7/11 From 1975: Pirates Host '06 ASG; Buechele-Jackson; Bo Signed; '21 Draft; Fox TV Thriller; Bonilla Two-fer & ASGs; Game Tales; HBD John & Javier

• 1977 - LHP Javier Lopez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Lopez signed as a FA with the Pirates in 2010 for $775K after having a horrible year in Boston. The 32-year-old LOOGY rebounded with a slash of 2-2/2.79 and was moved at the deadline to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Joe Martinez and OF John Bowker. He spent seven seasons with the G-Men, working in four playoff runs and two World Series, before retiring in 2017. 
• 1978 - The NL took a 7-3 win from the AL in the All Star game held at San Diego Stadium. 1B Willie Stargell was the only Pirate and went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter. Three ex-Bucco hands were on the AL’s starting lineup card - 3B Don Money, SS Freddie Patek and OF Richie Zisk, with SS Craig Reynolds on the bench and RHP Goose Gossage in the pen. 
• 1981 - 18-year-old Bobby Bonilla was signed by the Pirates as an undrafted free agent after a Pirate City tryout set up by scouting director and later GM Syd Thrift. He spent five years on the farm before being lost to the Chicago White Sox in the Rule 5 draft after the 1985 season. The Pirates got him back quickly in a July trade for pitcher Jose DeLeon and he remained a Bucco until he joined the Mets in 1992 after inking a five year/$29M contract, making him the highest paid player for a bit and dwarfing Pittsburgh’s reported four year/$16.5M offer. 
• 1983 - The Pirates dropped the Giants, 3-2, at Candlestick Park. Don Robinson,  dodging most of early bullets, broke out a newly-developed slider in the fourth and left with the game tied, 2-2, after seven. Dave Parker had three hits while Mike Easler’s ninth-inning homer (he also had three hits, w/two runs scored and two RBI) won it for Manny Sarmiento, with Rod Scurry notching the save. The victory launched the Pirates on an eight-game winning streak and an 18-of-22 run as they moved from fourth place, 4-1/2 games off the pace, to a 1-1/2 games lead. But they couldn’t keep up the pace and went 30-29 during the dog days, losing five of the last seven contests, to finish second, six games behind the Phils. 

Mike Easler - 1983 Topps

• 1987 - The Pirates gave away the lead with two outs in the ninth but came back to claim a 6-5 win over San Diego at TRS in 11 innings. The Bucs rallied to take a 5-4 lead after Bob Kipper had been chased, with Doug Drabek, Doug Jones and John Smiley holding the fort (the starters were available because of the upcoming All-Star break). Jim Leyland yanked Smiley with two outs in the ninth and the bases empty for Don Robinson (the skipper didn’t like the looming Smiley/Bruce Bochy matchup), who gave up a game-tying homer to pinch-hitter John Kruk, bringing down the boos from the 13,109 on hand. Johnny Ray saved his bacon when he doubled home Bobby Bonilla for the walk off win. Andy Van Slyke had a homer and four RBI and Barry Bonds had four raps to lead the Bucco hit parade. 
• 1989 - The AL rolled on with a 5-3 win in the All Star game at Anaheim Stadium. OF Bobby Bonilla went 2-for-2 as a late inning DH in the first ASG that allowed a designated hitter. President Ronald Reagan joined Vin Scully for an inning in the broadcast booth. In a fitting farewell, Mike Schmidt of the Phillies, who had retired on May 29th, was elected by the fans as the starting 3B for the NL team. Schmidt opted not to play, but he did join in the game's opening ceremony in his Philadelphia uniform as a final goodbye gesture. 
• 1992 - The Pirates traded 3B Steve Buechele, made expendable by Jeff King, to the Cubs for LHP Danny Jackson as a stretch run acquisition. Jackson went 4-4/3.36 in 15 starts. He lost his only playoff start, and went to the Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft. Buechele played until 1995. King held the hot corner in Pittsburgh for eight years. In a sidebar, the Pirates 1991 Minor League POTY, Kevin Young, was called up briefly. Many thought he would become the 3B of the future, but he was shifted to first to accommodate both him and King. 
• 1992 - RHP John Barbato was born in Miami. The Pirates sent a minor leaguer to the Yankees for Barbato, and as a depth option who started out at Indianapolis, he still made 24 appearances for the Pirates in 2017, with a 1-1/4.05 line. He was waived at the end of the year and claimed by Detroit. He’s since tossed in Japan and is now in the indie leagues. 

John Barbato - 2017 photo/Pirates

• 1993 - Pittsburgh eked out a 3-2 win over the Reds in front of 22,7222 fans at TRS despite being the Keystone Kops of bunting. In a battle between Steve Cooke (he gave up a two-run homer) and Jose Rijo (Carlos Garcia’s single and Jay Bell’s double came home after an Al Martin knock), it came down to the bullpens in the ninth. Blas Minor put up a zippo for the Bucs while Dave Clark started it up with a single. Jeff King was given the bunt sign; he couldn’t lay one down, but did single after two strikes. Al Martin got the same sign; he tried to move them up three times and K’ed when his sac try rolled foul. Tom Foley was told to hack away, and he ended up bleeding a swinging bunt single. That loaded the bases; Rob Dibble took over to face Don Slaught. He neither bunted nor swatted, but became the hero when he drew a walk for the walk off win. Despite an inability to perform an old school skill like the bunt, it was a “turn back the clock” game - the teams dressed in 1925 throwback unis, the lineups were announced via a megaphone, the scoreboard was hand operated, the outfield walls were covered with old-timey billboard ads and the vid screen showed silent movie style clips. 
• 1995 - The NL nosed out the AL All Stars, 3-2, at the Ballpark in Arlington. Pitcher Denny Neagle repped the Bucs and tossed a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and striking out one. The AL out-hit the NL 8-to-3, but all three senior circuit raps were shots that left the park. 
• 1996 - The Pirates defeated the Reds, 5-3, at TRS, highlighted by a steal of home by an unlikely suspect, Jeff King. Jay Bell was at bat and King said “I was hoping and praying Jay would see me coming. I wondered if I should yell when I get about halfway?” But no worries. Bell told the Post Gazette “You can’t miss those big feet lumbering down the line.” Smiley, who had a slow delivery, tossed the pitch high and a sliding King got under the tag. Al Martin and Orlando Merced had three hits, with Orlando adding a homer. Denny Neagle got the win - he had been traded for Smiley by the Twins in 1992 - and Dan Plesac earned a save. 
• 1999 - Rookie 2B Warren Morris had his first career four-hit game (all singles) while driving in four runs and scoring once in a 10-2 over the Twins at the Metrodome. Brian Giles and Kevin Young added three hits as the Bucs tallied 17 raps; Giles also homered. Todd Ritchie tossed for seven innings with Jason Christiansen and Brad Clontz mopping up. 

Warren Morris - 1999 Pacifica Invincible Rookie

• 2000 - The AL All Stars defeated the NL’s best, 6-3, at Turner Field. Pirates C Jason Kendall and OF Brian Giles both went 0-for-2 during the contest. Florida fans could be excused for turning their nose at the game. It was originally slated for Pro Player Stadium (built in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium), but NL President Len Coleman reversed the decision and gave it to Atlanta, citing it as a newer park (Turner Field was converted from an Olympic venue to baseball in 1997). The truth was baseball officials were uncertain of the future of the Marlin franchise as owner Wayne Huizenga had the team up for sale while pushing hard for a new ballyard. 
• 2006 - The Pittsburgh Pirates hosted the 77th All-Star Game at PNC Park. The Midsummer Classic marked the fifth time that Pittsburgh hosted the ASG, becoming the first franchise to put on the game in three different yards — Forbes Field (1944 & 1959), Three Rivers Stadium (1974 & 1994), and PNC Park (2006). Chuck Tanner threw out the first pitch, but it didn’t help the home boys: the AL’s 3-2 win kept the junior circuit unbeaten in the contest since 1997. OF Jason Bay went 1-for-3 and 2B Freddy Sanchez went 0-for-2. Vera Clemente was escorted onto the field by Bill Mazeroski to accept the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award on behalf of Roberto between innings while the crowd roared; a video montage was shown and AL manager Ozzie Guillen was moved to tears during the ceremony. In another thoughtful gesture, NL manager Phil Garner selected Tanner as an honorary coach for the game. 
• 2015 - It was a game that the Bucs and Cardinals squeezed for every drop of drama at PNC Park in front of 37,318, shown nationally on Fox Sports. The two best teams in baseball by record, Pittsburgh won a 6-5, 14-inning walk off victory in a contest that lasted into the next day. Mark Reynolds drew first blood when he homered after striking out - he swung and missed for strike three, but plate ump Vic Carapazza miscalled it a foul, and Reynolds belted the reprieve into the LF stands. The Redbirds were up 3-0 before AJ Burnett, the Pirate starter, hit his first homer in a decade. The Pirates tied it in the eighth, fell behind in the 10th, tied it in the bottom half on a Jung-Ho Kang triple and Chris Stewart knock, and fell behind again in the 14th only to win it when Neil Walker singled and Andrew McCutchen homered into the batter’s eye, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Vance Worley got the win that cut the Cards’ lead in the NL Central to 3-1/2 games; it had been a nine-game gap on June 28th. 

Cutch - 2017 Donruss Diamond King

• 2017 - The first ASG at Marlins Park ended up in a pitching battle with the AL taking its fifth straight win by a 2-1 score. It took 10 innings and was decided on Robinson Cano’s homer off Wade Davis. Josh Harrison, the Pirates only rep, came in as a sub at second base (he played five innings) and fanned twice. Though the junior circuit was on a roll, the All-Star series was dead even after 88 outings with a 43-43-2 record and each league scoring 361 runs. 
• 2021 - The Bucs fell behind, 5-0, in the first frame at Citi Field, but Chase De Jong recovered his mojo, some stellar relieving followed and long balls by Rodolfo Castro (2) & Michael Perez, cut the lead to a run by the ninth. With Kevin Newman on third, John Nogowski's two-out, first-pitch single tied it up and knocks by Ben Gamel and Wilmer Difo chased Nogo home for the 6-5 win. The game was closed out by Richard Rodriguez, who saved David Bednar’s win. Castro became the first Pirate to swat three homers as his first three MLB hits.
• 2021 - There was some draft news, too: the Pirates, with the top pick of the 2021 draft, selected Louisville C Henry Davis (signed for $6.5M; slot $8,415,300), considered by many to be the best available college bat of the draft. He was the first catcher selected in the first round by the Bucs since Reese McGuire in 2013. On the following day, they selected North Carolina commit LHP Anthony Solometo of Bishop Eustace Prep (NJ) in the second round (37th pick; signed for $2.8M, $1,999,3000 slot), touted to be the best HS lefty available. CF Lonnie White Jr., a two-sport (WR in football; signed for $1.5M, slot $1,050,300) Penn State commit from Malvern Prep (PA), was selected in the "B" Comp round (64th pick). North Oconee HS, (GA) RHP/SS Bubba Chander went in the third round (72nd pick; signed for $3M, slot $870K). He was a Clemson commit as a QB. The Pirates drafted four of Baseball America's top 32 prospects and got them all signed. They also added OF Braylan Bishop in the 14th round, an Arkansas commit and Top 100 draft prospect (signed for $268,700; slot $125K) and fourth round prep RHP Owen Kellington of Vermont signed with a day to go for $600K (slot value was $571,400). The Pirates inked 19 of their 21 picks and spent their entire draft bonus pool allotment, plus the 5% overage, with nearly $16M invested in the draft.