Pirate Gold: The 1960 Season

By Bob Marchinetti

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781628383287

Book preview

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By Bob Marchinetti

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Copyright © 2014 Bob Marchinetti

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2014

ISBN 978-1-62838-327-0 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-62838-328-7 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

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For my father, Joseph, who gave me my passion for the Pirates; for my mother, Ruth, who had to hear more about the Pirates

than she ever wanted to know.

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FOREWORD

The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season is widely known as the year of Bill Mazeroski’s World Series winning walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh and deciding game against the New York Yankees. But the details of that long ago season are less known or remembered.

I was six years old in 1960. And while I was aware of such players as Bill Virdon, Smoky Burgess, Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente, and Dick Groat, I was not yet a devoted Pirate fan. That didn’t happen until 1961 after seemingly all the adults in my hometown of Charleroi, Pennsylvania were talking about Mazeroski and the great Pirates victory. And although my family moved to Baltimore a few years later, I remained an avid Pirates fan ever since. Eventually, I wanted to know more about the seventh game of the 1960 World Series than I had learned from a box score. That research led to a quest to study that entire World Series. In turn, that led to a desire to research the entire 1960 Pirates’ season, which further led to an exploration of how the woeful Pirates of the 1950s became champions in 1960.

My research material was the same as is available to any fan: books, internet, World Series audio game tapes, World Series highlights film, video tape of the seventh game, and Google newspaper archives. I have assembled my findings into the following account of the 1960 World Series between the Pirates and the Yankees and the events of that season that ultimately led to Mazeroski standing in the batter’s box against Ralph Terry in a game tied at 9-9 in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh game of that best-of-seven Series.

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Chapter 1

BACKGROUND

October was usually a busy time for the New York Yankees. The World Series had practically become their private property. They had participated in an astounding 17 of the previous 24 Series, winning 14 of them. After winning championships in 1947 and 1949, the Yankees proceeded to dominate the decade of the 1950s, appearing in eight of those ten World Series. They won the championship in 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953. When they didn’t appear in the series in 1954, it was only after going 103-51 for the season, finishing second to the Cleveland Indians who won an incredible 111 games that year. The Yankees returned to the Series the following year in 1955 but lost it in seven games. They again won the title in 1956 then lost the Series in seven games in 1957 and won the championship again in 1958. The Yankees followed up their 1958 championship season with an underachieving 79-75 record in 1959, finishing third in the American League (AL). It was their worst season since 1925, and it prompted changes.

In December 1959, the Yankees traded outfielders Hank Bauer and Norm Siebern, pitcher Don Larsen, and first baseman/outfielder Marv Throneberry to the Kansas City Athletics to acquire outfielder Roger Maris and infielders Joe DeMaestri and Kent Hadley. In May of 1960, they traded reserve third baseman Andy Carey to the Athletics for outfielder Bob Cerv. Elston Howard, who split the 1959 season between first base, catcher and the outfield, took over most of the catching duties from thirty-five-year-old Yogi Berra, who then split his time between catching and the outfield. The pitching remained intact from 1959 except for the addition of veteran left-handed reliever Luis Arroyo and twenty-year-old rookie right-hander Bill Stafford.

While the Yankees were the dominant team in the 1950s, the Pittsburgh Pirates had been at the opposite end of major league baseball’s hierarchy. From 1950 through 1957, the Pirates averaged 97 losses per year, playing 154-game schedules. They finished last in the 8-team National League (NL) in 1950, next to last in 1951, last in 1952, 1953, 1954, and 1955, next to last in 1956 and 1957, surged into second place in 1958 but then dropped back to fourth place in 1959.

The fact that the Pirates’ 1959 record of 78-76 represented their second-best season since 1948 reveals what a difficult decade it had been for them. Even the presence of prolific slugging outfielder Ralph Kiner had failed to change their fortunes as the losing persisted, despite Kiner leading the league in home runs in each of his first seven seasons from 1946 through 1952. The 1950 team finished last with a record of 57-94 and had four pitchers with 14 or more losses. The 1951 Pirates were next to last with a 64-90 record despite having a 20-game winner in Murry Dickson (20-16). Unfortunately, no other Pirate pitcher won more than eight games that year. The 1952 team featured thirteen rookies, four of whom were still teenagers.

That team compiled a record of 42-112 but included several notable players in addition to Kiner. Shortstop Dick Groat was a twenty-one-year-old rookie. Bob Friend, also twenty-one, was in his second major league season. Pitcher Ron Kline, twenty, was in his rookie year. Nineteen-year-old rookie outfielder Bobby Del Greco was a defensive standout and a native of Pittsburgh. Outfielder Gus Bell would go on to see his son and two grandsons play in the major leagues. First baseman Tony Bartirome would one day become the Pirates’ head trainer. Twenty-year-old rookie pitcher Ron Necciai was promoted to the Pirates in May of 1952 after striking out 27 batters in a minor league no-hitter and proceeded to go 1-6 with a 7.08 earned run average (ERA) for the Pirates that year. Young Frank Thomas, twenty-three, would have an MVP-caliber season in 1958 that would enable the Pirates to include him in a blockbuster trade. Infielder Johnny Berardino would become Dr. Steve Hardy on the soap opera General Hospital. And catcher Joe Garagiola would become a successful author, broadcaster, and Today Show host. Besides Del Greco, Groat, Kline, Bartirome, Thomas, and Necciai all hailed from the Pittsburgh area.

Murry Dickson, who won 20 games the year before, lost 21 in 1952. Dickson lost another 19 in 1953. The 1953 roster did not include Necciai, who injured his shoulder and never again pitched in the major leagues. It did include former Heisman Trophy winner Vic Janowicz who was paid $75,000 to forego an NFL career and sign with the Pirates. Janowicz spent the 1953 and 1954 seasons with the Pirates as a part-time player, hitting .214 before quitting baseball to try football again. Kiner was traded during the 1953 season after general manager Branch Rickey told him the Pirates were finishing last with him and could finish last without him. Rickey was right. The Pirates went 50-104 in 1953 and finished in last place. They were last again in 1954 with a record of 53-101 as five pitchers, including Friend (7-12) and twenty-four-year-old right-hander Vern Law (9-13), suffered double-digit losses.

The Pirates had the NL’s worst team batting average from 1952 through 1955. To make matters worse, they also had the league’s worst team ERA from 1949 through 1954 and improved only to seventh of eight teams in ERA in 1955 while retaining their hold on last place in the NL standings with a record of 60-94.

The 1956 Pirates struggled to score runs. They were next to last in the NL in runs scored, due largely to being last in the NL in home runs. However, first baseman Dale Long did manage to set a record with home runs in eight consecutive games en route to a 27-homer season. Frank Thomas added another 25. Lee Walls, with 11, was the only other Pirate in double digits in homers. While those three players accounted for 63 home runs, the rest of the team combined for just 47 more. And it didn’t help that they stole the fewest bases in the major leagues that year with 24 while being caught stealing 33 times, which translated to a failure rate of 58 percent.

But they had a bright spot in center fielder Bill Virdon, acquired in May for Del Greco. Virdon finished second in the NL batting race with an average of .319, behind Hank Aaron (.328) and just ahead of teammate Roberto Clemente (.311).

The 1956 Pirates showed vast improvement in pitching, finishing third in the NL in team ERA. However, that improvement represented the work of only a handful of pitchers. Manager Bobby Bragan leaned heavily on starters Bob Friend, Ron Kline, and Vern Law and reliever Roy Face. Friend (17-17) led the league both in starts (42) and innings pitched (314.1). Kline (14-18) started 39 games, which was the second most in the NL, and pitched 264 innings. Kline’s luck was so bad that he led the Pirates’ starters in ERA with 3.38 but also led the league in losses with 18. Law (8-16) started 32 games and logged 195.2 innings. No one else started more than 13 games. Face (12-13) appeared in a league high 68 games, all but three in relief, and totaled 135.1 innings.

Those four pitchers accounted for a combined record of 51-64, which was 75 percent of the team’s total wins and losses (66-88) and 66 percent of all the total innings pitched. But the improved pitching was only good enough for a next-to-last-place finish in 1956.

The 1957 Pirates also were last in the NL in runs scored and home runs. It didn’t help that they traded Long and Walls to the Cubs little more than a week into the 1957 season. In exchange, they received first baseman Dee Fondy, a high-average line drive hitter with little power, and Gene Baker, a veteran utility infielder. Frank Thomas led the Bucs with 23 home runs and 89 runs batted in (RBIs). No one else drove in more than 54 runs. Bob Skinner’s 13 home runs were second best, and no one else had more than Hank Foiles’ 9. Fondy batted .313 but homered only twice. The Pirates hit only 20 home runs at Forbes Field all season.

Friend (14-18) again led the league in starts (38) and innings (277). Kline (9-16) started 31 games and Law (10-8) had 25 starts. They were joined by knuckleballer Bob Purkey (11-14), a Pittsburgh native who logged 21 starts. Face (4-6) was second in the NL with 59 games pitched, which was one better than the Dodgers’ ace reliever Clem Labine. But Face’s 10 saves paled in comparison to Labine’s league leading 17.

When Danny Murtaugh took over as manager on August 3, 1957, he became the fourth Pirate manager of the decade following Billy Meyer, Fred Haney, and Bobby Bragan. After a slow start, Murtaugh’s impact was noticeable. He was hired with the Pirates heading toward yet another disastrous season with a record of 36-67 with 51 games left to play.

Murtaugh’s first day as manager was a doubleheader loss to the Cubs to close out an eight-game losing streak. After a win, the Bucs dropped 3 more in a row, making them 1-5 under Murtaugh, 1-11 in their past 12 games, 3-17 in their past 20, and 6-23 in their past 29. But things began to turn around when the Bucs swept a doubleheader from the Dodgers on August 11. That started one of three four-game winning streaks under Murtaugh through the close of 1957. During one 11-day span in September that included 3 doubleheaders, the Pirates won 11 of 14 games. Under Murtaugh, the Pirates closed out the 1957 season with a 26-25 record.

The difference under the new skipper was the effectiveness of his pitchers. Under Bragan in 1957, the Pirates averaged 3.9 runs scored per game but yielded an average of 4.9 runs. Under Murtaugh, the offense actually slipped, averaging just 3.6 runs per game. But the pitching improved dramatically, giving up just 3.8 runs per game. Ron Kline, who was 2-15 with a 4.82 ERA under Bragan, when used as both a starter and reliever, went 7-1 with an ERA of 2.77 after Murtaugh took over and used him only as a starter. Friend, who was 7-13 with an ERA of 3.87 under Bragan, went 7-5 with a 2.48 ERA for Murtaugh. The Pirates closed out the 1957 season with their only winning month, going 14-13 in September. And the winning continued into 1958.

The 1958 Bucs were led by Frank Thomas with 35 home runs and 109 RBIs. Left fielder Bob Skinner batted .321 with 13 home runs and 70 RBIs. Twenty-one-year-old second baseman Bill Mazeroski had 19 home runs. They had strong outfield defense with center fielder Bill Virdon (.267, 9 home runs, 46 RBIs) and right fielder Roberto Clemente (.289, 6 home runs, 50 RBIs). Thirty-three-year-old Ted Kluszewski, a great home run hitter in his prime with the Reds over eleven years, began the year at first base after being acquired from the Reds for Dee Fondy. But back problems had turned him into a singles hitter. Rookie Dick Stuart, a home run machine in the minors, was recalled in July and provided 16 long balls and 48 RBIs in half a season as Big Klu went to the bench. Dick Groat batted .300. Hank Foiles was an excellent defensive catcher but provided little offense. He hit only .205 in 1958.

The bench featured outfielders Roman Mejias and John Powers, catchers Danny Kravitz and Bill Hall, infielder Gene Baker (who missed the second half of the season with a major knee injury), and infielder Dick Schofield (obtained in a midseason trade with the Cardinals).

The 1958 Pirates were fueled by strong pitching. The team ERA of 3.56 was second in the NL and fourth in the major leagues. Bob Friend went 22-14 and finished third in the 1958 Cy Young voting to award baseballs’ best pitcher. Vern Law was 14-12. Rookie George Red Witt went 9-2 with a dazzling 1.61 ERA, 3 shutouts, and three 10-strikeout games, and rookie Curt Raydon had a good season, going 8-3 in his 20 starts (and 8-4 overall). Hard luck Ron Kline was just 13-16 but had a better ERA (3.53) than Friend (3.68), Law (3.96), or Raydon (3.62).

The bullpen in 1958 featured Roy Face (5-2, 2.89 ERA, 20 saves), veteran Bob Porterfield, rookie Ron Blackburn, and lefties Don Gross (acquired in a trade with the Reds for Bob Purkey) and Bob Smith. But Gross and Smith were the only lefties on the entire pitching staff. The Pirates had no left-handed starters.

The Bucs got off to a good start, winning 7 of 12 games in April. But by July 20, they were in sixth place with a 41-47 record. They then proceeded to win 20 of their next 25 games and moved into second place on August 8. By August 12, they had closed to within four games of the first place Milwaukee Braves. But they would get no closer. The remainder of the season was spent in second place ranging from 6 to 8 games behind the Braves, who won the 1958 NL pennant. But the team that had been a doormat from 1950–1957 compiled a record of 84-70 and became a contender in 1958. And Murtaugh was named the Associated Press Manager of the Year.

The 1959 Pirates sought to build on their previous season. They needed to add a left-handed starting pitcher and get more offense from the catching position. On January 30, 1959, general manager Joe Brown worked out a blockbuster deal with Cincinnati by trading his best player in Frank Thomas. Thomas was a 3-time All-Star and had finished fourth in the NL Most Valuable Player voting after his sensational 1958 season. He had been on the cover of Sports Illustrated in July 1958. His 35 home runs and 109 RBIs had been second in the NL to Ernie Banks in both departments. The Reds also received thirty-four-year-old utility infielder Jim Pendleton.

The Pirates further sweetened the pot with outfielder John Powers and pitcher Whammy Douglas. Powers, twenty-eight, had spent the 1958 season on the Pirates roster as a reserve outfielder after hitting 89 home runs in the minor leagues between 1955 and 1957. Douglas, twenty-four, had won 16 games in 1958 for the Columbus Jets, the Pirates’ AAA farm team in the International League. But the Pirates were no longer rebuilding. They were ready to challenge.

In exchange for Thomas, Pendleton, Powers, and Douglas, they added three veteran players. Left-handed starting pitcher Harvey Haddix, thirty-three, was a seven-year veteran and a former 20-game winner. Catcher Smoky Burgess, thirty-two, would be entering his tenth major league season and was among the best hitting catchers in the game. Burgess was already a two-time All-Star when the Pirates acquired him and had once been a teammate of "The Rifleman" star Chuck Connors when both played for the Cubs in 1951. Thomas’ replacement at third base would be thirty-one-year-old Don Hoak. Hoak was a slick fielder and a strong clubhouse presence but his hitting had been inconsistent to this point in his career. At the time of the trade, Hoak was a career .254 hitter with 42 home runs and 221 RBIs in five big league seasons. But 19 of those home runs and 89 of those RBIs had come in a strong 1957 season in which Hoak batted .293 and led both leagues in doubles with 39.

But 1959 turned into a huge disappointment for the Bucs. They badly missed the power that Thomas had provided. Burgess was a huge upgrade offensively over Foiles, and Hoak was a steady contributor, hitting .294. But neither was a power hitter. In fact, the 1959 Bucs were last in the NL in home runs and 12th among the 16 major league teams. Stuart led them with 27 homers, but his playing time was limited by his poor defense. His 22 errors led all major league first basemen. Stuart started only 101 of the team’s 155 games. Ted Kluszewski, the former home run champion, continued to experience a lack of power with the Pirates as he hit only 2 homers as a reserve first baseman before being traded to the White Sox in August. Ironically, his power would return in the World Series when he hit 3 homers for the White Sox in their Series defeat to the Dodgers in October 1959. The Pirates also used thirty-four-year-old Rocky Nelson at first base after acquiring him in the minor league draft prior to the season. Nelson hit 43 home runs in the minors in 1958 but never hit more than 7 in a season in the majors. But he proved to be an able backup to Stuart, hitting .291 with 6 home runs as a part-time player.

Bob Skinner’s 13 home runs were good enough for second best on the team. Burgess had 11 and no one else was in double digits in home runs. Mazeroski came to camp overweight, battled injuries, and slumped to just 7 home runs and a .241 average. He, Groat, and Skinner all saw substantial dips in their batting averages from a year earlier. Clemente injured his elbow in May and missed 50 games. Fourth outfielder Roman Mejias hit just .236.

Bob Friend also came to camp overweight and went 8-19. Kline was 11-13. Witt, practically unhittable as a rookie in 1958, developed an elbow problem during the final exhibition game of 1959. He attempted to pitch through the pain but had a dismal season, going 0-7 with a 6.93 ERA. Raydon developed a cyst on the index finger of his pitching hand and then a sore arm after the 1958 season. He was unable to pitch for the Pirates and spent the 1959 season in limited service at Columbus. Harvey Haddix was just 12-12 despite being among the league leaders in ERA at 3.13. Right-handed starter/reliever Bennie Daniels struggled with a 5.45 ERA. In the bullpen, Don Gross had shoulder problems.

The NL did not have a 90-win team in 1959. The Dodgers and Braves finished the season tied for first place at 86-68. In a best two-out-of-three-game playoff, the Dodgers swept the Braves 3-2 and 6-5 to win the pennant. The Pirates finished in fourth place at 78-76.

But there were some positive signs. Stuart, in his first full season, batted .297 with 27 home runs in just 397 at bats. In Burgess, the Pirates now had one of the better hitting catchers in baseball. Hoak was now a solid offensive contributor, an excellent defensive third baseman and a clubhouse leader. Haddix pitched a perfect game for 12 innings before losing it in the 13th. Vern Law went 18-9 and Roy Face was an incredible 18-1 in relief.

Following the disappointing 1959 season, Joe Brown attempted to add power to the lineup but to no avail. He tried unsuccessfully to acquire Detroit’s Al Kaline, Washington’s Harmon Killebrew, and Cleveland’s Rocky Colavito. Detroit general manager Rick Ferrell asserted that the Pirates offered three regulars for Kaline, but the Tigers were unwilling to entertain offers for their star centerfielder. Ferrell also stated that he believed the Pirates had made similar offers for Killebrew, Colavito, and the Athletics’ Roger Maris.

The Sporting News reported that Brown rejected a proposed deal that would have sent Groat, Virdon, Foiles, and Kline to Kansas City for Maris, shortstop Joe DeMaestri and catcher Hal Smith. Brown would not identify the players involved in the proposed deal other than Maris but told reporters that he rejected the deal after he and Murtaugh felt the Pirates would be giving up more than they were receiving.

A’s manager Bob Elliott later revealed during spring training that the trade would have included Groat, Kline, either Virdon or Mejias, and possibly Foiles for Maris, DeMaestri, and Smith. Elliott also confirmed that it was the Pirates who nixed the deal. The New York Yankees ended up acquiring Maris and DeMaestri.

Thwarted in his attempt to add power, Brown instead improved the team’s depth. Although the Maris deal had fallen through, Brown still ended up acquiring Smith in exchange for shortstop prospect Ken Hamlin and reliever Dick Hall while Foiles was sold to the A’s shortly thereafter. Smith, twenty-nine and a right-handed hitter, would platoon with the thirty-thee-year-old left-handed hitting Burgess behind the plate.

The Bucs traded Kline, a very durable starter, to the Cardinals for thirty-year-old outfielder Gino Cimoli and twenty-five-year-old minor league pitcher Tom Cheney. Cimoli had been a starter for the Cardinals, usually in center field, but also filling in at the corner outfield spots as needed. He had little power but had been among the league leaders in doubles and triples in 1959. The Pirates were looking to upgrade their outfield depth after Mejias struggled at the plate in 1959.

Bob Oldis, thirty-two, a good defensive catcher who had played briefly with the Washington Senators from 1953 to 1955, was selected in the Rule 5 draft from the Yankees’ organization. In the same draft, veteran minor league infielder Harry Bright, who had spent the entire 1959 season on the Pirates’ roster as a pinch hitter, was selected by the Chicago Cubs off the Pirates AAA Salt Lake City farm team.

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Chapter 2

SPRING TRAINING

Wednesday, February 24, 1960—Pirate pitchers and catchers reported to Fort Myers, Florida, five days prior to the opening of the spring training camp at Terry Park. Drills would begin at 10:30 the following morning.

There were jobs to be won on the pitching staff. The trade of Kline in December 1959 left the Pirates with only three established starting pitchers in Law, Friend, and Haddix. And at age thirty-four, Haddix would require more than three days’ rest between starts. That meant a fourth starter was needed to replace Kline and spot starters would be needed for doubleheaders and to occasionally give Haddix or one of the others an extra day off.

There were a number of candidates. Bennie Daniels had struggled as a reliever and spot starter in 1959. Jim Umbricht, who appeared in one game for the Pirates in 1959, and Joe Gibbon were highly touted rookies. Hard-throwing rookie Tom Cheney was in camp after being acquired in the Kline trade. Rookie lefty Al Jackson was another candidate. And George Witt and Curt Raydon were trying to reestablish their careers after arm injuries in 1959 prevented both from building on outstanding rookie seasons in 1958.

In the bullpen, only Roy Face had a secure spot. Right-hander Ron Blackburn was trying to hold on to a bullpen spot he had maintained the previous two seasons during which he had compiled a 3.50 ERA with 4 saves. Daniels, Cheney, Witt, Umbricht, and Raydon were hoping to stick as right-handed relievers if they didn’t make the starting rotation. Paul Giel was a waiver pick-up in 1959 after being released by the Giants. Don Williams had pitched well in AAA the past two years and enjoyed a handful of games with the Pirates in that time. Red Swanson was a former bonus baby, kept on the major league roster from 1955 to 1957 before spending the next two seasons in the minors. Cuban reliever Ed Bauta had been in the Pirates’ system for four years and was trying to make the big league squad for the first time. Earl Francis showed promise at AAA Salt Lake City in 1959 but was plagued by wildness. Jack Lamabe had AAA experience but had yet to excel there. Bob Lee, Tom Butters, Tom Parsons, Larry Foss, John Kelly, Art Lamb, and Don Dobrino were just hoping to open some eyes in camp in order to move up another rung of the minor league ladder for 1960.

The Bucs were thin on left-handed relievers. Al Jackson was a candidate if he did not start. Veteran Don Gross was battling arm injuries from a year ago. Rookie Fred Green had impressed with 17 games for the Bucs a year ago. Joe Gibbon won 16 games for AAA Columbus in 1959 but had no major league experience. Bob Veale had no AA or AAA experience and had been wild in the low level minors.

There were also decisions to be made behind the plate where 1959 holdovers Smoky Burgess and Danny Kravitz, both left-handed batters, were being joined by newcomers Smith and Oldis. Catchers Jesus McFarlane and Larry Fidalgo were also in camp to help out with the influx of pitchers. And Elmo Plaskett, a talented hitter in the minors who had yet to find a defensive position to call his own, would try learning to catch.

Meanwhile, general manager Joe Brown indicated that three Pirates remained unsigned: outfielders Clemente, Skinner, and Joe Christopher.

Thursday, February 25, 1960—A four-hour practice featured fielding and hitting drills for pitchers and catchers. Joe Gibbon was given permission to arrive at camp three days late. He was performing a required week of service in the Army Reserve. Ed Bauta failed to show up for the first day of workouts. Rocky Nelson arrived at camp ahead of time but was suffering from the flu.

Friday, February 26, 1960—Ed Bauta arrived at camp. Curt Raydon, whose promising 1958 season was followed by an injury riddled 1959, was limited in drills due to a sore neck. Bob Skinner arrived at Fort Meyers but did not sign his contract. The club was offering a 25 percent salary decrease after Skinner’s batting average had dropped from .321 in 1958 to .280 in 1959. Groat, Mazeroski, Friend, and Virdon had already signed contracts calling for decreases after their statistics dropped off after the 1958 season.

Saturday, February 27, 1960—Roberto Clemente agreed to terms and signed his contract. It was believed he received a slight increase over his previous year’s contract. Clemente batted .296 in 1959 with 4 home runs and 50 RBIs. Injuries had limited him to 105 games.

Pittsburgh Press sports columnist Les Beiderman wrote that Ron Kline, 11-13 as a Pirate in 1959, had received a raise from his new team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Kline’s contract was reportedly in excess of $20,000. Beiderman wrote that Cardinals pitcher Vinegar Bend Mizell was unhappy that the Cardinals had been less generous with his contract than they had been with Kline even though Mizell, at 13-10, had won more games than Kline in 1959.

Sunday, February 28, 1960—Left fielder Bob Skinner agreed to a new contract the day before camp began, making him the last player to be signed. Terms were not disclosed, but it was believed Skinner took a cut from his 1959 salary. Joe Christopher was not aware that he was believed to be a holdout. He had mailed his signed contract, but it had not yet been received.

Monday, February 29, 1960—It was a leap year, and spring training officially began on February 29. Roman Mejias, traveling from Havana Cuba, was missing. Rookie outfielder Henry Mitchell was also absent from the first day’s drills. Jim Umbricht was delayed by an automobile accident in New Orleans. Newly acquired outfielder Gino Cimoli was also absent. In camp, team physician Dr. Joseph Finegold removed a shotgun pellet that had been embedded behind the left ear of Harvey Haddix since an accident at age five.

Danny Murtaugh addressed the club and informed them of a new team policy forbidding wives to accompany the team on road trips. The explanation was that players tended to take their wives sightseeing during the day and were tired in night games or sometimes did not show up at the ballpark on time.

Tuesday, March 1, 1960—Murtaugh expressed concern about the pitching rotation if either Witt or Raydon did not respond from their arm injuries of a year ago. After throwing to a few batters, Raydon stated that his shoulder tightened up. And veteran lefty reliever Don Gross was coming along slowly after shoulder problems had limited his pitching a year earlier. New coach Mickey Vernon, forty-two, the recently retired former two-time batting champion with the Washington Senators, continued to take batting practice in case the need arose to activate him as a pinch hitter.

Wednesday, March 2, 1960—Murtaugh indicated that Friend, Law, and Haddix would pitch the scheduled B games so that the team could get a better look at the candidates for the other starting pitcher spots in the A games. The B games primarily involved rookies and reserves although the first-line starting pitchers often were used in those games to get extra work. The B games did not count toward a team’s won-lost record in the Grapefruit League standings. Clemente and Mejias arrived in camp. Don Gross was now nursing a sore ankle. Gino Cimoli gave an interview to Les Beiderman of the Pittsburgh Press stating he would not be happy as a reserve outfielder.

Thursday, March 3, 1960—Rain cancelled the first scheduled intra-squad games. Veteran infielder Gene Baker was set to participate, testing his surgically repaired left knee. Baker had suffered a severe injury in 1958, tearing tendons and ligaments in the knee as he charged from third base to field a grounder. The injury kept him inactive from mid-1958 throughout the 1959 season, and Baker was now a non-roster invitee trying to win a reserve role if his knee could hold up. Baker worked as a scout for the Pirates in 1959.

Friday, March 4, 1960—Although the exhibition games had not yet begun, Murtaugh officially named Bennie Daniels as the fourth starter in the pitching rotation. Daniels would replace the departed Ron Kline. The Pirates still needed to find a fifth starter for spot duty.

In the first intra-squad game, Mickey Vernon’s team defeated coach Frank Oceak’s team, 7-1. Bob Skinner had 3 hits and 2 RBIs. Ron Blackburn gave up 4 walks and 5 runs for the losing squad.

Saturday, March 5, 1960—Don Gross and Smoky Burgess were nursing injuries. Gross had a twisted right ankle and was hit on the left pinky finger while practicing bunting against a pitching machine. Burgess had a swollen right hand after being hit by a foul tip while catching.

Bob Skinner was turning heads with his quick swing in batting practice. Skinner batted .305 in 1957 and .321 in 1958 but slipped to .280 in 1959 after injuring his right leg and back. The Pirates were counting on a healthy, productive Skinner in 1960.

Sunday, March 6, 1960—Frank Oceak’s team defeated Mickey Vernon’s team, 9-8, in an intra-squad game. R.C. Stevens and Skinner were the hitting stars. Tom Cheney and Red Swanson struggled. Cheney gave up 5 runs in the second inning, and Swanson was touched for 2 walks and 5 runs in the fifth. Don Dobrino gave up 4 hits and 3 walks. Tom Burgess, Mazeroski, Mejias, and Kravitz each added a pair of hits.

Monday, March 7, 1960—Mexican League and Dominican League legend Diomedes Olivo was signed to compete for a spot on the pitching staff. Olivo was a 6-time winner of his league’s most valuable pitcher award. Pitching with Poza Rica of the Mexican League in 1959, Olivo had compiled a record or 21-8 with 23 complete games in his 30 starts. But he was attempting to make a major league roster for the first time at the age of forty-one. Or possibly older. Or possibly younger. No one seemed to know his age for certain.

Meanwhile, Red Witt pitched in an intra-squad game as the Oceaks defeated the Vernons 8-2 and reported no