7/7: Double Duty, Satchel, Max Carey, All-Stars, Maz, Frank Thomas, Roberto, AVS, Don Slaught & More...

Double Duty, Satchel, Max Carey, All-Stars, Maz, Frank Thomas, Roberto, AVS, Don Slaught & More...

• 1902 - P/C Theodore Roosevelt “Double Duty” Radcliffe was born in Mobile, Alabama. He stopped briefly in Pittsburgh, playing for the 1931 Homestead Grays and the 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords. Writer Damon Runyon gave him the nickname "Double Duty" because Radcliffe performed as a catcher one game and as a pitcher the next during a 1932 Negro League World Series doubleheader between the Crawfords and the Monroe Monarchs at Yankee Stadium. Radcliffe caught for Satchel Paige for a shutout in the first game, then pitched a shutout in the second game.

Josh Gibson Avoids Tag of Double Duty Radcliffe in 40s All-Star game 

• 1906 - Leroy “Satchel” Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama. He pitched through the thirties for both the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. At the age of 42, Paige become the oldest rookie in major league history when he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 and in 1971 became the first Negro League star inducted into the Hall Of Fame. 
• 1909 - IF & manager Billy Herman was born in New Albany, Indiana. The Hall-of-Famer came to Pittsburgh in 1947 as a player/manager. Billy played a little, hitting .213, and after compiling a 61-92 record, he resigned as the manager on the last day of the season. 
• 1922 - OF Max Carey earned his paycheck in an 18-inning, 9-8 loss to the Giants at Forbes Field. He had six hits, three walks, three stolen bases, including home, scored three times, drove home a pair of runs and caught seven flies. C Johnny Gooch was hot, too, going 6-for-8. 
• 1923 - Bucco bats erupted at the Baker Bowl as the Philadelphia Phillies were swamped 18-5. Pie Traynor hit for the cycle, driving in six runs and scoring four times. Reb Russell had four hits, scored five times and drove home four runners while Charlie Grimm doubled and had four RBI. Max Carey and Carson Bigbee scored three times each during the contest as Lee Meadows cruised on the hill to claim the victory. 
• 1936 - The Pirates sent 1B Gus Suhr and SS Arky Vaughan to the All-Star Game at Boston Braves Stadium. Neither got in as the NL squeaked out a 4-3 win. 
• 1937 - P Cy Blanton, SS Arky Vaughan and RF Paul Waner were selected as Pittsburgh All-Stars for the game at Griffith Stadium. Vaughan went 2-for-5, Waner 0-for-5 with an RBI, and Blanton faced one batter, Joe DiMaggio, who he whiffed during the AL’s 8-3 romp. 

Arky Vaughan image from Deviant Art

• 1956 - Bill Mazeroski made his Pirate debut. He went 1-for-3 and turned a DP (Dick Groat - Maz - Bob Skinner) against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in a 3-2 Pirate defeat. He got his ticket to Pittsburgh to replace Spook Jacobs, who was sent down.
• 1957 - "Robbing a Pirate: Willie Mays of the Giants, with his back to the diamond, takes Dick Rand's long drive on cinder path between bleachers in centerfield" read the caption of a famous picture shown by the NY Times of Mays’ great grab against the Bucco catcher. But the day belonged to Pittsburgh’s Frank Thomas, who hit three home runs as the Pirates took both ends of a twinbill, 10-6 and 8-1, at the Polo Grounds.
• 1959 - The All-Star Game became a double feature when a new, two-game format was adopted. The first game was played at Forbes Field. The NL won 5-4 after the first pitch was tossed by VP Richard Nixon. C Smoky Burgess, P Elroy Face, SS Dick Groat and 2B Billy Mazeroski repped the Buccos. Maz went 1-for-1 with a single, Groat batted once and sacrificed, and Smoky didn’t make an appearance. The Baron of the Bullpen did, and probably wishes he hadn’t. He gave up three runs in 1-⅔ IP with three hits, two walks, and two K. 
• 1964 - The NL defeated the Al at Shea Stadium in the All Star game by a 7-4 score, best remembered because of Johnny Callison’s three-run ninth inning homer. Roberto Clemente went 1-for-3 with a run, Willie Stargell 0-for-1, and Bill Mazeroski and Smoky Burgess were bench players. 
• 1970 - Roberto Clemente's blast to the roof of Connie Mack Stadium's double-decked left field seats was his fifth in five days, breaking a tie and leading the Bucs to a 4-2 win.

Roberto Clemente 1972 Topps series

• 1972 - In the Pirates' 10-2 win over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium, C Milt May went 5 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Gene Alley homered and had four RBI while Al Oliver, gene Clines and Dave Cash added three knocks each to pace a 20 hit attack. May added two more hits in the nitecap of the twin bill, but the Pirates lost 3-2. 
• 1992 - Andy Van Slyke became the first outfielder in nearly 18 years to record an unassisted double play in the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Astros at TRS. Van Slyke charged in from center field to catch a shallow fly ball and kept on trucking, doubling up Ken Caminiti. AVS also had two hits, an RBI and run scored, but the hitting hero was Steve Buechele, who went 3-for-4 with three runs driven home. Bob Walk got the win in relief of Jeff Robinson.. 
• 1994 - C Don Slaught went 5-for-5 with two runs and a pair of doubles, but the Bucs lost to the Reds at Riverfront Stadium 8-7. 
• 1998 - Coors Field lived up to its hitter-friendly rep as the AL outslugged the NL 13-8 in the All Star game. C Jason Kendall was the Pirate AS and singled in his only at bat.