Since the first All-Star Game in 1933, representatives of the Pittsburgh Pirates have produced many memories. Here are some memorable moments from these clashes between the National League and the American League.<\/p>\n
1934 \u2013 AL 9, NL 7 at Polo Grounds, New York. <\/strong>This game is best known as the game where New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell<\/a> struck out five future Hall-of-Famers in a row: Babe Ruth<\/a>, Lou Gehrig<\/a>, Jimmie Foxx<\/a>, Al Simmons<\/a>, and Joe Cronin<\/a>. However, it was also the only All-Star Game where a Pirate stole home. Pie Traynor<\/a> accomplished the feat in the bottom of the fifth inning on the front end of a double steal while Mel Ott<\/a> took second base.<\/p>\n 1943 \u2013 AL 5, NL 3 at Shibe Park, Philadelphia. <\/strong>Vince DiMaggio<\/a> was to the DiMaggio brothers what Zeppo Marx was to the Marx Brothers. But the NL named Vince to play in the All-Star Game in 1943 and 1944 while a member of the Pirates. Dick Fortune of The Pittsburgh Press<\/em> wrote, \u201cVince went into the game saddled with the job of upholding the honor of the DiMaggios. Joe<\/a> had been in several, and his work was outstanding. Dom also had a try at the All-Star glory and made good. Now, with Joe in the Army and Dominic in the Navy, Vince was determined to carry on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCarry on,\u201d he did. Vince was 3-for-3 with a single, triple, and home run. His triple was \u201cinches away from going over the left field wall,\u201d according to United Press. \u201cThat the senior loop didn\u2019t win was no fault of Vincent Paul,\u201d wrote Fortune. \u201cJoe and Dom should be right proud of their \u2018old\u2019 brother.\u201d<\/p>\n 1949 \u2013 AL 11, NL 7 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn.<\/strong> Pirates slugger<\/a> Ralph Kiner<\/a> hit a home run in the All-Star Game in three consecutive years. On this day, Kiner\u2019s two-run shot off Lou Brissie<\/a> in the bottom of the sixth brought the NL to within one run. Kiner did it with a sore right wrist. He remained in New York to have it X-rayed and missed the next day’s charity exhibition game in Cleveland. \u201cHow he sustained the injury was uncertain,\u201d wrote Jack Henry of the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph<\/em>, \u201calthough he thought he may have done it while snapping photographs of the midseason classic.\u201d It was one of the strangest reasons<\/a> for missing a game.<\/p>\n 1950 \u2013 NL 4, AL 3 at Comiskey Park, Chicago. <\/strong>The AL was ahead, 3-2 when Kiner led off the top of the ninth against Art Houtteman<\/a>. Wrote Les Biederman of The Pittsburgh Press<\/em>, \u201cThe first pitch was a strike, and Kiner watched it. It was Houtteman who watched the next pitch.\u201d Kiner launched a towering drive that descended into the upper deck to tie the game. The NL won in the 14th inning on a home run by Red Schoendienst<\/a>. Kiner played all 14 innings. A newspaper photo showed bow-tied Brooklyn Dodgers manager Burt Shotton<\/a> pointing to his two grinning heroes.<\/p>\n 1951 \u2013 NL 8, AL 3, Briggs Stadium, Detroit. <\/strong>Kiner made it three straight with an eighth-inning solo blast into the left field upper deck off Mel Parnell<\/a>. The Pirates slugger\u2019s steak ended with the 1952 All-Star Game. That game was rained out after five innings before Kiner could make an appearance.<\/p>\n 1956 \u2013 NL 7, AL 3 at Griffith Stadium, Washington, DC.<\/strong> Pirates pitcher Bob Friend<\/a> was tabbed to start the All-Star Game for the NL. He pitched the first three innings and was awarded the win. Friend struck out Boston Red Sox legend<\/a> Ted Williams<\/a> with a curve ball to end a 1-2-3 first inning. Later, Friend ended the third inning by retiring Williams on a ground out with two men on base. Afterward, Williams was impressed. He told Biederman, \u201cHe\u2019s rough. . . I had never seen him before, but all he showed me was breaking stuff. No fastballs.\u201d<\/p>\n We include this story because of what happened some 15 years later. In the fine 1993 book Maz and the \u201960 Bucs<\/em>, Friend told author Jim O\u2019Brien<\/a> about running into Williams at an airport in Atlanta. Williams was known for his uncanny ability to recall every at-bat he ever had in the majors. Friend walked up to Williams and introduced himself. Williams said, \u201cI remember you. You know, I never thought you\u2019d curve me.\u201d<\/p>\n 1961 \u2013 NL 5, AL 4 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco. <\/strong>Those of us who grew up in a certain era remember that for years, the NL\u2019s starting outfield was Henry Aaron<\/a>, Willie Mays<\/a>, and Roberto Clemente<\/a>. (Now and then, an intruder who had a good first half would displace one of them.) With the AL ahead 4-3 going into the bottom of the 10th, the NL\u2019s Great Triumvirate went to work. Aaron led off with a single-off pitcher, Hoyt Wilhelm<\/a>. He advanced to second when one of Wilhelm\u2019s knuckleballs eluded catcher Elston Howard<\/a>. Mays then grounded a double over third base, scoring Aaron to tie the game. After Frank Robinson<\/a> was hit by a pitch, Clemente strode to the batter\u2019s box. Clemente swung and missed a knuckler before lining the next one into right-center to win the game.<\/p>\n 1971 \u2013 AL 6, NL 4 at Tiger Stadium, Detroit. <\/strong>Six future Hall-of-Famers hit home runs: Johnny Bench<\/a>, Aaron, Reggie Jackson<\/a>, Robinson, Harmon Killebrew<\/a>, and Clemente. Talk about one\u2019s baseball cards coming to life! Clemente\u2019s eighth-inning at-bat was hilarious. He was visibly disgusted over Mickey Lolich<\/a>‘s floppy, slow outside pitches to him. Thus, Clemente took matters into his own hands and smacked a high, 3-1 pitch into the center field stands.Kiner’s Time<\/h3>\n
“I Never Thought You’d Curve Me”<\/h3>\n
Clemente Shines<\/h3>\n
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