PS-1971 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates

dick groat

1971 Pittsburgh Pirates-4
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates-2

The 1960 Pirates got things started early with 4 base hits in the bottom of the first inning helping to plate 2, but from there on out the championship ’71 team did everything else. They tied it up in the top of the second thanks to a pair of defensive mistakes from the opposition that scored 2 runs, scored the winning run in the 4^th inning after a Gene Alley triple, and added some insurance from a Clemente double in the 7^th. With all of that being said Dick Groat gets the game ball for the 1960 team as he went 3 for 5 with a 1^st inning RBI. The 1971 Bucs scored 4 runs on 10 hits with an error on starting pitcher Nelson Briles while the 1960 Pirates scored 2 runs on 12 hits, but had 4 errors with 3 coming from third baseman Don Hoak.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on Apr 24 2014.

GTS-1965 Minnesota Twins at 1976 Philadelphia Phillies

jim lonborg

1965 Minnesota Twins-0
1976 Philadelphia Phillies-5

Sometimes there are games you just have to shake your head and brush it off because they were so disappointing. That was the day for the 1965 Twins. Phillies pitcher and player of the game Jim Lonborg completely dominated tossing 7 innings before giving up a hit to the leadoff batter in the 8^th inning. With his chance of a no-hitter gone, he went to the bench and allowed Wayne Twitchell to come in and close out the contest in the final inning. At the plate the Phillies scored their first 2 batters of the game thanks to a Mike Schmidt 2 RBI single in the 1^st, and they drove in another 3 thanks to a 3 run blast from Jay Johnstone in the 8^th. The Twins were shutout with only 2 total hits while the Phils scored 5 runs on 9 hits. Both teams were perfect defensively and tallied no errors for the game.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 22 Apr 2014.

GTS-1954 Cleveland Indians at 1946 Boston Red Sox

dave ferris

1954 Cleveland Indians-0
1946 Boston Red Sox-1

In baseball, a solid pitching duel is always a beauty to behold, and for the Indians and the Red Sox it was just that. Both teams combined for only a single run with 9 hits as Bob Lemon for Cleveland pitched 8 innings and shut down the offense of the Red Sox through 7 before giving up a leadoff homer to Leon Culberson in the bottom of the 8^th inning and therefore the game. He struck out 7 batters and only surrendered 2 other hits in the game. On the other hand, Dave Ferriss for the Red Sox may have given up more hits, but he allowed none of them to cross the plate and is therefore named player of the game. The 1954 Indians were shutout with 6 hits and 2 errors. The 1946 Red Sox scored 1 on the 8^th inning blast, but only got 3 hits total without any errors.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 22 Apr 2014.

PS-1903 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates

ginger beaumont

1903 Pittsburgh Pirates-10
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates-5

Both teams tallied a total of 15 runs on 28 hits in this offensive battle that pitted two Pittsburgh pennant winners against each other. The 1971 team took the lead early with a 1^st inning homer from Richie Hebner before the team from 1903 tied it up in the top of the 2^nd. They scored single runs in the 4^th and 5^th innings as well while the ’71 bucs added another run in the bottom of the 5^th inning. With the score close at 3-2 in the 6^th inning, the first NL pennant winners of the World Series Series era opened things up, adding 2 runs in the 6^th and 4 more in the 7^th before ending with their 10^th run of the day in the final frame. The 1971 Pirates fought hard, adding runs themselves in the 8^th and 9^th, but could not make the comeback. The 1903 Buccos scored 10 runs on 16 hits with 1 error while the 1971 team accounted for half that total on 12 hits without an error. Going 3 for 4 with a double and 3 runs scored, Ginger Beaumont gets the game ball.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 22 Apr 2014

ST-2013 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates

2013 Pittsburgh Pirates-2
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates-0

Sometimes you can do nearly everything right and still lose the game, and unfortunately for the 1909 Pirates that is exactly what happened to them in this one. Both teams pitched shutout ball until the top of the 9^th when 1909 Pittsburgh pitcher Howie Camnitz hung a fast ball over the plate that Pedro Alvarez crushed for a 2 run home run and the win. Alvarez earns top player status after his only hit of the game which gave the 2013 Bucs the victory. Camnitz gets the loss despite pitching a complete game where he gave up only 3 hits and accounted for 7 strikeouts. The 2013 Pirates win 2 to nothing on only 3 hits without committing an error. Devastated, the 1909 Bucs lose without a run, 6 hits, and no errors.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 21 Apr 2014. My then girlfriend, and now wife’s first game. She played as the 1909 Pirates while I took the field as the 2013 team.

GTS-1975 Oakland Athletics at 1961 New York Yankees

Bill Stafford

1975 Oakland Athletics-1
1961 New York Yankees-4

In the 2^nd inning the Oakland A’s scored first without logging a hit after back to back walks and groundouts saw Reggie Jackson score, but the Yanks came back in the bottom of the frame thanks to a solo out of the parker by Johnny Blanchard. Their next time up in the bottom of the 3^rd they scored 3 runs thanks to back to back errors on the A’s second baseman and pitcher to take a 4-1 lead. Both teams shut their opponents out for the rest of the affair with neither team scoring any more runs for the rest of the game. Throwing 9 innings while only giving up 6 hits and a single run, Yankees pitcher Bill Stafford is the game’s star. The 1975 Athletics scored 1 run on 6 hits while giving up 2 costly errors. The 1961 Yankees scored 4 runs on only 7 hits and had zero defensive mistakes to take the game.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon 17 Apr 2014.

GTS-1984 Detroit Tigers at 1969 Baltimore Orioles

Boog Powell

1984 Detroit Tigers-3
1969 Baltimore Orioles-4

With both teams heading into their second game of the season at 1 and 0, the Tigers and Orioles each gave a superb single inning of offensive prowess. In the top of the 1^st, the Tigers took an early lead with 3 runs on 5 consecutive hits including a double by Chet Lemon. On the other hand, the Orioles got on the board in the 6^th, scoring 4 runs on back to back bombs: a 3 run shot by Boog Powell and a solo knock from Chico Salmon. Neither team was able to score outside of the 1^st and 6^th innings, and the 1969 Baltimore Orioles came out with a 4 to 3 win. Despite only being able to get one hit, it was a big one and Boog Powell gets player of the game honors, his second in two games played thus far in the season. The 1984 Tigers got their 3 runs on 8 hits with 1 error defensively. The Orioles got their 4 runs on 8 hits with 1 error as well.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 16 Apr 2014.

PS-1991 Pittsburgh Pirates at 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates

andrew mccutchen

1991 Pittsburgh Pirates-1
2013 Pittsburgh Pirates-5

Although both pitchers tossed a solid 7 innings, it was John Smiley of the 1991 squad who surrendered 2, 2 run blasts in the 4^th and 6^th innings that ultimately caused the demise of the 91 Buccos. Following an Andrew McCutchen single to center, Pedro Alvarez killed a 3-0 fastball in the 4^th and trotted across the plate for the game’s winning run. In the 6^th, McCutchen did the damage himself after a Neil Walker double to left. Starling Marte took home on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the 8^th to tally the 2013 Pirates’ 5th run of the game. 2013 starter Gerritt Cole surrendered the only run to the 1991 team on a bases loaded walk in the 2^nd, but otherwise tossed 7 strikeouts on his way to a victory. “Cutch” is named player of the game going 2 for 4 with a single, a home run and scoring 2 himself. The 1991 Pirates lose again with 1 run on 6 hits with no errors while the 2013 Pirates scored 5 on 8 hits with errors on Alvarez and Cole.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 15 Apr 2014.

PS-1991 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1975 Pittsburgh Pirates

rennie stennett

1991 Pittsburgh Pirates-3
1975 Pittsburgh Pirates-4

The 1991 Pirates had a slow start while the 1975 Bucs started the game with a leadoff home run by Manny Sanguillen in the bottom of the 1^st. The score remained 1 to zero until the 5^th inning when the 1991 boys came alive scoring 2 runs on RBI singles by Orlando Merced and Andy Van Slyke, but the mid 70’s team took a 4 to 2 lead in the bottom of the 6^th thanks to a Rennie Stennett 3 run home run. Van Slyke brought them back within one with a solo homer in the 8^th, and while they moved a runner to 3^rd in the top the 9^th, Kent Tekulve got the save with a pinch hit fly ball to left field. The 1991 Pirates lose with 3 runs on 10 hits and 2 errors. The 1975 Bucs scored 4 runs on 6 hits without an error and claim the victory. Injured in the 9^thinning was Rennie Stennett who earns player of the game distinction after going 2 for 4 with the game winning 3 run home run in the 6^th inning.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon 14 Apr 2014.

GTS-1962 Los Angeles Dodgers at 1906 Chicago Cubs

ron fairly

1962 Los Angeles Dodgers-8
1906 Chicago Cubs-6

While their 1962 rival San Francisco Giants may have come up short on their first game, the 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers played masterfully on offense scoring as many runs as they had hits. Three base hits and an error on the Cubs third baseman helped the Dodgers score 3 runs in the 3^rd inning. Three walks, 2 errors on Chicago, and a homer by Ron Fairly had the Dodgers bat around and score an additional 4 runs in the 7^th, and, just for extra measure, Howard knocked a solo blast in the top of the 9^th for L.A. The Cubs were not just standing back and watching the Dodgers score big though, they scored 3 runs in the 1^st and single runs in the 5^th, 6^th, and 9^th, but ultimately came up short of the win. Going 2 for 5 with a 2 RBI home run in the 7^th, Fairly gets the game ball. Los Angeles had 8 runners cross home plate on 8 hits and no errors. The Cubs lose despite 6 runs on 13 hits thanks to 3 errors.

Notes: Played at Red Canyon on 10 Apr 2014.