4/11 From 1970: Spanky Cut; Doc On Call; Sellout & Rallies

• 1975 - The Bucs scored four times in the ninth to overtake Jerry Koosman and the Mets 4-3 on a chilly Opening Day match played in front of 43,880 at TRS. Richie Zisk (who had three hits) and Manny Sanguillen knocks tied the game; Richie Hebner’s one-out bloop into no man’s land in left center was the walk-off hit. Larry Demery won the game in relief of Jerry Reuss. 

Doc Medich 1976 Topps

• 1976 - At Philadelphia‚ Doc Medich, walking in from the bullpen, spotted a man having a heart attack in the stands. He jumped over the railing and applied CPR to revive him. Sadly‚ the fan later passed away in the hospital. Doc didn’t get into the game, an 8-3 win for the Pirates at Veteran’s Stadium. 
• 1980 - The Bucs defeated the Cards at Busch Stadium 4-3 as Pittsburgh scored twice in the ninth. Ed Ott singled home the tying run with two down and the winner scored on the same play when SS Gary Templeton mishandled the relay, allowing the Bucs to overcome a sixth-inning 3-0 deficit. Grant Jackson got the win, although he was almost in his birthday suit by the final frame. He worked the eighth and thought his night was done. He was in the locker room and headed for the hot water when Chuck Tanner decided to have him bat after Ott’s big hit as the Cards had two switch-hitters and a lefty due up. Grant slipped back into his uni, took his swings and then put them away in order. 
• 1988 - A record crowd of 54,089, the first baseball sellout in TRS history, watched the Bucs handle the Phils 5-1 thanks to an eighth inning, bases-loaded (and clearing) double by Spanky LaValliere. It was the Bucs home opener, and Mr. Rogers tossed out the first ball. Doug Drabek gave up nine hits in his five innings of work, but only one run crossed and he got the win. Vicente Palacios and Jeff Robinson took care of business after him. Barry Bonds had two hits, including a homer, to pace the attack. 
• 1989 - In the home opener at TRS, the Bucs rallied twice from the brink of defeat to take a 4-3 win over the Mets. With Jose Lind on first with one gone in the ninth Bobby Bonilla singled to center off Mets reliever Randy Myers. Lind moved to third and scored on Glenn Wilson's sac fly. Lind singled to right field against Myers in the 11th with one away and stole second base. An out later, Bonilla came through again, singling Chico home for the win, credited to Jeff Robinson. 

Mike LaValliere 1993 Fleer back

• 1993 - The Pirates released popular C Spanky Lavalliere as he was entering his seventh season as a Bucco, causing some teeth-gnashing in the locker room as he and Don Slaught had formed a strong tandem from 1990-92. The team carried three catchers after breaking camp, but needed to clear an active roster spot for a pitcher. The club had to decide between Tom Prince and Lavalliere to free up that slot and the 32-year-old Spanky, who still had two years/$4.45M left on his contract but was in questionable physical shape, lost. He caught on with the White Sox and Gene Lamont, playing through 1995, but never caught more than 44 games in a season after he left Pittsburgh. 
• 2010 - The Diamondbacks scored a team-record 13 runs in the fourth inning of a 15-6 victory over Pittsburgh at Chase Field. Daniel McCutchen started and gave up three homers in the fourth; he left after tossing 3-1/3 innings. McCutchen was charged with nine of the runs that inning; Hayden Penn allowed the other four tallies.