On July 25, 1956 — Pittsburgh’s right fielder Roberto Clemente hits Cubs reliever Jim Brosnan‘s first pitch off the cage surrounding the base of Forbes Field‘s left field light tower, just to the right of the scoreboard, then circles the bases just in time to become the first big league player in the post-Deadball Era to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam, turning a three-run 9th-inning deficit into a dramatic win. It is Clemente’s first career grand slam.
Jack Hernon of the Post Gazette writes: “Brosnan made one pitch, high and inside. Clemente drove it against the light standard in left field. Jim King had backed up to make the catch but it was over his head. The ball bounced off the slanted side of the fencing and rolled along the cinder path to center field. Here came Hank Foiles, Bill Virdon and then Dick Cole, heading home and making it easily. Then came Clemente into third. Bobby Bragan had his hands upstretched to hold up his outfielder. The relay was coming in from Solly Drake. But around third came Clemente and down the home path. He made it just in front of the relay from Ernie Banks. He slid, missed the plate, then reached back to rest his hand on the rubber with the ninth run in a 9 – 8 victory as the crowd of 12,431 went goofy with excitement.”
Last season, the Pittsburgh right fielder’s first-ever career round-tripper, which will be the first of ten IPHRs he will hit during his 18 years with the Bucs, also did not clear the fence.
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