7/10: Renegade AS, Emil-Camp; Ty Mark, GI Bomb, Cutch, AVS Hot, Rennie Debut, Pops Power, Game Tales; Grays Raid, Long Ballin'; 3 Hits For Roberto, Friend Win, Kiner Trio, Pie Steals Home - ASGs; HBD Gene & Link

• 1865 - IF Bobby “Link” Lowe was born in Pittsburgh and raised in the New Castle area. He played in the show for 18 years with a .273 lifetime BA and was the first to hit four homers in a game, but Link was barely a blip on the home team’s radar - he got into one game as a pinch hitter and K’ed in 1904 before being sold to Detroit. The 38-year-old Link was near the end by that time, and although he played through 1907 with the Tigers, he only managed a .206 average during that span. He retired to coach in the minors and college ranks, later adding scouting to his resume. His nickname was a nod to the Great Emancipator; Lowe was born a few weeks after President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and was given the middle name Lincoln in Abe’s honor. 
• 1901 - The Boston Beaneaters collected 15 hits in 12 innings against Pittsburgh but failed to score in a 1-0 loss at Exposition Field, setting a record for most hits with no runs. The Pirates got four hits off Bill Dineen, who lost to Jack Chesbro to cap a four-game sweep of the Bostonians. Pittsburgh won thanks to a couple of Beaneater boo-boos. Honus Wagner reached second on an error, went to third on a bunt single and scored when Dineen’s pickoff flip to first went awry. 
• 1908 - At Exposition Park, the Bucs overcame a 4-0 New York Giants lead to win, 7-6, on Tommy Leach’s ninth inning, walk-off homer to center. Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke and Chief Wilson had triples for the Pirates while Sam Leever picked up a save of Lefty Leifield’s victory. 
• 1929 - The Pirates mashed the Philadelphia Phillies, 15-9, at the Baker Bowl. Pittsburgh hit five homers and the Phils banged four. The teams flexed their muscles with regularity; there were homers hit in eight of the nine innings. George Grantham had a pair of long balls for the Bucs and drove in five runs, with Pie Traynor, Lloyd Waner and pitcher Fred Fussell adding solo shots. 

George Grantham - 1929 Kashin

• 1934 - 3B Pie Traynor, SS Arky Vaughan and RF Paul “Big Poison” Waner represented the Bucs in the second All-Star game held at the Polo Grounds. Traynor went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI and stolen base (he became the first and only player to swipe home in an ASG on the back end of a double steal with NL teammate Mel Ott), while Waner and Vaughan both went 0-for-2 in the National League’s 9-7 victory. It was the famous Carl Hubbard game - he struck out five future Hall of Famers in a row, fanning Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons & Joe Cronin. 
• 1940 - SS Gene Alley was born in Richmond, Virginia. He played his entire 11-year career (1963–73) with the Pirates. A modest hitter overall - his BA was .254 - he won a pair of Gold Gloves, was twice selected an All-Star, and set the MLB DP record for middle infielders with Bill Mazeroski in 1966 with 161. Shoulder and knee problems slowed and ultimately ended his career. 
• 1943 - Pittsburgh surrendered a franchise record for most runs given up in the modern era when the Brooklyn Dodgers spanked them, 23-6, at Forbes Field. As for motivation, the Dodgers only had two players willing to suit up before the game after Leo Durocher suspended pitcher Bobo Newsome. Da Bums, led by ex-Buc Arky Vaughan, were ready to walk out in support of Newsome until Dodger GM Branch Rickey stepped in and calmed the seas, leaving Brooklyn to take out its frustrations on the Buccos. Vaughan despised Leo The Lip so much that he sat out the next three seasons working at his ranch and didn’t return to Brooklyn until after Durocher left via suspension. 
• 1943 - Homestead Grays co-owner (and numbers king) Rufus "Sonnyman" Jackson was briefly jailed after a confrontation at Forbes Field with a Mexican baseball agent - actually, the Mexican diplomatic consul AJ Guina - trying to raid his roster. As quoted by Mark Ribowsky in A Complete History of the Negro Leagues, Jackson said “I don’t care if they send Pancho Villa, they’re not getting my ballplayers.” Sonnyman eventually fended off the overtures and kept his players. He ran the team himself after team co-owner Cum Posey's death in 1946, winning the last pennant in Negro National League history in 1948. 

Ralph Kiner - 2020 Topps 1950's Best Batters

• 1951 - Exploding for a record four homers, the National League trounced the American League, 8-3, at the All-Star Game at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Pirate OF Ralph Kiner lived up to his “Mr. Swat” image, connecting on a long ball for the third year in a row, a MLB All-Star record. 
• 1956 - RHP Bob Friend and 1B Dale Long were the Pirate All-Stars at Griffith Stadium for the National League’s 7-3 victory. Starter Friend got the win thanks to triple threes - 3 IP, 3 hits, 3 K (Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson) - and without much help from Long, who struck out twice in two at-bats. The first-time All-Star Friend (he ended up in three ASGs) spent the last six innings on the bench as a fanboy, shooting a home movie of the day. 
• 1962 - Led by OF Roberto Clemente’s three hits, the National League beat the American League, 3-1, in the first of season’s two All-Star games, this one held at Washington’s DC Stadium. SS Dick Groat went 1-for-3, scored and turned a DP while 2B Bill Mazeroski was 0-for-2. 
• 1968 - The NL announced that it would split into two divisions next season. The Eastern Division would consist of Chicago, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. It was the beginning of the Divisional Era, where the winners of each division would compete against each other in a League Championship Series to determine the World Series opponents. 
• 1971 - The Pirates bested the Braves, 5-4, at Three Rivers Stadium behind Willie Stargell's 30th home run of the season and his 10th off Atlanta pitching; it was a two-run blast in the eighth that turned a deficit into the lead. Pops also doubled and was joined in the two-knock club by Vic Davalillo, who scored twice, and Bob Robertson while Al Oliver drove in a pair of runs. Dave Giusti saved the game with Mudcat Grant getting the win for a contest that Steve Blass started. Captain Willie would go on to have a career year in long flies, knocking 48 balls out of the yard. Another nice career began OTD - it was Rennie Stennett’s debut game for the Pirates; he went 0-for-4. 

Vic Davalillo - 1971 photo/Jay Publishing

• 1984 - The NL was used to the windy confines of Candlestick Park and breezed to 3-1 win over the AL in the All-Star game. The senior circuit got some terrific tossing. Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden combined to whiff six batters in a row for a new All-Star Game record. Valenzuela K’ed Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, and George Brett in the fourth inning. Then Doc, the youngest All-Star ever at age 19, punched out Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis in the fifth. C Tony Pena was Pittsburgh’s only AS selection and caught the ninth inning. 
• 1987 - The Pirates gave away the lead with two outs in the ninth inning but bounced 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 for duty because of the upcoming All-Star break). Jim Leyland yanked Smiley with two outs in the ninth frame and the bases empty for Don Robinson (the skipper didn’t like the looming Smiley/Bruce Bochy matchup in a bit of overthinking), and he gave up a game-tying homer to pinch-hitter John Kruk as the boos rained down from the 13,109 on hand. Johnny Ray saved Robby’s bacon when he doubled home Bobby Bonilla for the walk-off win. Andy Van Slyke had a homer and four RBI while Barry Bonds had four raps to lead the Bucco hit parade. 
• 1990 - Pitching dominated as the Americans dropped the Nationals, 2-0, in the All-Star game at Wrigley Field. Outfielders Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla both went 0-for-1 and LHP Neal Heaton didn’t get in. Bobby Bo was shut out in his appearance in the Home Run Derby. 
• 2001 - The American League nine took a 4-1 All-Star victory from the Senior Circuit at Safeco Field. OF Brian Giles, the Pirates sole rep, grounded out in his visit to the plate. C JR House played in the Classic’s opening event as a member of the USA nine in the Futures Game. 

JR House - 2001 Topps Fusion

• 2001 - The Pirates traded OF Emil Brown to the Padres after DFA’ing him for OF Shawn Garrett and RHP Shawn Camp, both San Diego farm hands. Brown played nearly 200 games as a Bucco from 1997-2001, but despite having the rep as a five-tool guy, hit just .205. After the year, he spent three seasons in the minors before winning a starting gig with KC and Oakland from 2005-2008, with 2009 being his MLB swan song. Camp was a late bloomer, but after being released by Pittsburgh, he eventually made the majors in 2004 as a 28-year-old and carved out an 11-year career in the big leagues, with 541 relief outings and a slash of 29-33-12/4.41. Garrett was a long-time minor leaguer and Latin League player who never got a shot in the show. 
• 2007 - The American League eked out a 5-4 win over the Nationals in the All-Star game played at AT&T Park. 2B Freddy Sanchez was the only Pirate selected and didn’t get into the game. 
• 2009 - Garrett Jones joined Ryan Howard as the only players to launch blasts that cleared the batter’s eye at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He mashed the two-out, first-pitch shot off Joe Blanton in the opening frame. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Pirates fell to the Phillies, 3-2. 
• 2011 - In the Pirates final game before the All-Star break, they defeated the Chicago Cubs, 9-1. Andrew McCutchen drove in five runs, highlighted by a three-run homer, while Neil Walker pounded out three hits, two doubles and a triple. Paul Maholm got the win with help from Chris Resop and Jose Veras to take Pittsburgh’s record to 47-43 record into the break. 
• 2012 - The Senior Circuit blasted its way to an 8-0 win over the American League’s All-Stars at KC’s Kauffman Stadium. OF Andrew McCutchen went 1-for-2 after taking part in the home run derby the night before (he hit four homers and bowed out in the opening round) and RHP Joel Hanrahan faced one batter, Billy Butler, striking him out after first tossing a wild pitch. 

Joel Hanrahan - 2012 SEGA 

• 2021 - Tyler Anderson entered the Pirates record book during a 6-2 win over the Mets at Citi Field in the opener of a day-night twin bill when he unwittingly became the last Buc pitcher to homer as a lineup player (or perhaps ever) as the universal Designated Hitter rule was adopted the following season. Bryan Reynolds also went deep. Pittsburgh dropped the nitecap, 4-2. 
• 2022 - RHP David Bednar was selected as the Bucs lone rep for the All-Star Game with a slash of 3-2-15/2.25 and 53 K in 40 IP. It was the cherry on top for the Pirates, who had earlier rode four homers by Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Michael Chavis and Daniel Vogelbach to victory over Milwaukee at American Family Field by an 8-6 count, with Chris Stratton getting credit for the win. The bad news: CF Bryan Reynolds was bypassed on the AS roster. To add injury to insult, he was pulled from the day’s victory over the Brew Crew with a strained oblique and landed on the 10-day IL. Blasts from the past: A crew of ex-Bucs were chosen for the Midsummer Classic: P’s Gerrit Cole, Joe Musgrove and Clay Holmes, along with OF Starling Marte, made the team.