King for a day … and then some

Onetime Harrisburg Senator Jeff King gets his chance to be Pittsburgh’s everyday third baseman 31 years ago today as the Pirates trade Steve Buechele to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Danny Jackson.

King, seen here in 1988 on City Island trying to tag out Vermont's Omar Vizquel, remains the Pirates' regular third baseman through the 1996 season, after which he is traded to Kansas City.

King is the first overall pick in the 1986 amateur draft and one of three overall first picks to play for the Senators – the other two being pitcher Stephen Strasburg (top pick in 2009) and outfielder Bryce Harper (2010).