Andre Rodgers becomes the first Bahamian to play in the major leagues when he grounds into a 6-4 force play facing Bob Friend in the top of the second inning of the Giants’ 9-2 loss in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The 22 year-old shortstop’s roommate and fellow Caribbean, Valmy Thomas, entering the game in the sixth to replace catcher Wes Westrum, also becomes the first native of the Virgin Islands to play in big league game.

Andre Rodgers becomes the first Bahamian to play in the major leagues when he grounds into a 6-4 force play facing Bob Friend in the top of the second inning of the Giants’ 9-2 loss in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The 22 year-old shortstop’s roommate and fellow Caribbean, Valmy Thomas, entering the game in the sixth to replace catcher Wes Westrum, also becomes the first native of the Virgin Islands to play in big league game.

Roberto Clemente

Kansas City and Pittsburgh battle through 18 innings to a scoreless tie in spring training

1957 – Called by Les Biederman of The Sporting News “one of the most unusual games in modern spring training history,” Kansas City and Pittsburgh battle through 18 innings to a scoreless tie “before probably one of the smallest crowds of the season anywhere, only 432 paid admissions.” Starting at 1:30 p.m., the game is called by mutual agreement at 5:27 because of impending darkness and high winds. Each team uses three pitchers, with the Athletics managing eleven safeties and the Bucs held to seven. Of the latter total, Roberto Clemente accumulates three, including the contest’s only extra-base hits, a leadoff double to begin the game and a one-out double in the top of the 18th. Clemente then saves the game in the bottom of the frame by gunning down Clete Boyer trying to go from first to third on Vic Power’s single with none out.

commissioner Ford Frick rules that actor/singer Bing Crosby can own stock in both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers
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commissioner Ford Frick rules that actor/singer Bing Crosby can own stock in both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers

  Special Memory or Event? Want to have some fun? Advertise your business? Dedicate this page On January 10, 1957, commissioner Ford Frick allows actor/singer Bing Crosby, part of an eleven-man syndicate that made a successful bid to buy the Tigers, to keep his token stock in the Detroit club although he is part owner of…

The Pirates threaten to move the franchise from Pittsburgh unless a new municipal stadium is built to replace the 47 year-old Forbes Field. The second division club drew 949,878 fans, the fifth-best total of the eight National League teams.

The Pirates threaten to move the franchise from Pittsburgh unless a new municipal stadium is built to replace the 47 year-old Forbes Field. The second division club drew 949,878 fans, the fifth-best total of the eight National League teams.

The Pirates threaten to move the franchise from Pittsburgh unless a new municipal stadium is built to replace the 47 year-old Forbes Field. The second division club drew 949,878 fans, the fifth-best total of the eight National League teams.

Due to the enforcement of a curfew, the Sunday contest between the Dodgers and Pirates is postponed with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, sending the 44,932 fans, the largest crowd in Forbes Field’s history, home. The game will be completed tomorrow with Brooklyn maintaining their 8-3 advantage over Pittsburgh.

Due to the enforcement of a curfew, the Sunday contest between the Dodgers and Pirates is postponed with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, sending the 44,932 fans, the largest crowd in Forbes Field’s history, home. The game will be completed tomorrow with Brooklyn maintaining their 8-3 advantage over Pittsburgh.

Roberto Clemente hits a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam
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Roberto Clemente hits a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam

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.”

Roy Campanella does the catching,as 21 yr.old Roberto Clemente takes a big swing in a 1956 Pirate-Dodger game in Ebbets Field.

Roy Campanella does the catching,as 21 yr.old Roberto Clemente takes a big swing in a 1956 Pirate-Dodger game in Ebbets Field.

Roy Campanella does the catching,as 21 yr.old Roberto Clemente takes a big swing in a 1956 Pirate-Dodger game in Ebbets Field. [jetpack_subscription_form title=”Join the Community” subscribe_text=”We bring you cool stories about the game, players, ballparks and the people that shaped the game!”  subscribe_button=”Join us!” show_subscribers_total=”1″] Subscribe to our Podcast The Daily Rewind on Apples Podcast…

Dale Long sets the homerun record by connecting in his 8th straight game
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Dale Long sets the homerun record by connecting in his 8th straight game

On May 28, 1956, at Forbes Field Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a home run in his eighth consecutive game, setting a major league record. Long connects against Carl Erskine of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Long started the streak on May 19, when he homered against Chicago’s Jim Davis. During the 8 game streak,…

Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Dale Long starts his historic homerun streak with a 8th inning blast

Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Dale Long starts his historic homerun streak with a 8th inning blast

On May 19, 1956, Pittsburgh Pirates slugger  Dale Long’s eighth-inning Forbes Field’s two-run homerun against Chicago cubs reliver Jim Davis is the first in a string of eight consecutive games in which the Pirates’ first baseman will homer. The Adam, MA native’s major league mark will also be accomplished by Don Mattingly (Yankees, 1987) and Ken…

Rookie Danny Kravitz hits his first career homerun – a walk-off grand slam
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Rookie Danny Kravitz hits his first career homerun – a walk-off grand slam

Rookie Danny Kravitz will accumulate 10 home runs during his five-year major league career, but he’ll never top this, his first – a walk-off grand slam. It transforms a 3-run deficit into a 6 – 5 victory over Philly for Pittsburgh. It also launches the perennial cellar dwellers on a 16 and 6 tear that will land them, briefly, in first place before the bubble bursts and they revert to type, gradually wending their way back down to the cellar by season’s end.