7/9 All-Stars: Sewell & the Splinter, Bobby Bo, Cutch Call, Tie Game & More

• 1940 - Pittsburgh was represented by SS Arky Vaughan in the All-Star Game at St. Louis’ Sportsman’s Park. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run in a 4-0 NL victory. 

Arky Vaughan 1941 (photo Mears Collection/The Sporting News)

• 1946 - Bucco Rip Sewell's most famous blooper pitch came in the All Star game against Ted Williams at Fenway Park. Sewell warned Williams before the game he was going to throw him the blooper (eephus). With the AL ahead 8–0, Williams came to bat, and Sewell nodded to let him know the blooper was coming. Williams fouled it off. Sewell nodded again, and threw another blooper and then another. With the count 1–2, Williams smacked the next one for a home run, the only homer ever hit off Sewell's trick pitch. As The Kid rounded the bases, Sewell followed him, saying, "the only reason you hit it was because I told you it was coming." Williams laughed back, the fans loved it, and Sewell received a standing ovation when he walked off the mound. (from Donald Honig’s 1975 book "Baseball When the Grass Was Real") The kicker was that The Splendid Splinter took a running start toward the pitch before he blasted it, and was out of the batter’s box when he made contact. 3B Frank Gustine was the other Pirate All-Star; he went 0-for-1 with a walk and no comedy routine. 
• 1957 - C Hank Foiles was the Pirate’s rep at the All Star Game at Busch Stadium, a 6-5 win for the junior circuit. Hank batted once, singled and scored.
• 1963 - The NL beat the AL 5-3 at Cleveland Stadium in the All Star game. Roberto Clemente came in as a late sub, never batting, and Bill Mazeroski was injured and didn’t play. The NL-All Star middle infield combo of Dick Groat and Julian Javier, who was traded to the Cards because Maz blocked him as a Pirate, may have sported Redbird logos across their chest but were Pittsburgh products.

Matty Alou 1967 Topps

• 1968 - All Star pitching duels don’t get much better than the NL’s 1-0 win over the AL in the All Star game at the Astrodome as the only run scored in the first inning on a double play grounder. The Bucs didn’t have much to do with the outcome, as Matty Alou singled in his only at bat and Gene Alley was a bench player. 
• 1991 - The junior circuit took a 4-2 win from the NL in the All Star game played at the Skydome. Bobby Bonilla started at DH and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. P John Smiley faced one batter, Joe Carter, who singled off him.
• 1996 - The NL shut down the junior circuit 6-0 at Veteran’s Stadium to take the All Star game. C Jason Kendall was the Pirate AS and came in to catch the ninth. 

Mike Williams 2002 Upper Deck 40 Man

• 2002 - This was the infamous 7-7 All Star game, when Commissioner Bud Selig and the managers, Joe Torre & Bob Brenly, threw in their towels after burning through the pitchers and accepting an 11-inning draw at Miller Park despite the crowd’s howls of “let them play.” The Buccos’ only rep, reliever Mike Williams, worked the third inning cleanly, striking out a pair. 
• 2011 - Andrew McCutchen, passed over in the voting, was named as a late choice as a first-time NL All-Star, replacing an injured Ryan Braun. The Pirates announced on the PNC Park jumbotron that Cutch was named to the team during the fourth inning, drawing an ovation and a curtain call from the crowd. Unfortunately, he suffered through an 0-fer that night as the Bucs fell to the Chicago Cubs 6-3.