6/8 Through the 1960s: Gooch-Hargreaves; Friend Gem, Burleigh's Streak, Six Zips, Jimmy's 26-Gamer Game Tales; HBD Scott, Don, Jack, George, Roy; 1st Draft

• 1899 - 3B Jimmy Williams extended his hitting streak to 26 games in an 11-5 loss to Baltimore NL Orioles, a string that ended during the following contest against the Louisville Colonel’s Deacon Phillippe, who would join Pittsburgh the next season. Williams went on to hit .354 that campaign and put together a team-record 27-game streak in August/September. 
• 1903 - Sam Leever shut down the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-0, at Exposition Park to bring the Pirates shutout streak to six games. The Phils lost the battle the next day, too, 7-3, but earned a moral victory when they snapped the scoreless string, plating in the fourth frame off 26-year-old rookie righty Kaiser Wilhelm, who shook it off and cruised to a complete game victory. The Bucco staff tossed 16 shutouts, seven by Leever, and both numbers led the NL. 
• 1911 - RHP “Silent Roy” Partlow was born in Washington, Georgia. He tossed for the Homestead Grays from 1938-39/1941-44/1949 (he missed 1940 when he jumped to Veracruz in the Mexican League and then served in WW2 after the ‘44 season). Roy twirled a 7-inning no-hitter in 1942 against the Chicago American Giants and was no slouch with the stick, batting .266 as a Gray. Roy pitched everywhere - he was in the minor leagues with the Dodgers as one of the early black pioneers (he was the third black player signed by Branch Rickey), worked in Mexico, Puerto Rico, & Cuba and for three other Negro League clubs during his career. He got his nickname because of his “reticent manner.” 
• 1928 - The Pirates traded C Johnny Gooch and 1B Joe Harris to the Brooklyn Robins for C Charlie Hargreaves. The deal turned into an end-of-the-road swap: it was the 37-year-old Harris’ last campaign and Gooch had just two more MLB seasons left in him. Hargreaves caught through 1929 and after a short stay in 1930 finished his pro career in the minors. 
• 1929 - Burleigh Grimes won his 10th straight decision by a 9-2 count against Brooklyn at Forbes Field. In between, he also picked up a couple of saves during the streak, which began with his first start of the year on April 16th. Grimes scattered nine hits and even had a pair of RBI. George Grantham led the way with a homer and three runs pushed home. 

George Brunet - 1971 Topps

• 1935 - LHP George Brunet was born in Houghton, Michigan. Lefty spent 15 seasons in the show, with his best years as an Angel, and made a Pittsburgh stop in 1970, near the end of his road. He got into a dozen games, one as a starter, and posted a 1-1/2.70 line as a 35-year-old. The Pirates had traded with the Senators for him on August 31st, so he was ineligible for the postseason. During the winter, the club shipped him to the Cards, along with Matty Alou, for Nelson Briles and Vic Davalillo. 1971 was his last MLB gig as he was released by the Redbirds in May, but he found a second home in Mexico, pitching there until he was 54 and serving as a baseball instructor and ambassador after finally retiring from the hill. 
• 1944 - At Forbes Field, the Cubs plated three runs on a very wild toss to the plate by Art "Cookie" Cuccurullo on a bases-loaded comebacker (at the time, there was a 75’ gap between home plate and the stands) to trigger an eight-run second inning that led to an eventual 10-6 Chicago win. It was one of four Buc boots during the day, two by Cookie.
• 1946 - Coach Jack Lind was born in Denver. He played for Arizona State, got a cup of coffee with the Brewers, played in Japan and began managing in 1983, mostly on the Reds farm. Lind became the Pirates minor league field instructor in 1989 and then coordinator of instruction from 1990-96. Jack was promoted to the Pirates' third base coach, serving from 1997-2000 under Gene Lamont and then was a scout here between 2001-2002. He’s been out of pro ball since 2006. 
• 1956 - It took 11 innings, but the Bucs dropped the Cards, 2-0, behind Bob Friend’s six-hitter. He went the distance to win his league-high 10th game, fanning nine and walking four. He outlasted ex-Bucco Murry Dickson at Busch Stadium, getting the runs on singles by Dale Long and Frank Thomas. The win moved the Pirates into second place, ahead of St. Louis. 
• 1957 - RHP Don “The Caveman” Robinson was born in Ashland, Kentucky. He spent the first decade of his 15 years in the show with Pittsburgh, first as a starter and then in 1984 as a reliever after a series of shoulder woes, going 65-69-43 with a 3.85 ERA. A three-time Silver Slugger awardee, his batting line was .265/6/45 as a Buc. As for the Caveman moniker, Tom Kern in Robby’s SABR bio wrote that “...he was named ‘The Caveman”’by Giants teammate Mike Krukow for his physique (6’4”, 225 lbs.) and his ability to endure numerous surgeries and shots.” 

Scott Ruskin - 1990 Upper Deck 

• 1963 - LHP Scott Ruskin was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Ruskin was a third round pick in the 1986 draft by the Bucs out of Florida and made it to the show in 1990 after the Bucs converted him from a 1B/OF to a pitcher in 1989. He went 2-2-2/3.02 for the Bucs, then was sent to the Expos as part of the package to get Zane Smith. He finished the season strong, and then his effectiveness went downhill. His last season was 1993 after a brief stop with the Reds. 
• 1965 - In the first college/high school draft ever held, the Pirates picked OF’er Doug Dickerson of Alabama’s Ensley HS first (#10) in the draft; he was out of baseball by 1970. Their first 17 selections never made the show, but they had some luck in the later rounds. RHP Bob Moose (18th round) from Export in Westmoreland County, RHP Gene Garber (20th round) and SS Freddie “The Cricket” Patek (22nd round) all carved out solid careers. They also signed undrafted Don Money, an infielder who played 16 seasons for the Phils and Brewers, hitting .261 lifetime and making four All-Star teams. On the second day, they picked Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett of Southern Cal; he didn’t sign, opting wisely to stick to football. He did join the Pirates very briefly in 1970, though - the Bucs almost immediately traded him to San Diego, prompting him to return to the gridiron. Locally, Pitt QB Fred Mazurek was drafted by the Twins, but the Panther CF’er signed with the Washington Redskins of the NFL instead. For the record, the Oakland A’s selected Arizona State OF’er Rick Monday, making him MLB’s first amateur draft pick. 
• 1965 - The Pirates won in one of the most “what are the odds” ways possible, a walk-off balk (balk-off?), at Forbes Field. Down by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Roberto Clemente tied the game with a two-out single after the Astros had gained the lead with a four-run top half. In the bottom of the 11th, Bill Virdon singled, eventually was moved to third and scored the winner on Hal Woodeshick’s two-out balk for a 7-6 victory. Willie Stargell went 3-for-4 with a homer.