Jackie Robinson
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Pirates roar back with 8 runs in 7th to split a twin bill

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Pirates club the Dodgers, 12 – 11, to win the opener of two with the league leaders. Brooklyn chases Howie Pollet and takes a 9 – 2 lead but the Bucs roar back with eight runs in the 7th inning. Clyde King, unscored on in his last eight games, is the loser. The Dodgers load the bases in the 9th, and Murry Dickson walks pinch-hitter Cal Abrams to force in a run and make the score 12 – 11. But Carl Furillo and Pee Wee Reese fail to deliver. Pete Castiglione has two homers for the Pirates. Brooklyn wins the second game, 4 – 3, when Jackie Robinson homers in the 10th, off Ted Wilks. Andy Pafko homers in the 8th, off Bob Friend, and Preacher Roe (17-2) goes all the way.

Willie Mays

Willie Mays Bare handed grab

ByThis Day in Baseball

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

Willie Mays makes barehanded grab at Forbes Field

ByThis Day in Baseball

“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.”

The Pirates’ Ralph Kiner drives in seven runs, hitting three home runs, including his 10th grand slam

The Pirates’ Ralph Kiner drives in seven runs, hitting three home runs, including his 10th grand slam

ByThis Day in Baseball

The Pirates’ Ralph Kiner drives in seven runs, hitting three home runs, including his 10th grand slam, in a 13 – 12 slugfest win over the Dodgers. His final homer, a solo shot off Erv Palica in the 8th, breaks a 12 – 12 tie. Manager Chuck Dressen berates Palica, publicly questioning the pitcher’s courage by clutching his throat in a choke signal. In Kiner’s final at bat, in the 9th, Carl Furillo pulls down the slugger’s long drive near the CF gate. Joe Garagiola and Gus Bell also homer for the Bucs, while Roy Campanella and Jackie Robinson homer for Brooklyn.

Jackie Robinson

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

ByThis Day in Baseball

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.

During a visit to the White House, 21 year-old Vida Blue is told by President Nixon that he is the most underpaid player in the game

Richie Asburn collects 8 hits in a double header sweep of Bucs

ByThis Day in Baseball

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.

Cliff Chambers

Cliff Chambers second Pirate to pitch a no hitter despite 8 walks

ByThis Day in Baseball

On May 6, 1951, Cliff Chambers of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a no-hitter against the Boston Braves, in the second game of a doubleheader, despite walking eight batters and throwing a wild pitch. Chambers, who earns a 3-0 victory, becomes only the second Pirate pitcher to hurl a no-hitter. Pinterest Instagram Facebook Youtube @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@

Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Dale Long and George Metkovich in the Rule 5 draft

Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Dale Long and George Metkovich in the Rule 5 draft

ByTom

On November 16, 1950, the Pirates picked up Dale Long and George Metkovich in the Rule 5 draft. Long had a good run with the Pirates in the late 50s, but his stint with the 1951 Pirates lasted just ten games before he was put on waivers. He was picked up by the St Louis…

Branch Rickey signs a five-year deal with the Pirates to be the club’s executive vice president and general manager

Branch Rickey signs a five-year deal with the Pirates to be the club’s executive vice president and general manager

ByTom

Branch Rickey signs a five-year deal with the Pirates to be the club’s executive vice president and general manager. The ‘Mahatma’s’ magic doesn’t seem to work, as the Bucs will compile a 269-501 record (.349) during his tenure in Pittsburgh.