Known for his willingness to speak his mind during his playing days, Rooker later became a Pirates radio and TV broadcaster. The red-haired lefthander was acquired by Pittsburgh in 1973 from Kansas City, where he was the first Royal to hit two home runs in a game. He twice won 15 for the Pirates and had three other seasons with double-digit wins. In 1979, he was near the end, with only four victories in 19 appearances. But, in the WS, with the Pirates trailing Baltimore three games to one, he held the Orioles to three hits and one run in five innings of Game Five. Bert Blyleven relieved and held the Orioles scoreless the rest of the way and the Pirates rallied to win. They won the next two games and the Series.
