7/11: Vic Willis, All_Stars, ASG @ Forbes Field, Ed Ott, Pops Is Tops, PNC ASG & More...

Vic Willis, All_Stars, ASG @ Forbes Field, Ed Ott, Pops Is Tops, PNC ASG & More...

• 1865 - C William “Pop” Shriver was born in Brooklyn. He was a part-time catcher for the 1898-1900 Bucs, hitting .265 toward the end of a 16-year career, playing one more year for St. Louis then hanging them up after 1901. 
• 1908 - Vic Willis tossed a one hitter in a 6-2 win over the Giants at Exposition Park. Mike Donlin's triple was the only New York knock. 1921 - RHP Hal “Skeets” Gregg was born in Anaheim, California. He worked for three years (1948-50) for the Bucs after a five-year run in Brooklyn. Skeets tossed mostly from the pen and went 3-6-1 with a 4.85 as a Pirate. 
• 1925 - The Bucs managed to blow a five run lead to the Brooklyn Robins at Ebbet’s Field by giving up a six spot in the eighth, but back-to-back triples by Clyde Barnhart and Pie Traynor in the top of the ninth were the spark that pushed the Pirates to a 7-6 victory, sealed by a running grab of a shot to deep center by Max Carey with the tying run on base. Lee Meadows went the distance for the win. 
• 1939 - The Pirates sent SS Arky Vaughan to the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored, but the AL took the game 3-1. 
• 1944 - The Pirates hosted their first All-Star Game at Forbes Field, the 12th Midsummer Classic and the first night game in All-Star history. The NL won 7-1 as Phil Cavarretta of the Cubs set an All-Star Game record by reaching base five straight times on a triple‚ single‚ and three walks. Rip Sewell worked three innings, giving up a walk and whiffing a pair. 3B Bob Elliott went 0-3, while OF Vince DiMaggio played in the field but didn’t bat. P Frank Zak didn’t get into the game. 

Bob Elliott Image from Out Of The Ballpark

• 1950 - OF Ralph Kiner was the Pirate representative for the All Star Game at Comiskey Park. He went 2-for-6 with a home run and double as the senior circuit took a 4-3 victory. 1951 - Ed Ott was born in Muncy, PA, just east of Williamsport. He caught righty but hit lefty, putting him in a platoon role for Pittsburgh for seven seasons (1974-80), hitting .259. He was effective in the 1979 World Series; in three starts, he hit .333 with three RBI in just 12 at-bats. 
• 1960 - One-hit shutout pitching by Bob Friend over three innings led the NL to a 5-3 win over the AL at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in the first of two All-Star Games. Friend was credited with two of the NL's last three All-Star wins, with this one saved by teammate Vern Law, who got the last two outs. OF Bob Skinner went 1-for-4 with a run, RBI and stolen base while 2B Bill Mazeroski went 1-for-2 with a RBI and HBP. OF Roberto Clemente and C Smoky Burgess both were 0-for-1, and SS Dick Groat got in as a defensive sub. 
• 1961 - In the All-Star game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, OF Roberto Clemente had a coming out party. The Great One tripled and scored the game's first run, drove in another with a sac fly, chased Mickey Mantle to the centerfield fence to corral his next blast, and capped the day when he delivered a walk-off single off knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm in a 5-4, 10 inning NL win. Danny Murtaugh was the skipper of the NL; 1B Dick Stuart belted a pinch hit double, C Smoky Burgess went 1-for-4 and reliever Roy Face never got the call from the bullpen. The game cemented Candlestick’s rep as a wind tunnel; Stu Miller was blown off the mound and charged with a balk when a sea breeze buffeted him in mid-delivery. 

Roberto Clemente MLB image

• 1963 - In a 3-0 win over the Colt .45s at Forbes Field, Roberto Clemente’s bullet chased Jim Wynn from the infield to a career in the pasture. As the Toy Cannon, who was a rookie playing SS then, told Baseball Digest “Clemente hit a screaming line drive, and I got my glove up just as the ball hit the left field wall. After that, I told the coaches and manager to get me out of the infield.” Wynn was granted his wish, and played 1,810 games in the OF after 21 appearances at short during his rookie campaign. 
• 1967 - The NL won another All Star pitching battle against the AL, taking a 2-1 decision at Anaheim Stadium in fifteen innings with Tony Perez’s homer the difference. OF Roberto Clemente went 1-for-6, and the starting middle infield of 2B Bill Mazeroski and SS Gene Alley went a combined 0-for-9 at the plate, although Maz did lay down a successful bunt. 
• 1973 - Willie Stargell cracked the 302nd home run of his career to pass Ralph Kiner as the all-time Pirate HR leader in a 10-2 victory over the Padres at San Diego Stadium. Bob Robertson, Al Oliver and Dal Maxvill each had three hits. Nellie Briles went the distance, tossing a seven hitter with seven punch outs. 

Willie Stargell from Tumblr (Major League Mustaches)

• 1978 - The NL took a 7-3 win from the AL in the All Star game held at San Diego Stadium. 1B Willie Stargell was the only Pirate on the team and went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter. 1989 - The AL rolled on with a 5-3 win in the All Star game at Anaheim Stadium. OF Bobby Bonilla went 2-for-2 as a late inning DH. 1992 - The Pirates traded 3B Steve Buechele to the Cubs in exchange for LHP Danny Jackson as a playoff run acquisition. Jackson went 4-4/3.36 in 15 starts, lost his only playoff start, and went to the Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft. Buechele played until 1995. 
• 1995 - The NL nosed out the AL All Stars 3-2 at the Ballpark in Arlington. P Denny Neagle repped the Bucs, and tossed a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out one.2000 - The AL All Stars defeated the NL’s best 6-3 at Turner Field. C Jason Kendall and OF Brian Giles both went 0-for-2 during the contest. 
• 2006 - The Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the 77th All-Star Game at PNC Park. The 2006 Mid Summer Classic marked the fifth time that Pittsburgh hosted the All Star game, becoming the first franchise to host the game in three different yards: Forbes Field (1944 & 1959), Three Rivers Stadium (1974 & 1994), and PNC Park (2006). The AL’s 3-2 win kept the junior circuit unbeaten in the contest since 1997. OF Jason Bay went 1-for-3 and 2B Freddy Sanchez went 0-for-2. Vera Clemente was escorted onto the field by Bill Mazeroski to accept the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award on behalf of Roberto between the fourth and fifth innings.