6/9 From 1955: Brown Bops; Zisk/Pops Show; RFK Day; Boise Trip; Game Tales; Draft - Key, Newman, Kranick

• 1958 - The Pirates stopped in Boise, Idaho while on a west coast trip and became the first MLB club to play a game in the state. The Bucs paid the visit as a nod to Vern Law, who was born in Meridian and honored during “Vern Law Day.” The Pirates were greeted by a crowd at the airport and driven to their hotel in a motorcade. The Boise Braves were a Class C club out of the Pioneer League and played to that level, losing, 17-6, to the big boys. 
• 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 St. Louis Cards; the first was launched as part of a 9-5 win over the Houston Astros.

Roberto flashed some muscle - 2021 Topps Diamond Greats

• 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. 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. MLB’s sole concession to RFK’s funeral was that none of the day’s games could start until after his memorial service concluded. 
• 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. 

Candy to the rescue - 1978 Topps

• 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, and were 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, 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 two-out liner into right to plate the pair and give the Pirates a walk-off win for Jim Gott. 
• 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 one-out grounder ended up the walk off at-bat when the Mets couldn’t turn two, earning Bill Landrum the win. 

Brant's big day - 1999 Bowman

• 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 tallies. 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 a regular season contest in that ballyard (good timing; it dated back to 1912 in its current configuration and this was its final season). The Pirates last visit to Motown was in 1909 during the Hans Wagner v Ty Cobb World Series at Bennett Park, located on the same site. 
• 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 is now a Pirates coach, while IF Brock Holt, who put in a decade in the league, 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. It wasn’t a notably deep draft, 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) with one final MLB outing with Atlanta in 2017. 
• 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 last played in the Brewers system in 2021. LHP Brandon Waddell (currently with the Cards) and RHP James Marvel (called up for four starts in 2019 and now in the Phils’ organization) were also part of the class. 

Kevin Newman draft board - 2015 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 moved on to Korea. Other draftees: SS Stephen Alemais, who was injury-bitten, was recently released by Altoona, LHP Braedon Ogle, RHP Blake Cederlind (he was called up in 2020 but had TJ surgery the next year), RHP Max Kranick (TJ surgery after big team cups of coffee in 2021-22) and RHP Geoff Hartlieb, who made stops in Pgh from 2019-21 before moving on to the Mets and is now in the Boston system. Lodolo was drafted seventh overall by the Reds in 2019, signed for the slot value of $5.4M+ and joined their rotation this year, although he’s missed much of the season with a back injury.