Bucco History: 4/11

A heart attack, a clunker and some palpitating games:

• 1961 - Bill Virdon smacked a two-out, three-run HR to right off reliever Mike McCormick to give the Pirates a ninth inning, 8-7 win over the Giants in SF’s home opener.
• 1975 - The Bucs scored four times in the ninth to overtake Jerry Koosman and the Mets 4-3 on a chilly Opening Day match played in front of 43,880 at TRS. Richie Zisk (who had three hits) and Manny Sanguillen knocks tied the game; Richie Hebner’s one-out bloop into no-man’s land in left center was the walk-off hit. Larry Demery won the game in relief of Jerry Reuss.
• 1976 - At Philadelphia‚ Doc Medich, walking in from the bullpen, spotted a man having a heart attack in the stands. He jumped over the railing and applied CPR to revive him. Sadly‚ the fan later passed away in the hospital.
• 1988 - A record crowd of 54,089, the first baseball sellout in TRS history, watched the Bucs handle the Phils 5-1, thanks to an eighth inning, bases-loaded triple by Spanky LaValliere. It was the Bucs home opener, and Mr. Rogers tossed out the first ball.
• 2010 - The Diamondbacks scored a team-record 13 runs in the fourth inning of a 15-6 victory over Pittsburgh at Chase Field. Daniel McCutchen started and gave up three homers in the fourth; he left after tossing 3-1/3 innings. McCutchen was charged with nine of the runs that inning; Hayden Penn was credited with giving up the other four.