7/13 From 1960 Through the 1980’s: Vern Wins ASG; Late Nite Fireworks; Pops Tuba Shot; HBD Rich, Ryan & Clint

• 1960 - P Vern Law became the second Pirate to win a 1960 All-Star Game‚ working two scoreless, one-hit innings in a 6-0 NL victory at Yankee Stadium. He matched P Bob Friend, who won the first game two days earlier at Municipal Stadium in a 5-3 senior circuit victory and then sat this game out. OF Bob Skinner went 1-for-3, OF Roberto Clemente drew a walk in his only at bat, SS Dick Groat went 0-for-1 and C Smoky Burgess and 2B Bill Mazeroski both went 0-for-2. 

Music man Pops - 1965 Jay Publishing

• 1965 - The NL beat the AL 6-5 at Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium in the 36th All Star game. OF Willie Stargell, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, homered in the second, and recalled it as one of his most memorable long balls, not because of distance or the game situation, but because of its landing spot. He hit the ball into the bullpen area, where the band was seated, and it dropped over the fence and right into a tuba. OF Roberto Clemente went 0-for-2 and P Bob Veale didn’t get a call to work. 
• 1971 - 1B/OF Rich Aude was born in Van Nuys, California. Aude began as a second round pick of the Pirates out of HS in 1989, signing for $80K. A big kid at 6’5”, Rich flashed some power in the minors, but during his stints with the Bucs (1993, 1995-96) he hit two homers in 151 AB, with a .225 BA. He hung around in the minors until 1999 and then became a scout for Tampa Day with Delmon Young among his discoveries.
• 1971 - The AL jumped on top early, scoring four times off P Dock Ellis in the third inning (Reggie Jackson hit a 520’ HR off the Docktor) and then held on to take a 6-4 win from the NL in the All Star game held at Tiger Stadium. It was the first AL win since the second All-Star Game of 1962, and their last until the 54th All-Star Game in 1983. The AL went 1-19 during that span, but came back with a vengeance afterward. OF Roberto Clemente went 1-for-2 with a solo homer (he hit the long ball in what would be his final AS at bat; he didn’t play in the 1972 ASG because of injury), 1B Willie Stargell 0-for-2 with a run scored after a HBP and C Manny Sanguillen didn’t get into the game. It’s thought that Dock talked his way into the start. At a presser the day before the game, Ellis told the media that NL manager Sparky Anderson wouldn't start two "brothers" (Vida Blue was the AL starter), verbally backing the skipper into a corner. 
• 1972 - RHP Clint Sodowsky was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He tossed for the Bucs in the middle of a five-year career, going 2-2, 3.63 in 45 appearances in 1997. It was his best big league season and after struggling at Arizona and St. Louis, he toiled in the minors and indie ball through 2006. 
• 1976 - The NL put a hurtin’ on the AL by a 7-1 count in the All Star game at Veteran’s Stadium. OF Al Oliver was the only Bucco AS and went 0-for-1. President Gerald Ford threw out the first pitch. 

Ryan Ludwick - 2011 Topps Update

• 1978 - OF Ryan Ludwick was born in Satellite Beach, Florida. The 32-year-old vet was purchased from San Diego at the 2011 deadline to bolster a playoff run that fizzled badly; he hit .232 with two homers in his brief Bucco stay. He left after the season to join the Reds, where he ended his playing days after the 2014 campaign. Ludwick is now a roving hitting coach for St. Louis’ minor league teams. 
• 1982 - The AL fell 4-1 to the NL in the All Star game at Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium) in Montreal. C Tony Pena stole a base as a pinch runner and went 0-for-1 at the dish, as did 1B Jason Thompson. Former Bucco Al Oliver, now an Expo, went 2-for-2 with a run scored and double. It was the first All-Star Game ever played outside the United States. 
• 1983 - The Bucs raced ahead of the Giants 5-0, but frittered away the lead by the ninth to fall behind 6-5 at Candlestick Park. With two down and Greg Minton on the hill, Johnny Ray bombed a tying homer to right, then the baseball gods smiled. Mike Easler hit a drive the opposite way that would have hit off the wall, but as LF Jeffrey Leonard tried for a leaping catch, the ball ticked off his glove and cleared the fence to give The Hit Man a game-winning four bagger. Kent Tekulve pitched a clean ninth to save the game for Manny Sarmiento. It gave the Pirates a three game sweep of San Francisco on their way to a 9-1 West Coast swing.  

Candy liked July - 1984 Donruss

• 1984 - The Pirates swept the Giants in a TRS twi-lite (it started at 5:05) double-dipper by 8-2 and 4-3 scores. The first game featured four RBI from Lee Lacy and three hits from Lee Mazzilli as John Candelaria got the win with help from Kent Tekulve. For Candyman, it was his 12th consecutive July win. The second one, well, that W was little tougher to come by - it went 18 innings and five hours, 11 minutes before Jason Thompson’s knock chased Mazzilli home with the game winner. It was Thompson’s second RBI; Jim Morrison also had two RBI while Tony Pena collected three hits and scored twice. The two teams used nine pitchers; Teke gave up runs in the eighth and ninth to let the G-Men knot the score. The bullpens ruled; San Francisco’s pen tossed 10 shutout innings; the Bucco relief corp put up nine zippos, seven by Don Robinson. The game ended at 1:32 AM; the Zambelli fireworks promised were still shot off, much to the dismay of the good ‘Burgers who were trying to catch some shuteye - and per the Pittsburgh Press, most of the 22,176 stayed to the end to catch the whole shebang.