Little Known Pirates: Pat Mahomes
Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs won the Superbowl for the first time in 40 years when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been highly regarded as one of the best in the NFL. However, his roots began in baseball watching his dad Pat Mahomes pitch in the MLB for parts of 10 seasons. Mahomes senior pitched for six Major League teams over his ten-year career, and Patrick Mahomes took influence from his dad, playing both baseball and football growing up. One of those teams that Mahomes would pitch for towards the end of his Major League career was the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He pitched mostly out of the Pirates bullpen, aside from making one spot start, and had his share of ups and downs. He was signed by the Pirates prior to the 2003 season and spent his final Major League season with the Pirates. It was during the early 2000s as the Pirates were going through some of the toughest times during the organization. Now, his son is taking the NFL by storm as the defending Super Bowl Champion. Today, we look at the brief Pirates career of Pat Mahomes and how that short time in Pittsburgh helped him inspire his son in athletics to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Mahomes Ups and Downs
After having a career-year with the Chicago Cubs in 2002, Mahomes was looking for a place to prove that his success wasn't a fluke. He went 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in the North Side of Chicago but, at 33-years-old he was reaching the end of his career. The Pirates would end up signing him as a free agent on July 31st, 2003, to help solidify the Pirates bullpen. He didn't end up making the Pirate's Opening Day roster that season, but he ended up appearing in two different stints with the Pirates. The first came in mid-May when the Pirates bullpen was struggling and in desperate need of reinforcements. Mahomes came in and provided a middle-relief option for Manager Jim Tracy to turn to when needed.
He made his Pirates debut on May, 18th, 2003 and ended up getting hit around. He lasted two innings allowing two runs on one hit while walking three batters. The Pirates gave him another chance on May 24th, and he was able to turn things around. This time, he threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and while walking one and striking out five. It was a strong showing for Mahomes, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the Big Leagues as the Pirates sent him down to Triple-A Nashville. He would stay in Triple-A until early August. When he came back up, it was a second try for the 33-year-old working out of the bullpen.
He would make his return to the PNC Park mound on August 8th, and he was once again rudely welcomed to the Bucs bullpen. He gave up three earned runs in four innings of work while walking four and striking out one. When his control was off, it usually spelled disaster for Mahomes. However, after that he turned in three straight scoreless innings, spanning 3.2 innings of work. He did so well that he earned a start in what would be his final Big League appearance with the Pirates on August 26th. He took the mound against the Florida Marlins and turned in a quality start going five innings while allowing two earned runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two. He wouldn't appear in another game for the Pirates and was released following the 2003 season.
Life After Pittsburgh
Once Mahomes left the Pirates, he bounced around a few more Major League teams but never stuck at the Major Leagues. He would bounce between seven different teams, including another short stint with the Pirates in 2004, but never appeared at the Big League level. He would pitch in the Minor Leagues with the Kansas City Royals in 2006 and Toronto Blue Jays in 2007, before officially retiring from Major League Baseball. Following his Major League career, he tried to catch on with a few independent teams but he had no luck and officially had to walk away from baseball during the 2009 season.
Nowadays, Pat Mahomes is enjoying retirement and cheering on his son Patrick in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes could have been a baseball player just like his dad but decided football was more his speed. The younger Mahomes has since become one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the NFL and led the Chiefs to a Superbowl win in 2020. On the sidelines, was former Pirates pitcher Pat Mahomes cheering his son to victory. Both of the Mahomes appeared in big games for their respective teams and take that family athleticism into each sport they play. Pat Mahomes may not be a big name in Pirates history, but the influence he had on his son Patrick throughout the years is something that will never be forgotten.
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