Chuck Tanner
The eternally optimistic skipper who masterfully guided the 'We Are Family' Pittsburgh Pirates to an unforgettable 1979 World Series comeback victory.
1928–2011 (age 83)·American baseball player and manager·Birthday: July 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Chuck Tanner's baseball life was defined by a sunny disposition that proved to be a strategic weapon. As a journeyman player, he absorbed the game's nuances, which he later deployed as a big-league manager known for his positive reinforcement and player loyalty. His managerial career took him to several clubs, but his legacy was cemented in Pittsburgh. Taking over the Pirates in 1977, he fostered a loose, cohesive clubhouse culture that embraced its diverse roster. In 1979, his team, powered by his mantra "We Are Family," staged a dramatic seven-game World Series comeback against the Baltimore Orioles, with Tanner's unwavering belief setting the tone. His career win total reflects a manager who consistently got the most out of his teams, not through intimidation, but through an infectious confidence that made players want to win for him.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Chuck was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chuck Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Chuck's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Died at 83
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- Managed the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series championship in 1979, overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles.
- Accumulated 1,352 wins over 19 seasons as a major league manager with the White Sox, Athletics, Pirates, and Braves.
- Hit a home run on the very first pitch he saw in his major league batting debut in 1955.
Did You Know?
He was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 for a player to be named later—that player was Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews.
Tanner's mother, Alice, famously phoned the Pirates' radio broadcast during the 1979 World Series to offer her support.
He managed future Hall of Famers like Willie Stargell, Bert Blyleven, and Rollie Fingers.
“There are three things the average man thinks he can do better than anybody else: build a fire, run a hotel, and manage a baseball team.”
