7/2 Through the 1960s: Prime Pine; Frank Thomas PoM; Gems & Game Tales; HBD Tony, Fred & Ed

• 1859 - OF Ed Beecher was born in Guilford, Connecticut. Ed began his short but active MLB career with the Alleghenys in 1887, batting .210. He played for four years with four teams - Pittsburgh, the Washington Statesmen (twice), Buffalo Bisons and Philadelphia Athletics - in three different leagues, the American Association, National League, and the Players Association. He got into 283 games as a career reserve with a lifetime .269 BA. 
• 1864 - C and utilityman Fred Carroll was born in Sacramento, California. In his seven years (1885-91) with Pittsburgh teams, he played for the Alleghenys, the outlaw Burghers and the Pirates, hitting .284 over his career. A bit quirky, at the beginning of the 1887 season Carroll buried his pet monkey, which had served as an unofficial team mascot for the squad, under home plate at Recreation Park in a pre-game ceremony. 
• 1889 - The Pittsburgh Press front page headline read “Poor Phillies” as Pittsburgh took their fifth straight win from their cross-state rivals by a 10-5 score. The Alleghenys scored nine times in the last two innings on six hits (five singles and a double), abetted by two walks, two “muffs” and two “wild throws,” per the Press. Fred Carroll and Jocko Fields had three hits each and Harry Staley got the win in front of 1,500 fans at Exposition Park. 

Fred Carroll - 1887 Goodwin/Old Judge

• 1925 - The Bucs edged the Cards 2-1 at Forbes Field as Tom Sheehan outpitched Dolf Luque. Kiki Cuyler tripled home Max Carey and then was brought home by Clyde Barnhart in the sixth for the Pirate scores. It marked the last stand of a NL-record 150-game scoring streak by the Pirates that began on July 4th, 1924 when the Reds Pete Donahue shut them out the next day 8-0. 
• 1927 - Pittsburgh scored twice in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to beat the Reds, 7-6, at Forbes Field after trailing 6-1. The clinching blow was Clyde Barnhart’s two-run homer to left field in the ninth off Art Nehf. Mike Cvengros tossed six shutout innings of relief and was rewarded with the win. 
• 1949 - The Cubs and particularly Andy Pafko had a bad day at Wrigley Field, losing 8-3. Pafko hit into a bases-loaded triple play in the third inning. He was called out in the dugout after Pete Castiglione at third knocked down his liner (actually, it popped out of his mitt), tagged the runner at third, then stepped on the base for the force. In the confusion, he then threw the ball to home, and the catcher went to first for the force on Pafko, who thought his drive had been caught cleanly and was wandering his way to the bench. Even the umpires had to step back to review the whole thing (“A crazy quilt affair that had to be unraveled by Umpire-in-Chief Lou Jorda,” per the Pittsburgh Press), but it stood. Ralph Kiner hit his 20th homer as Tiny Bonham picked up the win. 
• 1953 - OF Tony Armas was born in Puerto Piritu, Venezuela. The Pirates signed Armas in 1971 just before his 18th birthday and he spent six seasons in the minors before he got a September call-up in 1976, appearing in four games and going 2-for-6. He was traded in the off-season as part of the huge Phil Garner deal and developed into one of the AL’s top sluggers, leading the league in HRs twice and RBIs once playing for Oakland, Boston and California. He played for 13 seasons in the junior circuit, hitting 22+ dingers for six straight years and earning two All-Star slots. After Tony retired, he continued his career in Venezuela and continued to rake; he now coaches in the Venezuelan League. Tony is a member of the Venezuelan and Caribbean Baseball Halls of Fame. His son, Tony Armas Jr., pitched for 10 years in the majors, making a stop at Pittsburgh in 2007. 

Tony Armas - 1977 Topps Rookies

• 1958 - 3B Frank Thomas was named the NL Player of the Month for June. The 29-year-old had already been named to his third All-Star team and hit .275 with seven homers and 29 RBI during June. This was the first year for the award; Willie Mays had won the honor in April and Stan Musial in May. Oddly, neither one got a vote in June. 
• 1961 - In the eighth inning, pinch hitters Johnny Logan, Rocky Nelson and Smoky Burgess banged out consecutive hits, a Pirate record, to prime a four-run rally that led to a 7-6 win over the Giants at Forbes Field in the opener of a twin bill. Hal Smith added three RBI. The Bucs swept easily, rolling 9-0 in the nitecap behind Bobby Shantz’s five-hitter and three RBI each from Roberto Clemente with a bases-clearing triple and Don Hoak. The Pirates overcame a pair of pretty fair pitchers - Mike McCormack was the starter for the lidlifter and Juan Marichal in the closing match. 
• 1968 - The Mets scored a first-inning run off Al McBean, and that would be it as the Bucs eked out a 2-1 decision at Shea Stadium. Pittsburgh knotted the score in the sixth when Willie Stargell opened with a double off Dick Selma and plated on a Billy Maz knock, then got the game-winner thanks to a ninth-inning Met miscue. With two outs and Donn Clendenon on second, Manny Mota rolled one to short; Bud Harrelson booted the ball and Clendenon came home. ElRoy Face came in to work a 1-2-3 ninth to save the Pirates’ win, the Bucs fifth straight. McBean got the victory, tossing five-hit ball with seven strikeouts.