6/9 From 1960: Zisk Cycle; Brant Brown Bangs; RFK Day; Game Tales; Drafts: Hayes, Newman, 2019 Class

• 1966 - For the second time in a week, Roberto Clemente homered over the center field wall at Forbes Field, becoming the first right handed batter to pull off that feat more than once. The blast came during a 4-2 loss to the Cards; the first was launched as part of a 9-5 win over Houston. 
• 1968 - In a game that neither the Pirates nor Astros players wanted to play after Robert F Kennedy’s assassination, the league muscled up - “They told us we have a contract and we must live up to it...” per Houston player rep Dave Giusti - and the Bucs defeated Houston 3-1 at the Astrodome. Bob Moose spun an eight-inning four-hitter, closed out by Ronnie Kline. The Pirates scored twice in the first off Mike Cuellar, with runs sent home by Donn Clendenon and Matty Alou, and added an insurance marker in the eighth when Jose Pagan’s sac fly scored Alou. Maury Wills of the Bucs, along with Rusty Staub & Bob Aspromonte of the Astros, refused to play. Wills was handed an undisclosed punishment by the team while both Astros players forfeited a day's pay – about $300 for Staub and $200 from Aspromonte – and were traded after the season. The MLB concession to RFK’s funeral was that none of the games could start until after his memorial service concluded. 

Don who? - 1972 Upper Deck

• 1972 - Through his first 10 starts of the season, LA’s Don Sutton had slashed 8-0/1.14, but met his match with the Pirates. He suffered his first loss of the season when he gave up 10 hits and five runs (two earned) in seven innings to the Bucs at Dodger Stadium. Pittsburgh put up their five-spot in the opening frame. They didn’t exactly pound him; the runs scored on just three singles augmented by a trio of Dodger misplays. Still, the Pirates held their own with Roberto Clemente collecting three hits while Vic Davalillo and Al Oliver added a pair each. It was only a temporary burp for Sutton - even though he lost the next three games, he was an All-Star with 19 wins and a 2.08 ERA at year’s end. 
• 1974 - Richie Zisk hit for the cycle against the San Francisco Giants during a 14-1 romp at Candlestick Park, with five RBI and four runs scored. Willie Stargell outdid him with two homers (one a grand slam), a double and six runs driven home. Bob Robertson also went long as Jerry Reuss cruised to victory. 
• 1978 - Down 8-1 after five innings, the Bucs came to life and ran down the Cincinnati Reds by an 11-9 count at TRS. They were led by Willie Stargell, who had pumped up his teammates with a short mid-game speech, and Bill Robinson. The pair combined for seven hits, including four doubles, six RBI and five runs scored. Chuck Tanner made the unorthodox move of bringing in starter John Candelaria from the pen (he hadn’t pitched in relief since 1976) and he recorded four straight outs to save Grant Jackson’s victory. 
• 1988 - The Pirates were looking hapless at TRS against Jamie Moyers and the Cubs bullpen. They went into the ninth down 3-1 facing Goose Gossage, a decade removed from his Bucco days. Darnell Coles and Sid Bream opened the frame with doubles to cut the lead to a run and chase the Goose. A groundout and walk of Denny Gonzalez by Frank DiPino left Bucs on the corners. RJ Reynolds’ grounder to third cut down Bream, who was off on contact, at the dish. But the slow-footed Sid did a little boogaloo before allowing the tag to be applied, and it proved key, allowing the Pittsburgh runners to get to second and third. Barry Bonds slapped a soft liner into right with two outs to plate the pair, and the Pirates had a walk-off win for Jim Gott. 

Sid's out was a win - 1988 Topps

• 1989 - Pittsburgh scored in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Mets after they had gone ahead in the top half, and then plated again in the 10th to take a 4-3 win at TRS. Gary Redus’ two-out single-and-error bouncer to short scored Rafael Belliard to knot the game. Another Met miscue led to the winner. Andy Van Slyke’s single to right was misplayed into a three-bagger, and after a pair of intentional walks, Benny Distefano’s ground ball was the walk off at-bat that earned Bill Landrum the W. 
• 1999 - The Pirates beat up on the Tigers, 15-3, as Brant Brown smacked out five hits, including a double and homer, scored four runs and chased home five. Ed Sprague and Jose Guillen each added a bomb and three RBI at Tiger Stadium while Francisco Cordova picked up the win. It was the first time the Pirates ever played in that ballyard. 
• 2009 - C Tony Sanchez was the Pirates first selection (#4 overall - $2.5M signing bonus) in the draft. RHP Vic Black ($717K bonus) was the second round pick, and IF Brock Holt was chosen in the ninth round; both were later traded. There was a great gnashing of teeth over the Pirates cheap ways in selecting Sanchez, tho it wasn’t a notably deep draft with few solid guys available, though a couple of franchise players were around: Stephen Strasburg was taken #1 while prepster Michael Trout was the #25 overall choice. Sanchez never quite made it; he got into 51 games with the Pirates (.259 BA) but is out of the organization and has mostly bounced around in AAA. 
• 2015 - The Pirates chose Arizona SS Kevin Newman (#19 overall, $2.175M bonus), Texas prep 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (#32; $1.855M bonus) and UCLA SS Kevin Kramer (#62; $850K bonus) in the opening two rounds of the draft. Newman made it to the show in 2018 and became the starting SS next season, Young Hayes took over at third in 2019 while Kramer has been up-and-down, with his last Bucco rostering in 2020. LHP Brandon Waddell (now with the Cards) and RHP James Marvel (called up for four starts in 2019) were also part of the class. 

#1 - MLB.com

• 2016 - The Buccos took Wake Forest 3B Will Craig (#22 overall; $2,257,700 bonus), one of the top college sticks on the board, followed by HS pitchers lefty Nick Lodolo from California (#44; he rejected $1.75M and instead honored his commitment to TCU) and Florida’s RHP Travis MacGregor (#68; $900K bonus) on the first day of the draft. Craig appeared briefly for the Bucs in 2020-21 and was DFA’ed. Other draftees: SS Stephen Alemais, who has been injury-bitten, LHP Braedon Ogle, RHP Blake Cederlind (he was called up in 2020 but had TJ surgery the next year), RHP Max Kranick and RHP Geoff Hartlieb, who made stops in Pgh from 2019-21 but with big control issues. Lodolo was drafted seventh overall by the Reds in 2019, signed for the slot value of $5.4M+ and is their top pitching prospect.