1967 – Harry Walker (42-42) is fired as manager of the Pirates. Danny Murtaugh is called back to finish the season.
1967 – Harry Walker (42-42) is fired as manager of the Pirates. Danny Murtaugh is called back to finish the season.
Harry Walker becomes the skipper of the Pirates replacing Danny Murtaugh, who will return to the field as an interim manager during the 1967 season replacing his fired successor. During his two-plus years in the Pittsburgh dugout, ‘Harry the Hat’ compiles a respectable 224-184 (.549) record but is let go after his team plays .500 ball after competing for the National League flag the previous two seasons.
Harry Walker becomes the skipper of the Pirates replacing Danny Murtaugh, who will return to the field as an interim manager during the 1967 season replacing his fired successor. During his two-plus years in the Pittsburgh dugout, ‘Harry the Hat’ compiles a respectable 224-184 (.549) record but is let go after his team plays .500 ball after competing for the National League flag the previous two seasons.
1963 – On an all-or-nothing day for the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax, he gives up long balls to Roberto Clemente and Donn Clendenon, but strikes out 9 Pirates batters in 7 innings, and also gives up six runs. Sandy’s performance probably looks pretty good to Pirate skipper Danny Murtaugh, whose own staff gives up 19 runs, but it doesn’t prepare fans for the four-year run on which Brooklyn’s late-blooming bonus baby is about to embark.
1963 – On an all-or-nothing day for the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax, he gives up long balls to Roberto Clemente and Donn Clendenon, but strikes out 9 Pirates batters in 7 innings, and also gives up six runs. Sandy’s performance probably looks pretty good to Pirate skipper Danny Murtaugh, whose own staff gives up 19 runs, but it doesn’t prepare fans for the four-year run on which Brooklyn’s late-blooming bonus baby is about to embark.
Granted, Roberto Clemente and Howie Goss — the latter, a career minor leaguer cum Pirate reserve outfielder — are not likely to be linked terribly often in the years, decades and centuries to come. On this day, however, it is the benching of the former — having arrived late for today’s twin bill vs. Los Angeles — by an irate Danny Murtaugh (the first major flareup in what will remain a largely unreported but nearly decade-long rift between the two) that affords the latter, in his 10th year of professional baseball, his first big league start. Making the most of his “15 minutes”, Goss goes 3 for 5, his 7th-inning, two-run homer erasing a one-run deficit and sparking Pittsburgh’s 6 – 1 win. In the nightcap, Dick Stuart’s 400-foot solo blast provides all the support needed by rookie Al McBean, who notches his first career complete game and shutout, completing the sweep and propelling Pittsburgh past the first-place Cardinals.
Granted, Roberto Clemente and Howie Goss — the latter, a career minor leaguer cum Pirate reserve outfielder — are not likely to be linked terribly often in the years, decades and centuries to come. On this day, however, it is the benching of the former — having arrived late for today’s twin bill vs. Los Angeles — by an irate Danny Murtaugh (the first major flareup in what will remain a largely unreported but nearly decade-long rift between the two) that affords the latter, in his 10th year of professional baseball, his first big league start. Making the most of his “15 minutes”, Goss goes 3 for 5, his 7th-inning, two-run homer erasing a one-run deficit and sparking Pittsburgh’s 6 – 1 win. In the nightcap, Dick Stuart’s 400-foot solo blast provides all the support needed by rookie Al McBean, who notches his first career complete game and shutout, completing the sweep and propelling Pittsburgh past the first-place Cardinals.
1960 – Pittsburgh’s defensive wizards Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski, future Hall of Famers both, strut their stuff in a spring scrimmage with Milwaukee. Red Thisted of the Milwaukee Sentinel reports: “Mazeroski, a slim-jim in comparison with the weight he was carrying around a year ago, made Danny Murtaugh look good in the 2nd inning when he skipped far out on the right field grass for a back-handed stab of Eddie Haas’ hopper and got his man… Roberto Clemente robbed Bill Bruton of a triple with a startling grab in right center in the 4th.”
1960 – Pittsburgh’s defensive wizards Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski, future Hall of Famers both, strut their stuff in a spring scrimmage with Milwaukee. Red Thisted of the Milwaukee Sentinel reports: “Mazeroski, a slim-jim in comparison with the weight he was carrying around a year ago, made Danny Murtaugh look good in the 2nd inning when he skipped far out on the right field grass for a back-handed stab of Eddie Haas’ hopper and got his man… Roberto Clemente robbed Bill Bruton of a triple with a startling grab in right center in the 4th.”
Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh rejects the A’s offer to deal Roger Maris for shortstop Dick Groat
After Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh rejects the A’s offer to deal Roger Maris for shortstop Dick Groat, Pittsburgh obtains Gino Cimoli along with Tom Cheney from the Cardinals for right-hander Ron Kline. Maris, who goes to the Yankees, will enjoy the first of his two consecutive MVP years in New York, but Groat will play a key role for the World Champion Bucs next season, and he will also be named the most valuable player of his league.
The Associated Press names Danny Murtaugh as its major league Manager of Year. In his first full year in the Pirates’ dugout, the team improves by 22 games, 14 games over .500, finishing in second place, eight games behind Milwaukee.
The Associated Press names Danny Murtaugh as its major league Manager of Year. In his first full year in the Pirates’ dugout, the team improves by 22 games, 14 games over .500, finishing in second place, eight games behind Milwaukee.
Bypassing the customary Willie Mays-Roberto Clemente on-field rivalry, Willie plays directly to Roberto’s constituents as he makes his bid for the Nobel Peace Prize. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle explains: “The second largest crowd in Forbes Field history, 35,797 booing partisan fans, saw cool Willie Mays stop a free-for-all in the opening game. Even in the lair of the Pirates and despite their double defeat, Mays was the hero of the hour. In the middle of a player melee precipitated by a recurrence of a beanball feud that first broke out when Pittsburgh visited San Francisco, Willie tackled a near-berserk Orlando Cepeda to keep him from causing havoc with a bat.” The mêlée stems from a May 7th meeting between the teams and culminates in today’s 5th inning free-for-all with Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh charging P Ruben Gomez and being fended off by the Giant headhunter, now taking his turn at bat. Understandably concerned is Gomez’s fellow Puerto Rican. Stevens continues: “Among the first to his Puerto Rican countryman’s aid was 200-pounder Cepeda, eyes flashing and fists swinging at anything in sight in his lunge to get at Murtaugh. Unable to reach his immediate objective, Cepeda broke free from the milling athletes and picked up the lead-filled bat the batters swing to loosen up before going to the plate. He barely got a hand on it when from nowhere came Mays, head down and charging as hard as he could. Willie slammed into his first baseman, flattened him and pinned him until other players could help restrain the maddened Cepeda in his quest for blood. With Orlando subdued, the abortive riot broke up and Murtaugh was sent to the showers. No Giants were tossed from the contest, even though many people figured that they started the war May 7 in San Francisco when Curt Raydon and Marv Grissom began head-hunting. Mays was given a tremendous hand by the filled stands…”
Bypassing the customary Willie Mays-Roberto Clemente on-field rivalry, Willie plays directly to Roberto’s constituents as he makes his bid for the Nobel Peace Prize. Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle explains: “The second largest crowd in Forbes Field history, 35,797 booing partisan fans, saw cool Willie Mays stop a free-for-all in the opening game. Even in the lair of the Pirates and despite their double defeat, Mays was the hero of the hour. In the middle of a player melee precipitated by a recurrence of a beanball feud that first broke out when Pittsburgh visited San Francisco, Willie tackled a near-berserk Orlando Cepeda to keep him from causing havoc with a bat.” The mêlée stems from a May 7th meeting between the teams and culminates in today’s 5th inning free-for-all with Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh charging P Ruben Gomez and being fended off by the Giant headhunter, now taking his turn at bat. Understandably concerned is Gomez’s fellow Puerto Rican. Stevens continues: “Among the first to his Puerto Rican countryman’s aid was 200-pounder Cepeda, eyes flashing and fists swinging at anything in sight in his lunge to get at Murtaugh. Unable to reach his immediate objective, Cepeda broke free from the milling athletes and picked up the lead-filled bat the batters swing to loosen up before going to the plate. He barely got a hand on it when from nowhere came Mays, head down and charging as hard as he could. Willie slammed into his first baseman, flattened him and pinned him until other players could help restrain the maddened Cepeda in his quest for blood. With Orlando subdued, the abortive riot broke up and Murtaugh was sent to the showers. No Giants were tossed from the contest, even though many people figured that they started the war May 7 in San Francisco when Curt Raydon and Marv Grissom began head-hunting. Mays was given a tremendous hand by the filled stands…”
Bobby Bragan hears on the radio he has been fired as the Pirates’ manager and replaced by Philadelphia third base coach Danny Murtaugh. Pittsburgh general manager Joe L. Brown leaked news of the hiring before informing his disposed skipper.
Bobby Bragan hears on the radio he has been fired as the Pirates’ manager and replaced by Philadelphia third base coach Danny Murtaugh. Pittsburgh general manager Joe L. Brown leaked news of the hiring before informing his disposed skipper.
Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh’s inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair
1956 – Pirates second-year man Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh’s inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair, coached by two key figures in Clemente’s career: “Roberto Clemente slammed three hits today,” reports the Associated Press, “including the first homer by a Pittsburgh Pirate, as the ‘Sukeforths’ defeated the ‘Murtaughs’ 9 – 3 in an intra-squad game.”
