TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Pirates win Titles in 1971 & 1979 on October 17

October 17, 1971, Roberto Clemente hits a fourth-inning homer off Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar to put the Pirates ahead, 1-0, in Game 7 of the World Series. The right-fielder has hit safely in all seven games of the series, a feat he also accomplished in 1960 against the Yankees, to extend his consecutive Fall Classic hitting streak to 14 contests. Clemente is named Series MVP after hitting .414.

Steve Blass’s not to be outdone by the great one, pitches a complete-game four-hitter, the Pirates beat Mike Cuellar and the heavily favored Orioles 2-1 to capture their fourth world championship in franchise history. Immediately after the Game 7 victory, rookie hurler Bruce Kison and his champagne-soaked best man Bob Moose are whisked away from Memorial Stadium by helicopter to a waiting Lear Jet to attend the 21 year-old’s 6:30 pm wedding in Pittsburgh, in which the groom will arrive 33 minutes late.

October 17, 1979 At Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, Jimmy Carter throws the ceremonial first pitch before the Pirates and Orioles play Game 7 of the Fall Classic. The toss marks the only time the Commander-in-Chief will perform the pregame ritual during his presidency.

With the World Series tied at three games, the Pittsburgh Pirates; winners of the last two games, find themselves having to win on the road in Baltimore to make their remarkable comeback complete. In this Series, it was the American League’s turn to play by National League rules, meaning no designated hitter and the Orioles’ pitchers would have to bat. This was particularly damaging to the Orioles because Lee May, their designated hitter for much of the season and a key part of their offense, was only able to bat three times in the whole series. The Pirates amazing comeback came on the strength of Willie Stargell, who went 4 for 5 with a single, two doubles, and a towering two-run homer in the sixth off Scott McGregor. Stargell, the series MVP, hit .400 with a record seven extra-base hits and matched Reggie Jackson’s record of 25 total bases set in 1977. The “We are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates were the last team to win Game 7 of the World Series on the road.

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This day in baseball has a deeper dive into every event from October 17.

October 17, 1915 — In a game between the Indianapolis ABCs and a team of white “All-Stars” from the city, trouble breaks out in the 5th inning when All-Stars baserunner Donie Bush is declared safe by (white) umpire Jimmy Scanlon on an attempted steal of second base, while most observers contend he was out. ABCs second baseman Bingo DeMoss objects vehemently and starts to fight the umpire, at which point 19-year-old CF Oscar Charleston runs in from his position and decks the official with one punch, starting a huge brawl that engulfs players, fans and police officers alike. After order is restored, both DeMoss and Charleston are arrested, although they will be let out on bail and allowed to accompany their team on a planned barnstorming tour of Cuba. When they return to face trial on December 7th, Charleston is fined $10 and DeMoss $5, but the police use the fight as a pretext to ban any further games between teams of different races in the city.

October 17, 1964 — Despite a 99-63 record, the Yankees fire manager Yogi Berra after losing the World Series to the Cardinals in seven games. The 39-year-old dismissed skipper will join the crosstown Mets as a coach, becoming the team’s manager in 1972, following Gil Hodges’ unexpected death in spring training. Manager Johnny Keane of the World Champs Cardinals resigns unexpectedly. He will take the Yankee job which opens as the result of the firing of Berra.

October 17, 1978 — At Dodger Stadium the New York Yankees win their fourth straight game, 7 – 2, to clinch their twenty-second and second consecutive World Championship over the Los Angels Dodgers. Reggie Jackson homers and Bucky Dent & Brian Doyle got for 6-8 with 5 RBI’s. Catfish Hunter goes 7 strong and Rich Gossage finishes the last 2 innings for the victory. Don Sutton takes the loss his 3rd of the post season.

Playoff hero Bucky Dent collects ten hits in the six-game series, is named the Fall Classic’s Most Valuable Player.

October 17, 1982, future Hall of Famer Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first player to have two four-hit games in a World Series. Yount’s outburst includes a home run and helps the Brewers defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4, to take a three-games-to-two lead in the Series

Listen - October 17, 1982 World Series Game 5 St Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers

October 17, 1987, the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals play the first indoor game in World Series history at the Metrodome.

Dan Gladden’s grand slam caps a seven-run 4th inning. Frank Viola, whose brother got married the same day, is the winning pitcher, the Twins win going away 10-1. The noise made by the boisterous hanky-waving sold-out Minnesota crowd at times exceeds 110 decibels, an audio level equivalent to a jet plane taking off at an airport

Listen - October 17, 1987 World Series Game 1 St Louis Cardinals vs Minnesota Twins

October 17, 1989, an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale forces postponement of the third game of the World Series, the Loma Prieta earthquake hits the Bay Area, which will be responsible for 63 deaths.

The earthquake hits the Bay Area 20 minutes before the start of Game Three between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s. Although no one at Candlestick Park is seriously hurt, the ballpark sustains some damage and The Candlestick Park contest was quickly postponed by Commissioner Fay Vincent, and he wisely orders the evacuation of the ballpark. The series will resume 11 days later.

October 17, 1991, the Atlanta Braves win their first National League pennant since their move from Milwaukee. John Smoltz pitches a complete game, six-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0, Brian Hunter’s two-run home run in the 1st inning.

Listen - October 17, 1991 NLCS Game 7 Atlanta Braves vs Pittsburgh Pirates

October 17, 2005 — The juiced Minute Maid Park crowd, anticipating the Astros’ first National League crown, after the first two batters are quickly retired, is ‘pulverized’ when Albert Pujols hits a two out three-run ninth-inning homer to put the cardinals on top.

Pujols stunning three-run home run comes off relief ace Brad Lidge, A two-strike single stroked by David Eckstein and a walk worked out by Jim Edmonds set the stage for the Cardinals’ dramatic 5-4 comeback victory. Houston still leads the NLCS 3 games to 2, but St. Louis forces a Game 6 to be played at Busch Stadium.

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