- 1941 - IF Tommy Helms was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Helms spent 1976 and a bit of 1977 in Pittsburgh (.242 BA as a utilityman) as part of his 14-year MLB resume. The Pirates got him from Houston for Art Howe, sold him to Oakland a year later, got him back four months after that in the Phil Garner mega deal, then released him in June. He finished the 1977 campaign with Boston to conclude his major league stay. He coached and managed for the Reds briefly, leaving the organization after feuding with owner Marge Schott.
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| Tommy Helms - 1977 Topps |
- 1946 - The Bucs took two from the first place Brooklyn Dodgers, 5-4, in 11 innings and 4-3 in a six-inning game shortened by the Sunday curfew. The game drew an overflow crowd of 37,953. The SRO folk were on the field behind ropes, and the teams combined for nine ground rule doubles that ended up in the sea of unseated fans at Forbes Field. Jack Hallett won the opener and Preacher Roe took the nightcap. Billy Cox had the hot stick, with four hits, including a pair of two baggers, and three RBI over the course of the afternoon.
- 1958 - The Bucs were up by 10 runs entering the final frame, but hung on by a gnat’s eyelash to claim an 11-10 win over the Giants. Pinch-hitter Don Taussig popped out with the bases loaded to end the game at San Francisco's Seals Stadium. The Giants sent a record six pinch hitters to the plate in the frame‚ and three scored. Don Gross, the fourth pitcher of the inning, got the save for Vern Law. The Pirate attack was led by RC Stevens and Frank Thomas, who both homered and combined for five RBI.
- 1960 - Things looked bleak after six innings for the Bucs at Wrigley Field with the score 7-2 Cubbies. But the Buccos put up a five spot in the seventh (Roberto Clemente’s two-run homer was the biggest blow) to tie it and Bill Virdon won the game with a two-out, two-on triple in the ninth as the Pirates rallied for a 9-7 win. The real heroes were pitchers Jim Umbricht, Fred Green and ElRoy Face who combined to hold Chicago to one run over the final seven frames.
- 1972 - Dock Ellis, along with teammates Rennie Stennett and Willie Stargell, missed the team bus to Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. When they arrived late, the security guard asked for identification. None of the trio had any proper papers on them, but they all had their World Series rings engraved with their names and tried to use that as ID. The guard refused to accept that as legit, Dock verbally abused the officer (“I gave him a thousand bleep-bleeps” he told the Pittsburgh Press), had a gun pulled on him (quickly holstered) to quiet him down and then was maced when the guard claimed Ellis cocked his fist at him. The guard also alleged that Ellis was drunk and had a bottle of wine with him; Dock denied that charge. They all eventually got in and Dock was later hauled into Cincinnati Municipal Court for disturbing the peace (the charges were later dropped). GM Joe Brown said the players didn’t have team ID with them because the club had never issued any, not seeing a need for them. Quickly after the incident, the Pirates issued identification cards to all the players, with their pictures on the back. To make it a perfect day, the Bucs lost the game 5-4, their eighth defeat in 10 outings.
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| Dock "You talkin' to me?" Ellis - 1972 O-Pee-Chee In Action |
- 1973 - The Pittsburgh Press floated trade rumors with San Diego, who dangled C Pat Corrales and then P Steve Arlin for OF Gene Clines. Clines remained a Buc through 1974 (and he was more than open to being traded as he was buried on the bench), then was swapped to the Mets in the off season for C Duffy Dyer. Corrales called it a career after hitting .208 in ‘73 while Arlin lasted until ‘74, pitching to a 5.51 ERA.
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