OnlyBucs

ATT Sports has several series about 10 best Managers etc. I thought since the excitement for the Bucs is very low, it might be good to read about some games we have attended which were most exciting or best remembered. Mine are as follows: 1) The 2013 Wild Card Game with my son. 2) The 1979 NLCS Game #3 which clinched going to the WS. 3) Opening Day 2001 at PNC Park 4) Bob Walk beating the Braves in Game 5 of the 1992 NLCS. 5) My first Pirates game at Forbes Field in 1961 with my Dad and Uncle. Saw Duke Snider and Frank Howard of the Dodgers. 6) A 1971 Sunday DH against the Dodgers which the Bucs won both, and Luke Walker took no hitter into the ninth in game two. 7) The 1994 All Star Game with my son and his friend. 8) A Fathers Day game in 2001 when the Bucs Beat the Tribe on a 1-0 walkoff. 9) A Sunday game in the mid sixties in which Al McBean hit a grand slam. 10) Another Fathers Day Game I believe in 1962 in which little known catcher Cal Newman hit a homer.

My most memorable is my first. June 17, 1962 at Forbes Field, the Pirates beat the Braves 7-3. Bob Skinner had 4 hits, Clemente had 2 hits. Reserve catcher Cal Neeman had the only Pirate HR. Harvey Haddix pitched a CG. Warren Spahn took the loss. There were 3 triples in the game: Skinner, Hank Aaron and the Braves' Frank Bolling. Bob Uecker PH for Spahn and struck out.



Another memorable game was at PNC 8/23/01 vs AZ. Randy Johnson was dominating thru 6 innings with 13 Ks. But Tony McKnight threw 7 scoreless innings and Kevin Young broke a 0-0 tie in the 7th with a 2-run HR after Johnson had opened the 7th with 2 more Ks (#14 & 15) and walked Kendall. The inning continued with singles by Craig Wilson and Mendy Lopez and a 2-run 2B by Keith Osik before Johnson got his 16th K. Giles homered in the 8th and the Bucs won 5-1. Johnson entered the game at 17-5 but picked up his 6th loss. It would be his last loss of the season as he wound up 21-6 and won the Cy Young.

Living in Alaska and Maine for all of my adult life I have not attended many games in person. A few recollections from games that I did attend.



1) Roberto Clemente hits a ball out by the batting cage at Forbes, but Adolpho Phillips throws him out at home as he goes for an in-the-park HR. Later that same game Clemente hits a hard line drive to center, but Phillips misplays the ball and it gets by him. Clemente gets the in-the-park HR he was cheated out of earlier. Game likely was in 1968.



2) Pirates are losing 7-2 in the ninth. Stargell smashes a granny to make it 7-6. I remember a vendor immediately running up and down the aisle hawking the newly named "Wilile Stargell Slugger Bats". Unfortunately, Ted Abernathy comes in from the pen and strikes out Don Clendonon to end the game.



3) Getting to walk onto the field at Three Rivers after a game. Fans were having the equivalent of a simulated game on the field. Fans would try to score from 3rd and there would be a play at the plate. I was one of the fans who tried to score. Managed to rip my pant leg and get a bloody knee; and I was out.



4) Taking in a 3 game series with my brother against the Reds in late August or early September when PNC first opened and Aramis Ramirez drove in his 100th run. My brother and I both cheered about how it was number 100. Sadly, few in the sold out stands seemed to know or care.



5) First game ever at Forbes. Father, Mother, Brother, Sister and Me. My big take-aways. First, when you saw the field as you were walking to your seat - WOW!. Green grass and the atmosphere of a major league park. So different than watching an occasional game on a grainy black and white TV. Second, Pirates win 6-1 against the Giants with Joe Gibbon on the mound. Three, seeing Wilile Mays, Jim Ray Hart and Willie McCovey suddenly exiting the stadium after the game through a door and starting to walk down the street with fans asking for their autograph. Four, my sister getting ill at the game. And Five, my Father having trouble finding the appropriate exit off the highway to find the stadium and driving nearly to Ohio before finally admitting that he missed it and turning around.



On TV ---



1) The 71 Series --- all of it, and watching Clemente finally getting his due.



2) Final game of the 79 Series. I saw the start of the game on TV before leaving Kodiak, Alaska for Anchorage, and then seeing the last 2 innings on an airport TV in Anchorage after landing.



3) Bream's slide, unfortunately, as a Brave. We were vacationing in Rangely, Maine and I watched that horrific moment on a 13" black and white TV.



4) Watching Johny Cueto drop the ball and Martin hit the HR amidst a backdrop of screaming fans most of whom were wearing black Pirate t-shirts. It felt great to be a Pirate fan that day.



5) Any game in which Clemente played.

795459484F5E49090A3B0 wrote: My most memorable is my first. June 17, 1962 at Forbes Field, the Pirates beat the Braves 7-3. Bob Skinner had 4 hits, Clemente had 2 hits. Reserve catcher Cal Neeman had the only Pirate HR. Harvey Haddix pitched a CG. Warren Spahn took the loss. There were 3 triples in the game: Skinner, Hank Aaron and the Braves' Frank Bolling. Bob Uecker PH for Spahn and struck out. 



Another memorable game was at PNC 8/23/01 vs AZ. Randy Johnson was dominating thru 6 innings with 13 Ks. But Tony McKnight threw 7 scoreless innings and Kevin Young broke a 0-0 tie in the 7th with a 2-run HR after Johnson had opened the 7th with 2 more Ks (#14 & 15) and walked Kendall. The inning continued with singles by Craig Wilson and Mendy Lopez and a 2-run 2B by Keith Osik before Johnson got his 16th K. Giles homered in the 8th and the Bucs won 5-1.  Johnson entered the game at 17-5 but picked up his 6th loss. It would be his last loss of the season as he wound up 21-6 and won the Cy Young.


That's the game I was going to say!  Randy Johnson stuck out the side in 9 pitches, an Immaculate Inning one of the few "rare feats" in baseball I've witnessed. 



https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxe ... 8230.shtml

Memorial Day 1974: Ken Brett pitched 8 perfect innings in the first game, broken up by Jason Kendall's daddy Fred. In the nitecap, Brett pinch hit and tripled in two runs to tie the game. Pirates swept.



Also 1974: Pirates needed to win their last game to clinch the division. Down by a run, Bob Robertson struck out to end the game, but the ball eluded the catcher and Roberston waddled toward first. The catcher's throw hit Robertson and caromed into right field. A run scored to tie, and the Pirates went on to win in the 10th.



Best loss, 1975: Down 2-0 in the playoffs against the Reds, Candelaria struck out fourteen as the Pirates went on to lose in 10 innings. The Pirates finished the game with Rennie Stennett at short and Willie Randolph at second.

644944555243541417260 wrote: My most memorable is my first. June 17, 1962 at Forbes Field, the Pirates beat the Braves 7-3. Bob Skinner had 4 hits, Clemente had 2 hits. Reserve catcher Cal Neeman had the only Pirate HR. Harvey Haddix pitched a CG. Warren Spahn took the loss. There were 3 triples in the game: Skinner, Hank Aaron and the Braves' Frank Bolling. Bob Uecker PH for Spahn and struck out. 



Another memorable game was at PNC 8/23/01 vs AZ. Randy Johnson was dominating thru 6 innings with 13 Ks. But Tony McKnight threw 7 scoreless innings and Kevin Young broke a 0-0 tie in the 7th with a 2-run HR after Johnson had opened the 7th with 2 more Ks (#14 & 15) and walked Kendall. The inning continued with singles by Craig Wilson and Mendy Lopez and a 2-run 2B by Keith Osik before Johnson got his 16th K. Giles homered in the 8th and the Bucs won 5-1.  Johnson entered the game at 17-5 but picked up his 6th loss. It would be his last loss of the season as he wound up 21-6 and won the Cy Young.
Your first game would have been the same game I attended when Neeman hit the homer. June 17 th would have been Fathers Day that year, so it is interesting that you and I remembered that game.

1) My first game ever in’72. A night game against the Padres. Clemente didn’t play much to my dismay. We sat in upper deck. Sanguillen hit a ball that I knew was coming to us. First baseman caught it. I (age 8) went to concession stand to get a popcorn. Two kids jumped me on way back to seat causing me to mow my popcorn. I lied to my brother, telling him I decided not to get any.

2) Sept 1978. Bucs trailed Phils in division race by a game. Stargell hit a grand slam for in 1st inning but Randy Lerch hit two homers for Phil’s and we lost

3) Game a few years back with buddies. Cutch came up and I said he’d homer off the Stub Hub sign. His HR landed about 10 feet to right of it. Bucs were fun to watch.

4) Game a few years back in which AJ Burnett pitched a dominant game against Cards.

5) Doubleheader last year. Bucs hit about 8 HRs with Luplow hitting two.

6) game this spring with a bunch of my school students. Bell was raking. Had HR and about 4 hits.

202C2D767F767E73746B71460 wrote: My most memorable is my first. June 17, 1962 at Forbes Field, the Pirates beat the Braves 7-3. Bob Skinner had 4 hits, Clemente had 2 hits. Reserve catcher Cal Neeman had the only Pirate HR. Harvey Haddix pitched a CG. Warren Spahn took the loss. There were 3 triples in the game: Skinner, Hank Aaron and the Braves' Frank Bolling. Bob Uecker PH for Spahn and struck out. 



Another memorable game was at PNC 8/23/01 vs AZ. Randy Johnson was dominating thru 6 innings with 13 Ks. But Tony McKnight threw 7 scoreless innings and Kevin Young broke a 0-0 tie in the 7th with a 2-run HR after Johnson had opened the 7th with 2 more Ks (#14 & 15) and walked Kendall. The inning continued with singles by Craig Wilson and Mendy Lopez and a 2-run 2B by Keith Osik before Johnson got his 16th K. Giles homered in the 8th and the Bucs won 5-1.  Johnson entered the game at 17-5 but picked up his 6th loss. It would be his last loss of the season as he wound up 21-6 and won the Cy Young.
Your first game would have been the same game I attended when Neeman hit the homer. June 17 th would have been Fathers Day that year, so it is interesting that you and I remembered that game.
My father took me. It was a Sunday afternoon but I didn't recall that it was a Father's Day game. I remember being disappointed that Smoky Burgess wasn't in the lineup but then Neeman hit the 1st Bucco HR I ever witnessed. I'm also disappointed that Eddie Mathews didn't play (he was hurt) because it would have added to the HOFers in that game: Clemente, Maz, Aaron and Spahn. I love that I actually saw a Bob Uecker whiff. If he had gotten a hit, no one would believe me.

Another memorable day for me was July 11, 1968 but for all the wrong reasons. Bucs lost a DH that day to the Phillies at Forbes Field while scoring only 1 run all day. In game 1, Bob Veale lost 5-0. In game 2 Bob Moose lost 4-1 with Dock Ellis and Luke Walker pitching in relief. Maz (2 hits) drove in the only Pirate run (Manny Mota). Pirate catcher Jerry May was hurt so the games were caught by Carl Taylor and Gary Kolb. An interest event was when former Pirate prospect Roberto Pena, the Phillies SS, was upset with a strike 2 call and stepped out of the batter's box. The ump told him to step back in but Pena stayed out to pout about the call. The ump told Moose to pitch and Pena was called out on strikes while standing about 10 feet outside the batter's box.

So many they are hard to remember so I will start with a game in FF and my dad and some friends were sitting in the bleachers in LF. In those days the opponent's BP was in front of the bleachers separated by only a chain-link fence. Sometimes the LF would just jog over to the BP when the opponent was at bat. Of course he would have to hustle into the dugout to bat if his turn came up. Seems that the Braves were in town and they had Al Spangler in LF. He comes over to the BP when he was not scheduled to bat. And some fans including me got on him big time. Got so bad he kind talked and usher who came over to the fence to ask us to tone things down. WoW, that really got us going good. In fact an inning or so later he had to run to the dugout to hit. We just got on him so bad that he K'd on 3 pitches.



As I think of a few more I will post them