This week in Pittsburgh Pirates history -
April 13
1954 Seven years
after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, Pittsburgh rookie second
baseman Curt Roberts makes his major league debut during the season opener at
Forbes Field to become the first African American to play for the Pirates. The former Kansas City Monarch, signed by
72-year-old general manager, Branch Rickey, triples off Robin Roberts in the
first inning as the Bucs beat the Phillies, 4-2.
1962 On a wintery
day, the Mets play their first home game ever when only 12,000 fans show up at
the Polo Grounds to see the return of National League baseball to New York. On
Friday the 13th, with the score tied, the Pirates score the decisive run on two
wild pitches thrown by Ray Diavault and beat New York, 4-3.
1963 Reds' second
baseman Pete Rose triples off Pirates' pitcher Bob Friend to collect his first
major league hit. The future all-time hit leader had gone hitless in his first
11 major league at bats.
April 14
1925 WGN
broadcasts its first regular season baseball game. Quin Ryan is behind the mike
as Grover Alexander and the Cubs defeat the Pirates on Opening Day, 8-2.
April 15
1876 The
Alleghenies bring professional baseball to Pittsburgh playing their first game
at Union Park. Next year, the team will be accepted into the minor-league
International Association but will disband in 1878.
1921 At Redland
Field, Pirates right-hander Chief Yellow Horse makes his major league debut
against the Reds. The Pittsburgh hurler, a member of a North American Plains
Indian tribe called the Pawnees, is believed by many baseball historians to be
the first full-blooded American Indian to play in the big leagues.
1947 In his
National League debut, Hank Greenberg has the lone RBI in the Pirates' 1-0 win
over the Cubs. Pittsburgh bought the slugging first baseman from the Tigers in
the off-season for $75,000.
1997 The
Pittsburgh Pirates joined all the MLB teams by retiring Jackie Robinson’s
jersey #42.
April 16
1953 In a Forbes
Field contest in which Pittsburgh will prevail, 14-12, the Phillies score nine
times and the Pirates tally six in the fifth inning tying the National League
record as 15 batters cross home plate during the frame. Philadelphia’s second
baseman Connie Ryan establishes a new team record with six hits, four singles
and two doubles, in six at bats.
1999 Jim Leyland
becomes the 45th manager to win 1,000 games when his Rockies beat San Diego,
6-4. The Colorado skipper won 851 games for the Pirates during his 11-year
tenure with the team, and another 146 victories and a World Championship for
the Marlins during his two seasons with Florida.
April 17
1955 Roberto
Clemente, a 20-year-old rookie from Carolina, Puerto Rico, makes his Major
League debut in right field at Forbes Field.
Clemente singles off Dodger pitcher Johnny Podres in his first major
league at-bat. The Pirates' rookie, who will die in a plane crash attempting to
bring relief aid to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua in 1972, will collect 3,000
hits during his 18-year major league career, all with Pittsburgh.
1964 After spending the first two
years of their existence at the Polo Grounds, the Mets play their first game at
Shea Stadium in front of 50,312 fans in Queens. The Amazins' drop the stadium
opener to Pittsburgh, 4-3, with Willie Stargell hitting the first homer in the
Flushing facility.
April 18
1950 In the first
Opening Day game to be played at night, the Cardinals beat the Pirates at
Sportsman's Park, 4-2. Gerry Staley gets the win and Stan Musial homers in the
St. Louis contest.
1955 In his first
major league appearance, 25-year old Pirates reliever Al Grunwald, getting just
one batter out, gives up a single to Don Mueller‚ a double to Monte Irvin‚ a
triple to Willie Mays‚ and a homer to Whitey Lockman. The Giants fourth- inning
‘cycle’ contributes to an eight-run frame in the eventual 12-3 victory over
Pittsburgh at the Polo Grounds.
1959 Branch
Rickey, former general manager of the Cardinals, Dodgers and Pirates, is
appointed president of the Continental League. The third potential major league
never materializes, but helps to accelerate the expansion of the existing
leagues, including putting a National League team in New York to fill the void
created by the Giants' and the Dodgers' departure to the west coast in 1958.
1972 Pie Traynor’s
uniform jersey #20 is officially retired by the Pirates.
1987 At Three Rivers Stadium, Mike
Schmidt becomes the 14th player in big league history to hit 500 career home
runs. The Phillies' third baseman's three-run ninth inning shot off Don
Robinson is cheered by the Pittsburgh fans and his teammates in the 8-6
Phillies win.
April 19
1979 The Mets
trade Tim Foli, along with minor league prospect Greg Field, to the Pirates in
exchange for second baseman Frank Taveras. Foli, appearing in 133 games, will
play a major role in the club’s world championship this season, batting .291
and providing solid defense at shortstop for the Bucs.
