Less than a month after undergoing a heart transplant, former Pirates closer Kent Tekulve got the crowd rocking at PNC Park Wednesday night when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Wednesday’s Pirates-Giants Wild Card game.
The 67-year-old Tekulve, known as “Teke” to Pirates fans, pitched for 16 seasons in the big leagues and saved three games for the Bucs in the 1979 World Series, tying the Major League record for saves in a World Series that wasn’t broken until John Wetteland saved all four Yankees wins against the Braves in 1996.
Tekulve’s pitch followed a national anthem performed by Pittsburgh native Maddie Georgi as the Bucs prepared to play in just their second postseason since 1992.
