7/5 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: HBD Goose, Kiner Kranks 3, Fred on Fire, Game Stories

• 1886 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys swept a DH from the Baltimore Orioles 15-1 and 13-2 at Recreation Park, led by Fred Carroll, who banged out an American Association record nine hits.
• 1948 - Ralph Kiner hit three HRs off Herm Wehmeier with five RBI in the opener of a twinbill split against the Reds at Forbes Field, backing Vic Lombardi’s pitching in the 10-3 win. Stan Rojek added his first MLB dinger to the pot. Ralph was shut down in the second game, a 6-4 loss that the Cincinnati took by scoring three times in the ninth.

Ralph Kiner 1948-49 Leaf

• 1951 - RHP Rich “Goose” Gossage was born in in Colorado Springs. He was only here for for one of his 22 MLB years, but the Goose made the most of it, putting together an 11-9-26/1.62 slash for the 1977 Bucs and earning an All-Star spot, working 133 IP and amassing 151 punchouts. The Pirates never made a serious bid to keep him after the season, and he parlayed his Pittsburgh campaign into a six-year, $3.6M contract with George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees. Bruce Markusen of The Hardball Times posted “Gossage’s nickname was not a play on his last name. The nickname came from his White Sox roommate, fellow pitcher Tom Bradley. Shortly after Gossage joined the Sox, Bradley took note of Gossage’s unusual delivery and mechanics. Bradley told Gossage that he looked like a goose when he threw the ball. The Chicago media latched on to Bradley’s observation, quickly tagging Gossage ‘Goose.’ The name caught on with a flourish.”
• 1953 - At Forbes Field, the Phils' Robin Roberts shutout the Pirates 2-0 in ten innings for his 28th consecutive complete game, outlasting Murry Dickson. The Bucs had 10 hits off Roberts but stranded 11 runners during the match. It was also his 13th straight win over Pittsburgh going back to August 26th‚ 1950 (the string would reach 15). The Bucs did win the nitecap of the DH by a 7-4 tally. The Corsairs managed just eight hits in that contest, but collected five of them in the opening frame, along with a couple of walks, to run away and hide with a five-run inning. Jim Waugh got the win with help from Lefty LaPalme who got the call after Waugh walked three batters in the ninth.

Bob Skinner 1960 (photo Newspaper Enterprise Association)

• 1960 - The Bucs and Milwaukee Braves played a dramatic, see-saw game at County Stadium with the Pirates hanging on for a 5-4, 10 inning win. Down 2-0 in the top of the ninth, Rocky Nelson and Don Hoak homered to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead. The Braves Del Crandall’s two-out, bases loaded single off Paul Giel tied the game, with Bob Skinner cutting down the winning run at the plate to extend the match. With two gone in the 10th, an infield knock by Skinner was followed by Nelson’s second homer to make it 5-3. Bob Friend, a starter by trade, got the call to relieve Giel, who tossed a pair of wild pitches, one on a K of Henry Aaron. He gave up a run, but closed it out.
• 1963 - Roberto Clemente, always touchy about guys throwing at him, clobbered a pitch that Met’s pitcher Tracy Stallard tossed under his chin with two strikes and two outs in the eighth inning, lining it into the upper deck to break a 1-1 tie and give the Bucs a 3-1 win at the Polo Grounds. Stallard told Maury Allen of the New York Post that "'I was trying to waste a pitch. I figured maybe I could get him to swing again at a pitch around his head.” He did. Don Cardwell got the win, with Alvin McBean picking up the save.
• 1966 - Woodie Fryman tossed his third straight shutout, a 6-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The rookie lefty surrendered just seven hits in the three complete game wins. Donn Clendenon smacked a two-run bomb and Jose Pagan added a pair of RBI.