7/10: Homer Per Inning; HBD Gene Alley; Clarke Enters HOF; Stargell & Jones HR's; AS Stuff

• 1901 - The Boston Beaneaters collected 15 hits in 12 innings against Pittsburgh, but failed to score in a 1-0 loss at Exposition Field, setting a record for most hits with no runs. It was part of a four-game sweep by the Bucs. The Bucs got four hits off Bill Dineen, who lost to Jack Chesbro. The Pirates won when Honus Wagner reached second on a throwing error, went to third on a bunt single and scored when Dineen’s pickoff toss to first went by 1B Pat Moran.
• 1908 - At Exposition Park, the Bucs overcame a 4-0 NY Giants lead to win 7-6 on Tommy Leach’s ninth-inning, walk off homer to deep center. Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke and Chief Wilson had triples for the Pirates. Sam Leever, who allowed the Giants to tie the game in the top of the ninth, got the win.
• 1922 - In a 19-2 shellacking at the hands of the Giants in the first game of a DH, the Bucs sent up pinch hitter Art “Merry” Merewether, who bounced out to short. Merewether never made another MLB appearance, but he did set one record the Pirates should be proud of - he went on to MIT to get a Master’s degree after baseball, becoming the only major leaguer to ever earn a sheepskin from that school.
• 1929 - The Pirates mashed the Phillies, 15-9 at the Baker Bowl. Pittsburgh hit five homers and the Phils banged four. There was one home run hit per inning, an oddity that may never be repeated. George Grantham had a pair for the Bucs, along with Pie Traynor, Lloyd Waner and pitcher Fred Fussell adding to the total.

George Grantham (photo fron TSN Collection)

• 1934 - 3B Pie Traynor, SS Arky Vaughan and RF Paul Waner represented the Bucs in the second All-Star game held at the Polo Grounds. Traynor went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a RBI and stolen base, while Waner and Vaughan both went 0-for-2 in the NL’s 9-7 victory.
• 1936 - The Bucs dropped a 10 inning, 9-6 decision to the Phils at Forbes Field thanks to OF Chuck Klein. The Hoosier Hammer banged four homers, two of which landed on the right field roof, off three different Pirate pitchers and drove in six runs to almost single-handedly beat the Buccos. His homer in the tenth off Bill Swift sealed the deal for Philadelphia.
• 1940 - SS Gene Alley was born in Richmond, Virginia. He played his entire 11 year career (1963–73) with the Pirates. A modest hitter - his BA was .254 - he won a pair of Gold Gloves, was twice selected an All-Star, and set the MLB DP record for middle infielders with Bill Mazeroski in 1966 with 161. Shoulder and knee problems slowed and ultimately ended his career.

Gene Alley & Maz (photo via Bluegrass & Baseball)

• 1943 - Pittsburgh surrendered a franchise record for most runs given up in the modern era when the Brooklyn Dodgers spanked them 23-6 at Forbes Field. As a sidelight, the Dodgers only had two players willing to suit up before the game after Leo Durocher suspended pitcher Bobo Newsome, and da Bums, led by ex-Buc Arky Vaughan, were ready to walk out in support of Newsome until GM Branch Rickey stepped in and calmed the seas. Vaughan despised The Lip so much that he sat out the following three seasons and wouldn’t return to Brooklyn until Durocher was gone.
• 1943 - Homestead Grays owner (and numbers king) Rufus "Sonnyman" Jackson was jailed after a confrontation with Mexican agents trying to raid his roster. Jackson eventually kept his players and won the Negro League World Championship.
• 1945 - Fred Clarke was inducted into Hall of Fame. Selected by the Old Timers Committee, Clarke spent 15 years in Pittsburgh (1900-11, 1913-15) and hit ahead of Honus Wagner, batting .299. As a manager, he led the Bucs to the first three modern NL pennants, taking four flags in all, and finished second five times. Clarke won (1,602) and managed more games (2,829) than any other Bucco skipper, and compiled the club’s highest career highest winning percentage (.576).
• 1951 - Exploding for a record four homers‚ the NL trounced the AL 8-3 at the All-Star Game at Briggs Stadium. Pirate OF Ralph Kiner hit a HR for the third year in a row, a MLB AS record.

Ralph Kiner & Ted Williams (Associated press file photo)

• 1956 - P Bob Friend and 1B Dale Long were the Pirate All-Stars at Griffith Stadium for the NL’s 7-3 victory. Friend got the win thanks to triple threes - 3 IP, 3 hits, 3 K - and without much help from Long, who struck out twice in two at bats.
• 1962 - Led by OF Roberto Clemente’s three hits, the NL beat the AL 3-1 in the first of two All-Star games, this one at held at Washington’s DC Stadium. SS Dick Groat went 1-for-3, scored and turned a DP while 2B Bill Mazeroski was 0-for-2.
• 1971 - The Pirates beat the Braves at TRS 5-4 as the Bravos had no answer for Willie Stargell. He hit his 30th HR of the season and his tenth off Atlanta’s staff. Pops’ two-run shot in the eighth off Phil Niekro was the game winner; Atlanta had just taken the lead in the top of the frame.
• 1984 - The NL was used to the windy confines of Candlestick Park and breezed to 3-1 win over the junior circuit in the All Star game. C Tony Pena was Pittsburgh’s only AS selection and came in to catch the ninth inning.

Tony Pena 1985 Donruss All Stars In Action series

• 1990 - Pitching dominated as the AL dropped the NL 2-0 in the All Star game at Wrigley Field. Outfielders Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla both went 0-for-1 and P Neal Heaton didn’t get in.
• July 10, 1992 - The Pirates traded 3B Steve Buechele to the Cubs for LHP Danny Jackson to make room in the lineup for Jeff King.
• 2001 - The junior circuit took a 4-1 All Star victory from the NL at Safeco Field. OF Brian Giles, the Pirates only AS, grounded out in his one at bat.
• 2007 - The AL eked out a 5-4 win over the NL in the All Star game played at AT&T Park. 2B Freddy Sanchez was the only Pirate on the team and didn’t get in the game.

Freddy Sanchez 2007 Upper Deck First Edition series

• 2009 - Garrett Jones joined Ryan Howard as the only player to clear the batter’s eye at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. He mashed the shot off Joe Blanton on the first pitch he delivered to Jones in the opening frame after striking out the first pair of Pirates. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Bucs fell to the Phillies 3-2.
• 2012 - The senior circuit blasted its way to an 8-0 win over the AL All Stars at Kaufmann Stadium. OF Andrew McCutchen went 1-for-2 after taking part in the home run derby the night before and P Joel Hanrahan faced one batter, Billy Butler, striking him out after tossing a wild pitch.