The Green Weenie: 5/20 TRS-PNC Park Era: Pops & Lawton Bombs, HBD Tony, Can't Go Home Again, Game Stories

Saturday, May 20, 2017

1978 - Batting against Wayne Twitchell of the Montreal Expos, Willie Stargell hit the only fair ball ever to reach the upper deck of Olympic Stadium. The red seat where the ball landed, 535’ away, was painted yellow to mark the spot (and tho baseball has long left, the seat memorial yet remains). The Bucs won 6-0 as Bert Blyleven tossed a three hitter with eight strikeouts, amply supported by Pops’ five RBI.

Willie Stargell 1978 Topps

1988 - Former skipper Chuck Tanner and MVP Willie Stargell were booed at TRS for coaching rival Atlanta. The Bucs won rather handily despite facing their old legends by a 10-3 score as Junior Ortiz and Mike Diaz teamed up to drive home six runs. Mike Dunne got the win in a game finished by Jim Gott.
1988 - C John Anthony “Tony” Sanchez was born in Miami. He was drafted in the first round (4th pick) of the 2009 draft out of Boston College and first appeared as a Bucco in 2013. he hit .259 from 2013-15, serving as a call-up third catcher. He was DFA’ed after the 2015 season and has bounced around since then.
2000 - C Keith Osik made the second mop-up relief appearance of his career, allowing five runs on five hits‚ two hit batters‚ a wild pitch and a home run in the ninth inning of a 19-4 loss to the Cards at TRS. Osik became just the second position player since 1900 to both give up and hit home run in the same game when he took Pat Hentgen deep in the eighth inning before surrendering a long ball to Thomas Howard.

Keith Osik 2002 Topps

2004 - The Bucs were down 7-1 after two, but Daryle Ward and Jason Bay each had a pair of homers and three RBI to lead the Bucs to a 9-7 comeback win over the San Diego Padres at PNC Park. Mike Gonzalez got the win and Jose Mesa the save. Despite the homers and nine runs scored, the Bucs went 0-for-7 with RISP.
2005 - Matt Lawton hit the longest Pirate homer to date at PNC Park, blasting a 463’ rocket off Colorado’s Jamey Wright in a 9-4 Bucco victory. Lawton and Rob Mackowiak had three RBI each and Tike Redman went 4-for-4.
2011 - Neil Walker hit a homer and double, driving in five runs, to lead Pittsburgh to a 10-1 win against Detroit at PNC Park. Jeff Karstens earned the win, sealed by a trio of relievers.