9/6: Groat Breaks Wrist; Ducky to the Rescue, 10-In-A Row, Wilbur's Debut, Carey Scores In 15 Straight, 21-of-23, #8 Retired, Coaches Axed, B-Days, & More...

Groat Breaks Wrist; Ducky to the Rescue, 10-In-A Row, Wilbur's Debut, Carey Scores In 15 Straight, 21-of-23, #8 Retired, Coaches Axed, B-Days, & More...

• 1901 - The Pirates swept a DH from the NY Giants 15-2 and 13-4 to win their ninth and tenth straight games. The Bucs pounded out 22 hits in the opener, led by Ginger Beaumont’s 5-for-6 day, with a homer and 2B to grease the wheels for Sam Leever’s win. The Pirates rapped out 14 more hits in the nitecap, with Tommy Leach going 3-for-3 with a 2B. George Merritt got the win. It was the third straight twinbill they took from the Giants in three days, outscoring NY 80-23. The sweep was part of an 11 game winning streak as the Pirates rolled to the NL title. 
• 1903 - IF Tommy Thevenow was born in Madison, Indiana. He played five years for the Pirates from 1931 until 1935, and came back to spend his last big league season, 1938, as a Bucco. Tommy batted .251 with 201 RBI for Pittsburgh as a good glove, so-so bat SS/3B. 
• 1910 - RHP Johnny Lanning was born in Asheville, NC. He tossed for the Pirates from 1940 until 1943, went in the service and returned for the 1945-46 seasons, finishing with a Pittsburgh line 33-29/3.44. Lanning wasn’t a flame thrower; his best pitches were two variations of the curve, one hard, the other soft. 
• 1912 - In his major league debut, Wilbur Cooper shut out the St Louis Cardinals 8-0 at Robison Field. He gave up nine scattered hits with a walk and three K, the first of 216 wins for Cooper. Chief Wilson had three hits and scored twice to lead a balanced, 13 hit attack. 

Wibur Cooper - 1922 W461-2 series

• 1912 - OF Vince DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California. He played center field for Pittsburgh from 1940-44 and hit .255 as a Bucco. He was named to the All-Star Game in 1943 and 1944, and in the 1944 game, he hit a home run, triple and single in three at-bats. 
• 1924 - Pittsburgh swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Cards by 5-1 and 12-5 scores at Forbes Field behind the pitching of Emil Yde and Jeff Pfeffer. Kiki Cuyler provided the firepower with a homer and three RBI in the opener. Cuyler had another homer and three more runs batted in in the nitecap, Pie Traynor tripled and had three RBI, Rabbit Maranville homered with two runs batted in and Glen Wright drove in two more tallies and had a double. Max Carey scored once in the first game and three times in the second to touch home for his 15th straight game, a franchise record. He tallied 21 runs during the span, which began 8/23. 
• 1935 - Brooklyn took its lumps at Forbes Field as the Pirates pounded out a 13-6 win, whacking 21 hits and scoring in every inning against the Dodgers. Woody Jensen led the parade with four hits; Tommy Thevenow, Arky Vaughan and Paul waner each added three while Bud Hafey homered. Cy Blanton earned his 17th win. 

Woody Jensen - 1936 National Chicle Premium "fine pen" series

• 1947 - The Pirates banged four home runs, the last off the bat of Wally Westlake in the bottom of the 10th inning, to take a 7-6 victory from the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. Joining him in the long ball parade were Billy Cox, Jimmy Bloodworth and Clyde Kluttz. Rip Sewell worked eight innings of one run, six hit relief to earn the win.
• 1948 - Lotta glove work going on as the Pirates swept two from the Cardinals‚ winning 2-1 and 4-1 at Forbes Field. The two teams struck out just twice in the doubleheader‚ a MLB record. They also turned 13 double plays‚ eight by Pittsburgh‚ to tie a ML mark for a twinbill. Pittsburgh turned a record tying six DPs in the opener, with 2B Danny Murtaugh in on five of them to equal the mark set by Detroit's Charley O'Leary. It wasn’t all roses for Murtaugh; his 23 game hitting streak ended when he went 0-for-2 with a walk in the opener.
• 1954 - After losing 10 straight games‚ the Pirates swept the Dodgers at Ebbets Field on "Back the Dodgers Day‚" winning the opener 9-6 in 12 innings and the second match by a 9-7 score. It was the Bucs first doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers since 1950. Vern Law and Jake Thies were the winning hurlers. 1960 - All-Star SS Dick Groat broke his wrist after being hit by a Lew Burdette pitch. The Pirate captain‚ second in the batting race‚ was sidelined until the final weekend of the season. Dick “Ducky” Schofield‚ his replacement‚ had three hits as the Bucs rallied for a 5-3 win. Ducky, a reserve infielder with a career .227 BA, hit .333 for the Pirates in 1960 and kept them rolling toward the title without skipping a beat.

Dick "Ducky" Schofield - 1960 Topps series

• 1965 - The Pirates swept Cincinnati, 3-1 and 4-2, at Crosley Field to close within four games of first-place Los Angeles. Seventh-inning doubles decided both games: Gene Alley's in the opener, driving in Bill Mazeroski with the go-ahead run, and Willie Stargell's bases loaded, bases clearing two bagger in the nitecap. Roberto Clemente threw out Red runners in both ends of the double dip. Bob Veale went the distance to win the first game, striking out 12, and Al McBean tossed six innings in relief to take the second match. 
• 1968 - IF Pat Meares was born in Salina, Kansas. He played for the Bucs from 1999-2001, hitting .238, was injured from 2002-03, carried on the DL for the last two years of his contract and he never played again.
• 1973 - The Pirates fired manager Bill Virdon and brought back Danny Murtaugh for his fourth stint behind the helm. 
• 1978 - The Pirates concluded a remarkable streak by winning their 21st game in 23 outings by a 4-1 score over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. It was their 11th straight victory, primed by Don Robinson’s five hit, nine K effort. The red hot finish wasn’t enough, though, as the club finished the season in second, 1-1/2 games behind the Phillies.

Don Robinson - 1986 Fleer series

• 1982 - Willie Stargell had his number 8 retired in front of 38‚052 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. The 41-year-old slugger delivered a pinch single in the Pirates' 6-1 win over the Mets. Tony Pena and Lee Lacy homered as Rick Rhoden pitched a complete game seven hitter. 
• 1997: Tony Womack went 4-for-4, scored three runs, drove in another and tied the club record with four stolen bases in Pittsburgh’s 13-4 win at Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field. Womack went on to lead the NL with 60 stolen bases that season. Shawon Dunston and Freddy Garcia added homer for the Bucs. The club scored three runs in the eighth and added four in the ninth to turn a squeaker into a laugher for Francisco Cordova. The Freak Show Pirates moved to within 2-½ games of the division leading Astros with the win. 
• 2005 - Lloyd McClendon was fired as manager. He was replaced by bench coach Pete Mackanin on an interim basis for the rest of the season, with Jim Tracy taking the reins in 2006.