6/25 From 1940 Through the 1970’s: Kiner Muscles Up; Pops Bomb; Game Stories; HBD A-Ram, John & Alejandro

• 1943 - RHP John Gelnar was born in Granite, Oklahoma. The Bucs signed Gelnar out of Oklahoma in 1963; a year later he got a cup of coffee with the Pirates, working nine innings and giving up five runs. He got into 10 games in 1967, going 0-1, 8.05, with most of his time spent with AAA Columbus. In 1969-70, after a couple of trades, John pitched fairly well for the Seattle Pilots and then the Milwaukee Brewers. He got off to a rough start with the Brew Crew in ‘71, was sent down to AAA and then retired at the end of the 1972 campaign. He did get some recognition from Jim Bouton in “Ball Four” when Bouton wrote Gelnar used to bring binoculars to the bullpen when the pair were with Seattle so they could watch girls. 

Spud's cheapo tied the game - 1940 Play Ball

• 1944 - The Cards edged the Bucs 2-1 in the opener of a twinbill as Red Munger outpitched Rip Sewell. The second ended in a controversial 5-5 tie, called after nine innings because of the Pennsylvania Blue Law. Pittsburgh tied the game in the ninth on a pinch hit long ball by Virgil “Spud” Davis that went through the screen in front of the RF stands. Cards manager Billy Southworth protested, claiming that the ground rules were that a fair ball stuck in the screen was a double and the same reasoning should apply. Ump Beans Reardon didn’t buy the argument and ruled that since it didn’t hang up but went through the fence, it was a homer. 
• 1949 - The Bucs hit five home runs (Ralph Kiner twice, Wally Westlake, Ed Stevens & Dino Restelli) but the Dodgers banged out four of their own to leave Pittsburgh eating their dust at Forbes Field, winning a 17-10 slugfest. Rookie Restelli set a record as his four-bagger was the seventh in his first ten MLB games; he would only hit six more in his abbreviated big league career. 
• 1950 - Ralph Kiner had a massive day as he led the Pirates to a 16-11 win at Brooklyn by hitting for the cycle, the only one of his legendary career. He went 5-for-6 with two homers, scored four times and drove in eight runs at Ebbets Field. Stan Rojek added four hits against the Dodgers, Gus Bell had three and Ted Beard homered. Cliff Chambers got the win in relief of Vern Law though both were tagged for five runs in four innings. 
• 1959 - RHP Alejandro Pena was born in Cambiaso, Dominican Republic. After helping whip the Pirates in the playoffs as a Brave in 1991, the Pirates signed him as a free agent after the 1992 season for $1.35M. He promptly sat out the year with elbow surgery and came back in 1994, going 3-2-7/5.02 and was released in June. The 15-year vet had a twisty road to join the Pirates - he was mentioned, along with Kevin Mitchell and a PTBNL, to be part of a 1992 preseason deal for Barry Bonds with Atlanta. The swap was agreed to in principle by GM Ted Simmons but nixed by Jimmy Leyland, who went over Simmons’ head to plead his case with team President Carl Barger. So the club, which apparently thought highly of Pena, later signed him as a free agent even after he sat out the 1992 postseason with tendonitis. 
• 1971 - Willie Stargell hit the longest home run in Veterans Stadium history against Jim Bunning during a 14-4 win over the Phils. The spot where the ball landed in section 601 was highlighted with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black. The star remained in place until the stadium's 2004 razing. Teammate Richie Hebner quipped "I went up there after he hit that home run and I looked down. It looked like a $20 cab ride from there to home plate." 

Stargell star at the Vet (above upper right gateway) 
photo 15Nomad Philly Sports

• 1978 - 3B Aramis Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Pirates signed him in 1994 as a 16-year old, he debuted in 1998, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2003 in one of Pittsburgh’s more brutal contract dumps of the Dave Littlefield era. On July 23rd, 2015, he was traded back to Pittsburgh exactly 12 years after they first traded him away, and helped the Pirates in their wildcard run by hitting six homers and playing first base as needed for the first time in his 18-year career. He retired in November as a member of the team that first signed him two decades earlier. A-Ram spent a dozen years with the Cubs and Brewers in between and was a three-time All-Star who hit .286 and swatted 386 HR.

6/25 From 1980: Bomb Barrage; #9,000; Bulldog Battle; Game Stories; HBD Paul & Bobby

• 1982 - LHP Paul Maholm was born in Greenwood, Mississippi. Maholm was selected by the Pirates in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2003 draft and debuted in 2005. He worked for the Bucs through 2011, slashing 53-73/4.36, and was released with the Cubs picking him up. He played for them, the Braves and Dodgers through 2014 when a shoulder injury ended his career. 
• 1986 - LHP Bobby LaFromboise was born in Downey, California. He had two brief MLB stops, working for the Anglels and then getting into 17 games for the Pirates in 2014-15 as a depth reliever and LOOGY, with no decisions but a fine ERA of 1.54. Still, he was waived and though he signed with several teams on a look-see basis, he’s been out of baseball since 2017.

Bobby LaFromboise - photo MLB.com

• 1995 - There was plenty of good pitching in the Bucs 1-0 win over Montreal at Stade Olympique, with the Pirates making a two-out unearned run scored in the opening frame hold up. Esteban Loaiza tossed seven innings of five-hit ball, then Jason Christiansen and Dan Miceli put it to bed. Jay Bell was the only Bucco batter with a clue, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and scoring the game’s only run. Kevin Young had a record-tying day at the hot corner with 11 assists. The recently converted 1B (he had 30 MLB appearances at third in his first three campaigns) handled bunts, dribblers, and started a key around-the-horn DP in the fourth after the first two Expos had reached base, the only real jam Loaiza faced that day. 
• 2002 - The Pirates won their 9,000th game with a 4-1 victory against the Montreal Expos at PNC Park, joining the Giants, Yankees, and Dodgers in that accomplishment. Kris Benson got the W and Kevin Young went 4-for-4 on the day. 
• 2003 - The Pirates broke a 3-3 tie by scoring three times in the ninth, then barely held on to claim a 6-5 win over Montreal at Olympic Stadium. The Bucs took the late lead on a Kenny Lofton sac fly and back-to-back two-out singles by Jason Kendall and Jeff Reboulet. It was just enough for Mike Williams, who gave up a two-run homer to Ron Calloway and had Expos leading off first and second before getting the last two outs. 
• 2008 - In the battle of the Bulldogs, LHP Justin Wilson held Georgia scoreless for seven innings and got the win as Fresno State won its first College World Series by a 6-1 score. Wilson was named to the All-Tournament team and became the Bucs fifth round pick in the draft, pitching for the big club from 2012-14 before beginning a trek around the league. 
• 2009 - After falling behind the Indians 2-0 at PNC Park, the Bucs chipped away, winning 3-2 on a walk off bloop single in the ninth by Andrew McCutchen that scored Jack Wilson. Cutch was clutch; he scored the first run of the comeback in the sixth and drove in the tying run an inning later by drawing a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 count off Cliff Lee.  

Lyle Overbay - photo 2011 Jared Wickersham/Getty

• 2011 - The Bucs downed the Red Sox and one-time Bucco hurler Tim Wakefield, 6-4, behind a three-run homer by Lyle Overbay and a solo shot by Garrett Jones. Joel Hanrahan earned the save by striking out Adrian Gonzalez, who represented the tying run, in the ninth at PNC Park. 
• 2013 - The Bucs banged five homers for the first time since 2009 and rolled to a 9-4 win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Starling Marte led the Pirates' offense with a pair of home runs, his first career multi-homer game, and a triple. Russell Martin, Brandon Inge and Gaby Sanchez also homered. The Pirates went long three times in the second inning off Joe Saunders; Inge and Marte went back-to-back. Jeff Locke coasted to the win, and in the process became the first Pittsburgh lefty to win seven in a row since John Smiley in 1991.

6/24 Through the 1920s: Basebrawl; "Bright Star' Hans; Game Stories; HBD Jake, Lefty, Rollie & Kirtley

• 1867 - OF Jake Stenzel was born in Cincinnati. He patrolled center field for five years (1892-96) for Pittsburgh. Stenzel was a strong guy with the stick, putting up a line of .360/.429/.528 in his Allegheny years, adding 188 stolen bases. He was a monster in 1894, hitting .352 (oddly, his lowest one-season BA as a Bucco) with 150 runs and 121 RBI, banging 13 HR, 20 triples, and 39 doubles while swiping 61 sacks. Stenzel scored 100+ runs in his final three seasons with Pittsburgh. Per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects, Stenzel is the only player in baseball history to produce a .350 BA, 80 RBI, 100 runs & 50 SB line in a season four times (Honus Wagner did it twice) and is the franchise leader in batting average and on base percentage. 

Jake Stenzel - photo via Out of the Park Development

• 1896 - RHP Kirtley Baker was born in Covington, Kentucky. He started a decade-long baseball odyssey with the Alleghenys in 1890 as a 21-year-old, going 3-19/5.60 in 25 outings with one outing as a pinch runner (he stole a base). Over the course of the next 10 years, he would pitch for Orioles and Senators between stops of a nine-team trip through the minors, hanging up the spikes after the 1900 campaign. 
• 1902 - The Bucs whipped the Orphans 7-2 at the West Side Grounds in a game that was highlighted by a brawl between Chicago’s Joe Tinker and the Pirates Wid Conroy. Steamed that Conroy had held him (literally) at second in the previous game, Tinker launched a punch at Conroy, who promptly retaliated before ump Hank O’Day could restore order. Conroy ended up with a 20 day suspension while instigator Tinkers was given a three day slap on the wrist. Pure baseball was at a minimum as the Pittsburgh Press described the game action as providing “an oversupply of bungling” and added that “neither team did sufficient good playing to deserve a victory.” Chicago picked up the nickname of Cubs during this season because of the youthfulness of their roster. They had gone as the Orphans since 1898, when their long time manager Pop (aka Cap) Anson was fired; the media called them the "Orphans" because they had lost their Pop. 
• 1907 - C Ralston “Rollie” Hemsley was born in Syracuse, Ohio. Rollie spent the first four years (1928-31) of his 19-year, eight-club MLB stay with Pittsburgh, starting the last two and putting up a .264 BA. After being traded, he went on to have five All-Star years with three different clubs. After retiring, he was a coach for the Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators while also managing in the minors. He was selected Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News in 1950 while serving as pilot of the Columbus Red Birds. 
• 1908 - Per the Pittsburgh Press: “The bright...star of the game was ‘Honus’ Wagner who clouted the bulb for a home run, a double, a single, scored two runs...and made a bold steal of home…” as the Pirates beat the Reds 5-3 at Exposition Park. The Bucs scored three times in the eighth to turn the game their way with Hans driving in the lead run and stealing home for an insurance marker, getting the jump when the Cincinnati catcher tried to catch the runner at first, Ed Abbaticchio, napping with a snap throw behind him. Abby was wide awake, tho, and got back safely as the Flying Dutchman took advantage to sneak home. Vic Willis got the win with Nick Maddux tossing the ninth for the save. 
• 1910 - The Pittsburgh Press described it as “...a contest marked by free and easy hitting by both sides, sensational fielding and mediocre pitching...” as the Pirates prevailed over the Cubs at Forbes Field by a 6-5 tally. Honus Wagner was the offensive spark plug, banging out three hits and sending four runners home; he had the game-winning blow, a three-run, bases-loaded double in the seventh that “did the cleanup act.” Howie Camnitz was the “mediocre” hurler, giving up five runs in four innings before Deacon Phillippe came to the rescue, spinning shutout ball for five frames while giving up three hits. The Bucs gave Redbird Solly Hofman the day off; he became the first NL first baseman to play an entire game without registering a putout. 

Lefty Gerheauser - photo via Find-A-Grave (filter ColouriseSG)

• 1917 - LHP Al “Lefty” Gerheauser was born in St. Louis. Lefty tossed during 1945-46 for the Bucs as a swingman, going 7-12 with a 3.93 ERA. He came to the Pirates from the Phils in exchange for Vince DiMaggio. Lefty spent six years in the show with another 13 seasons in the minors before hanging ‘em up. He got on with his life in Joplin, Missouri, and fed his baseball jones by coaching at the Mickey Owens Baseball School. 
• 1924 - Cincinnati’s Eppa Rixey retired the first 23 Bucco batters that he faced and had a 1-0 lead in a duel with Ray Kremer. But the Pirates scratched out a run in eighth and added three more in the ninth, with the big blow a two-run single by Kiki Cuyler, to take a 4-3 win at Redlands Field. The Reds almost came all the way back, scoring twice in their half of the ninth, with Edd Roush, representing the tying run, cut down at the plate on a strong relay by SS Glenn Wright. Pittsburgh was outhit 13-6 in the contest.

6/24 From 1930: Arky Cycle; Baron Cover Boy; 1,000 For Clint; Evil Empire Returns; Rowdy Richard; Game Stories; HBD Ken

• 1933 - Arky Vaughan hit for the cycle against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. He went 5-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored in a 15-3 Bucco victory. He was (and still is) the youngest MLB player to hit for the cycle, at 21 years, 3 months of age. He had lots of help on this day as Pie Traynor had four hits, Gus Suhr three, and Adam Comorosky added a homer and double. Bill Swift cruised on his way to a complete game, six-hit victory. 

Arky Vaughan - 1933 Goudey

• 1934 - The battle between Philadelphia’s Dick Bartell and Bucco Arky Vaughan, who replaced him at shortstop in Pittsburgh, went on at Forbes Field. Bartell held a grudge from the prior series when he was “beaned” by a Vaughan DP relay. After he popped out (both Dick and Arky had 0-fer days) he “exchanged pleasantries” with Vaughan, ending in a fist shaking demonstration. As a reward for his antics, Bartell was low bridged the next time up by reliever and eventual game winner Waite Hoyt. Not only were the Pirates riled at “Sir Richard,” but so were the fans. After the game, Bartell went into the seats after a heckler. Volney Walsh, Pittsburgh Press beat writer, wrote “He was stopped in this effort by the club trainer, who grabbed little Dick by the belt and hauled him away…” The Pirates won the day easily 11-5 behind Gus Suhr’s three hits and a Paul Waner homer. 
• 1951 - 3B Ken Reitz was born in San Francisco. He ended his 11-year career on a quiet note with the Pirates in 1982, going 0-for-10 with four whiffs. Ken had been a Cardinal mainstay at the hot corner for eight years, earning an All-Star spot, Golden Glove and the nickname “Zamboni” for his ability to scoop up grounders. 
• 1963 - The baron of the Bullpen, ElRoy Face, was featured as the cover story of Sports Illustrated in an article titled “Baseball’s Best Reliever.” It might have jinxed the baron of the Bullpen - he went 3-9-16/3.23 that season after a strong 1962 campaign.  
• 1965 - Willie Stargell’s first career three-homer game (the Bucs hit five dingers during the match, with Bob Bailey and Jim Pagliaroni also going yard) sparked the Bucs to a 13-3 romp over first-place Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. Pops also lined a shot off the outfield railing for a double, just missing his fourth long fly of the day. Roberto Clemente added three knocks while Don Cardwell tossed a four hitter to earn the win over Don Drysdale. 
• 1978 - What started out as a pitcher’s duel ended up wild and wooly in the 12th inning, but John Milner’s grand slam was enough for the Bucs to claim a 7-4 victory at Shea Stadium. Jim Bibby and Craig Swan left a 2-2 game to the bullpens, and they were steadfast until the final frame. Milner hit his granny against the team that he had played with for six seasons after taking a pitch that almost caught him in the chicklets. The high and tight didn’t bother him, he said, but tipped him that the Mets wanted to work him inside, and he took a low, tight heater yard on the next pitch. Ed Whitson inherited a big lead - Omar Moreno had singled in a run before Milner’s blast - but left after giving up a run in the NY half. Milner and Moreno were big time - John had four hits while Omar had a game-saving catch to go with eight other grabs in center and stole three bases. Dave Hamilton came in and surrendered another score while providing some drama, getting the last out with the bases filled with Mets. Even more drama was about to take place as a death threat was phoned in saying that Chuck Tanner “would not leave the stadium alive” and after the game, he got a police escort. Tanner said he attributed the threat to the tightness of the game. In fact, it was the eighth time the two clubs had met in ‘78 and five of the games went into extra innings. 

John Milner - 1979 photo Getty Images

• 2008 - For the first time since Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, the New York Yankees visited Pittsburgh. Bill Mazeroski threw out the first pitch at PNC Park, and it was deju vu all over again as the Bucs broke out the bats to win 12-5. Freddy Sanchez had three hits and three runs scored while Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche also had three knocks with a pair of RBI each. And about time: the Bucs were the last MLB team to earn a regular season win against the Yankees. Also true to form, they were clobbered 10-0 by the Bronx Bombers the following day. 
• 2016 - Clint Hurdle won his 1000th victory as a skipper as the Bucs beat the Dodgers, 8-6, at PNC Park. Jameson Taillon started the game, and it took six Pirates twirlers to nail it down. Neftali Feliz earned the win while Mark Melancon converted his 17th straight save opportunity to close it out. Matt Joyce went 3-for-4 with a homer, double, & two RBI while Starling Marte had a pair of hits and Jung-Ho Kang went deep. It was also a red letter day for Adam Frazier, who made his big league debut and singled off LA reliever JP Howell for his first MLB hit. 
• 2017 - The Bucs used a wild streak to ice a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cards at Busch Stadium. Ahead 5-1 in the sixth thanks to a homer & three RBI from Jordy Mercer and a solo shot by Josh Harrison, the Pirates had a runner on second with two outs. Eight hitter Chris Stewart was intentionally walked and pitcher Gerrit Cole was unintentionally lost on a 3-2 pitch from Lance Lynn. John Brebbia relieved and plunked Adam Frazier in the foot on an 0-2 pitch to force home one run and the Fat Lady started warming up after J-Hay was smacked above the hip to plate another as the Bucs scored three runs on one hit. The Pirate bullpen struggled a bit, but brought the win home for Cole, who tossed a six-inning five-hitter.

6/23 Through the 1950’s: Bro Act; Groggy Pirates; Twister Tie; Game Stories; HBD Bill & Curly

• 1877 - Before there were Bucs there was Pud and the Alleghenys: Jim “Pud” Galvin of the Alleghenys shut out Chicago on three hits‚ 6-0, in International League play. The IL was considered a minor league, and only lasted one more season. The Alleghenys became a major league club in 1882 when they joined the American Association. Gentleman Jeems spent eight years in Pittsburgh as an Allegheny, Burgher and Pirate. 
• 1890 - 2B Harry and SS John Gilbert became the first brothers to play together for a major league Pittsburgh club when they manned the middle at the Philadelphia Baseball Grounds against the Phillies. The Alleghenys split the twin bill, with Harry going 2-for-8 and John 0-for-8, and they turned a DP in each game. The doubleheader was the only time either one of the Pottstown brothers played at the MLB level. They preceded brother duos Harry & Howie Camnitz (1909), Carson & Lyle Bigbee (1921), Johnny & Phil Morrison (1921), Lloyd & Paul Waner (1927-40), Gene & George Freese (1951), twins Eddie & Johnny O'Brien (1953-58) and Adam & Andy LaRoche (2008). 

Pirates last brother act, the LaRoches - Atlanta Journal Constitution 2008

• 1900 - RHP Bill Harris was born in Wylie, Texas. He tossed for the Bucs from 1931-34, with a record of 16-15-7 and a 3.45 ERA. Harris was a baseball lifer - he had seven years in the show, and earned 257 minor league wins between 1921-45, including two no-hitters. He managed in the minors afterward for the Giants and then scouted for them, the Senators and Yankees. 
• 1916 - Ken “Curly” Jungels was born in Aurora, Kansas. Curly pitched five MLB seasons, mostly for Cleveland, though not very often nor well. He made five outings and was 0-0/6.89 for the Pirates in 1941 while overall, his career consisted of 25 games, slashing 1-0/6.80. After his Pittsburgh campaign, Curly joined the Army during WW2 and never returned to the ballfield. 
• 1919 - The Bucs won their fifth game in a row, 3-2 over the Saint Louis Cardinals at Robison Park. Casey Stengel was the man of the hour, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth and then making a game-saving catch in the bottom half to back Frank Miller’s complete game effort. The Pirates cut the Reds NL lead to two games with the win, but finished fourth with a 71-68 record, miles behind Cincinnati, which posted 96 victories. The Redlegs won the World Series, but that result is often forgotten thanks to the “Black Sox” scandal of their Chicago opponents. J
• 1930 - Bucco pitchers Heinie Meine and Leon Chagnon gave up 12 straight hits in the sixth inning during a loss to the Brooklyn Robins at Forbes Field, tying the record for most consecutive hits allowed (Brooklyn banged out 28 knocks in all) in a game. And if you think beatmen are tough to please now: Pittsburgh Press writer Ed Balinger led off the game story with “the slugging Robins...lambasted the lame and groggy Pirates to the agonizing tune of 19-6.” 
• 1944 - The weather and local law combined to nullify four hours and 14 innings of baseball as the Pirates-Cards game at Forbes Field was called at 1 AM with the score knotted at 5-5 to comply with the curfew. The two teams used 39 players (10 pitchers) and combined for 10 runs and 30 hits, wasting a big effort by Bucco OF Jim Russell, who went 5-for-7. 12,086 paid and 277 free military fans were on hand at the start of the marathon, which went on for 4:02 before ump Beans Reardon called it a night. It was a miracle they got that much play in - the contest was delayed by rain twice, the batting cage (which was on wheels) was blown from the plate and crashed into the grandstands before the game and a lethal tornado touched down in nearby McKeesport and continued down through Waynesburg and the Mon Valley into West Virginia, killing 90 and injuring over 600. 

Carlos' knock beat Spahn - 1953 Topps

• 1953 - The Pirates defeated Hall-of-Fame pitcher Warren Spahn and the Braves at County Stadium, 1-0. Spahn, who would be named The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year after the season (23-7/2.10 ERA), struck out 12 batters and surrendered just two hits. Bucco outfielder Carlos Bernier delivered the game-winner, a two-out single in the eighth inning that scored Preston Ward, who had walked. RHP Bob Hall tossed a six-hit shutout to win the duel against Spahn and Milwaukee; it was one of his three wins during his final MLB campaign. 
• 1954 - The Bucs broke St. Louis’ Harvey Haddix’s string of 37 straight shutout innings when Preston Ward drove home Dick Cole in the sixth, but were still left in the dust at Forbes Field by the Cards 7-1. Pittsburgh kept an eye on The Kitten and in 1959 reeled him. Harvey spent five years as a Bucco, went 2-0 in the 1960 World Series, and later put in eight seasons as a minor league manager/big league coach for the Pirates.

6/23 From 1960: Saturday Warriors; Nicosia Signs; Delightful Denny; Comeback Kids; Frank Fingered; Game Stories

• 1961 - The Pirates raced out to a 9-0 lead and were up 11-2 after seven innings at Forbes Field, but ended up losing 12-11 in regulation to the Phils. Joe Gibbon, the starter, had his arm tighten up, so Clem Labine and ElRoy Face took over in the eighth, giving up four runs but still holding an 11-6 edge. Earl Francis took over in the ninth, and the Bucs committed four errors behind him, with the winning run scoring after LF Bob Skinner lost his footing fielding a single. All manager Danny Murtaugh could say was “This is the worst defeat I’ve had since I’ve been the Pirates manager.” 

Steve Nicosia bio - 1980 Press 

• 1973 - Another Saturday, another win, as the Bucs took their sixth straight Saturday contest by a 3-2 count over the Mets at TRS in 10 innings. Jeff Samuels of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “Every other day of the week they doddle somewhere between mediocrity and ineptitude. But on Saturdays, they’re killers. They play...like world champs.” They ran their Saturday streak to seven before the Dodgers dropped them in July, although in justice it must be noted that the club was 0-5 on that day before the victory run began. Manny Sanguillen was the hero of this one, singling home Gene Clines to make a winner of Ramon Hernandez, who was tossing in relief of starter Dock Ellis. In other news of the day, the Bucs announced they had signed their top draft pick, C Steve Nicosia, to a contract that included an estimated $50,000 bonus. 
• 1974 - After Frank Taveras made an error that led to four unearned runs and a Bucco defeat at Wrigley Field, the clubhouse received four phone calls threatening the life of the shortstop from an irate gambler who claimed to have lost $5,000 betting on the game. The team and Chicago police couldn’t trace the call, Frank himself basically blew it off, and nothing other than a couple of newspaper sidebars ever became of the incident. 
• 1983 - The Bucs broomed the Cubs at TRS in a five game set by a 5-2 tally behind Larry McWilliams’ five-hitter; both runs were unearned on his own first-inning error, dropping what should have been an inning-ending flip to first. Tony Pena had four hits; six other Pirates had raps in an otherwise balanced attack. The sweep wasn’t easy, with the first two wins being walk offs, and it was sweet revenge after Pittsburgh had lost a four game series at Wrigley Field two weeks earlier. The Bucs then swept the Cards in a four-gamer before coming back to earth. 
• 1995 - Denny Neagle won a duel with Pedro Martinez as the Bucs beat the Expos 2-0 at Olympic Stadium. Neagle surrendered just a pair of hits, with Mark Johnson and Nelson Liriano chasing home the Bucco runs, to become the first NL hurler to get to eight wins (8-3/2.82). Neagle earned his first All-Star bid later in the season. 
• 2005 - The Pirates jumped out to an 11-2 lead over the Cards and never looked back to take an 11-7 win. Humberto Cota led the way with three RBI, two on sac flies, but St. Louis was its own worst enemy, committing three errors to allow Pittsburgh seven unearned runs at Busch Stadium. Dave Williams got the victory and Rick White the save after he blunted a Redbird rally in the ninth. 

Jason Grilli - 2013 Topps Heritage

• 2013 - It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. Angel pitchers had sat down 16 straight Pirates and went into the ninth with a 6-3 lead at Angel Stadium with closer Ernesto Frieri on the hill. But the battlin’ Bucs tied the game on a double by Russell Martin and single by Starling Marte, both with two strikes and two outs. Then they scored four more in the 10th. But LA decided to not mail it in; they scored three times in their half off Bucco closer Jason Grilli and had runners on second and third with two out and Mike Trout up; Grilli got him swinging. Martin and Andrew McCutchen were scheduled for off days, but played the last two innings, going a combined 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. It was also the MLB debut for a pair of Pirate rookies, C Tony Sanchez, who doubled in his first at bat, and RHP Duke Welker, who worked a frame and got his first big league punch out. It was a series sweep for the Pirates, their first road interleague sweep ever. As for Grilli and Frieri, they would be traded for each other a year later, both victims of the volitility of relievers. 
• 2015 - Cincinnati jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but the Pirates answered with their most productive inning in over a year, plating seven runs in the fourth against the Reds at PNC Park. The big blows were a three-run homer by Fran Cervelli and a two-run shot by Andrew McCutchen. Pittsburgh needed every one of those tallies, as the bats were shut down after that outburst. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon cooled the hot Redleg bats in the last two innings by ringing up six straight punch outs for the save of Rob Scahill’s 7-6 victory. 
• 2019 - In a see-saw game at PNC Park, the Padres extended their 5-4 lead to 7-4 in the top of the eighth (SD would hold four leads during the game) and carried it into the ninth. But the Bucs took advantage of an error and infield single to go along with two solid raps to tie the game against Kirby Yates, breaking his streak of 33 straight saves. In the 11th, SD had the bases loaded with no outs, but Frankie Liriano almost escaped; a well-executed two-out bunt single put the Padres up, and a fly that dropped in right made it 10-7. But the Bucs’ goose wasn’t quite cooked. A walk to Bryan Reynolds, Josh Bell’s single and a Melky Cabrera double got back a run and put runners on second and third with one away. Jake Stallings rapped a knock to left, tying the game, and after a single and walk loaded the bases, a pop up was out number two. It was left up to Kevin Newman, who fell behind 0-2, but kept his cool and drew a walk-off walk to cap a memorable comeback, Pittsburgh’s first “shrimp” win since 2014. Liriano, despite surrendering a three-spot, got the victory. 10 different Bucs scored and seven more added RBIs; Jose Osuna had three knocks to lead the 17-hit attack. The Padres were good to the last swing, too - eight of their 10 runs scored with two outs. Sad fact: the game took 4:58 to complete, and fun fact: it was the first game since 2008 to feature both teams scoring 10 runs or more in the same game w/o a homer (KC-11, SF-10).

6/22 Through the 1950s: 23 For Clyde; Carey Two-Fers; A Cup & 2,000 For Hans; Game Stories; HBD Gus & Dave

• 1877 - RHP Gus Thompson was born in Humboldt, Iowa. The Pirates picked up the 26-year-old’s contract in August from Helena of the Pacific National League, and he went 2-2/3.56 in five 1903 outings (four starts) in his rookie campaign. He made the World Series roster and got into a game against Boston, giving up a run in three innings. But he only got one more shot at the show in 1906 with the Cards and his pro career ended following the 1910 season when he tossed for the Seattle Giants of the Northwestern League. 
• 1882 - The Reds beat the Bucs at Exposition Park‚ 5-2, in 14 innings, ending the game with a triple play. With runners on first and second, Cincinnati SS Chick Fulmer let a pop fly drop, then with the runners in limbo, went around the horn to close out the game. The infield fly rule wasn’t put into effect until 1885 by the NL and crafted into its current form in 1901.

Honus Wagner - 2019 Topps Living Set

•  1908 - Honus Wagner smacked his 2,000th hit against Jake Weimer of the Reds during a 4-0 loss at Exposition Park. Back in the day, there wasn’t much ado about career milestones (nor were hits and such even accurately counted, so thus date may be taken with a healthy dash of salt) and the Pittsburgh media made nary a mention of the feat. 
• 1917 - The Pirates held a Honus Wagner Day at Forbes Field to honor the Bucco great, who announced (again) that this would be his last season, although this time the 43-year-old kept his word and hung ‘em up after the season. Before the game, he rode in the lead car of what was claimed to be a 500-vehicle parade from town to the Oakland ballyard along with Mayor Joe Armstrong. The fans were all given ribboned pins with the Flying Dutchman’s picture (there were no bobbleheads back in the day) and Wagner received an engraved ("Presented to John P. Wagner By His Admirers Friday on June 22,  1917 Wagner Day.") silver loving cup along with a lifetime membership to his favorite club, the Carnegie Elks. Honus went 1-for-4 with a walk and steal as the Bucs eked out a 4-3 win over the Cubs in 10 innings, making Wilbur Cooper a winner. 
• 1925 - Max Carey got two hits in each the first and eighth innings as the Pirates beat the Cards at Sportsman's Park, 24-6. The two-hits-in-two-innings feat wasn’t repeated again until Rennie Stennett did it against the Cubs in 1975. The Pirates smacked six homers that game, with two from George Grantham, grand slams by Kiki Cuyler and Pie Traynor and more long balls from Clyde Barnhart and Earl Smith, helped along by seven Cardinal errors along the way. Every Pirate starter, including the pitcher and winner Ray Kremer, had at least a hit and either scored a run, drove in a run, or both. It was the Pirates biggest run outburst of the 20th century. The Bucs were really rolling; the game before they tattooed the Brooklyn Robins 21-5, banging out four dingers, three triples and three two-baggers. Kiki Cuyler went 4-for-5 with two homers, a triple, six RBI and five runs in that one. The Bucs bopped that year; they scored 912 runs on the way to a 93-60 record, the NL title and a World Series crown. 
• 1927 - LF Clyde Barnhart ran his hit streak to 23 games with a single in an 11-9 win over the Reds at Forbes Field. It would end the following game against the Cubs’ Charlie Root. The heroes of the day for the Bucs were Kiki Cuyler and Glenn Wight with three knocks and two RBI each, along with pitcher Carmen Hill. “Specs” spun 6-⅔ IP of relief for the win and went 2-for-3 at the dish. 

Clyde Barnhart - 1921 photo Paul Thompson via RMY Auctions

• 1949 - LHP Dave Tomlin was born in Maysville, Kentucky. Tomlin had a good run through the league, but the Bucs got him when the tank was empty. He got six outings with the Buccos in 1983 & 1985 while in his mid-thirties for five innings and a 5.40 ERA, spending most of his Pirates career in AAA Hawaii. After his tossing ended (1986 was his last MLB year) he became a pitching coach for Montreal and later Atlanta. He was a pitching coach and minor league manager for the Red Sox from 1998-2016. 
• 1951 - A power failure at Forbes Field delayed the start of the game with the Dodgers by two hours, and rain held up play in the sixth inning by another 36 minutes, pushing the game’s end to 1:56 AM. Brooklyn’s night owls won easily, 8-4. Of the 24‚966 fans there at the start of the Friday night game, an estimated 10‚000 insomniacs were still on hand for the end.

6/22 From 1960: Fiver For Rennie; 11 For El Coffee; Dovy Debut; Brad Signed; No Deal For Donn; Game Stories; HBD Brant

• 1964 - Beat man Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that the Pirates had a pair of deals in the fire for 1B Donn Clendenon, one with the Braves and another with the Phils. Both clubs wanted Clendenon and a reliever. The Pirates ask from Milwaukee was OF Felipe Alou and from Philadelphia, they wanted RHP Art Mahaffey and another unnamed player. Neither set of talks got close to trigger-pulling time. 

No deals for Donn - 1964 Topps Stand Up

• 1971 - OF/1B Brant Brown was born in Porterville, California. The Bucs swapped Jon Lieber for Brant after he had hit .291/14 HR with the Cubs in 1998, but in 130 Pirates games he hit just .232, although he did swat 16 homers and chase home 58 runs. He was sent to the Padres after the year for Bruce Aven and 2000 was his last big-league season. Since he’s retired, Brown has coached in the Rangers and Mariners minor-league systems and is now a dual assistant hitting coach/minor league hitting coordinator for the Dodgers. 
• 1976 - Rennie Stennett had five hits to help rally the Pirates from a 5-0 deficit to a 10-7 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Richie Zisk & Al Oliver had three knocks each (the team collected 19 raps) while four Bucs had two RBI and eight different Corsairs scored to carry Larry Demery, the middle arm of a five-pitcher parade, to the win. 
• 1993 - Bob Walk spun a three-hitter as the Bucs downed the Cubs 7-2 at TRS. Walkie had the magic touch against Chicago, with the win pushing him to 15-3 lifetime against the Baby Bruins (he finished his career 15-4 against them; this was the 36-year-old’s final campaign). It was his second back-to-back complete game of his 14 year MLB stint. His support came from Jeff King and Al Martin dingers, with Kevin Young banging out four hits. Walk wasn’t particularly impressed by the outing, though. He told Paul Meyer of the Post Gazette that “Everything they hit was right at somebody. They could have easily had 100 hits...” Manager Jim Leyland, for one, was glad that the at’em balls led to an easy night. He had spent the evening before at the hospital as wife Katie presented him with daughter Kellie. 
• 2006 - RHP Brad Lincoln, the Pirates first round draft pick selected out of the U of Houston, signed for a bonus estimated at $2.75M. He was introduced at a Bucco PC and then sent straight to Bradenton to the Rookie League Pirates. The day before, it was announced that Pittsburgh prospects C Neil Walker and LHP Tom Gorzelanny would appear in the Futures Game for the USA during MLB’s All-Star weekend while the number one pick from 2005, Andrew McCutchen, went 1-for-3 in the Sally League All-Star game. More AS news: NL skipper Phil Garner of the Astros selected Bucco bench minder Jim Tracy to his staff, along with Chuck Tanner as an honorary coach, for the PNC Park Midsummer Classic. 
• 2010 - RHP Dovydas Neverauskas saw some mop-up duty for the GCL Pirates during an 11-4 loss to the Yankee rookies, becoming the first born-and-raised Lithuanian to appear in organized baseball. He debuted for the Bucs in 2017. 

Dovy Neverauskas - 2016 Futures Game photo Pirates

• 2011 - At PNC Park, the Pirates reached the magic .500 mark as Kevin Correia picked up his 9th win, 5-4, over the Orioles, with Joel Hanrahan earning his 20th save in 20 opps (he would run up 26 saves before blowing a lead). The big blow was delivered by Josh Harrison, who plated Brandon Wood and Michael McKenry when his fifth-inning, two-out ground ball rolled between the second baseman's legs. The Pirates were fighting to end an 18-year streak of losing seasons, but it wouldn’t be this year (or next). The team was several games over .500 in late July, but by August third, they had dropped below the benchmark and then circled the drain, finishing 72-90.  
• 2014 - Rookie Gregory Polanco’s team-record streak of 11 straight games with a hit to open his career ended at Wrigley Field, but the Bucs still prevailed 2-1. Travis Snider’s home run and Josh Harrison’s two-out single gave Brandon Cumpton just enough breathing room, with Mark Melancon coming on to earn a save. Polanco would continue his on-base streak, which reached 14 games before he finally had a contest without a hit or walk. El Coffee had barely kept his hit streak alive in the prior game, winning a challenge for an infield single that had originally been ruled an out.

6/21 Through the 1970’s: Busy Robby; Big Game Bigbee; Game Stories; HBD Spencer

• 1888 - Chicago’s George “Rip” Van Haltren no-hit the Alleghenys in a rain-shortened, seven inning outing at West Side Park that the White Stockings won 1-0. Van Haltren would convert to the outfield in 1891, and spent a couple of years in Pittsburgh (1892-93) roaming the pasture, with a dozen games at SS. 

Jake Beckley - photo via Baseball Hall of Fame

• 1893 - Pittsburgh rallied past Cleveland 6-5 by scoring five times in the bottom of the ninth at Exposition Park. The Spiders committed a pair of errors in the last frame, and Jake Beckley blasted a three-run triple for the walk-off win. The Pittsburgh Press set up Beckley’s blow: “The bases were full, and so were the Cleveland’s - full of alarm and bad humor. The crowd was full of excitement and began to yell and scream. But finally Beckley settled the controversies of the day by swinging the ball into right field good and true...” 
• 1898 - IF Spencer Adams was born in Layton, Utah. He spent four seasons in the majors on four teams as a bench guy, starting as a 25-year-old in 1923 with the Pirates and hitting .250 in 25 games. The Pirates had sent two players and $5,000 to Seattle to get Adams; at the end of the year, they flipped him to Oakland, another PCL club, as part of the Ray Kremer deal. 
• 1922 - Carson Bigbee banged out five hits, including two doubles and a triple good for three RBI while Clyde Barnhart added four hits and chased home four Buccos, but it was for naught as Brooklyn won in 10 innings 15-14. Bigbee and Barnhart each booted a ball, along with Pie Traynor, in the extra frame to lose to the Robins at Ebbets Field. 
• 1971 - Bob Robertson set a MLB record for most assists in a nine inning game by a first baseman with eight in a 6-0 win over the Mets at TRS, helping Dock Ellis to an eight-hit shutout. Ellis was busy, too, setting the NL record for putouts by a pitcher with five. The extra-inning mark for assists was also eight‚ set by the Buc’s Bob Skinner in 1954. 

Bob Robertson - 1971 Pirates Picture Pack

• 1978 - Bucco shortstop Frank Taveras delivered a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning, bringing home Phil Garner with the walk-off run in a 2-1 victory over the Cubs at TRS. John Candelaria pitched a complete game for the Pirates, as did Chicago’s Ray Burris. “Scrap Iron” had three hits and scored both runs.

6/21 From 1980: All-Timer Roberto; Kratz Cracks the Record Book; B-2-B Bonus Ball; Game Stories; HBD GI

• 1981 - 1B/OF Garrett Jones was born in Harvey, Illinois. He was a Bucco platoon middle-of-the order presence against RHP from 2009-13 after being signed as a minor league FA from the Minnesota Twins organization. He hit 100 HR and had a .256 BA in Pittsburgh before moving on as a FA in 2014. Garrett was known as "GI Jones," a play on GI Joe. 

GI Jones - 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter

• 1989 - Doug Drabek and Greg Maddux hooked up in a classic pitching duel, though neither was around at the finish, as the Cubs beat the Bucs 1-0 at TRS. Maddux went 10 frames of six-hit ball while Drabek went nine, giving up five knocks. Future Bucco skipper Lloyd McClendon’s sac fly off Doug Bair brought home future Bucco coach & scout Gary Varsho in the 11th for the game’s only tally. 
• 1998 - Three Pirate relievers surrendered five runs to the Brew Crew in the final two frames, but the Bucs hung on to take an 8-7 win at County Stadium. The Pirate hero was Jose Guillen, who smacked a grand slam in the third inning off Jeff Juden. Esteban Loaiza won his fifth game in spite of the bullpen meltdown. 
• 2003 - The Pirates edged the Indians‚ 7-6, for their second straight 15-inning victory over the Tribe, claiming a 5-4 win the day before. It was the first time since 1996 that two teams had played consecutive 15-inning contests. The win was highlighted by a web gem grab by Brian Giles, stealing a two-run homer bid from Brandon Phillips in the eighth inning and as described by ESPN: “Giles pushed off the fence with his foot to elevate himself, stretched his glove over the 6-foot fence and pulled the ball back from the second row of the stands.” The yard was rockin’ from the crowd of 36,856, which included many Cleveland fans, and was the Pirates' first sellout of the year. 
• 2005 - Matt Lawton drove in five runs and scored twice, banging a homer and double, to lead the Pirates to an 11-4 win over the Nationals at PNC Park. Lawton went 3-for-5, Daryle Ward drove home three runs, and Ollie Perez pitched six frames for the win. The Pirates banged out 14 hits, seven for extra bases (one HR & six doubles). 
• 2008 - In a pre-game ceremony at PNC Park, the Pirates officially presented the family of Roberto Clemente with his trophy after Arriba was named to Rawlings’ All-Time Gold Glove Team. The Bucs went on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 behind two-run homers by Jay Bay, Raul Chavez and Jose Bautista in front of 27,014 fans. 

Erik Kratz - photo 6/20/2016 Pgh Pirates

• 2016 - Ma, I’m In the Record Book: Erik Kratz, who tossed an inning while an Angel in April, became the first player in the modern era to catch and pitch for two teams in the same season when he flipped a scoreless ninth inning during the Pirates' 15-4 loss to the Giants at PNC Park.