Ralph Kiner hits the 300th home run of his career
Ralph Kiner hits the 300th home run of his career, off Al Corwin of the New York Giants at Forbes Field. Kiner is the 12th player to reach the mark.
21-year-old Mickey Mantle becomes just the third batter in Forbes Field’s 44-year history—after Babe Ruth in 1935 and Teddy Beard in 1950—to clear the 89-foot-high right field roof
Pittsburgh’s one-sided pre-season victory over the defending World Champions notwithstanding, today’s main attraction is 21-year-old Mickey Mantle, as the Yankees’ young phenom becomes just the third batter in Forbes Field’s 44-year history—after Babe Ruth in 1935 and Teddy Beard in 1950—to clear the 89-foot-high right field roof.
Pirates become the first team to use protective headgear, a precursor to the batting helmet
At Forbes Field, the Pirates become the first team to use protective headgear, a precursor to the batting helmet, that protects the players’ temples. Branch Rickey’s innovation, worn both at the plate and in the field in the Bucs’ twin bill split with Boston, is a plastic hat with a foam layer attached to the hat band.
Bob Friend shuts out the Reds in Buc’s home opener
Apr 18, 1952 – In their home Opener before 29‚874 at Forbes Field‚ Pittsburgh’s Bob Friend shuts out the Reds‚ 5-0‚ on 5 hits. It is the 2nd win in a row for the Pirates‚ and they won’t have a winning streak longer than two games all season‚ a 20th century ML record low….
Preacher Roe wins his 20th game against just two losses, as the Dodgers edge the Pirates, 3 – 1. Andy Pafko hits his 14th homer for Brooklyn, still six games ahead of the Giants.
Preacher Roe wins his 20th game against just two losses, as the Dodgers edge the Pirates, 3 – 1. Andy Pafko hits his 14th homer for Brooklyn, still six games ahead of the Giants.
Willie Mays Bare handed grab
1951 – Ouch!! Willie Mays’s oft-recalled bare-handed grab of left-handed Rocky Nelson’s screaming opposite field line drive takes place in Forbes Field in the 1st inning of a 5 – 4 Giant loss to Pittsburgh. Mays runs to the left-center corner of the bullpen (also known as Greenberg Gardens, or Kiner’s Corner), about 410 feet from the plate. At the last minute, the wind gets a hold of Nelson’s slicing shot and starts pushing it back towards right. Mays looks up and locates the ball but too late to adjust. As he will recall on June 3, 1957, after robbing Roberto Clemente on a shot to almost the same spot, “I couldn’t get my glove around. So I just stuck my bare hand up and the ball stuck.”
Willie Mays makes barehanded grab at Forbes Field
“That was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to see” – Pirates GM Branch Rickey, commenting on a catch made by Willie Mays at Forbes Field. At cavernous Forbes Field, Giants’ outfielder Willie Mays, unable to reach across his body to make a catch with his glove of Rocky Nelson’s sinking 457-foot blast to deep center, sticks out his bare right hand and grabs the ball on a full gallop to make the incredible final out of the inning. Venerable Branch Rickey, Pittsburgh’s general manager, sends a note to the New York dugout during the game to tell the 20 year-old rookie, “That was the finest catch I have ever seen, and the finest I ever expect to see.”
Red Schoendienst hits home runs from both the left and right side of the plate
On July 8, 1951, in the second game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, future Hall of Fame second baseman Red Schoendienst hits home runs from both the left and right side of the plate.
A power failure at Forbes Field delays the start of the game with the Dodgers by two hours and the game ends at 1:56AM the latest to date
A power failure at Forbes Field delays the start of the game with the Dodgers by two hours. Rain holds up play in the 6th inning by another 36 minutes, pushing the ending to 1:56 a.m., the latest game played to date. Brooklyn has no power problems as Jackie Robinson’s homer helps Da Bums to an 8 – 4 win over Pittsburgh. Of the 24,966 on hand at the start, 10,000 are still present at the end.
Richie Asburn collects 8 hits in a double header sweep of Bucs
On May 20, 1951, Richie Ashburn of the Philadelphia Phillies collects four hits in each game of a doubleheader. he goes 4-for-6 and 4-for-5, all singles. The offensive barrage by the future Hall of Famer helps the Phillies sweep the rival Pittsburgh Pirates, 17-0 and 12-4, at Forbes Field.
