1971 – Is this Roberto Clemente’s long lost 241st home run? Some spotty official scoring and Dave Giusti’s pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clemente’s contributions to the Pirates’ performance. Giusti’s silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk to Willie Mays, and a game-winning grand slam served to the Giants’ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburgh’s come-from-behind 4 – 2 victory into an ignominious 8 – 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 – 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giusti’s meltdown, Clemente’s rope to home plate prevents Dick Dietz from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a vicious line drive back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored an error, it’s the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “It should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I don’t really care if the ruling’s changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.”

ByBaseball

1971 – Is this Roberto Clemente’s long lost 241st home run? Some spotty official scoring and Dave Giusti’s pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clemente’s contributions to the Pirates’ performance. Giusti’s silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk to Willie Mays, and a game-winning grand slam served to the Giants’ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburgh’s come-from-behind 4 – 2 victory into an ignominious 8 – 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 – 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giusti’s meltdown, Clemente’s rope to home plate prevents Dick Dietz from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a vicious line drive back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored an error, it’s the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “It should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I don’t really care if the ruling’s changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.”

clay kirby

Clay Kirby removed for a pinch hitter with a no hitter

ByThis Day in Baseball

On July 21, 1970, San Diego Padres manager Preston Gomez lifts starter Clay Kirby for a pinch-hitter, Cito Gaston in the eighth inning, even though the right-hander has a no-hitter in progress. Gaston fails to get a hit off Mets starter Jim McAndrew With the Padres trailing 1-0, Gomez decides to play for the win instead of letting…

A gala All-Star Game banquet in Washington is one of baseball’s great events. An all-time team and all-time living team are announced. Babe Ruth is selected Greatest All-Time Player, and Joe DiMaggio, Greatest Living Player.

ByBaseball

1969 – A gala All-Star Game banquet in Washington is one of baseball’s great events. An all-time team and all-time living team are announced. Babe Ruth is selected Greatest All-Time Player, and Joe DiMaggio, Greatest Living Player.

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1965 – Bob Bruce outduels Bob Gibson as Houston blanks the Cardinals, 2-0. Bruce allows six hits. Gibson surrenders only four but one of them is a two-run double by Bob Lillis for the game’s only tallies.

ByTom

1965 – Bob Bruce outduels Bob Gibson as Houston blanks the Cardinals, 2-0. Bruce allows six hits. Gibson surrenders only four but one of them is a two-run double by Bob Lillis for the game’s only tallies.

Ex-Giant backup 1B/OF Jim Marshall comes off the bench to deliver a particularly gratifying game-ending blow giving the Pirates an extra-inning, walk-off win over San Francisco. 2 for 14 in his previous pinch-hitting assignments for the Bucs, Marshall is sent up to face reliever Bobby Bolin in the bottom of the 11th with the bases filled, one out and the score tied, 6 – 6. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press reports: “Marshall fouled the first pitch, swung and missed the second, but sent the third toss to deep left. Matty Alou, playing close to make a throw home in case of a short fly, took a few steps backward and then glumly watched the ball fall safely as the fans whooped it up.” Willie Mays’s tape-measure triple in the top of that frame is considerably longer than Marshall’s game-ending blow. Les Biederman again: “The wind changed suddenly in the 11th inning but at the right time for the Pirates. Mays hit a tremendous shot against the right-center wall for a 440-foot triple in the top of the 11th with two out but was stranded. At the time, the wind was blowing to left field. When Mays went to centerfield, he looked up and the wind had shifted to right field. If that happened when he was at bat, Mays’ drive would have cleared the wall.” Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente, collects a double and single and scores two, bringing his hitting streak to 18. Not content with that, he inaugurates another streak, gunning down Willie McCovey at home plate for the second consecutive game.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Ex-Giant backup 1B/OF Jim Marshall comes off the bench to deliver a particularly gratifying game-ending blow giving the Pirates an extra-inning, walk-off win over San Francisco. 2 for 14 in his previous pinch-hitting assignments for the Bucs, Marshall is sent up to face reliever Bobby Bolin in the bottom of the 11th with the bases filled, one out and the score tied, 6 – 6. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press reports: “Marshall fouled the first pitch, swung and missed the second, but sent the third toss to deep left. Matty Alou, playing close to make a throw home in case of a short fly, took a few steps backward and then glumly watched the ball fall safely as the fans whooped it up.” Willie Mays’s tape-measure triple in the top of that frame is considerably longer than Marshall’s game-ending blow. Les Biederman again: “The wind changed suddenly in the 11th inning but at the right time for the Pirates. Mays hit a tremendous shot against the right-center wall for a 440-foot triple in the top of the 11th with two out but was stranded. At the time, the wind was blowing to left field. When Mays went to centerfield, he looked up and the wind had shifted to right field. If that happened when he was at bat, Mays’ drive would have cleared the wall.” Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente, collects a double and single and scores two, bringing his hitting streak to 18. Not content with that, he inaugurates another streak, gunning down Willie McCovey at home plate for the second consecutive game.

Pirates outfielder Jerry Lynch pinch hits a three-run home run off Chicago’s Lindy McDaniel in the ninth inning to tie the Forbes Field contest at five, a game the Bucs will eventually win in 14 innings, 6-5. The heroic homer is the left-handed hitter’s 14th career round-tripper off the bench, tying a major league mark established by former Cincinnati teammate George Crowe.

ByTom

Pirates outfielder Jerry Lynch pinch hits a three-run home run off Chicago’s Lindy McDaniel in the ninth inning to tie the Forbes Field contest at five, a game the Bucs will eventually win in 14 innings, 6-5. The heroic homer is the left-handed hitter’s 14th career round-tripper off the bench, tying a major league mark established by former Cincinnati teammate George Crowe.

The usually mild-mannered Dodger manager Walter Alston is thrown out of both games of a doubleheader when the Braves sweep a twin bill from Los Angeles for the first and only time in Milwaukee, 7-2 and 13-7. To make matters worse, the manager has beer thrown in his face by a hometown fan as he leaves the second game. (My thanks to Lee for sharing this entry. He attended the game at County Stadium as a ten year-old. -LP)

ByBaseball

The usually mild-mannered Dodger manager Walter Alston is thrown out of both games of a doubleheader when the Braves sweep a twin bill from Los Angeles for the first and only time in Milwaukee, 7-2 and 13-7. To make matters worse, the manager has beer thrown in his face by a hometown fan as he leaves the second game. (My thanks to Lee for sharing this entry. He attended the game at County Stadium as a ten year-old. -LP)

The Reds purchase pitcher Joe Nuxhall from San Diego of the Pacific Coast League. For Nuxhall, it is his third tour of duty with the Reds.

ByBaseball

The Reds purchase pitcher Joe Nuxhall from San Diego of the Pacific Coast League. For Nuxhall, it is his third tour of duty with the Reds.

Craig Anderson throws a seven-hit, complete-game against Cincinnati, but New York cannot overcome Marv Throneberry’s error which would have ended the fifth inning, giving Vada Pinson the opportunity to hit a two-out, two-run homer. The eventual 5-3 defeat at Crosley Field makes the right-hander the third consecutive Mets’ starter, following losing efforts by Jay Hook and Roger Craig, to pitch a complete game and not get a victory.

ByThis Day in Baseball

Craig Anderson throws a seven-hit, complete-game against Cincinnati, but New York cannot overcome Marv Throneberry’s error which would have ended the fifth inning, giving Vada Pinson the opportunity to hit a two-out, two-run homer. The eventual 5-3 defeat at Crosley Field makes the right-hander the third consecutive Mets’ starter, following losing efforts by Jay Hook and Roger Craig, to pitch a complete game and not get a victory.