Tuesday, August 9, 2016

8/9 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: Scwall-McBean, Tight Pitching, Ump Show & More...

  • 1905 - The Bucs lost an error-filled game to the Boston Americans by a 5-3 count at Exposition Park. The Pittsburg Press wrote that “Both teams played stupid, dopey ball...” Ump Bill Klem joined the comedy routine by performing an early era ump show. In the ninth inning he threw eight Pirates (and for good measure, the mascot, too) out of the game for mocking his calls, fining the whole lot $10 per man. BR Bullpen added that he had to spend the post-game hiding in a ladies’ room; gamblers who had bet on the heavily favored Pirates were looking for a piece of his hide after the contest for tossing the team.
Ump Bill Klem 1980 TCMA Baseball Immortals
  • 1910 - It wasn’t the prettiest shutout ever twirled, but Babe Adams scattered 11 hits to beat Boston 10-0 at the South End Grounds, helped by no walks, a pair of DP and some hot sticks. Owen “Chief” Wilson drove in four runs, Jack Flynn homered with three RBI, & Honus Wagner had three hits, a walk, and scored four times.
  • 1924 - The Pirates swept a pair from the Phils at the Baker Bowl by 16-4 and 7-0 scores. Kiki Cuyler went 6-for-6 in the opener with a triple and two doubles, while Glenn Wright went 4-for-5 with four RBI and a pair of runs to back Wilbur Cooper. Ray Kremer won the nitecap. He tossed a five-hitter and got all the support he needed from Max Carey, who homered, doubled, scored twice and drove home three runs.
  • 1928 - The Pirates won their eighth game in a row and 10-of-11 by a 5-4 score over St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field. Carmen Hill got the win and Burleigh Grimes the save by retiring the last batter. George Grantham drove in two runs and Paul Waner scored a pair.
George Grantham (photo The Sporting News Collection)
  • 1935 - Rookie CF Bud Hafey lined an eighth-inning homer over the scoreboard at Forbes Field to give Bill Swift a four-hit, 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds' Al Hollingsworth. The Pirates only had seven hits, with Tommy Thevenow leading the pack with a pair. The well-tossed game took 1:32 to play.
  • 1940 - Pittsburgh won its eighth game in a row by whipping the Chicago Cubs 6-2 at Forbes Field. Vince DiMaggio went 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs to lead the attack, while Rip Sewell tossed a four-hitter for the win.
  • 1959 - The Pirates‚ down by a pair to the Cubs in the ninth‚ tied the game and then won 5-3 in the tenth at Wrigley Field. Roberto Clemente singled home Dick Groat in the ninth and touched home to tie the game on Smoky Burgess’ sac fly. Groat’s knock in the 10th scored Roman Mejias with the go-ahead run and Rocky Nelson’s bases-loaded walk added an insurance tally. Elroy Face got the W to go 15-0. The win was the 11th extra inning victory in a row for the Pirates; their only loss in their past 16 overtime games was Harvey Haddix's 12-inning perfect game against the Braves in May.
ElRoy Face 1958 Topps
  • 1963 - It was a long day at the yard. A twin bill between the Colt 45's and the Pirates was delayed an hour by rain‚ and then both games went into extra innings. Houston took the opener 7-6 in 15 innings; the Bucs claimed the nitecap by the same score in 11 innings. Only 300 hardy fans remained at Forbes Field when the curtain finally fell at 2:30 AM. Roberto Clemente picked up five RBI in the two contests; Don Schwall lost the first match while Al McBean won the second game.
  • 1964 - Don Schwall and Al McBean combined on a four-hitter to shut out the Chicago Cubs 2-0 at Forbes Field. Battery mate Jim Pagliaroni launched a two-run homer off Bob Buhl in the fourth to back his hurlers. Schwall started and didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning.

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