4/18 From 1940 Through The 1960’s: Kiner's 1st; Night Opener; 8-Hole; Ouch Al; Game Stories; HBD Steve & Ron

• 1942 - RHP & AT&T SportsNet talking head Steve Blass was born in Canaan, Connecticut. The Bucco announcer was an All-Star and World-Series-clinching pitcher for the Pirates from 1964-74. The righty won 103 games for Pittsburgh during his career to go with two Series victories against Earl Weaver’s Orioles in 1971 and has been associated with the Pirates in one way or another for over 50 years, not retiring from the booth until after the 2019 campaign. At the end of the year, Steverino was announced as a member of the first class of the Pirates Hall Of Fame. 

Steverino - 2019 Pirates Media Guide

• 1946 - Rookie Ralph Kiner smacked his first big league homer off Howie Pollet in the eighth inning of a 4-2 loss to St. Louis at Sportsman Park. He would end his career with 369 long balls, 301 belted as a Bucco. That was good for second place all-time for the Pirates, behind only Willie Stargell’s 475 bombs. 
• 1947 - The Pirates took the home opener from the Reds 12-11. The Bucs had added Hank Greenberg to their roster and shortened LF at Forbes Field for him. Greenberg himself (and for that matter, Ralph Kiner) didn’t go long, though the other Bucs apparently took a liking to the short porch. Pittsburgh blasted five homers - rookie Wally Westlake had a pair while Billy Cox, Roy Jarvis & Jim Russell went yard too - and three of the balls landed in the new Greenberg Gardens plot. Cox became the first Pirate in history to lead off a Home Opener with a dinger when he took Joe Beggs deep. The season lidlifter at Forbes Field drew a record crowd of 38,216. The Gardens cut the distance to the fence by 30’ (365’ to 335’) for dead pull hitter Greenberg. It also moved the bullpens from the playing field (previously located in foul territory up the lines) to behind the new fencing.
• 1948 - RHP/coach Ron Schueler was born in Catharine, Kansas. Schueler was selected in the 12th round of the 1966 draft by the Pirates, but never signed and was eventually taken by Atlanta the next season. He spent eight years in the show with four teams, none being Pittsburgh, but 20 years after he was drafted, he did join the Buccos in 1986 as Jim Leyland’s first pitching coach after stints with the White Sox and A’s. He only lasted a year here; his wife was ill and he returned to his California home, hooking up with Oakland again. He became Chicago White Sox GM in 1991 (He had lobbied for the Bucco spot in 1988 when Syd Thrift was dismissed, but Larry Doughty got the job). After a decade in that position, he became a special advisor to the owner and then bounced around with the Cubs, Cards, and Giants. 
• 1950 - Pittsburgh played the first MLB season opener under the lights at St. Louis' Sportsman Park. The Cards won, 4-2, as Bob Chesnes gave up homers to Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst in the loss to Gerry Staley, who went the distance. Johnny Hopp had both Bucco RBIs. 
• 1952 - In their home opener at Forbes Field before 29,874, Bob Friend shut out the Reds‚ 3-0, on five hits, with the help of three Bobby Del Greco knocks. It was the second win in a row for the Pirates‚ and the “Rickey-Dinks” wouldn't have a win streak longer than two games all season (they finished 42-112), a 20th century MLB record for futility. In fact, they didn’t win back-to-back contests that year after August 9th! 

Bobby Del Greco - 1952 Topps

• 1955 - In his first major league appearance, 25-year-old reliever Al Grunwald got just one batter out. He gave up a single to Don Mueller‚ a double to Monte Irvin‚ a triple to Willie Mays‚ and a homer to Whitey Lockman. The NY Giants “cycle” led to an eight-run fourth frame and eventual 12-3 victory over the Pirates. But there was a bright spot. Rookie Roberto Clemente hit his first home run, an inside-the-park 445’ shot that the weirdly configured Polo Grounds kept in the yard. Grunwald got two more outings with the Bucs, tossing seven+ shutout innings, but was sent down in May. 
• 1957 - The Bucs lost a ho-hummer to the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-1 at Ebbets Field. The game marked the last time a Pirate pitcher batted eighth (Luis Arroyo, with Bill Mazeroski behind him) for over 50 years, until June 30th, 2008 when Paul Maholm batted ahead of Jack Wilson. Bobby Bragan made a habit of batting pitchers eighth back in the fifties before John Russell again adopted the concept briefly. 
• 1969 - C Angelo Encarnacion was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Angelo was a back-up catcher for the Bucs from 1995-96, batting .238 over that span. He’s best known for a 1995 blooper when he scooped up a short blocked pitch with his mask with a runner on third in extra innings. That’s a no-no by the rule book and the nonchalant play allowed the winning run to score on the technical foul. He played for the Angels in 1997 and then went the minor league/indie route, shedding the tools of ignorance after the 2003 campaign.