10/12 From 1960: '71 Series Missed Bunt Win, Long Day Otherwise; Wood-For-Pizarro, Polo Ground All-Stars; HBD Casey & JT

• 1960 - Whitey Ford again owned the Bucs in the World Series, tossing a seven-hitter as New York blanked Pittsburgh 12-0 at Forbes Field to stave off elimination and force a seventh game. Bobby Richardson tripled twice and had three RBI as the Bronx Bombers amassed 17 hits against Bob Friend and a beleaguered bullpen. Roberto Clemente and Hal Smith had a pair of hits each for the Pirates, who added to their misery by bouncing into three double plays. 
• 1963 - The final baseball game at the Polo Grounds was the Hispanic American All-Star game, the first and only one held in MLB history. The starters were Juan Marichal and Pedro Ramos while the roster of Latino stars included Pirates Roberto Clemente (who also served as the NL manager), Manny Mota, who delivered a clutch two-run pinch-hit single, and Alvin McBean, who got the win in a 5-2 NL victory. The game drew 14,235 fans. 
• 1966 - The Pirates traded out-of-options RHP Wilbur Wood to the White Sox for cash and a PTBNL (Juan Pizarro). Chicago converted him to a straight knuckleball guy and he responded by becoming a rubber-armed reliever before being flipped to a 300 IP starter later in his career. The Bucs were rumored to have been offered a Wood-for-Hoyt Wilhelm deal earlier, but that was nixed because the Pirates lacked a knuckleball receiver, greasing the skids for Wood. In a little bit of baseball irony, Wilhelm tutored Wilbur when he arrived in Chi-town. 

Robby after homer - 10/13/1971 AP/Post Gazette photo

• 1971 - The Bucs broke open a duel between Mike Cuellar and Steve Blass by scoring three times in the seventh on the way to a 5-1 World Series win at TRS in front of 50,403 fans. Bob Robertson blasted the deciding three-run homer after he missed a bunt sign (Roberto Clemente was aboard and tried to call time when he saw Big Red had missed the sign, but Cuellar was already into his motion so his effort was ignored). Steve Blass was sitting next to Danny Murtaugh in the dugout at the time, and told the skipper: "If you fine him (Robertson, for missing the bunt sign), I'll pay." Murtaugh didn't. Blass' three-hit gem left Pittsburgh with a pulse, as they were now down two games to one in the Fall Classic.
• 1979 - The Pirates brought the World Series back to TRS and 50,848 fans, but were run off the field, 8-4, by Baltimore, which lit up John Candelaria with a five-run fourth inning. The Birds were led by Kiko Garcia, who drove in four runs with four hits. For the Bucs, Willie Stargell had a pair of raps and scored twice while Phil Garner chipped in with two RBI and Omar Moreno added a pair of doubles. It was too little, too late against Scott McGregor as the Orioles went up two games to one. 
• 1982 - 1B/3B Casey McGehee was born in Santa Cruz, California. Casey played eight years in the majors, making a Pittsburgh stop in 2012. The Pirates got him from the Brewers before the campaign for P Jose Veras; after hitting .230 w/eight HR, the Bucs moved him at the deadline to the Yankees for P Chad Qualls. Casey played for the Tigers some in 2016 and spent 2017-18 in Japan. 
• 1990 - Danny Jackson, Norm Charlton and Randy Myers combined on a one-hitter as Cincinnati beat the Pirates 2-1 to win the NLCS in six games. 1B Carmelo Martinez had the only Bucco hit, a double that scored Barry Bonds (aboard on a walk) as Zane Smith took the loss at Riverfront Stadium. Jim Leyland started a back-end reliever, Ted Power, in order to keep the Reds from using their favored platoon lineup (he followed him with LHP Smith in the third) and it almost worked. The game clincher was an over-the-fence catch by RF Glenn Braggs, robbing Carmelo Martínez of a two-run homer with an out in the ninth, to preserve the win in dramatic fashion. The Reds would go on to sweep Oakland in the World Series. 

JT Riddle - 2020 Topps Update

• 1991 - Utility man JT Riddle was born in Frankfort, Kentucky. The Pirates signed the SS/CF to a one-year, $850K MLB contract as a free agent. He had hit .229 over three years (2017-19) for the Miami Marlins and was out of options, so it was a make-or-break camp for him. JT began the year on the IL and was recalled to the MLB roster in early August. He was released after the season with a BA of .149. 
• 1991 - The Braves returned to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and pasted the Pirates, 10-3, to take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS. Pittsburgh had 10 hits, but stranded 11 runners as John Smoltz took the win from John Smiley. Jay Bell and Orlando Merced homered for Pittsburgh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a four-run first and a three-run pinch hit homer by Sid Bream in the eighth frame.