4/13 From 1950 Through the 1970’s: Roberts Makes History (maybe); 10 In A Row For Law; Balky Rule; Game Stories; HBD Doug & Ricardo

• 1954 - Seven years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, second baseman Curt Roberts made his major league debut during the season opener at Forbes Field and became the first African American to play for the Pirates (although a good case can be made for Carlos Bernier, who came up in 1953, but was considered Latino rather than black). The former Kansas City Monarch tripled off Robin Roberts in the first inning as the Bucs beat the Phillies, 4-2, by scoring four times in the eighth frame. It was the first time the Pirates had ever opened the season at Forbes Field, drawing 32,294 fans. It was their 11th straight home opener win, a streak that would end the following year. There was a little pre-game merriment as three-year-old Leslie Blair, Honus Wagner’s granddaughter, was slated to throw out the first pitch after the City had awarded a plaque to Hans’ daughter. She was struck by stage fright and never let loose the horsehide, forcing the umps to begin the game without its traditional opening. 

Curt Roberts 1954 Dan Dee

• 1962 - The Mets played their first Home Opener against the Bucs with only 12,447 fans at the Polo Grounds on a cold, drizzly day. It was Friday the 13th, and the date cursed the home team as the Pirates scored the winning run on two eighth-inning wild pitches thrown by Ray Diavault, scoring Dick Groat, who had opened with a walk, to defeat New York, 4-3. The Pirates had eight hits, with five coming from the 6-7-8 hitters (Smoky Burgess, Don Hoak & Billy Maz), who accounted for two runs and three RBI. Tom Sturdivant went seven innings for the win with ElRoy Face working the last two frames for the save. 
• 1963 - The Pirates clobbered the Reds 12-4 at Crosley Field, but the big story was on the bump. The league decided to clamp down on balks and a record seven were called in the game, including a MLB high of four on Bob Friend (the mark lasted a month until the Braves’ Bob Shaw was caught five times), who was nonplussed by the calls. He admitted that he never adhered to the full stop rule because it had never been called before. An MLB record 924 balks were rung up during the season after umpires were instructed to enforce the complete, one-second stop during the wind-up. As for the game, three Bucs - Ducky Schofield, Bob Skinner and Billy Maz - had three hits; Roberto Clemente and Friend had two knocks each. Pete Rose collected his first MLB hit during the game, a triple. 
• 1964 - IF Doug Strange was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He ended his nine-year MLB run off the bench in Pittsburgh, batting .173 in 90 games. He spent a couple of seasons as minor-league depth, then joined the Marlins as a scout for a couple of more years before coming over to Pittsburgh’s Baseball Operations section in 2002. He’s now a Special Assistant to the GM. 

Doug Strange 1998 Pacifica Aurora

• 1966 - Vern Law won his 10th straight game by a 6-0 count over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. The Deacon gave up four hits, no walks and fanned four, never allowing a runner beyond first base. Willie Stargell had a homer and three RBI; Donn Clendenon added a two-run blow. Law would miss a month after that with an injury, lose the next outing in May and finish 12-8/4.05 on the campaign. He had one more year left in the tank. 
• 1968 - Al McBean went the distance to claim a 2-1 victory over San Francisco and Gaylord Perry at Candlestick Park. McBean did it all; he tossed a three-hitter and even singled in the winning run with two outs in the seventh inning. The key play was The Great One gunning down Willie Mays at third to keep the lid on a potential rally by the Giants. Per BR Bullpen, Willie Mays recalled being caught going from first to third just once in his career, and it was on this day. "Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had" later explained the sadder-but-wiser Say Hey Kid. 
• 1970 - LHP Ricardo Rincon was born in Cuitlahuac, Mexico. Rincon, signed as a veteran of the Mexican leagues, pitched for the Pirates from 1997-98. He went 4-10-50/3.17 with 135 K in 125 IP. Rincon was part of a combined no-hitter on July 12th, 1997 when Francisco Cordova threw nine innings of hitless ball and Rincon pitched a clean 10th. He was traded for Brian Giles in 1998.
• 1976 - The Bucs promised a Lumber Company for the fans, and came through in the home opener at TRS with a 14-4 win over St. Louis, hammering out thirteen hits to go with twelve walks. Dave “The Cobra” Parker homered and collected five RBI, Al “Scoops” Oliver had three hits and three RBI while Manny Sanguillen had the only three-walk game of his career and touched home three times.