This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons
.com for more sports history. Hi there everybody,
I'm Bob Prince, the voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates,
and we're turning back the years so that you
can recapture the most exciting moments in Pittsburgh
baseball just as they happen. It's the 7th and
deciding game of the 1925 World Series. Darkness,
rain, and tension by the turn at Forbes Field.
Last to the 8th, the bases are loaded with Bucks
and Kai Kai Kyler is at bat. Two out, Kyler hits
a drive down the right field line. Two runs score
and the Pirates win 9 -7. Oh, how sweet it was.
The 1925 Pirates, only team in baseball ever
to win the series after being down three games
to one. Impossible? Sure, they're the Impossible
Pirates, and they played it that way for 60 incredible
years. They won four National League pennants
in nine years, from 1901 to 1909 under Barney
Dreyfus, led by a manager Fred Clark, sparked
by Honus Wagner, everybody's all -time shortstop,
Babe Adams, and other greats. They played Boston
in the very first World Series in 1903. dropping
that one five games to three. Then they won the
series in 1909, beating Detroit four games to
three. And this is how J. Honus Wagner, in the
twilight of his career as a pirate coach, compared
baseball as it was played in those days to the
game of today. Well, it's quite a difference
now than it seems to players right now. They've
got a great system. Everybody knows his unions.
In other words, team works down, put it back.
The players today, I think, in the minor leagues,
one thing is you don't get what they used to
get in the minor leagues. All the minor league
managers now want players to hit home runs, and
the fans want a home run header. So they decided,
the managers in the minor leagues decided that
they'd keep up the young brothers who could hit
a long ball. In the old days, they had speed,
and they'd bummed a whole lot, and they sacrificed
a whole lot. And being a dead ball, of course,
the outfielders didn't place a deep. And they
could fill you out the place, and they should
have got a good start. And base running, of course,
is a lost start. There are a few good base runners
now. They're on the card of that long hit ball.
And the manager figures, well, we won't send
them down here. We've got two long ball hitters.
It's back of them coming up and so far. It was
a long time, as baseball has measured, before
the Pirates were to win another pennant after
their World Series triumph over Ty Cobb and the
Tigers in 1909. 16 years, to be exact. Meanwhile,
the cries were, looky, looky, looky, can't get
them over. And put in Yellow Horse. Yes, Paul
Long, old buddy, and we weren't old enough to
worry about it. But the first long dry spell
ended in 1925 under manager Bill McKechnie. The
dean of sports editors, Chet Smith, covered that
1925 series, and this is how he saw it. Walter
Johnson, the big train they called him, threw
a five -hitter at the Pirates, and Washington
won the first game 4 -1. Vic Aldridge then evened
it 3 -2. Washington took the third game 4 -3,
and when Johnson came back with a six -hit shutout
to win 4 -0, it looked like the Pirates were
dead. They were down three games to one, and
no team had ever gone on to win the series under
those odds. But the Bucks did the impossible.
Dick Aldridge won the fifth game 6 -4, and Ray
Kramer chucked a six -hitter in the sixth for
a tight 3 -2 decision to tie the series at three
apiece. The seventh game was played in horrible
weather, rained by the buckets full. Aldridge,
Johnny Morrison, Kramer, and Ruboldham pitching
for the Bucks, Johnson for Washington. The Pirates
tied it up at 5 -5 with two runs in the seventh.
Roger Peckinpah, most valuable player in the
American League that year, dropped Eddie Moore's
pop fly. Moore then scored on Max Carey's third
double of the game. Carey, the pirate captain,
batted a thumping 4 or 5 -8 for the series. Pytrainer
tripled a right to score Carey with the equalizer
and Pye was thrown out at home. Washington scored
a run in the top of the eighth. It was Peckinpah's
home run to go ahead 7 -6. Now it was right up
to the pirates. In the last of the eighth, Glen
Wright fouled a Joe Judge. With stuffy Guinness
up and the rain still coming down, Johnson asked
for sawdust on the mound. He got it. McGinnis
flied to Sam Rice with two downs, Smith double
to right. Amel Eady ran for him and then Carson
Bigby batting for Kramer double to left, scoring
Eady with the tying run. Moore walked. Kerry
grounded to Peckinpah, who committed his eighth
error, a World Series record, which prompted
the famous baseball writer to select Peckinpah
as the National League's most valuable player.
With the bases loaded, Kyler came up. The game
was delayed until more sawdust could be brought
out. After falling off three pitches, Kyler,
with a full count, sliced a drive to right. Three
runners came across but the ball had lodged in
a canvas that was used to cover the infield and
been rolled across the right field line. So it
was a ground rule two base hit and Kerry had
to go back to third. Pooch Barnhart flied to
Harris and the inning was over. Then Oldham came
in to pitch for the Pirates in the ninth. He
struck out Rice. Got Bucky Harris, the Washington
manager to line out to Moore, and Goose Gosling
was called out on strikes. 5 ,000 fans waited
outside for Kyler, carted him on their shoulders
to his home, half a mile from the ballpark. John
Heidler, the National League president, summed
it up this way. The Pirates are the greatest
club I've seen in all of my years of baseball.
The gamest of all clubs. Just too bad old John
wasn't around to see the 1960 Pirates. Yes, the
impossible 1925 Pirates, down three games to
one and the first team to come on to win the
series after being that far out of it. Comedian,
sportsman Joe E. Brown later told an inside story
about that sensational but soggy finish in the
rain. He had been criticized by a good friend,
J .G. Taylor Spink, in the sporting news for
his part in the movie, Elmer the Great. Spink
claimed it was just too fantastic to imagine
a baseball game being played in a driving rain.
This was Joe Brown's explanation and story he
told baseball commissioner Ford Frick some years
later. We got the idea for the game and for the
conditions in that game from a game played in
the 1925 World Series between Pittsburgh and
Washington in Pittsburgh. Very interesting part
about that Ford was that I was talking to...
The trainer of the Pittsburgh club, the man who
was the trainer at that time, or rather the groundkeeper
out here, and Hannes and a few when they were
up at San Bernardino a few years ago. Yeah. And
I said, I remember the game so very well. And
I remember that in the game, there was so much
water on the infield. As a matter of fact, they
had to turn the lights on under the stand to
get the crowd out. You know, it was late. You
remember. I know you covered it. Sawdust out
there. That's right. That's what I'm just going
to speak about. I told him I said I remember
when Walter Johnson was out there that for five
times during the ball game they came out with
a wheelbarrow full of sawdust and put it on the
mound so he could stand up the water was around
the mound and he said yes and I might call your
attention it's something you don't know that
every time before I took that wheelbarrow full
of sawdust out to the mound. I run the hose on
it. Good. I didn't know that. Yeah. Well, you
should answer Taylor. Oh, that would go too.
You know, funny part of it is if we hadn't played
that game in the rain, that final game of the
World Series in twenty five, had we not played
in the rain that day, they couldn't have played
again for 17 days. We wouldn't have played. I
remember it very well. Yes. On top of the world
in 1925, the Pirates plunged a third the next
year torn by clicks and ascension and manager
Bill McKechnie walked the plank when the team
failed to repeat. Donnie Bush took over as manager
and the Pirates climbed back to the top of the
National League again in 1927. That was the year
Charles A. Lindbergh made the first non -stop
flight across the ocean, and the United States
sent the Marines to Nicaragua and China. Pirate
fans wished the New York Yankees had been sent
there too because that's who the Pirates had
to play in the 27th series. Pirate hopes were
high before that series. The Wehner Act, baseball's
greatest brother act, was rolling in high gear.
Paul Wehner, big poison, led the league with
380, and brother Lloyd, little poison, hit 355.
Pitcher Carl Hubbell, the giant meal ticket,
later moaned, every time you pitched to the Pirates,
you got one wainer on base and another at bat.
Chet Smith, you covered that 1927 series. What
happened there? Well, the Inks that year had
a team that was known as Murders Row. Ruth, Gary,
Musil, and Tony Lozare. They set a league record
with 110 victories. The Babe hit 3 -5 -6 and
set the all -time record for home runs, 60. In
my book, it was the greatest baseball team of
all time. But actually, it was Yankee pitching
that won the series. The Yanks swept the first
three games, and the fourth game has been replayed
over and over. With the score tied 3 -3 in the
last to the ninth, Combs walked. Mark Koenig
butted safely down the third baseline. With Ruth
up, John Milges let loose a wild pitch, advancing
the runners. Then Ruth was passed intentionally,
filling the bases. Lou Gehrig fanned, and so
did Musel. The crowd cheered Milges. But then
with Lazari up, another wild pitch by Milges,
and it was all over. But Johnny Gooch, the catcher
that day, always said that it wasn't a wild pitch.
It was a pass ball that lost the series for the
Pirates. The Pirates were murdered four straight.
And then it was 33 long and sometimes tortuous
years before the Pirates were to get back on
top of the National League again. They managed
to hang in there in the First Division for 12
straight years and were mighty respectable, finishing
in the money 23 of 28 years until the roof caved
in after World War II. But before the Pirates
hit bottom, there was a moment of near gold and
glory in 1938 when Pytrainer pulled a near miracle
as player manager. This is the way Chet Smith
saw it. We didn't have a good pirate team in
1938, just a bunch of try guys who fought their
way into first place on July 12th, held a five
-game lead as late as September 8th, and almost
stole the pennant. The wiener act was fading.
We had no outstanding nine -inning pitcher, only
fireman Mace Brown, one of the first great relief
pitchers. President Bill Benswenger felt so confident
we would win the pennant that he invested almost
$40 ,000 in a new press box. Then came that fateful
afternoon of September 29th, and I'll never forget
it. With first place at stake and the score tied
5 -5 with the Cubs in Wrigley Field in Chicago,
Gabby Hartnett came to bat in the last of the
night. Brown was pitching. There were two out,
none on. The count was two strikes, no balls.
Brown delivered the third pitch, a letter high
ball that didn't break down in the way as Brown
wanted it to do. Gabby swung. The ball sailed
out of Wrigley Field like a trophy looking for
a museum. You just felt it rather than saw it.
The Cubs won the game 6 -5 and then went on to
win the pennant by two games. Suffering catfish,
that was a heartbreaker. And then, some years
later, Joey Brown and baseball commissioner Ford
C. Frick were discussing the 1938 season and
talking about the great batting stars. Those
two little fellas that were with this ball club...
the wainers were great ball greater ballplayers
and a lot of people appreciate they were ballplayers
ballplayers they could do everything and and
seem seemingly i i see those two fellas up at
the plate both of them had habits one would put
that bat almost down his back now standing up
there and he looked as though he'd be the but
he was ready for that ball when it was pitched
they lost a pretty tough chance to get into a
world series when that The big guy came up there
and he told me himself he never saw that ball
as it crossed the plate. It started across the
plate, never did get across, but he hit that
ball actually blind. You know the funny part
of it was, Joe, that if Hartnett doesn't hit
that ball, we've got to call that ball game that
day. I was out there and I thought the umpires
carried a little too long anyhow and another
hitter couldn't possibly have come up. They'd
had to call that ball game. Ritzburg hates to
hear you say you thought they carried a little
too long. We had that Forbes field all set for
that World Series. Tickets were printed, weren't
they? You're still looking for a World Series
button from that, Joe? That's right. That's right.
But they had them. Well, I was going to send
one, but I can't get it away from Rosewell. Oh,
my aching back was a familiar sound. And things
got so tough for the Bucks of Rosie Rosewell,
then the voice of the Pirates, that he even talked
about some other ball clubs. This was one of
Rosie's favorite stories, told as only he, Rosie,
could tell it. Thanks a lot, Nachery. Hello to
you good friends of the air. One of the wise
sages of another day one time said, there's a
reason for everything, but everything is not
reason. How right, how right. But that brings
me to an odd baseball story. You baseball fans
who have patiently listened to my rantings for
so many years may have wondered why I keep constantly
playing the hunches as the pigeons come and hover
around my broadcasting booth out of Forbes Field.
Well, there's a story behind it, and I have to
roll the curtain back about 14 years to pick
up the connecting link between the Pigeon and
my good luck Roman. The World Series in 1933
was played between the Washington Senators and
the New York Giants. The Giants caught the first
two games at the Polo grounds and then moved
over to Washington. The Senators took the first
game in the national capital, but the Giants
took the next two and became world champions.
Now let me get back to the Pigeon. It was a chilly
October day when they played that first game
in Washington, but picking away at the saw directly
back of shortstop was a slate -colored pigeon
that refused to move, despite the appeals of
Joe Cronin, the senator shortstop, and Blondie
Ryan, the giant shortstop. At the beginning of
each inning, one or the other of those two defensive
players would give the bird the bum's rush. But
just as soon as the pitcher would tow the rubber
again, back would come Mr. Pigeon and start grubbing
for worms. The first day, the second day, the
third day, that pigeon was there. Finally, the
umpire and the ball players all gave up and refused
to even try to chase our young -feathered friends.
But I'll say this, outside of watching the ball,
strikes, hits, and errors, there never was as
much competition in a World Series game as that
pigeon furnished for three days in Washington.
At changing time in every inning, the fans would
fasten their attention upon the pigeon playing
in the back -or -up position at shortstop. And
the only time that bird would move a wing would
be when a ground ball was hit past it or when
the shortstop would back up to take a little
blooper. Then and then only would it lift itself
along, only to return again as soon as play had
resumed. The sequel? Yes, of course, there's
a sequel. Let me run over hurriedly the details
of the scoring in the final game. Al Schumacher
had started for the Giants and Crowder was throwing
in for the Senators. In the second inning, the
Giants picked up two tallies when Schumacher
drove out a single to send Travis Jackson and
Gus Mancuso over the happy gum. They picked up
another one in the sixth on a pair of doubles,
but the Senators went to work in the last half
of the sixth and tied it up. The game moved into
the 10th inning. When, with two men away, Lil'
Malot came up, got ahold of a fast pitch, and
drove it out of the lot to win the ball game
in the World Championship for the Giants. Oh,
yes. What about the pigeon? Well... When the
last put out was made, Blondie Ryan, the giant
shortstop, reached in his hip pocket, pulled
out a handful of corn and dropped it on the ground.
The pigeon came in a little closer to the infield.
Blondie stooped over, picked it up, and carried
it into the giant clubhouse as the good luck
charmer of the 1933 World Series. Yes, these
ball players are a superstitious lot. And so
are some baseball broadcasters. This is Rosie
Roswell saying goodbye and wishing you well all
along the way. In 1948, the Pirates made a spasmodic
lurch into the First Division finishing fourth
eight and one half lengths back. Billy Meyer
was named manager of the year and richly deserved
it. And that was the year the most famous play
-by -play announcer in the history of baseball
made his debut. Bing Crosby, Pirate stockholder.
did it this way under the tutelage of Rosie Roswell
in April of 1948. Now, Ralph Keiner standing
by down there waiting for Doy Laid, who's just
taking over the pitching chores for the Chicago
club. He's a right -hander, and Ralph Keiner
will be the first man to face him. Laid last
year was in there with an 11 and 10 record, 11
wins and 10 losses. Being even doing a grand
job, I don't dare trust myself for this. Don't
you think they're tired of my monotonous delivery
here? No, they never get tired of that. They're
right in there, big. Well, I'd like to see Ralph
improve a little off his showing so far this
afternoon against Rush. He couldn't do much,
although he hit a hard smash to left tail, which
is taken by Averson. He's facing Doyle Layden.
Maybe he'll do a little better. And he does.
There goes one. You don't need to raise. Oh,
and that mini. Darren goes clear out over the
scoreboard. Over into Shendley Park, a round
tripper for Ralph Keiner, his first of the 1948
season. Oh, did he? Let's hope that it's the
first of 61. home and that'll bring a gallon
of seal test ice cream on the month to some shut
in here in Pittsburgh. Ralph is beaming. They'll
be sending your card along for that. His first
home run of the 1948 season put the Buccos in
there created nothing. I just had to take that
and bing because we got a glad you did a little
corner on it. He's home run around is really
beaming the first pitch that Doyle led through
to him. He hit it right over the fence the scoreboard.
About 20 foot to the right of the clock and about
the same height as the top of the clock. I said
that Pasco hit a hard smash here yesterday for
the home run. May I tell you something? It was
a swinging bunt compared to this that Ralph just
hit. The wind is blowing against us this afternoon
when you hit the left field. The hardest smash
I've seen in this park. I guess he hit a few
last year just as hard. When he hit that, I know
it was a home run. No question. That was hit
with what they call authority. A real hard hit
ball. First pitch to Doyle -Lort laid through
to him. He combed right over the left field,
over the clock, over everything. And that was
the only time anyone ever took a mic away from
Bing Crosby. By the way, there was a second baseman
in that game, and this is what Bing had to say
about him. It's a ground ball to Danny Muratoy.
Takes it on the big hop, tosses it to third.
That's all. And thank you, ladies and gentlemen,
for putting up with my announcing. I know it's
not much good. Clutz has run out to... Grab Riddell
and gives him a big hug and a kiss. With a beautifully
pitched two hit game. Rip Sewell gets up out
of the dugout and goes over to Elmer Riddell
and puts his arms around him and gives him a
big hug. Wonderful pitch game. Lots of control.
Lots of stuff on the ball. Confident all the
time. Handled beautifully by Klutz and some wonderful
plays in back of him. Particularly by Rojek and
Gustin. And Danny Murtaugh who drove in the first
run. Friends it's been a real pleasure to appear
here on this broadcast with Rosie and Bob Prince.
I'm going east. I hope to get back for some of
the home games which start the 1st of May. I
hope to be able to see you then and to talk to
you over this microphone. I know you'll excuse
my deficiencies as a radio broadcaster for baseball,
but Rosie seems to think I bring them luck up
here, and if I do, I'm only too willing to appear
and contribute whatever I can to the color out
here at Forbes Field. In 1949, the Pirates fell
back into the Second Division and finished sixth.
There were some changes made in the five -year
program. The rookie tryout camp was launched
in 1950. Here's how Frank McKinney explained
the changes. Well, as we indicated when we first
took over the Pittsburgh ball club three years
ago, we launched into what we thought would be
a five -year program. At that time, as you recall,
Pittsburgh had little or no farm system. This
is a game whereby you've got to develop your
own talent. Certainly, you can't buy star ball
players. Nobody will sell you their stars. All
you can hope to get is... shall I say, cast -offs.
We immediately launched into the development
of a farm system which under normal circumstance
would take four or five years. This year we took
the cream of our crop, so to speak, from our
13 farm clubs and had them out here in the hopes
that by schooling them they could advance for
perhaps one classification in their development
program. There were about 70 ballplayers in camp,
and I was agreeably surprised to learn to see
that most of them had grown at least two or three
inches in height since a year ago. And in my
opinion, there are about at least six or seven
that will be ready for Pittsburgh within the
next year to 18 months. Well, now, Frank, of
course, everybody in Pittsburgh has been tremendously
interested in this bonus pitcher, young Lefty
Pettit. When you met him, I presume you... shook
hands with him gingerly for fear he would damage
him in some way, and I heard a remark that you
said that if he didn't look good to you when
you got there, you probably would shoot a couple
of scouts. At least I thought you might have
been quoted that way, whether that was correct
or not, I don't know. How did Pettit impress
you, Frank? Pettit has the all -year marks of
being a major league pitcher. He has the poise,
he has the physical ability, he has the stamina.
In my opinion, the only thing he lacks is experience.
I saw him pitch three innings Sunday. And with
the possible exception of being a little stage
fright, he had all the earmarks of being a left
-handed feller in my opinion. I think we're in
for one of the most interesting years that we've
had thus far. By that I don't mean, and I'm not
claiming to win any pennants, but I think definitely
we're a first division ball club. I still will
stand by my statement of asking the fans of Pittsburgh
to bear with us for five years. at the end of
five years or within the next two years. I'm
definitely sure that we will have a one, two,
three ball club. By that, I don't mean this coming
year. But again, at the end of our five -year
probationary period, so to speak, I think we
will be able to give a good accounting of ourselves.
But the luck of the pirates was running all bad
at that point. Paul Pettit came up with a sore
arm and $100 ,000 went down the drain. The pirates
finished last that year for the first time since
the First World War. Late in 1950, John Galbraith
took over and brought in Branch Ricky Sr., the
creator of the farm system, as general manager.
But for eight agonizing years, the Bucks finished
last or next to last. They tried everything from
the youth movement to midget short stops and
even left -handed catchers. Ralph Keiner's home
runs weren't enough to stem the tide of losses,
even though he led the National League seven
times, hit a pirate high of 54 in 1949, and racked
up an all -time pirate career total of 301. Joey
Brown provided some comic relief during the dark
days with this advice to the home run champion.
I've got to help that boy. That boy needs help.
Come here, Mr. Keiner, if you don't mind, old
boy, come here. I've got to... I want to help
you. I want to help you with your hitting. You've
got to pay more attention to Brown from now on.
You've got to watch that first ball. Don't stare
at the pitcher a little bit more. You're not
staring him enough. Now, do you see what the
St. Louis Browns are doing? You've got to do
that too. I could do that with you. Do you mind
if I mesmerize you slightly? Are you going to
go in today? I will if you can give me the...
Are you going... No, well, I could give you...
I can't play today. Well, never mind the swollen
wrist. Let's get a swollen batting average. I
mean, something... Forget about this kind of
thing. I can do it to you, see, if you'll just
pay attention. Look me right in the eye. Yes,
you see, now we've got it. No, no, no, no, don't
laugh. No, no, no, let's go back again. This
time, don't laugh. Look me right in the eye.
Good, I've got you. I've got you. It's 61 this
year. Really, it is. No, no, if you just pay
attention, keep your mind on it. We'll do it.
Don't just relax all the time, completely. I'm
letting you ladies and gentlemen listening to
this. You're very lucky. They're fortunate people,
you know. Yes, they are. I'm taking this boy
now, and you pay attention to me, Ralphie. Oh,
let's not fiddle around. Look me smack dab and
you've got it. And along about the same time,
during this period of fitful transition, there
was a fellow whose career was to take a different
turn. Danny Murtaugh, second baseman, double
play and double talk artist, and manager -to
-be. Here's Murtaugh doing a play -by -play of
a pirate game in the twilight of his playing
career. Here comes Ralph Keiner up to the plate.
Needless to tell you folks that he's our home
run hitter. Here comes the first pitch and as
usual was high and wide where Ralph can't get
to it. You booted it again, Dan. Barty's just
sticking his nose in again. Go ahead, Dan. By
golly, Ralph was telling me yesterday he felt
a little nervous walking up to that plate and
I asked him how do you think that pitcher felt.
There's another pitch coming down there and Ralph
found it behind the plate. I might say that Ralph's
been hitting that ball real good this spring.
He's hit about two dozen over that left field
wall and it's 350. I just soon did not hit too
many in spring training. Remember every time
he does and he has a good season with home runs?
Here comes the next pitch up, Bob, and it's a
curve ball on the outside corner of the plate.
But it was too low, I believe, and he called
it a ball. Lon's a pretty good umpire. You know
that? Warnock came behind that plate. Gee, if
he doesn't know balls and strikes after all those
years of pitching, nobody will, huh? By God,
he should know. There's another pitch high and
inside. It's three and one. I don't think the
fans like it. No, it doesn't sound like they
like it in that background, does it? Hear him
yellin'? By golly. I'll tell you one thing, here's
the only man in baseball hittin' and got seven
outfielders. Look at that, look at that infield,
how they play him. All back in the grass. Uh
-oh. He fouled that one off for strike two, his
count is now three balls and two strikes. Pitcher's
still sweatin' pretty good out there. Well, he
won't give him anything good to hitch, you can
bet that. Here comes the pitch right now with
let's see what he's gonna do at all now face
it line drive pass shortstop Left fielder center
fielder come up to the ball and they held him
to single Well now that's a masterful bit of
description Daniel. I thought so Danny Murtaugh
was a mighty versatile man as time was to prove
One day in the dark days. We asked mr. Branch
Ricky senior what he looked for in a young ballplayer,
and this was his reply question. I might tell
you that I have a very competent scout, a boy
I've known for many years. He is not versed at
all in the technique of positions or instruction
to players on the skillful little pleasing plays,
not at all. But he is a productive scout and
he asks himself three questions. Can they prospect
the chap here in front of him? Can he throw hard,
he calls it, and can he run fast? And third,
can he hit the ball off for a piece, he calls
it. Now, if the boy can do those things, if he
can run fast and throw hard and has great power
at the plate, whether he strikes out or not,
those three things, it seems to him to qualify
him, and he's produced some very great players
over a period of many years. Sometimes he adds
another one in conversation, and that is he asks
himself, does he like to play? And that is a
significant addition. It is the incomparable
thing of wanting to win. It makes men devote
themselves to their weaknesses. And it makes
men do more than they can consciously. They're
completely obsessed by a desire to excel. And
when you get 25 men like that, where nothing
matters except victory. They sacrifice whatever
it takes in the way of diversions and indulgences
of themselves. Everything is subordinated and
made secondary to the whole objective course,
namely to win, to have a great winning team.
Those men are not satisfied with mediocrity.
They are not having their eyes glued upon fourth
place or third or second. It's a whole lot better
to have a youngster who's coming along with a
direction in his play that leads to a pennant
although this year he may be only able to put
us in a fourth place or fifth or what have you
then it is to have players of greater ability
just now who will not crystallize into a final
club that can win a pennant they will always
keep you in a in a lower position Our object
in Pittsburgh is to get boys who are going to
come at one time in repentant -winning aggregation.
During those painful rebuilding years, there
was one event that propelled Pittsburgh into
the national spotlight. First baseman Dale Long
hit home runs in eight consecutive games for
an all -time record, a feat that Ruth, Gary,
Greenberg, and the other greats never accomplished.
The year was 1956, and the dates May 19th through
May 28th. That will be remembered for a long
time. Almost forgotten is Ralph Keiner's feat
of hitting eight home runs in four consecutive
games from September 10th through September 12th,
1947. In 1958, the Pirates jumped from eighth
to second. made a good run at the Milwaukee Pennant
Express in September. Some experts picked the
parts to win the pennant in 1959, but that was
the year of disappointment, injuries, slumps,
and temporary decline and fall to fourth place.
Little Roy Face gave the fans their biggest moments,
hanging up all -time pitching records of 17 consecutive
games won and the highest winning percentage
of 9 -4 -7, with 18 wins and one loss, all in
relief, to stamp him as the greatest all -time
reliever. And here is the matter -of -fact way
Elroy Face explained his phenomenal success.
Well, Bob, I don't think that every pitcher can
pitch the guy the same. I mean, each guy has
to learn to pitch his own way to each hitter
because Vern Law might throw a fastball or Bob
Friend might get a guy out on a fastball and
if I throw the fastball, he might hit it out
of the ballpark because my delivery is different
than theirs. Fastball might not be the same as
theirs and you can't go by that. You have to
go learn your own way. Another pirate who gave
the fans a tremendous moment in that otherwise
unhappy 1959 campaign was small -statured Harvey
Haddix. All he did was pitch 12 perfect innings
of baseball, something no other pitcher ever
accomplished. He did it against the champion
Milwaukee Braves, and once again with the impossible
pirate ending. Anything that Jim and I have witnessed
in this season absolutely at this moment fails
into insignificance. And we've had some thumpers.
Here's the wind -up and the 1 -2 pitch to Burdette.
Foul off to the right out of play. And Burdette
has shortened up the grip on that bat and is
trying to really hang in there. And don't forget
he also is quite a threat at the long ball. Two
men down. Last half of the ninth inning. No score.
I can't repeat it enough. The 1 -2 pitch. Stuck
him out swinging. Haddix pitches a perfect nine
inning, no hit, no run game. A standing ovation.
Ladies and gentlemen, Harvey Haddix has just
become the seventh pitcher in the history of
all baseball to pitch a perfect no hit. No run,
nine inning ball game. Going into the last of
the 13th, Bob Prince summed up what happened
to that point. For the final out of the ninth
inning was a strikeout on Luberdet. It was the
eighth turned in by Haddix and at that moment
he became the eighth pitcher in all the history
of baseball to pitch a perfect no hit, no run
game. He then went on to get him in the tenth.
and the 11th and the 12th, retiring 36 in a row
and counting the final two outs he had against
the Cardinals in his last victory at Forbes Field.
He retired 38 men in order before a man got aboard
and then only on an arrow. One out, batter Adcock
takes high ball on. Anybody right now sucker
at this moment than Don Hoke. I guarantee you
that. He's crushed over this. Here's the pitch.
There's a fly ball deep right center. That ball
may be on through and over everything. It is
gone. All right. Absolutely fantastic. Pandemonium
rained. Here's what the umpires eventually decided.
Adcock hit the ball over the fence and right
center. Mantia scored. After passing second,
Aaron took the shortcut across the pitcher's
mound and Adcock passed him on the base pass.
Umpire Dascoli ruled that Adcock was out for
passing Aaron between second and third. Adcock
was given a double. Aaron was returned to second.
And Mantilla's run was the only one needed to
make the score one to nothing and end the game.
If you tried to write the pirate story of 1960
before it happened, nobody would have believed
it. And it would have been rejected by any Hollywood
producer as too fantastic. Utterly impossible.
All the hopes and dreams of 35 years and considerably
more came true to a degree that defied description
and analysis. The only way I know how to say
it is how sweet it is, and we had them all away.
You could single out the trades by General Manager
Joel Brown or the perfect handling of players
in judgment of Manager Danny Murtaugh or the
dedicated performance of many players to surpass
anything they had ever done before. Dick Groat,
the captain, beating far more formidable hitters
for the National League batting title. Vernon
Law, winning 20 games for the first time in his
career. Don Holt, the tiger, and his driving
will to win. Bob Clemente's fielding and running.
Bob Skinner's bombing. Bill Mazurowski's wizardry
at second base. Bob Friend's comeback. Elroy
Faces' coldly calculated relief pitching. The
ability of almost anyone to climb off the bench
and win a game. Every game produced a different
hero. And how about the fans? Well, they plastered
beat -em -buck stickers on their cars' doors
everywhere. And then there was a sun. Yes, sir,
Mr. Prince, there was a song, and I know you're
not Bob Hope, and I'm certainly not Bing Crosby,
but I think we may be able to give the folks
a brief idea. It went like this. Oh, the Bucks
are going all the way, all the way, all the way.
The Bucks are going all the way, all the way
this year. Beat them, Bucks! Beat them, Bucks!
Beat them, Bucks is right. Well, the fans never
gave up, and neither did those pirates. The later
the inning, the more likely they were to bomb
you. They seesawed in and out of first place
until July 25th. Then Bob Friend pitched them
into the lead to stay, a 4 -2 victory over the
Cardinals in St. Louis. Finally, on September
the 25th, ironically in a losing game in Milwaukee,
their first pennant in 33 years as the Cubs knocked
off the runner -up cards 5 -0. This was the way
Paul Long described the clincher. 1 -0, the Pirates
lead on the... strength of a home run by Bill
Masurowski back in the fifth inning. Otherwise
it's been a real pitching duel between the great
left -hander Warren Spahn and the great left
-hander also Harvey Haddix. Right now it's one
to nothing. The Pirates lead. The Cardinals losing
to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. It's all
over. And this crowd here noticed a lot of transistor
radios here and the applause has gone up. Clemente
has just singled into center field. He's on first.
But somehow this thirty five thousand crowd.
Now they're making the announcement on the loudspeaker.
The Cubs have beaten the Cardinals. And the Pirates
have won the national league medal. A deeply
relieved fellow was President John Galbraith.
Well, it has been a long time and it's been a
rough road, but I feel a little bit that we've
paid back a little of the debt for the tremendous,
tremendous support we've had for 14 years. And
that's not now, that's back when we had a very
ordinary ball team. They've been great and I
hope they're as happy about tonight as we are.
It was a day Vice President Tom Johnson will
always remember. It's been great. It's the greatest
year I've ever had in baseball, as you can well
imagine, and it's just a real thrill, and I know
the whole city's thrilled. And Captain Dick Grote,
sidelined with a broken wrist, was worried that
he might miss the series. Something I've always
wanted to do is play on a pennant winner, and
I... I've said all winter, and I've said over
and over again, I want to play in a pennant winner
in Pittsburgh. I only hope I can play in the
World Series. The city of Pittsburgh celebrated
the Pirates' pennant victory with a gigantic
torchlight parade through the Golden Triangle
at midnight, sponsored by KDKA -TV and radio
and the Chamber of Commerce. The World Series
should have been anticlimactic, but it wasn't.
Meanwhile, at a Gus Van Club luncheon in the
Pittsburgh Press Club, manager Danny Murtaugh
received the first of many awards. He was inducted
into their Hall of Fame. Murtaugh, in accepting
the award, told this story. It got to be one
of these knockdown battles. So, finally, I'm
talking to one of my pitchers who had been pitching
at the ball game that day. I said, look, son,
when this other pitcher comes up here, I want
you to knock him down. And this picture of mine
happened to be one of these fellows that is quite
well versed in the Bible. And he turned around
and he said, remember, Skip, turn the other cheek.
So I looked at him. I said, all right, me? I
said, I'll turn the other cheek. I said, but
if this guy don't get down, is it going to cost
you $100? So he looked at me and he says, they
that live by the sword shall perish by the sword.
Gentlemen, you know I don't fabricate, and that's
a true story. And General Manager Joel Brown
paid this tribute to the Pirates and Murtaugh.
The 1960 Pirates have not been successful because
we have the greatest collection of all -stars
ever assembled. I think that there are a number
of reasons that have been made public on certainly
more than one occasion by many people that have
made this club a successful team to this date,
and I know they will continue to be successful.
Chet mentioned that I've been on tender hooks,
that I'm an ulcer case. Well, I don't have ulcers,
but I have a few hooks sticking in me around.
But, of course, I think that that's easily understandable.
The winning of a pennant has been my lifetime
dream, if you don't mind a personal touch here.
And, of course, to see a dream come almost to
its fruition... is something that would make
almost anyone believe that it just can't happen.
But these various qualities that have been attributed
to our ball club have been team spirit, desire,
ambition, aggressiveness, intelligence. Those
of you who saw Danny as a player and who have
seen him as a manager I think will recognize
that those very same qualities are inherent in
him. And I think those things in a ball club,
while perhaps they are somewhat innate in the
individual player, are instilled more than anything
else by the manager. I think Danny Murtaugh is
not only one of the game's outstanding managers,
if not the best. but the most underrated. One
loyal fan, the most loyal of them all, who deserved
to see the great day when the pennant arrived
was the late Rosie Roswell. He, in a sense, represented
the spirit that carried the pirates through.
And this is how he expressed it one day back
in 1950 when he was honored at Forbes Field.
And the only thing I can say is that my love
for Fitzberg will always be an abiding thing
in my heart. They'll be talking about the World
Series of 1960 until Doomsday. The most impossible
pirate team of all. Three times the pirates won
the World Series in 1909, 1925 and 1960. Each
time in seven games. but never in such fashion
as the 1960 crew. Newsweek magazine ran pictures
of Danny Murtaugh with the heading, wanted for
piracy. The New York Times' Arthur Daly termed
the pirates, Dest and his darlings. The New York
World Telegram and Sun said, if ever a World
Series was stolen, this was the one. The 1960
Yankees hit more home runs than any previous
American League team. More than the Yankees'
famed murderers Roe who clobbered the pirates
four straight in the 27 series. They humiliated
the Pirates 16 -3, 10 -0 and 12 -0. Worse in
dignities than any team ever suffered in the
series. The Yankees set new series records with
55 runs scored to the Pirates 27. 91 hits to
the Buccos 60. But the Pirates had them even
at the end of 6. And finally with the Yankees
with their favorite weapon, the home run. And
here's what happened in the 7th and payoff game.
The Pirates got off to a quick two -run lead
on Rocky Nelson's Homer in the first inning.
They grabbed two more in the second inning. The
Yanks came to life in the fifth with Moose Scowron's
home run. Then they piled up four runs in the
sixth to lead five to four. Yogi Berra's home
run off the Baron of the bullpen Roy Face was
the big blast scoring three runs. The Yankees
teed off on Face for two more in the eighth and
it seemed to be all over. But in the last of
the eighth, pinch hitter Gino Somoli singled.
Verdon got an infield hit. The ball took a bad
hop and struck shortstop Tony Kubek on the Adam's
apple. He clutched his throat and collapsed.
Then Grote singled a left, scoring some only
and making the score seven to five. Skinner was
thrown out on an attempted sacrifice bunt. Now
listen to Chuck Thompson, NBC's radio voice during
the series, who described it this way. In typical
World Series fashion, this one appears to be
going right down to the wire. Now Blanchard pumping
out the sign to Coates, who wigwags with that
glove just a little bit. He wants to see that
sign again. Now that Coates is into the move,
the 1 -2 to Clemente, he swings the ground ball,
slowly hit off the first base high, charging
a scour, he makes a pick up, there'll be no play
on the right scorer. Clemente hit a slow roller
down first base way, wide of the bag at first,
about 10 or 12 feet to the right or to the second
base side. Skylon came charging in, made the
pick up on the ball, had no chance of a play
at the plate because Verdon broke with the crack
of the bat. And then realized that he couldn't
get over there in time to get Clemente at first
base so the infield hit by Clemente has driven
in the sixth pirate run down to third base goes
Grove, two out, it's the Yankees seven, the Pirates
six. And the batter will be catcher Hal Smith.
Smith steps in with two down and pirate runners
at first and third and this ballpark is going
crazy. Coates into the set. He throws. Smith
takes a strike right down the pipe. And Smitty
was given it a good look. One strike to right
hand batting Hal Smith. Panetti hit a little
dribbler off the first base side, winded the
bag at first and legged it out into a base hit.
And of course, Vernon was able to score the sixth
round. Now the one strike that's coming to Smith.
It's high and a ball one ball one strike. Well
the pirate opportunity in this ball game in this
inning was came up about on a bad hop that hit
Kubek in the throat and knocked him out of the
ballgame. Now the 1 1 pitch coming down to Hal
Smith. Here it is. Swing and a miss. Strike two
and he really pulled the trigger. One ball, two
strikes to Hal Smith, who gave it the big ripple,
the Sunday punch, and couldn't find it. The tying
run is at third base in the person of Dick Grove.
The go -ahead run is out there at first in the
person of Roberto Clemente. And now the set,
the one -two pitch coming to Hal Smith. Coach
throws. He started a swing and held back and
has taken high for a ball. A check swing and
a ball two. Two and two now. And for just a split
second, every move of the pirate dugout came
to a stop. on that call up there at the plate.
But it was a high pitch and Smith held back on
the swing. So the count is two and two. And Coates
into the stretch. He sets. And the 2 -2 to Smith.
He swings a long fly ball deep to left field.
I don't know if... is at this moment an outdoor
insane asylum. We have seen and shared in one
of baseball's great moments. In the top of the
ninth, the Yanks tied it up at 9 -9. They had
scored two runs KOing Bob Friend, the hard luck
pitcher of the series, in a hurry. And Harvey
Haddix had trouble putting out the fire. And
then, the last of the ninth, and again Chuck
Thompson. The last half of the ninth inning.
Change is made by the Yankees. McDougal goes
to third base. Cletus Boyer moves over to play
shortstop. And Ralph Terry, of course, on the
mound, will be facing Mazurowski. And to go over
that, uh, Barrett play once again. It was a hard
hit drive down the first base side. The Nelson
fielded on the first hop and tagged the bag at
first. That eliminated Barrett. He was out. And
then, uh, Mantle. Could have been in a rundown,
but it was not the case. He dove back safely
to first base. Here's a ball one, too high down
to Mazurowski. And the Yankees have tied the
game. In the top of the ninth inning. Well, a
little while ago, when we mentioned that this
one in typical fashion was going right to the
wire, little did we know. Art Ditmar throws.
Here's a swing and a high -five ball going deep
to left. This may do it. Back to the wall goes
Berra. It is. Yankee has hit a 1 -0 pitch over
the left field fence at Forbes Field to win the
1960 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates
by a score of 10 -0. Once again, that final score,
the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 1960 World Champions,
defeat the New York Yankees, the Pirates 10,
and the Yankees 9. In the Pirate Clubhouse, Bob
Prince conducted the locker room interviews.
Beat the Bucs! Can't beat the Bucs, can they?
No sir, can't beat the bad Bucs. I'll tell you
that. That's for sure. Yes sir, yes sir. We got
them, we got them. They broke all the records
and we won the game. How about that? There's
a good one. Broke all the records and we won
the game. We won the game, right here. That's
it. Here's the president of the ball club, Mr.
John Galbraith. And Mr. Galbraith, I just want
to ask you one question instead of you asking
me. Have we... paid our debt to the city, the
people of Pittsburgh. I think you have it. You've
given your voice to it, too, haven't you? You've
given everything I've got. You wouldn't trade
a Kentucky Derby victory for this, John. You're
trying to get me when I'm vulnerable. And the
commissioner of baseball, ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. Ford Frick. Commissioner, without question,
one of the most exciting World Series in all
time. This is my 39th, and I never saw a finish
like that one, Paul. Never. Here's Danny Mertai.
You Irishman, you did it! by golly bob what a
finish but uh we've been doing that all the year
and i think the fans are looking forward to it
well thank you very much dan john galbraith and
i'll just say thank you to everybody i hope you
fans have enjoyed hearing from these very happy
world champion pittsburgh parrots the headline
in the pittsburgh post -gazette read we had them
all the way and the pittsburgh press told it
this way city of champs flips lid There was never
anything like the all -night celebration staged
in the streets of Pittsburgh. It was VE and VJ
Day, the Mardi Gras, and New Year's Eve all rolled
into one. The celebrations extended to Addis
Ababa and Timbuktu. Those crazy 1960 pirates
were indeed the most impossible pirates of them
all.