7/8 From 1950 Through the 1970’s: Buc-Phil Dance Card; Dal Brought Aboard; Kurt Shipped Out; Cover Boy Bob; All Stars; HBD Bob & Rosario

• 1950 - The Bucs beat the Cards 7-6 at Forbes Field. The Pirates rallied in the ninth when down 6-3, pinch-hitter Jack Phillips' long fly ball just eluded Stan Musial’s leap, grazing off his glove at the 376’ mark and landing in the bullpen for a walk-off grand slam, his first ever. It was also the first time in major league history that a pinch-hit grand slam erased a three-run deficit to end a game; that wouldn’t be done again until 2010. Ralph Kiner and Stan Rojek also homered for Pittsburgh. 
• 1952 - For the fourth straight year, OF Ralph Kiner was the sole Pirate rep for the All Star Game. The NL won 3-2 in a rain-shortened, five-inning game at Shibe Park. Kiner was scheduled to enter the game in the seventh and so didn’t get to play. 

Bob Friend led a shipload of mateys to the AS Game
1958 Sport Mag All Star

• 1958 - The Pirates sent a full contingent of P Bob Friend, 2B Bill Mazeroski, OF Bob Skinner and 3B Frank Thomas to the All Star Game at Memorial Stadium, a 4-3 AL win. Bob Friend took the loss, giving up two runs in 2-1/3 innings, with the last score unearned thanks to a boot by teammate Thomas. Skinner went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Thomas 1-for-3 and Maz 0-for-4. 
• 1964 - LHP Bob Kipper was born in Aurora, Illinois. The lefty tossed for seven seasons (1985-91) for the Bucs. He spent his first three years as a starter and then was converted to the pen. Kipper went 24-33-11/4.34 with the Pirates, appearing 195 times in his last four seasons and was part of Jim Leyland’s 1991 NLCS club. After retirement, he began coaching for indie teams and in 1999 joined the Red Sox organization, working his way from minor league pitching coach to Boston’s bench.
• 1967 - Bob Veale was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Bread and Butter Buccaneer.” He went 16-8/3.64 and worked 203 IP, a down year for him as nagging injuries began to take their toll on the big lefty. 
• 1969 - Roberto Clemente homered over the 436’ mark in center at Forbes Field, his third hit of the day, in an 8-1 win over the Expos. Montreal was held to three hits by Steve Blass, while Roberto and Freddie Patek had three hits each for the Pirates. 
• 1969 - LHP Rosario Rodriguez was born in Los Mochis, Mexico. He spent parts of three seasons in the majors, the first two with the Reds, and of his 34 appearances, 15 were with the Pirates in 1991 with a line of 1-1-6/4.11. He had an outing during the 1991 NLCS against the Braves, allowing three runs in one inning, and that was his last MLB call. He opened for AAA Buffalo in 1992 but made just four appearances as he spent three stints on the DL with shoulder issues. His year was shut down in June, and the bum wing ended his career at age 23. 
• 1973 - The Pirates bought SS Dal Maxville from Oakland with the intention of making him their starting shortstop. “We didn’t get him for his bat” said manager Bill Virdon. “We felt we needed to stabilize our infield.” Good glove or no, Dal hit just .189 for the Pirates in ‘73 and then was released in April of 1974 after going 4-for-22 (.182). 1975 was his last MLB campaign. 

The 1974 Topps Traded lies - Kurt was traded from, not to, Pittsburgh

• 1974 - The Pirates sent IF Kurt Bevacqua, who was hitting .114, to the KC Royals for AA IF Calvin Meier. The Bucs had shipped Nellie Briles and Fernando Gonzalez to the Royals for Bevacqua, Ed Kirkpatrick and Winston Cole (who never made it past Class A ball) during the winter in one of their poorer deals. Shaler grad Art Howe was called up to take Bevacqua’s place on the roster; after a couple of batting-challenged years as a Buc, he went on to have a solid career with the Astros and later managed Houston, Oakland and the Mets. Kurt’s career kept on track; he played through 1985, even returning to Pittsburgh in 1980-81, but he never reached the 300 at bat mark in any of his 15 big league campaigns. 
• 1977 - The Bucs and Phils had a pair of bench-clearing dances after Mike Schmidt and Willie Stargell were beaned. Per Chuck Tanner, after Kison hit Schmidt in the back, Mike said, while heading to first, “Next time that happens I’ll come and get you.” Kison replied “Why wait til next time?” They didn’t; Schmidt missed with a roundhouse, then Kison landed a couple of jabs before Ed Ott finished it by tackling Schmidt and keeping him pinned to the ground until peace was restored. Pops confrontation was better policed; the umps got between him and Tug McGraw before any fists flew. Pittsburgh won the slugfest that counted, 8-7, overcoming a 7-3, eighth-inning deficit at TRS. The victory was anti-climatic; after tying the game in the eighth, the Pirates won when pinch hitter Jim Fregosi drew a bases-loaded, ninth-inning walk off Warren Brusstar to earn a hard fought victory for Pittsburgh and Goose Gossage.