When Dave Giusti was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, his intention was to pitch in the starting rotation. Instead, he became one of baseball’s most valuable closers and a key component of a World Series champion.
Giusti led all major-league pitchers in saves (127) from 1970-75, when he earned an All-Star appearance and finished in the top 10 of National League Cy Young Award voting three times.
Giusti died Sunday at age 86.
“We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “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.”
The right-hander ranks third all-time among Pirates pitchers in saves (133), seventh in ERA (2.92) and eighth in games (410). Giusti led the NL with 30 saves in 1971, pitching 10 2/3 scoreless innings in the postseason and earning the save in the Game 4 World Series win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Giusti had a 100-93 career record and 3.60 ERA in 15 seasons, starting 130 games with the Houston Colt 45s from 1962-68 and 12 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969. At age 30, he was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals, along with catcher Dave Ricketts, in exchange for outfielders Carl Taylor and Frank Vanzin.
After struggling in spring, when he allowed 12 runs in 15 innings, Giusti couldn’t crack a starting rotation that featured Steve Blass, Bob Moose, Dock Ellis, Bob Veale and Luke Walker. Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh decided to use Giusti in middle relief. When closer Chuck Hartenstein posted a 7.04 ERA in six innings, Murtaugh turned to Giusti.
Giusti, whose signature pitch was a sinking palmball, was 8-0 with a 2.37 ERA and 14 saves by mid-July and went 9-3 with 26 saves for the NL East Division champions to finish in fourth place in Cy Young and sixth place in MVP voting. He had 20 or more saves in each of his first four seasons with the Pirates, including a league-best 30 in 1971, when The Sporting News named Giusti its reliever of the year.
“He was a very legitimate starter for the Astros, so the transition was interesting,” said former Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, Giusti’s roommate on the road. “That role of closer fit his mentality perfectly. Dave was not going to beat himself. You were going to have to beat him. He was mentally tough. It was almost like it was made for him and his makeup. Watching him make that transition from starter to one of the best closers in the NL was pretty damn impressive.
“Dave came in and found his home. We were lucky to get him.”
Blass bought a home in the same Upper St. Clair neighborhood as Giusti, and they became close friends. Blass is grateful to Giusti for his support in 1973, when Blass dealt with a case of the yips that derailed his career only one season removed from a 19-win All-Star season in which he finished second in Cy Young voting.
“He was a hell of a teammate and even a better friend,” Blass said. “When I was going through the worst year of my life in 1973, going through my personal hell, he really stood tall for me. You never forget that stuff. In ’71, I don’t know if we get to the World Series if he doesn’t have that regular season. Plus, it was just 10 innings in the postseason but they were pressure-packed. He was airtight.”
The Pirates traded Giusti to the Oakland A’s as part of a 10-player deal that brought back second baseman Phil Garner, a key player for their 1979 World Series champions. After splitting the 1977 season between the A’s and the Chicago Cubs, Giusti retired.
He made his home in Upper St. Clair after his playing career, working as a corporate sales manager for American Express. He also served as an officer with the Pirates Alumni Association since its inception.
