9/24 From 1970 Through the 1980s: Clemente Day at Shea; 50 For Omar; Danny SI; Willie Whipped; Game Stories; HBD Jeff, Mike, John & Travis

• 1970 - Luke Walker spun a seven-hit shutout as his teammates made it easy with a 15 hit attack to drop the Mets 8-0 at TRS. Gene Alley was the unlikely hitting hero, with three hits including a triple and four RBI. Manny Sanguillen had three knocks too and scored twice. Matty Alou, Dave Cash, Richie Hebner and Bob Robertson each added a pair of hits. 
• 1971 - Shea Stadium hosted a Roberto Clemente Day. Clemente was gifted with a Cadillac, which he accepted, and cash, which he directed to be sent to three children’s charities in Puerto Rico. The event was put together by New York’s Puerto Rican community, and the gifts came via donations from the “small people.” The Bucs won the game 3-2 on their way to a division title. Clemente had two hits and drove in a pair of runs to key the victory. 
• 1973 - LF Willie Stargell robbed Ken Singleton of a homer in the fifth, went long himself in the sixth and threw out Tony Scott at home in the seventh inning during a 3-0 defeat of the Expos at Jarry Park in the second half of a double dipper. Nellie Briles and Dave Giusti kept Montreal off the board, scattering eight hits for the shutout. The Bucs lost the opener 5-4 despite Willie’s 43rd dinger. Starg was a tired man after playing back-to-back twin bills - “I won’t be waking up too early tomorrow,” he told Pittsburgh Press writer Bob Smizik - but not too tired to lead the majors in homers (44), doubles (43), RBI (119) and slugging % (.646) at the end of the year. 

• 1973 - Danny Murtaugh was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Frenzy In the East.” The Pirates, winners of three consecutive titles, finished third behind the Mets, 2-1⁄2 games out. Five of the six NL East teams finished in a pack separated by five games. 
• 1974 - IF John McDonald was born in New London, Connecticut. The “Prime Minister of Defense” spent 16 years as a glove-first player, stopping in Pittsburgh for part of 2013. He came to the Pirates on a conditional deal from the D-Backs, hit .065 in 16 games, went on the DL and when he recovered was sent to the Indians on another conditional deal as John ended up on four different rosters that season. He retired before the 2015 campaign and went to work the following season as a minor league coach for Cleveland. 
• 1977 - OF Omar Moreno swiped his 50th base of the season to surpass Sonny Jackson's rookie record set with the Astros in 1966. The Antelope swiped a pair of sacks and was caught once by Cubs C George Mitterwald in a 7-3 Pirate win at Wrigley. The Padres’ first-year speedster Gene Richards matched him with 50 on this day and ended the campaign with 56 thefts, three more than the Bucs' outfielder. 
• 1982 - RHP Jeff Karstens was born in San Diego. He was sent to Pittsburgh by the Yankees in 2008, and the oft-injured righty worked as a multi-role pitcher for the Pirates until 2012, with most of his outings as a starter. He retired in 2015 after failing to recover from 2013 shoulder surgery. In his five Pirates years, JK’s slash was 23-25/4.31. 
• 1983 - John Candelaria’s elbow was bothering him, but he hoped to give the Bucs five good innings against the Expos, and did he ever. He shut out Montreal on three hits, all surrendered in the first two frames, before turning the ball over to Cecilia Guante, who finished up by allowing two hits over the final four innings to nail down a 1-0 win over Montreal at Olympic Stadium. Candy did more than toss; he drove in the Bucs only run when he yanked a Bryn Smith curve into right for a single to chase home Dale Berra, who had doubled ahead of him; both hits came after two were away in the fifth. It was the Pirates 10th win in 13 games. The press couldn’t get Candelaria to comment on his big day, though; he reminded them postgame that “I stopped talking to the media two months ago...Nothing personal...” 

Travis Ishikawa - 2014 Pirates Photo Day

• 1983 - 1B/OF Travis Ishikawa was born in Seattle, Washington. He started 2014 with the Pirates, lost his job to Ike Davis and was DFA’ed, ending up with the Giants and hitting a three-run homer to propel them into the World Series. The Pirates got him back in mid-2015 as a bench player. He bounced to-and-fro between the MLB and AAA before retiring after the 2016 campaign; he’s now a hitting coach in the Giants organization. 
• 1984 - RHP Mike Crotta was born in Fort Lauderdale. He was drafted in the 17th round of the 2006 draft by the Bucs out of Florida Atlantic. He got his only MLB taste in 2011, going 0-1 for the Pirates and giving up 11 runs in 10-2/3 IP, appearing in 15 outings. He pitched in Japan from 2014-15 and tossed his last pro campaign in 2016 for the Tigers organization.