“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 1971 World Series winning team and spent seven of his 15 big league seasons with the Pirates before ultimately 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 unfavorable 5.62 earned run average over his first 73 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch in the Majors in ’63 and recorded just 25 2/3 MLB frames in ’64. In 1965, he established himself as a member of Houston’s staff and threw 131 1/3 innings with a 4.32 ERA. That was a lot higher than the league average of 3.50 at the time (77 ERA+, 125 ERA-), but it was the start of a four-season run in which Giusti did regular work as a starter in Houston. From 1965-68, he threw a total of 814 innings with an ERA of 3.90.
Houston traded Giusti to the Cardinals in the 1968-69 offseason. The Cardinals lost him to the Padres in the October 1968 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 would make his only All-Star team, have three separate top-10 finishes in National League Cy Young voting, and win a World Series.
Giusti had been almost exclusively a starting pitcher during his final seasons in Houston, but he made just one start with Pittsburgh in 1970 and just three during his seven seasons in black and gold. Giusti transitioned into relief almost seamlessly, at a time when this was not nearly as common as in today’s game. He saved 26 games for the Pirates in 1970, pitching 103 innings along the way with a 3.61 ERA.
In subsequent years, Giusti was a crucial endgame arm for the Bucs. He saved a career-high 30 games in 1971 and pitched to a 2.93 ERA in 86 regular-season frames before pitching 10 1/3 shutout innings during the playoffs as the Pirates won the World Series. In all, Giusti threw 618 regular-season innings with the Pirates from 1970-76, piling up 133 saves and posting a neat 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 trade that included notable names like Phil Garner, Rick Langford And Tony Armas. Giusti threw 85 2/3 innings between the A’s and Cubs and worked to a 3.89 ERA in the 15th and final season of his Major League career.
Giusti retired with a career record of 100-93, 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, received MVP votes in ’70 (sixth) and ’71 (14th), and received Cy Young votes in ’70 (fourth), ’73 (seventh) and ’74 (ninth).
Fans of Giusti will definitely want to check it out Jason Mackey’s tribute to him in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettein which former teammates Milt May and Steve Blass discuss the transition from right-hander to the bullpen, the effectiveness of his signature palm ball and the never-give-in mentality that made him a good fit for high-leverage spots late in games. We at MLBTR extend our condolences to Giusti’s family, friends, former teammates and the countless fans he amassed over a long and successful big league career.
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