8/12 From 1960 through the 1980’s: Curlers Banned; Lynch Record; Rough & Tumble; Game Stories; HBD Jose, Jhan & Lobster

• 1966 - Pittsburgh beat the Reds 14-11 in 13 innings at Crosley Field, scoring in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 13th frames before finally wresting the win from Cincinnati. Art Shamsky was a particular pain for the Bucs as he hit three homers, one tying it in the ninth and another to knot the score in the 11th. There were 11 HR hit by the two teams, tying a MLB record. Going yard for the Bucs were Bob Bailey (2)‚ Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente‚ Jesse Gonder‚ and Jerry Lynch, his 18th pinch-hit bomb‚ a MLB record. Tommie Sisk pitched one-hit ball over the last two innings to earn the victory. 

Jose Pagan - 2009 Milton Bradley

• 1969 - Jose Pagan's two-run homer against the SF Giant’s Gaylord Perry at Candlestick Park was his second consecutive pinch-hit home run and tied the then-major league record (broken by Lee Lacy in 1979). It didn’t help as the Bucs fell 6-2. 
• 1973 - Manager Bill Virdon told Dock Ellis to quit wearing curlers during warm ups, as it was drawing unfavorable notice from the umpires and GM Joe Brown. Ellis ranted a bit about the decree to Charlie Feeney of the Post Gazette and added that “I know the orders came from Bowie Kuhn and I don’t like it.” He was right about that. The image-conscious commissioner threatened to fine and suspend Ellis if he continued to take pre-game practice in curlers in a letter, although it was unclear if it was sent to the club or to Ellis himself. Like it or not, the Docktor relented and limited the curlers to the clubhouse. It didn’t get any better after the game. Richie Hebner, who had been pulled in the ninth inning for Gene Alley during the day’s 5-2 Pirates win, went in Vidon’s office after the game and cussed The Quail; the 42-year-old Virdon chased down The Gravedigger, now sitting in the locker room, and told him “Stand up and say that.” Richie didn’t, and Virdon left, saying that Hebner “...doesn’t have a gut in his body.” Virdon was upset over Hebner’s recent batting slump and lackadaisical play in the field. 
• 1977 - Mets’ 2B Felix Millan suffered a broken collarbone compliments of Pirate catcher Ed Ott during a 6-5 Pirate victory at TRS‚ ending Millan's 12-year MLB career. Ott took out Milan on a hard slide into second, Milan responded with a shot to Ott’s face, and the Pirate catcher body slammed him, earning a bruised shoulder and $250 fine. As for the game, the back end of a twin bill, the Bucs won in the 12th when Duffy Dyer chased home Rennie Stennett with two outs after a single and steal. Phil Garner had three hits and a homer in the win, which went to Larry Demery, who tossed two-hit ball over four innings. The opener was hard fought, too, with Jim Rooker hurling the Bucs to a 3-2 win while driving in two runs in the second with a two-out, bases loaded single after the Mets walked Dyer to get to him. 
• 1987 - The Pirates had it all going against the first-place Cards at TRS, winning 11-0. Bob Walk tossed his fourth career shutout, a complete game four-hitter. Johnny Ray had three hits, the team banged out four doubles, and Andy Van Slyke collected his 500th MLB knock. Every Pirate but Barry Bonds scored and/or drove in a run and all but Junior Ortiz had a hit, including Walk. The shutout snapped the Cardinals’ 145-game streak without being whitewashed, which was five short of the modern NL mark set by the 1924-25 Pirates. 

Jose Tabata - 2013 Topps Allen & Ginter

• 1988 - Jose Tabata was born in El Tigre, Venezuela. JT came over from the Yankees in a 2008 trade featuring Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, and since 2010 has been in the show with various degrees of success after a promising rookie campaign, hampered by a variety of leg injuries and unfulfilled expectations. He signed a deal that ran from 2011-16 with three option years that the front office rather quickly regretted. He was traded to the Dodger for Michael Morse during the 2015 deadline period. He signed a minor-league deal with Toronto in 2017 and at last check was playing indie ball. 
• 1988 - RHP Jhan Marinez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Jhan is a journeyman reliever who caught on with the Pirates in 2017, going 0-1/3.18 in 24 games. His peripherals weren’t as shiny as his counting numbers and he was released, with Texas picking him up. He’s been a depth piece in MLB; Marinez has tossed for seven teams in his five big league campaigns and is now with the Mets organization. 
• 1989 - LHP Kyle Lobstein was born in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Pirates got him in the 2015 offseason from Detroit in a cash deal and he was traded to Baltimore for reliever Zach Phillips. In between, he tossed in 14 games from the pen for the Pirates in 2016, slashing 2-0/3.96 and is now in the Dodgers system.