OnlyBucs

I had a chance to attend a little birthday gathering for Vern Law over the weekend. It was birthday number 93 for him and while his back is a bit bent, he is mentally sharp and healthy. Actually he is in amazing shape for 93!



I graduated from high school with his son Vance and Vance and I have kept a bit of a relationship over the years with an occasional round of golf, but I have never had the chance to sit down with Vern and talk baseball and Pirates. I was in a slice of heaven for me as a Pirate fan yesterday just listening to his stories - the players he faced, how he got them out, how he was signed out of a small town in Idaho, his 18 inning game, of course the 60's World Series.



Vance threw in some hilarious stories about a year in Japan and a great Dave Parker story. I was 12 years old again!



But here's the gist of this message. Vern needs to get into the Pirate Hall of Fame while he is still healthy enough to appreciate it. He is a one in a million 93 year old right now. But who knows what is around the corner. At some point, he will become a Pirate Hall of Famer, he is one of the best pitchers in Bucco history and was an integral part of our most magical WS. It would be a shame if that came too late. Obviously, he would love the event, as would his family, and is still mentally sharp enough to appreciate it.



I'm just a fan from Utah and have been since I was a little leaguer and started idolizing Clemente. I have no sway anywhere when it comes to things Pirates. However, I've sent a few emails out to Pirate websites I haunt and to the beat writer at TribLive where I read every day. If there is anything any of you can do to help push that process along, if you agree it is worthwhile, I would appreciate it. This is the year to make it happen.



Now for those of you who love little trivia things ... Babe, Bobster, Mainer, Syracuse, Possum and I know there are others ... this would have been ideal for that MLB fun facts thread that was going during Christmas.



Vern Law is the only pitcher in MLB history to win the All-Star game, the Cy Young Award, and a WS game in the same year.



Here's the trivia fact that can be added to that - they had two All-Star games back then and Vern got a Save in the second All-Star game. So he will be the only player in MLB history to ever get a win in an All-Star game, a Save in an All-Star game, the Cy Young Award and a win in the WS (he actually had two against the Yankees in 60) in the same year!



Thanks everyone. Here's to a surprise season with some magical good luck thrown in!

When I did my numbers count down, it was a bit sad how slow the Pirates are retiring numbers. Stargell's was retired in September of his last season. He's the only one to get due recognition right away.



Of course, Clemente was post-humous. Some of the other greats had a chance to be alive like Kiner.



Interesting you mentioned a Dave Parker story, because he's another one.



Let's hope from your fingers to Bob's ears.

49687D744C756E7D68791C0 wrote: I had a chance to attend a little birthday gathering for Vern Law over the weekend. It was birthday number 93 for him and while his back is a bit bent, he is mentally sharp and healthy. Actually he is in amazing shape for 93!



I graduated from high school with his son Vance and Vance and I have kept a bit of a relationship over the years with an occasional round of golf, but I have never had the chance to sit down with Vern and talk baseball and Pirates. I was in a slice of heaven for me as a Pirate fan yesterday just listening to his stories - the players he faced, how he got them out, how he was signed out of a small town in Idaho, his 18 inning game, of course the 60's World Series.



Vance threw in some hilarious stories about a year in Japan and a great Dave Parker story. I was 12 years old again!



But here's the gist of this message. Vern needs to get into the Pirate Hall of Fame while he is still healthy enough to appreciate it. He is a one in a million 93 year old right now. But who knows what is around the corner. At some point, he will become a Pirate Hall of Famer, he is one of the best pitchers in Bucco history and was an integral part of our most magical WS. It would be a shame if that came too late. Obviously, he would love the event, as would his family, and is still mentally sharp enough to appreciate it.



I'm just a fan from Utah and have been since I was a little leaguer and started idolizing Clemente. I have no sway anywhere when it comes to things Pirates. However, I've sent a few emails out to Pirate websites I haunt and to the beat writer at TribLive where I read every day. If there is anything any of you can do to help push that process along, if you agree it is worthwhile, I would appreciate it. This is the year to make it happen.



Now for those of you who love little trivia things ... Babe, Bobster, Mainer, Syracuse, Possum and I know there are others ... this would have been ideal for that MLB fun facts thread that was going during Christmas.



Vern Law is the only pitcher in MLB history to win the All-Star game, the Cy Young Award, and a WS game in the same year.



Here's the trivia fact that can be added to that - they had two All-Star games back then and Vern got a Save in the second All-Star game. So he will be the only player in MLB history to ever get a win in an All-Star game, a Save in an All-Star game, the Cy Young Award and a win in the WS (he actually had two against the Yankees in 60) in the same year!



Thanks everyone. Here's to a surprise season with some magical good luck thrown in!




Utah, I have been around from Day 1 of OBN and if I had say so this would be one of the all-time greatest posts.

And to add to your trivia question, there were 2 All-Star games in 1960 and they were the only 2 All-Star games Vern was elected to.

What a great post, Utah! How i wish I could’ve been with you at that party.



It’s really too bad the Pirates have neglected to enshrine Law in their HOF. Maybe all of us can try to correct that by notifying the Pirates and strongly suggesting they get that ball rolling. I’m going to shoot a few people there an e-mail tonight.

Great post! I too am hoping Vern Law , Elroy Face and Dick Groat get enshrined in the Pirates Hall of Fame this season. All 3 players were vital members of the 1960 World Series Championship team.

363A3B6069606865627D67500 wrote: I too am hoping Vern Law , Elroy Face and Dick Groat get enshrined in the Pirates Hall of Fame this season. .


Yes, definitely get the guys who are way up in age next.

576478797A724479627E6562737F78160 wrote: I too am hoping Vern Law , Elroy Face and Dick Groat get enshrined in the Pirates Hall of Fame this season. .


Yes, definitely get the guys who are way up in age next.




yes, they should have been included last year. Too bad Bob Friend died a couple years ago. He was one of best Pirate pitchers ever.

Jeez I'm a dunce Parker was in the class. Them older guys, you know it helps connect younger fans to the team when they're recognized. Loved hearing from the old timers on the board about those 50' and 60's Pirates. My earliest recollection of the Pirates starts around 1967/68 teams but 1970 is when I can remember the Bucs more in detail

Great post UtahPirate. I totally agree about Law and the Pirate HOF. I met him a few times at fantasy camps. At a camp in 2000, he was throwing BP to his team of campers. They had to ask him to slow it down because even at age 70 then, he was in great shape and threw hard (without really meaning to). What a great, classy guy. Just an outstanding person.



Law had MLB HOF stuff. He won 18 in 1959 and 20 in 1960. Sadly, his ankle injury prior to the 1960 WS altered his throwing motion and he injured his rotator cuff. With today's medicine, it would have been repaired and he would have continued his great pitching throughout the 1960s. But without surgery, he didn't have another great season until 1965 and by then he was 35. Law was also a good hitting pitcher with 11 career HRs. When he won game 4 of the 1960 WS, he had a key RBI-double and then scored in the 3-run 5th inning rally as they won 3-2.

725F52434455420201300 wrote: Great post UtahPirate. I totally agree about Law and the Pirate HOF. I met him a few times at fantasy camps. At a camp in 2000, he was throwing BP to his team of campers. They had to ask him to slow it down because even at age 70 then, he was in great shape and threw hard (without really meaning to). What a great, classy guy. Just an outstanding person.



Law had MLB HOF stuff. He won 18 in 1959 and 20 in 1960. Sadly, his ankle injury prior to the 1960 WS altered his throwing motion and he injured his rotator cuff. With today's medicine, it would have been repaired and he would have continued his great pitching throughout the 1960s. But without surgery, he didn't have another great season until 1965 and by then he was 35. Law was also a good hitting pitcher with 11 career HRs. When he won game 4 of the 1960 WS, he had a key RBI-double and then scored in the 3-run 5th inning rally as they won 3-2.


We spent some time talking about that injury and how it took years for it to heal naturally. He limped through all three games in the 60's WS and said he was just throwing on adrenaline. He said Murtaugh took him out of Game 7 because he was limping so bad. Also said Stengel made a huge error by not throwing Ford as a reliever in Game 7, even though he had pitched the day before. When the injury got better, he really dominated again for a few years. He was particularly proud of his 65 season when he won 17 games with an ERA of 2.15.



Vance is very protective of his dad's career as I think as a player himself he really has a feel for how good his dad was. I was also taken by just how different things were when it came to pay. That may seem obvious, but you just made a living as a ballplayer with very little left over. It gave me a real sense that the players gave a lot of their life to the game and the city they played for and got little back. So there is a personal pride at accomplishment that burns bright because that counted for so much for them - their pride in how they played the game. The players union retirement thing has been a huge blessing for him. Playing two All-Star games was the start of that as that money went into the start of those retirement funds.



I've written letters to Travis Williams and to Greg Brown just trying to follow up. I know some secretary will decide if it is something those two should see - so I'll keep my fingers crossed.



Bobster, I'm telling Vance your story about having to throw softer at 70! He'll love that. We are going to play a little more golf together now that he has retired.



Just one more story. Vern loved to bust guys inside and break bats. His eyes just lit up talking about that. But he said he could never break Jackie Robinson's bat because the handle was so thick. A fact I didn't know, but looked it up and Robinson loved this thick handled bat. Can't even imagine swinging that thing!