The date was November 30, 2012.
The Pirates were coming off a losing season. It was their 20th losing season in a row, and it ended in horrible fashion. They were contenders at the end of July that year, and in first place at one point. They followed that up with a horrible collapse during the final two months of the season that really added the sting.
And then, on November 30th, the Pirates non-tendered Jeff Karstens, and mass hysteria followed.
They did sign him back to a smaller deal about a month and a half later.