5/4 From 1950 Through the 1960’s: Roberto Redeemed; Long Ball Game Stories; Horse Sense; HBD Ken

• 1951 - Pete Castiglione tripled on the second pitch that NY hurler Sal Maglie tossed and that would be the only hit The Barber surrendered in a 5-1 Giant win at the Polo Grounds. It wasn’t a gem, as Maglie walked five, but he had the Buccos’ number - it was his seventh straight win over Pittsburgh. 

Roberto Clemente - 1955 Topps Rookie

• 1955 - Sweet redemption: After going hitless and making a ninth inning error, Roberto Clemente climbed the wall in right to take away extra bases from George Crowe with Braves on second and third to close out a 5-4 Pirates win over Milwaukee at Forbes Field. Dale Long and Gene Freese had a pair of RBI apiece while Bob Friend saved the game for Max Surkont. 
• 1956 - IF Ken Oberkfell was born in Highland, Illinois. Ken played 16 years in the majors and spent the second half of 1988 and the early weeks of 1989 in Pittsburgh, where he made the transition from a 100-game-per-year player to a utility bench guy. He got into 34 games as a Pirate and hit just .181 before being sent to the Giants. He coached for 14 years in the Mets system, took a break and at last check was coaching a hometown indie league squad while tending to family duties. 
• 1958 - At Seals Stadium‚ Roman Mejias hit three HRs in the nitecap of a DH with San Francisco to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-2 win and a split after losing the opener 4-3. Mejias hit two more homers the rest of the season. His four RBI helped Ronnie Kline to victory, with ElRoy Face coming on in the ninth for the save. 
• 1963 - Another Bucco winner: Chateaugay, owned by Pirates owner John W. Galbreath and bred on his Darby Dan racing farm, won the Kentucky Derby. 
• 1965 - For Willie Stargell and Jerry Lynch, it was homer or no count. Lynch banged a pair of early solo shots and Willie added a game-tying long ball in the sixth that was followed by a three-run bomb in the ninth as the duo powered the Pirates to a 6-3 victory against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The dynamic duo had five of the Bucs 10 hits. Al McBean got the win in relief of Joe Gibbon. 

Jerry set the table & Willie cleaned it off - Topps 1965

• 1967 - The Bucs ran away from the Dodgers by scoring seven runs in the seventh to take a 9-3 victory over LA at Forbes Field. They literally pounded Dodger ace Don Drysdale; Roberto Clemente drilled a liner off his hand and Donn Clendenon smacked one so hard off his ankle that it bounced to first for the putout. He had to leave, battered and bruised, after six, and the Bucs rallied for the win the next inning against a trio of LA relievers. Bill Mazeroski had three RBI while Clemente and Maury Wills collected three hits each to help Bob Veale earn the W.