9/1 From the 1920’s Through the 1960’s: Woodie Fans 15; Sandy & Don Dropped; Game Stories; HBD Vic & Dave

• 1922 - IF Vic Barnhart was born in Hagerstown, Maryland. Vic got cups of coffee in 1945 & 1947, seeing almost all of his playing time in 1946 for the Pirates. That was the sum of his career - 74 games and a decent .270 BA. He spent five years in the minors (he refused a 1947 trade to the Dodgers) before retiring. He then worked for the Maryland Correctional Institute where he was the Athletic Director. Vic’s dad was Clyde Barnhart, who played for the Bucs through the 1920s. 

Vic Barnhart - photo Mears/TSN

• 1925 - The Buccos defeated the Philadelphia Phils 10-3 to sweep a five-game series at the Baker Bowl. The Pirates outscored Philadelphia 54-18 during the set and scored in double digits in every game. Pie Traynor had four hits while Earl Smith (w/four RBI) and winning pitcher Vic Aldridge added three knocks and homer apiece. That Pittsburgh club won the NL title, the World Series and their 912 runs scored were the most tallied by the franchise in the modern era. (the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of 1893-94 put up 970 & 965 runs, averaging over seven runs per game!) 
• 1927 - The Pirates tied for the NL’s top spot by beating the Cubs‚ 4-3 at Forbes Field. Joe Harris homered and doubled, with two runs and two RBI, to back Lee Meadows. The Waner brothers cut down Chicago runners at home and third. The Bucs whipped the Cards the next day to take sole possession of first place and never looked back, winning a sizzling pennant race by 1-½ games. 
• 1957 - LHP Dave Rucker was born in San Bernardino, California. Rucker was a seven-year MLB vet who tossed his last campaign in 1988 for the Pirates with an 0-2/4.76 slash in 31 games. He joined Dan Quisenberry and Ewell Blackwell as LaVerne University Leopards that made it to the show. The hurler also tossed for Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies, later becoming an instructor after he hung ‘em up at Yorba Linda’s Baseball Softball World Academy. 
• 1963 - The “Quail,” CF’er Bill Virdon, hit a two-out, walk-off grand slam off Al Worthington to give the Bucs a dramatic 6-4 win over the Reds at Forbes Field. Willie Stargell drove in the other runs with a homer and double. Earl Francis, the third Buc pitcher, got the win. 

Bill Virdon - 1963 Topps

• 1965 - The Bucs laid losses on aces Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale on the same day during a Forbes Field twinbill with last at-bat rallies. The Pirates defeated Koufax, 3-2, in 11 innings in the opener and then beat Drysdale, 2-1, in the nitecap. Joe Gibbon and Vern Law picked up the victories. Jim Pagliaroni doubled home Willie Stargell to claim the opener while Bill Virdon scored on a two-out error in the eighth to take the nitecap. It was the Bucs 12th win in 14 games and moved them within 2-½ games of LA in the NL pennant race. 
• 1967 - Woodie Fryman had missed a good chunk of his second campaign and at 2-7 was a bit underwhelming when healthy, but the lefty showed his promise by fanning 15 Phils in a complete game three-hitter, winning 3-0 at Forbes Field. He fell one short of the team single-game record of 16 K held by Bob Veale, who had just set the standard a year earlier. Woodie added a hit to the cause and scored the Pirates second run; an error let the first tally plate for Pittsburgh, then Maury Wills and Bill Mazeroski later chased home the insurance markers.