6/19 Games & Happenings: 3,000 For Big Poison; Groat Debut; Simmons Resigns; '60 Reunion; Pierogi Fired; Game Stories

• 1927 - Paul Waner doubled twice in a 14-7 loss to the Cubs to extend his NL record extra base hit streak (12 doubles‚ 4 triples‚ 4 homers) to 14 straight games. The streak ended the next day but has held up well, being matched only by Chipper Jones in 2006. 
• 1942 - Paul “Big Poison” Waner‚ now 39 and a Boston Brave‚ joined Cap Anson and Honus Wagner as the only NL players with 3‚000 hits (seven overall) with a fifth inning single to center off Rip Sewell, appropriately at Forbes Field. The game was stopped as the ball was presented to him, and both teams gathered round to offer their congratulations. Pittsburgh won the game in 11 innings, 7-6. Waner’s hit should have been 3,001. Two days earlier, he was given a hit on a ball that glanced off a glove; Waner had the scorer change it to an error so his 3,000th would be a clean knock. 
• 1952 - Bonus baby Dick Groat made his big league debut in an 8-1 Pirates victory over the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. Groat went 2-for-4 with two RBI just three days after signing his first contract out of Duke. Veteran hurler Murry Dickson had a little bit to do with the win, too, as he tossed a complete game five-hitter and added three knocks, scoring three times. 

Roberto Clemente 2014 Topps Before They Were Great

• 1972 - Roberto Clemente’s two-run homer off Mike Strahler in the eighth inning of a 13-3 romp over the Dodgers at TRS moved him into second on the Pirates franchise list for RBI with 1,274, just past Pie Traynor. He would finish his career with 1,305 runs batted in, third on the all-time Pirate list behind Honus Wagner and Willie Stargell. The Great One finished with three hits as did Al Oliver w/a homer; Vic Davalillo led the parade with four raps. Dock Ellis was rattled for 11 hits, bur lasted until the eighth when Bob Miller came in to bring it home.
• 1975 - Jerry Reuss gave himself a birthday gift by shutting out the Cards 5-0 at TRS, tossing a complete game six-hitter with seven K. Homers by Willie Stargell, Dave Parker and Bill Robinson gave the southpaw all the run support he needed. 
• 1993 - GM Ted Simmons resigned after suffering a heart attack on June 8th. He was succeeded by Cam Bonifay. Ted got back in the saddle after recovering and has worked in a variety of positions for several clubs since, mainly in scouting. 
• 2010 - 38,008 fans showed up at PNC Park to take part in the 1960 World Series team reunion. The old champs provided some inspiration for the new crew, who broke a 12-game losing streak by beating the Cleveland Indians 6-4. Lastings Milledge was a homer short of the cycle and had four RBI while Andrew McCutchen had a pair of hits, drew three walks and scored four runs. Jeff Karstens got the win and Octavio Dotel the save with four other twirlers between them.

1960 Pirates

• 2010 - The Pirates fired racing pierogi Andrew Kurtz after he criticized John Russell and Neal Huntington’s secret contract extensions on his Facebook page. The 24-year old, who was reinstated by Pittsburgh after much media ado, was offered a position by the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League to become one of its racing hot dogs; like lefty relievers, speedy snacks have a long shelf life. 
• 2014 - The Bucs scored three times in the fifth on a balk and two-out singles by Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen, but it took them 12 innings to subdue the Reds 4-3 at PNC Park. A single, balk, intentional walk and hit batter loaded the bases for Russ Martin with two outs, and he drew a walk-off walk for the win. Justin Wilson, the sixth Pirate pitcher of the day, got the win.