.
I remember the Mets drafted some older players from Dodgers/Giants trying to draw NL fans back. The Astros went after younger players as they were in a new town for baseball. Right away they were a bit better than the Mets but it took them longer to get good. Expansion teams in 1962 had it hard because there weren’t as many teams to draft from as there were later.
Excellent Pitcher for the Astros. I remember him well. Another one of my baseball cards not here anymore. RIP Dave!
Rest in peace, Dave. You were a good pitcher and a better person.
Will always be part of the names of the Finley A’s fire sales.
Thanks for hte memories, Dave….
I remember Dave with the Pirates pitching against my Reds.
RIP Dave, condolences to his family and friends.
Few folks remember that Giusti was a fine athlete, good enough to play basketball at Syracuse. A top-shelf closer when it often took more than three outs. R.I.P Dave
RIP Dave…..
A Golden Era of baseball…
Reds fan, though always enjoyed multiple teams and players including the Pirates and Mr. Guisti…
RIP.
We’re losing a great generation of ballplayers.
Tough arm for the Bucs late in the game to have to deal with. Another player from my youth gone. RIP Dave.
RIP. Lengthy career, doing what he loved that we wished we could do.
In 62 I was a .45’s fan at 11 years old. I’d hang out on the fence to talk to the players before the game. He always said Hi to me walking by. Real nice guy.
100 game winner! Seventh on team in home runs in 1967!
Gave up an astounding 13 hits in 3 1/3 innings vs. Dodgers in 1974 Championship series.
5 1/3 shutout innings vs. Giants in ’71 NLCS and clinched it in game 4.
First 100,000 relief pitcher!
Have a sweet PSA 9 of Dave in a 1963 Topps card.
RIP Dave Giusti.
Taken from us far too soon.
Check out Emma Lingan’s story on RumBunter. A well written tribute to Giusti who became a Yinzer in the end.
My brother and I used to emulate Giusti’s wind up when we were kids. I remember him often coming in to slam the door in games and yeah, I remember him being involved in a heartbreaking loss or two. Good reliever here in Pittsburgh. Good man. RIP