Bucco History 5/15

Big bats, Alvin McBean b-day, bad baserunning, and Roberto, Rick Rhoden & Denny Neagle come up big...

• 1935 - The Pirates scored four runs in the first at the Baker Bowl; the Phils roared back with five in their half, chasing Guy Bush, who retired just one hitter. But the Bucs kept the beat going behind Bill Swift, who hurled 8-2/3 innings of six hit shutout relief while collecting three hits to win 20-5. Leadoff man Lloyd Waner touched home five times during the game.
• 1938 - Alvin O’Neal McBean was born at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. He pitched nine years (1961-68, 1970) for the Bucs, going 65-43-59/3.08. The righty won 28 games for Pittsburgh in 1962-63 with 11 saves, the first year as a starter and then from the pen as the heir apparent to ElRoy Face. In 1964, he was named The Sporting News Reliever of the Year, going 8-3-22 with a 1.91 ERA as the full time closer. Face was traded to the Tigers the following year.
• 1940 - During the Pirates 5-2 loss to the Giants at the Polo Grounds‚ only three Bucs batted in the second inning even though all reached base. Maurice Van Roblys singled and was picked off; Vince DiMaggio walked and was forced at 2B by Frankie Gustine‚ who was then caught stealing. It was a bad day all around as Pittsburgh committed four errors, leading to three unearned runs.
• 1967 - Roberto Clemente cracked three long balls plus a double off the score board in LC to drive in seven runs while climbing the wall in the ninth to bring back a homer, but the one man show couldn’t carry the day as the Reds won in ten innings at Crosley Field‚ 8-7. Cincy scored twice in the ninth off Juan Pizarro on a Lee May homer to tie the game and then beat him in the extra frame.
• 1982 - Talk about helping yourself! RHP Rick Rhoden doubled and homered in a nine run third inning, with Johnny Ray driving in five runs in the same frame. The Pirates held off a late Reds rally - they scored eight times in the last two innings - to take the victory 12-9 at TRS.
• 1996 - Denny Neagle shut out the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on four hits through seven to win his fifth game in a row by a 3-0 tally, backed by Jeff King’s two-run homer off Steve Avery. The lefty lost his next outing, then rang up three more wins to sit at 8-2 in early June.