4/11 From 1980: Martinez Signs; Spanky Released; TRS Full Of Bucco Fans; Never Say Die; D-Back Demo

• 1980 - The Bucs defeated the Cards at Busch Stadium 4-3 as Pittsburgh scored twice in the ninth. Ed Ott singled home the tying run with two down and the winner scored on the same play when SS Gary Templeton mishandled the relay, allowing the Bucs to overcome a sixth-inning 3-0 deficit. Grant Jackson got the win, although he was almost in his birthday suit by the final frame. He worked the eighth and thought his night was done. He was in the locker room and headed for the hot water when Chuck Tanner decided to have him bat after Ott’s big hit as the Cards had two switch-hitters and a lefty due up. Grant slipped back into his uni, took his swings and then put them away in order. 

Grant Jackson - 1980 Topps

• 1988 - A record crowd of 54,089, the first baseball sellout in TRS history, watched the Bucs handle the Phils 5-1 thanks to an eighth inning, bases-loaded (and clearing) double by Spanky LaValliere. Barry Bonds added two hits, including a homer. The match was the Bucs home opener, and Mr. Rogers tossed out the first ball. Doug Drabek gave up nine hits in his five innings of work, but only one run crossed and he got the win. Vicente Palacios and Jeff Robinson took care of business after him. 
• 1989 - In the home opener at TRS, the Bucs rallied twice from the brink of defeat to take a 4-3 win from the Mets. Down by one with Jose Lind on first and one gone in the ninth, Bobby Bonilla singled to center off Mets reliever Randy Myers. Lind moved to third and scored on Glenn Wilson's sac fly. With the count still knotted, Lind singled to right field against Myers in the 11th with one away and stole second base. An out later, Bonilla came through again, singling Chico home for the win, credited to Jeff Robinson. To make the victory a little sweeter, the game had sold out in early March (it drew nearly 43,000 fans), and KDKA aired it; the game was the first Home Opener to ever be telecast. 
• 1993 - The Pirates released popular C Spanky Lavalliere as he was entering his seventh season as a Bucco, causing some teeth-gnashing in the locker room as he and Don Slaught had formed a strong tandem from 1990-92. The team carried three catchers after breaking camp, but needed to clear an active roster spot for a pitcher. The club had to decide between Tom Prince and Lavalliere to free up that slot and the 32-year-old Spanky, who still had two years/$4.45M left on his contract but was in questionable physical shape, lost. He caught on with the White Sox and Gene Lamont, playing through 1995, but never caught more than 44 games in a season after he left Pittsburgh. 
• 2001 - RHP Ramon Martinez signed a one-year deal with a team option for $200K plus bonuses, bumping LHP Joe Beimel from the rotation to the bullpen while RHP Bill Taylor was DFA’ed to clear a spot. Ramon was effective earlier in his career, but 1998 surgery cost him, and he was looked upon as more of a veteran inning-eating back end guy than rotation anchor. He never even reached that status; he got four starts, lasting 15-2/3IP and slashed 0-2/8.62. Ramon retired in May after Lloyd McClendon talked to him about going to the bullpen, ending his MLB career. 

Jeromy Burnitz - 2006 Topps

• 2006 - The Pirates were off to a 1-7 start and didn’t look like they were going to earn that elusive second win after the Dodgers opened the game with a three-spot against Ian Snell. But the Bucco batters flexed their muscles to bang out three homers (Jeromy Burnitz, Ryan Doumit, Jack Wilson) in the first five innings, and the starters, Snell and Jae Weong Seo, left a 6-5 game in favor of LA to the bullpens in the sixth. Solomon Torres put up a zero, then Craig Wilson took Lance Carter’s first pitch over the wall to knot the score. The Pirates added a small-ball run (Joe Randa double, grounder and sac fly) later in the frame to take the lead, and it was goose eggs the rest of the way out at PNC Park by Torres, Ramon Hernandez and Mike Gonzalez. Solomon took the win and Gonzo notched the save. 
• 2010 - The Diamondbacks scored a team-record 13 runs in the fourth inning of a 15-6 victory over Pittsburgh at Chase Field. Daniel McCutchen started and gave up three homers in the fourth; he left after tossing 3-1/3 innings. McCutchen was charged with nine of the runs scored that inning; Hayden Penn allowed the other four tallies.