Sunday, June 01, 2014

This Week in Pittsburgh Pirates History - June 1-7

This week in Pittsburgh Pirates history - 

June 1

1939     Four years after participating in the first major league night game as the visiting team in Cincinnati, the Phillies host their first evening tilt bowing to Pittsburgh at Shibe Park, 5-2.  

June 2

1962      The Colt .45s capture their first doubleheader sweep in franchise history when they beat the Pirates twice at Forbes Field, 10-6 and 10-3.
  
June 4

Gus Suhr
1937      Gus Suhr sets the Pirates franchise record and establishes a new National League record when he plays in his 822nd consecutive game. The Pirates first baseman's streak will end the following day when he attends his mother's funeral in San Francisco.

1940      Pittsburgh routs the Boston Bees, 14-2, in the first night game played in the Steel City.  Joe Bowman, the Pirates' starter, tosses a five-hitter with rookies Bob Elliott and Maurice Van Robays providing the offense with timely extra-base hits.

1951      Pirates outfielder Gus Bell hits for the cycle in Philadelphia as the Bucs beat the Phillies, 12-4. His son, Buddy, and his grandson, David, will also play in the major leagues.
Ralph Kiner

1953      General manager Branch Rickey traded future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, the only man to lead his league in home runs for seven consecutive seasons.  Kiner was traded with Joe Garagiola, George Metkovich and Howie Pollet to the Chicago Cubs for Bob Addis, Toby Atwell, George Freese, Gene Hermanski, Bob Schultz, Preston Ward and $150,000.

1968      Don Drysdale pitches his sixth consecutive shutout defeating the Pirates, 5-0. The Dodger right-hander will extend his major league record scoreless streak to 58 2/3 innings before yielding a run in his next start.

1986      In a 12-3 rout of the Braves, Pirates rookie outfielder Barry Bonds hits his first major league home run off Craig McMurtry. Bobby’s son will become the All-time career home run leader hitting 762 during his 22-year career playing for Pittsburgh and the San Francisco Giants.
  
June 5

Dick Stuart
1959      Pittsburgh's slugging first baseman Dick Stuart hits a 457-foot homer over the Forbes Field center field wall making the blast the longest home run in the 50-year history of the ballpark. Dr. Strangeglove's home run comes in the first inning off Glenn Hobbie in the Pirates' 10-5 loss to Chicago.

1966      In the Pirates' 10-5 victory over Houston at Forbes Field, Willie Stargell enjoys a 5-for-5 day that includes two home runs and a double. The Pittsburgh first baseman's performance gives him nine consecutive hits in two days.

June 6

1941     The Giants become the first baseball team to wear protective headgear. The plastic helmets don't provide a defense against defeats when the team drops both ends of a doubleheader to Pittsburgh at the Polo Grounds, 5-4 and 4-3.

June 7

Gene Alley
1960     In the Cardinals' 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh at Forbes Field, Bob Gibson ties a major league record when he strikes out four batters in one inning, the additional whiff coming as a result of a wild pitch. The fourth-inning strikeout victims include Jerry Lynch, Jim Pagliaroni, B. Mazeroski, and Don Cardwell.


1972      In the night cap of a twin bill, the Pirates edge the Padres in 18 innings at Jack Murphy Stadium, 1-0. The winning run crosses the plate as a result of Gene Alley's forcing in a run with a base-on-balls, following Bill Mazeroski receiving an intentional walk to load the bases.

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