6/8 From 1960 Through the 1970’s: Pops & Cobra Back-to-Back; Game Stories; HBD Scott; Draft: Reynolds, Moose

• 1963 - LHP Scott Ruskin was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Ruskin was a third round pick in the 1986 draft by the Bucs out of Florida and made it to the show in 1990 after the Bucs converted him from a 1B/OF to a pitcher in 1989. He went 2-2-2/3.02 for the Bucs, who sent him to the Expos as part of the package to get Zane Smith. He finished the season strong, and then his effectiveness went downhill. His last season was 1993, when the Reds cut him loose after just four outings. 

Scott Ruskin - 1990 Donruss Rookies

• 1965 - In the first college/high school draft ever held, the Pirates picked prep OF’er Wayne Dickerson first (#10) in the draft; he was out of baseball by 1970. Their first 17 selections never made the show, but they had some luck in the later rounds. RHP Bob Moose (18th round) from Export in Westmoreland County, RHP Gene Garber (20th round) and SS Freddie “The Cricket” Patek (22nd round) all carved out solid careers. They also signed undrafted Don Money, an infielder who played 16 seasons for the Phils and Brewers, hitting .261 lifetime and making four All-Star teams. For the curious, the Oakland A’s selected Arizona State OF’er Rick Monday, making him MLB’s first amateur draft pick. 
• 1965 - The Pirates won in one of the oddest ways, a walk off balk, at Forbes Field. Down by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Roberto Clemente tied the game with a two-out single off Houston’s Jim Owens after the Astros had gained the lead with a four-run top half. In the bottom of the 11th, Bill Virdon singled, eventually moved to third and scored the winner on Hal Woodeshick’s two-out balk for a 7-6 victory. Willie Stargell went 3-for-4 with a homer. 
• 1971 - The Bucs picked prep SS Craig Reynolds 22nd overall. He played 15 years of big league ball, mainly with the Houston Astros, and was a two-time All-Star. Second rounder Doug Bair spent 15 years tossing in the show for seven different teams. None of the other 29 guys selected made it to the majors. 
• 1973 - The Pirates broke a five-game losing streak behind the efforts of three stalwarts - Bob Moose, Al Oliver and Willie Stargell - to drop Houston 4-1 at the Astrodome. The ‘Stros Don Wilson had been cruising, but in the fifth walked the bases loaded. With two outs, Scoops’ single drove in a pair and Pops’ double off the wall brought home two more Buccos. It was all Moose needed; he scattered eight hits and K’ed six, going tape-to-tape for the win. He continued his voodoo over the Texans; Moose ran his career record to 8-1 against Houston with the victory. 
• 1976 - Prep RHP Jim Parke was the Pirates first round (#21) pick; he never got further than A ball in his career. OF Doe Boyland & LHP Mike Madden were the next two picks; they got into 92 big leagues games combined. The only notable selection was 17th round pick LHP Rick Honeycutt, who tossed for 21 big league seasons and made a couple of All-Star teams. 

Doe and the gang - 1980 Topps Future Stars

• 1979 - Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth against San Francisco at TRS, Willie Stargell banged a two-out pinch-hit (for Dale Berra) homer with Omar Moreno, who had singled before him, aboard to knot the score for the Pirates. The next batter, Dave Parker, followed with another dinger to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead over John Curtis. Grant Jackson finished to pick up his seventh save while Enrique Romo got the win after a solid start by Don Robinson in front of a Friday night crowd of 18,227.