6/6: Big Innings, Jubilee, Hard Hats, D-Day, Blackies Day, HBD Tommy & Doug, Higbe Deal, Long Balls, Scufflin'

• 1894 - The Pirates set a club record by scoring 27 runs when they routed the Boston Beaneaters, 27-11, at Exposition Park in the North Side. Boston actually led 2-0 in the second inning and was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the third, until Pittsburgh scored 21 runs in the third and fourth innings. Jake Stenzel homered twice in the third inning off Henry Lampe, a Bucco feat that wouldn’t be duplicated again until 1995 by Jeff King. The Bucs hit four homers and scored 12 times in the third frame, sending 15 players to the dish and setting a HR record of seven bombs in a single game that wouldn’t be matched until 1947.

Jake Stenzel (photo via Find A Grave)

• 1902 - 2B Lafayette Fresco “Tommy” Thompson was born in Centerville, Alabama. He first planted his MLB roots in Pittsburgh, playing 14 games and batting .286 for the World Champion 1925 Pirates club before moving on to spend eight more years in the show, notably with Philadelphia. But Tommy made his name after his playing days, managing in the minors and then becoming a big wheel for the Dodgers, rising from assistant farm director to head of minor league operations under Buzzy Bavasi, who he even replaced him as GM briefly. Thompson put together the 1968 draft that netted Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey, Bill Buckner, Bobby Valentine, Joe Ferguson and Tom Paciorek. Sadly, he didn’t get to enjoy the fruits of his labor as he passed away a few weeks later.
• 1925 - The Pirates held their Golden Jubilee celebration, bring back old stalwarts like Jack Chesbro, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Kitty Bransfield, Deacon Phillippe, Ginger Beaumont, CL Zimmer, Tom McCreedy, Jess Tannehill, George Yeager, Jimmie Burke, Tommy Leach and Claude Ritchey. The 1901 team played the 1925 vets in a special, pre-game exhibition that lasted three innings, with the current club beating the old timers by a 5-3 score. Pittsburgh went to work afterwards, beating the Phils 9-3 at Forbes Field behind Emil Yde in the game that counted. Eddie Moore homered, Pie Traynor had a double and triple and Glenn Wright contributed a pair of knocks, including a two-bagger, to lead the Pirate attack.
• 1940 - The Bucs fell behind Boston 5-0 in the second, then put up a six-spot of their own in the third and hung on for a 7-6 win at Forbes Field. It was an all-hands-on-deck performance with six of the eight Pirates position players having hits with runs and/or RBI on the score sheet. Rip Sewell tossed eight innings for the win in relief; he gave up 10 hits but just two runs.

Rip Sewell 1989 Pacific Trading

• 1941 - The New York Giants became the first team to wear headgear in a game against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds as Pittsburgh swept the doubleheader, 5-4 and 4-3. They really didn’t need the protection; no one was beaned in either contest. The Pirates made batting helmets mandatory a decade later under Branch Rickey’s direction. In the nitecap of the twin bill, Rip Sewell flashed some golden glovework as he set a NL record with 11 assists as a pitcher.
• 1944 - The Pirates joined Brooklyn (which hosted the only other MLB game scheduled for the day) by cancelling their game against the Reds at Forbes Field in tribute to D-Day. Pirates president William Benswanger said “...merely asking the audience to rise and offer silent prayer for the Allied armies who have just invaded the enemy’s stronghold would scarcely be sufficient for such a solemn occasion.” The game was pushed back 24 hours, with the Bucs taking a 4-2 decision behind Rip Sewell’s seven hitter and Vince DiMaggio’s two-run single in the eighth. The win cemented the Pirates hold on second place, where they would finish the year with a 90-63 record, 15 games behind the St. Louis Cards. The Redbirds won the “Streetcar Series” against the St. Louis Browns.
• 1949 - RHP Kirby Higbe was traded to the New York Giants for P Ray Poat and IF Bobby Rhawn. It ended up a minor deal; Higbe was about at the end of his MLB days (he retired after the 1950 season) and the Giant pair played briefly for the Bucs in ‘49 but were gone the following season. Manager Bill Meyer said somewhat tartly but accurately of the deal “We didn’t get anything too much, but we gave away nothing.” The Bucs were cleaning house; pitcher Bob Moncrief was waived and sold to the Cubs for $10,000 on the same day.

Kirby Higbe 1949 Bowman

• 1956 - Three Bucco batters (Dale Long, Frank Thomas and Roberto Clemente) went deep in the Pirates 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Clemente and Thomas each had three hits and three RBI on the day while Ron Kline went the distance for the win.
• 1959 - Ron Blackburn had a good day even if his team didn’t. The reliever smacked the only longball of his MLB career off Moe Drabowsky and tossed four innings of perfect ball in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs at Forbes Field.
• 1959 - OF Doug Frobel was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He played for Pittsburgh from 1982-85. Frobel looked ready to break out after hitting .286 in limited at-bats in 1983, but couldn’t match that pace in following campaigns, ending his Bucco career with a .213 BA.

Doug Frobel 1984 Topps

• 1986 - The Bucs split a twinbill with the Mets at TRS but not without a little dancing. Rick Rhoden was cruising on his way to a 7-1 opening game win when ex-Bucco and New York coach Bill Robinson called him a cheater (Rhoden was often accused of scuffing a ball), Rick cussed back, Robby gave him a good shove and for five minutes the benches and bullpens did the baseball cha-cha around the mound. Order was restored; apparently the trigger point was when Rhoden threw a ball in the dirt that left a mark, causing Robinson to call on the ump to check the pitcher for foreign objects, which he did without success. RJ Reynolds did the most damage (with his bat, not his knuckles) with three hits, missing the cycle by a long ball. Barry Bonds had a pair of hits and a homer. The second game went the other way with the New York nine running up a 10-4 score as Jose deLeon was chased in the fourth inning.
• 2014 - The Pirates scored eight times in the sixth inning to hand the Milwaukee Brewers a 15-5 thumping at PNC Park, the biggest Bucco frame since 2012 when they accomplished the feat against San Diego. The 15 runs were the most scored since 2010, also against Milwaukee. The Bucs parlayed six hits and four walks into their big inning. Seven Pirates had multi hit outings, led by Russ Martin, who had three hits, four RBI and three runs scored to prime the 16 hit attack.

6/6: Golden Jubilee, 27 Run Game, 8 Run Inning, D-Day & More...

• 1894 - The Pirates set a club record by scoring 27 runs, a franchise record, when they routed the Boston Beaneaters, 27-11, at Exposition Park in the North Side. Boston actually led 2-0 in the second inning and was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the third, until Pittsburgh scored 21 runs in the third and fourth innings. Jake Stenzel homered twice in the third inning off Henry Lampe, a Bucco feat that wouldn’t be duplicated again until 1995 by Jeff King. The Bucs hit four homers and scored 12 times in the third frame, sending 15 players to the dish and setting a HR record of seven bombs in a single game that wouldn’t be matched until 1947.
• 1925 - The Pirates held their Golden Jubilee celebration, bring back old stalwarts like Jack Chesbro, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Kitty Bransfield, Deacon Phillippe, Ginger Beaumont, CL Zimmer, Tom McCreedy, Jess Tannehill, George Yeager, Jimmie Burke, Tommy Leach and Claude Ritchey. The 1901 team played the 1925 in a special, pre-game exhibition that lasted three innings, with the current club beating the old timers by a 5-3 score. Pittsburgh went to work afterwards, beating the Phils 9-3 at Forbes Field behind Emil Yde in the game that counted. Eddie Moore homered, Pie Traynor had a double and triple and Glenn Wright contributed a pair of knocks, including a two-bagger, to lead the Pirate attack.

Golden Jubilee squad 1925 (photo Pgh Press)

• 1940 - The Bucs fell behind Boston 5-0 in the second, then put up a six-spot of their own in the third and hung on for a 7-6 win at Forbes Field. It was a steady-as-she-goes performance, with six of the eight Pirate position players having hits with runs and/or RBI on the score sheet. Rip Sewell tossed eight innings for the win in relief; he gave up 10 hits but just two runs.
• 1941 - The New York Giants became the first team to wear headgear in a game against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds as Pittsburgh swept the doubleheader, 5-4 and 4-3. They really didn’t need the protection; no one was beaned in either contest. The Pirates made batting helmets mandatory a decade later under Branch Rickey’s direction. In the nitecap of the twin bill, Rip Sewell set a NL record with 11 assists as a pitcher.
• 1944 - The Pirates joined Brooklyn (which hosted the only other MLB game scheduled for the day) by cancelling their game against the Reds at Forbes Field in tribute to D-Day. Pirates president William Benswanger said “...merely asking the audience to rise and offer silent prayer for the Allied armies who have just invaded the enemy’s stronghold would scarcely be sufficient for such a solemn occasion.” The game was pushed back 24 hours, with the Bucs taking a 4-2 decision behind Rip Sewell’s seven hitter and Vince DiMaggio’s two-run single in the eighth. The win cemented the Pirates hold on second place, where they would finish the year with a 90-63 record, 15 games behind the St. Louis Cards. The Redbirds won the “Streetcar Series” against the St. Louis Browns.

Rip Sewell 1946-49 Sports Exchange

• 1956 - Three Bucco batters (Dale Long, Frank Thomas and Roberto Clemente) went deep in the Pirates 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Clemente and Thomas each had three hits and three RBI on the day while Ron Kline went the distance for the win.
• 1959 - Ron Blackburn had a good day even if his team didn’t. The reliever smacked the only longball of his MLB career off Moe Drabowsky and tossed four innings of perfect ball in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs at Forbes Field.
• 1959 - OF Doug Frobel was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He played for Pittsburgh from 1982-85. Frobel looked ready to break out after hitting .286 in limited at-bats in 1983, but couldn’t match that pace in following campaigns, ending his Bucco career with a .213 BA.

Doug Frobel 1984 Topps

• 2014 - The Pirates scored eight times in the sixth inning to hand the Milwaukee Brewers a 15-5 thumping at PNC Park, the biggest Bucco frame since 2012 when they accomplished the feat against San Diego. The 15 runs were the most scored since 2010, also against Milwaukee. The Bucs parlayed six hits and four walks into their big inning. Seven Pirates had multi hit outings, led by Russ Martin, who had three hits, four RBI and three runs scored to prime the 16 hit attack.

6/6: Candy Man, The Kid, Cole Train Drafted; Big Sticks; Golden Jubilee...

• 1894 - The Pirates set a club record by scoring 27 runs, a franchise record, when they routed the Boston Beaneaters, 27-11, at Exposition Park in the North Side. Boston actually led 2-0 in the second inning and was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the third, until Pittsburgh scored 21 runs in the third and fourth innings. Jake Stenzel homered twice in the third inning off Henry Lampe, a Bucco feat that wouldn’t be duplicated again until 1995 by Jeff King. The Bucs hit four homers and scored 12 times in the third frame, sending 15 players to the dish and setting a HR record of seven bombs in a single game that wouldn’t be matched until 1947.
• 1925 - The Pirates held their Golden Jubilee celebration, bring back old stalwarts like Jack Chesbro, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Kitty Bransfield, Deacon Phillippe, Ginger Beaumont, CL Zimmer, Tom McCreedy, Jess Tannehill, George Yeager, Jimmie Burke, Tommy Leach and Claude Ritchey. The 1901 team played the 1925 in a special, pre-game exhibition that lasted three innings, with the current club beating the old timers by a 5-3 score. Pittsburgh went to work afterwards, beating the Phils 9-3 at Forbes Field behind Emil Yde in the game that counted. Eddie Moore homered, Pie Traynor had a double and triple and Glenn Wright contributed a pair of knocks, including a two-bagger, to lead the Pirate attack.
• 1940 - The Bucs fell behind Boston 5-0 in the second, then put up a six-spot of their own in the third and hung on for a 7-6 win at Forbes Field. It was a steady-as-she-goes performance, with six of the eight Pirate position players having hits with runs and/or RBI on the score sheet. Rip Sewell tossed eight innings for the win in relief; he gave up 10 hits but just two runs.

Father of the Eephus Rip Sewell (photo: Walter Stein/Associated Press)

• 1941 - The New York Giants became the first team to wear headgear in a game against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds as Pittsburgh swept the doubleheader, 5-4 and 4-3. They really didn’t need the protection; no one was beaned in either contest. The Pirates made batting helmets mandatory a decade later under Branch Rickey’s direction. In the nitecap of the twin bill, Rip Sewell set a NL record with 11 assists as a pitcher.
• 1944 - The Pirates joined MLB by cancelling their game against the Reds at Forbes Field in tribute to D-Day.
• 1956: Three Bucco batters (Dale Long, Frank Thomas and Roberto Clemente) went deep in the Pirates 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Clemente and Thomas each had three hits and three RBI on the day while Ron Kline went the distance for the win.
• 1959 - Ron Blackburn had a good day even if his team didn’t. The reliever smacked the only longball of his MLB career off Moe Drabowsky and tossed four innings of perfect ball in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs at Forbes Field.
• 1959 - OF Doug Frobel was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He played for Pittsburgh from 1982-85. Frobel looked ready to break out after hitting .286 in limited at-bats in 1983, but couldn’t match that pace in following campaigns, ending his Bucco career with a .213 BA.

Doug Frobel 1984 Topps series

• 1968 - The Bucs selected HS outfielder Dick Sharon first (#9) in the draft; he spent three years in MLB as a reserve. They did hit on their 11th rounder, C Milt May, who played six of his 16 big league seasons with the Pirates and 14th rounder RHP Bruce Kison, who spent half (1971-77) of his career with Pittsburgh and won a memorable World Series game in his 1971 rookie season. Pittsburgh also selected RHPs Wayne Garland and Paul Mitchell, who worked in MLB.
• 1972 - High school SS Dwayne Peltier was the Bucs first round (#23) pick; he never made it to the show, stalling out at AA ball. But the second round pick did - LHP John “The Candy Man” Candelaria, who pitched 12 years for the Bucs and won 124 games. 2B Willie Randolph, who played 18 years, mostly with the Yankees, was a seventh round selection. Shaler grad Ken Macha was picked in the sixth round.
• 1973 - Barry Bonds hit his second consecutive leadoff homer against the Giants, but it wasn’t enough at TRS; the Bucs lost both nights (3-2, 9-7) even though Bonds went 3-for-6 with three walks, a stolen base, five runs scored and three RBI.
• 1978 - The Pirates picked HS first baseman Brad Garnett in the first round (#19) of the draft; he never advanced beyond Class A. In fact, none of their first 17 selections make to the majors. They did get a couple of keepers in the later rounds - Butler and Point Park RHP John Stuper (18th round), LHP Dave Dravecky (21st round) and SS Vance Law (39th round), Pirate Cy Young winner Vern Law’s kid who played for 11 seasons in the show.

Vance Law 1982 Donruss series

• 1979 - Pitt’s Dan Marino was selected in the fourth round of the free-agent draft by the Kansas City Royals. For some reason, he stuck with football, as did another KC pick that same year, John Elway. The Pirates, without a first rounder, picked LHP Scott Fiepke in the second round. He never got past AA, but the team had better luck in the third round with RHP Jose DeLeon, who spent 13 years in 1983 - The Pirates selected high school OF’er Ron DeLucchi first (#12) in the draft, but he never made it past Class A ball. There only notable selection was twelfth rounder LHP John Smiley, who lasted 11 years, won 126 games and was twice an All-Star.
• 2004 - Pine Richland HS C Neil Walker was drafted in the first round by the Pirates, 11th overall, and signed for a $1.95M bonus. IF Brian Bixler, the next selection, was the only other player to receive more than a cup of coffee at the MLB level.
• 2006 - The Pirates selected RHP Brad Lincoln from the U of Houston as their first round draft pick, the fourth overall player selected. He signed for a $2.75M bonus. RHP Jared Hughes (fourth round) and OF Alex Presley (eighth round) were also members of that draft class.

Brad Lincoln (photo: Jared Wickersham/Getty Images)

• 2011- The Pirates drafted RHP Gerrit Cole of UCLA first overall and signed him to a record $8M deal to set a record for a minor league deal. Then they signed high school phenom OF Josh Bell for $5M to lure him away from a commitment to Texas. Pittsburgh invested a MLB record $17M on its draft 2011 picks before a cap was put in place in 2012.
• 2013 - The Pirates picked high school players OF Austin Meadows (#9) and C Reese McGuire (#14) in the first round of the draft. Meadows received slot value to sign, $3,029,600, while McGuire inked a $2,369,000 deal that was $200K under slot.
• 2014 - The Pirates scored eight times in the sixth inning to hand the Milwaukee Brewers a 15-5 thumping at PNC Park, the biggest Bucco frame since 2012 when they accomplished the feat against San Diego. The 15 runs were the most scored since 2010, also against Milwaukee. The Bucs parlayed six hits and four walks into their big inning. Seven Pirates had multi hit outings, led by Russ Martin, who had three hits, four RBI and three runs scored to prime the 16 hit attack.

6/6: 24 Outs For 27 Runs, Bird-Brain, Golden Jubilee, Drafts: Candy Man, Bruce Kison, The Kid, Brad Lincoln, Gerrit Cole & Company

24 Outs For 27 Runs, Bird-Brain, Golden Jubilee, Drafts: Candy Man, Bruce Kison, The Kid, Brad Lincoln, Gerrit Cole & Company - and More...

• 1894 - The Pirates set a club record by scoring 27 runs, a franchise record, when they routed the Boston Beaneaters, 27-11, at Exposition Park in the North Side. Boston actually led 2-0 in the second inning and was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the third, until Pittsburgh scored 21 runs in the third and fourth innings. Jake Stenzel homered twice in the third inning off Henry Lampe, a Bucco feat that wouldn’t be duplicated again until 1995 by Jeff King. The Bucs hit four homers and scored 12 times in the third frame, sending 15 players to the dish and setting a HR record of seven bombs in a single game that wouldn’t be matched until 1947. 

 Jake Stenzel from Out of the Park

• 1918 - Casey Stengel, who had been traded to Pittsburgh by the Brooklyn Dodgers, returned to Ebbet’s Field for the first time and his old fans gave him the razzberries. Bowing to the grandstand, he doffed his cap, and out flew a sparrow that he had somehow picked up in the outfield. That prank was the highlight of Stengel’s day as he went 0-for-4 in a 5-0 loss. 
• 1925 - The Pirates held their Golden Jubilee celebration, bring back old stalwarts like Jack Chesbro, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Kitty Bransfield, Deacon Phillippe, Ginger Beaumont, CL Zimmer, Tom McCreedy, Jess Tannehill, George Yeager, Jimmie Burke, Tommy Leach and Claude Ritchey. Pittsburgh partied in style, beating the Phils 9-3 at Forbes Field behind Emil Yde. 
• 1940 - The Bucs fell behind Boston 5-0 in the second, then put up a six-spot of their own in the third and hung on for a 7-6 win at Forbes Field. It was a steady-as-she-goes performance, with six of the eight Pirate position players having hits with runs and/or RBI on the score sheet. Rip Sewell tossed eight innings for the win in relief; he gave up 10 hits but just two runs. 
• 1941 - The New York Giants became the first team to wear headgear in a game against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds as Pittsburgh swept the doubleheader, 5-4 and 4-3. In the nitecap, Rip Sewell set a NL record with 11 assists as a pitcher. They really didn’t need them; no one was beaned in either contest. The Pirates made batting helmets mandatory a decade later under Branch Rickey’s direction. 
• 1944 - The Pirates joined all of MLB by cancelling their game against the Reds at Forbes Field in tribute to D-Day. 
• 1959 - Ron Blackburn had a good day even if his team didn’t. The reliever smacked the only longball of his MLB career off Moe Drabowsky and tossed four innings of perfect ball in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs at Forbes Field.

Ron Blackburn 1959 Topps series

• 1959 - OF Doug Frobel was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He played for Pittsburgh from 1982-85. Frobel looked ready to break out after hitting .286 in limited at-bats in 1983, but fizzled given more exposure, and ended his Bucco career with a .213 BA. 
• 1968 - The Bucs selected HS outfielder Dick Sharon first (#9) in the draft; he spent three years in MLB as a reserve. They did hit on their 11th rounder, C Milt May, who played six of his 16 big league seasons with the Pirates and 14th rounder RHP Bruce Kison, who spent half (1971-77) of his career with Pittsburgh and won a memorable World Series game in his 1971 rookie season. Pittsburgh also selected RHPs Wayne Garland and Paul Mitchell, who worked in MLB. 
• 1972 - High school SS Dwayne Peltier was the Bucs first round (#23) pick; he never made it to the show, stalling out at AA ball. But the second round pick did - LHP John “The Candy Man” Candelaria, who pitched 12 years for the Bucs and won 124 games. 2B Willie Randolph, who played 18 years, mostly with the Yankees, was a seventh round selection. Shaler grad Ken Macha was picked in the sixth round. 
• 1973 - Barry Bonds hit his second consecutive leadoff homer against the Giants, but it wasn’t enough at TRS; the Bucs lost both games even though Bonds went 3-for-6 with three walks, a stolen base, five runs scored and three RBI. 
• 1978 - The Pirates picked HS first baseman Brad Garnett in the first round (#19) of the draft; he never advanced beyond Class A. In fact, none of their first 17 selections make to the majors. They did get a couple of keepers in the later rounds - Butler and Point Park RHP John Stuper (18th round), LHP Dave Dravecky (21st round) and SS Vance Law (39th round), Pirate Cy Young winner Vern Law’s kid who played for 11 seasons in the show. 
• 1979 - Pitt’s Dan Marino was selected in the fourth round of the free-agent draft by the Kansas City Royals. For some reason, he stuck with football, as did another KC pick that same year, John Elway. The Pirates, without a first rounder, picked LHP Scott Fiepke in the second round. He never got past AA, but the team had better luck in the third round with RHP Jose DeLeon, who spent 13 years in MLB.

 Pittsburgh Guys Dan Marino and Neil Walker from Associated Press

• 1983 - The Pirates selected high school OF’er Ron DeLucchi first (#12) in the draft, but he never made it past Class A ball. There only notable selection was twelfth rounder LHP John Smiley, who lasted 11 years, won 126 games and was twice an All-Star. 
• 2004 - Pine Richland HS C Neil Walker was drafted in the first round by the Pirates, 11th overall, and signed for a $1.95M bonus. IF Brian Bixler, the next selection, was the only other player to receive more than a cup of coffee at the MLB level. 
• 2006 - The Pirates selected RHP Brad Lincoln from the U of Houston as their first round draft pick, the fourth overall player selected. He signed for a $2.75M bonus. RHP Jared Hughes (fourth round) and OF Alex Presley (eighth round) were also members of that draft class. 
• 2011- The Pirates drafted RHP Gerrit Cole of UCLA first overall and signed him to a record $8M deal to set a record for a minor league deal. Then they signed high school phenom OF Josh Bell for $5M to lure him away from a commitment to Texas. Pittsburgh invested a MLB record $17M on its draft 2011 picks before a cap was put in place in 2012. 
• 2013 - The Pirates picked high school players OF Austin Meadows (#9) and C Reese McGuire (#14) in the first round of the draft. Meadows received slot value to sign, $3,029,600, while McGuire inked a $2,369,000 deal that was $200K under slot.

June 6 - Busy Day In Bucco Lore; Draft Lands Cole, Walker and...

Lotsa runs, Casey & his birdie, golden jubilee, helmets, Blackburn, Bonds, drafts...

• 1894 - The Pirates set a club record by scoring 27 runs when they routed the Boston Beaneaters, 27-11, at Exposition Park in the North Side. Boston actually led 2-0 in the second inning and was tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the third! Jake Stenzel homered twice in the third inning off Henry Lampe, a Bucco feat that wouldn’t be duplicated again until 1995 by Jeff King. The Bucs hit four homers and scored 12 times in the third frame, sending 15 players to the dish and setting a HR record that wouldn’t be matched until 1930.
• 1918 - Casey Stengel had been traded to Pittsburgh by the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the first time he returned to play in Ebbet’s Field as a Bucco, his old fans were giving him the razzberries. Bowing to the grandstand, he doffed his cap, and out flew a sparrow that he had somehow picked up in the outfield. The fans loved it, but that was the highlight of Stengel’s day. He went 0-for-4 in a 5-0 loss.
• 1925 - The Pirates held their Golden Jubilee celebration, bring back old stalwarts like Jack Chesbro, Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Kitty Bransfield, Deacon Phillippe, Ginger Beaumont, C.L Zimmer, Tom McCreedy, Jess Tannehill, George Yeager, Jimmie Burke, Tommy Leach and Claude Ritchey. Pittsburgh partied in style, beating the Phils 9-3 at Forbes Field behind Emil Yde.
• 1941 - The New York Giants became the first team to wear headgear in a game against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds as Pittsburgh swept the doubleheader, 5-4 and 4-3. In the nitecap, Rip Sewell set a NL record with 11 assists as a pitcher. They really didn’t need them; no one was beaned in either contest. The Pirates made batting helmets mandatory a decade later under Branch Rickey’s direction.
• 1944 - The Pirates join MLB by cancelling their game against the Reds at Forbes Field in tribute to D-Day.
• 1959 - Ron Blackburn had a good day even if his team didn’t. The reliever smacked the only hit of his MLB career‚ a homer off Moe Drabowsky, and tossed four innings of perfect ball in an 8-2 loss to the Cubs at Forbes Field.
• 1968 - The Bucs selected HS outfielder Dick Sharon first (#9) in the draft; he spent three years in MLB as a reserve. They did hit on their 11th rounder, C Milt May, who played six of his 16 big league seasons with the Pirates and 14th rounder RHP Bruce Kison, who spent half (1971-77) of his career with Pittsburgh and won a memorable World Series game in his 1971 rookie season. Pittsburgh also selected RHPs Wayne Garland and Paul Mitchell, who worked in MLB.
• 1972 - High school SS Dwayne Peltier was the Bucs first round (#23) pick; he never made it to the show, stalling out at AA ball. But the second round pick did - LHP John “The Candy Man” Candelaria, who pitched 12 years for the Bucs and won 124 games. 2B Willie Randolph, who played 18 years, mostly with the Yankees, was a seventh round selection. Shaler grad Ken Macha was picked in the sixth round.
• 1973 - Barry Bonds hit his second consecutive leadoff homer against the Giants, but it wasn’t enough at TRS; the Bucs lost both games even though Bonds went 3-for-6 with three walks, a stolen base, five runs scored and three RBI.
• 1978 - The Pirates picked HS first baseman Brad Garnett in the first round (#19) of the draft; he never advanced beyond Class A. In fact, none of their first 17 selections make to the majors. They did get a couple of keepers in the later rounds - Butler and Point Park RHP John Stuper (18th round), LHP Dave Dravecky (21st round) and SS Vance Law (39th round), Pirate Cy Young winner Vern Law’s kid who played for 11 seasons in the show.
• 1979 - Pitt’s Dan Marino was selected in the fourth round of the free-agent draft by the Kansas City Royals. For some reason, he stuck with football, as did another KC pick that same year, John Elway. The Pirates, without a first rounder, picked LHP Scott Fiepke in the second round. He never got past AA, but the team had better luck in the third round with RHP Jose DeLeon, who spent 13 years in the show.
• 1983 - The Pirates selected high school OF’er Ron DeLucchi first (#12) in the draft, but he never made it past Class A ball. There only notable selection was twelfth rounder LHP John Smiley, who lasted 11 years, won 126 games and was twice an All-Star.
• 2004 - Pine Richland HS C Neil Walker was drafted in the first round by the Pirates, 11th overall, and signed for a $1.95M bonus. IF Brian Bixler, the next selection, was the only other player to receive more than a cup of coffee at the MLB level.
•  2006 - The Pirates selected RHP Brad Lincoln from the U of Houston as their first round draft pick, the fourth overall player selected. He signed for a $2.75M bonus. RHP Jared Hughes (fourth round) and OF Alex Presley (eighth round) were also members of that draft class.
•  2011- The Pirates drafted RHP Gerrit Cole of UCLA first overall and signed him to a record $8M deal to set a record for a minor league deal. Then they signed high school phenom OF Josh Bell for $5M to lure him away from a commitment to Texas. Pittsburgh invested a MLB record $17M on its draft 2011 picks before a cap was put in place in 2012.