Fifty Years Ago Today in Baseball.

[MFS62]

On this date in 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded a lineup consisting entirely of African American and African Latino players. When asked about the significance of his lineup, manager Danny Murtaugh replied with "Really? I thought I fielded a lineup of nine Pirates today."



Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Quiz Time: Name the three white most often played 1971 Pirates that had to be benched on that day to enable that historic Pirates starting lineup to happen. One guess per post. No two-in-a-rowing.

[MFS62]

Bob Robertson

Later

[nymr83]

Was Richie Hebner on that team?

[Edgy MD]

I'm guessing Bill Mazeroski hadn't fully yielded to Rennie Stennett by then, and was still getting a lot of part-time work, so he's my guess.

[MFS62]

Gene Alley.

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Robertson, Hebner and Alley are the right answers. Mazeroski was a part-timer by 1971. Dave Cash was the Pirate regular second baseman in '71.



But Stennet, the rookie, led off for the Pirates 50 years ago today.

[Edgy MD]

So, do you think the Mets have ever pulled this off?



I imagine the best way to find out is to start with catchers, and the sun person who has done the most catching for the Mets is Ramón Castro.



Maybe we can go to 2006 and get a lineup of Orlando Hernandez/Ramón Castro/Carlos Delgado/Chris Woodward/Victor Diaz/José Reyes/Endy Chavez/Blastings Thrilledge/Cliff Floyd.



Woodward strikes me as mixed race so I'm including him. Others from that team include Pedro Martinez, Michael Tucker, Julio Franco, Anderson Hernandez, etc. José Valentín seems mostly Euro-Indian, but he probably qualifies by whatever standard, as would Beltran. The 2006ers also have the added virtue of having sun persons fill out the lineup card and in the number two seat.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: I imagine the best way to find out is to start with catchers, and the sun person who has done the most catching for the Mets is Ramón Castro.

That made me think back to the days of Jesse Gonder and Choo Choo Coleman behind the dish, but couldn't recall if it happened back then. I don't think there were enough non-white players on those teams to fill out an entire lineup. But Neal (2b) Chacon(ss) Mantilla (3B), Joe Crisptopher and Al Jackson (SP) would have been a start.



Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

We tried this once a few years ago and came up very short.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Edgy MD wrote: I imagine the best way to find out is to start with catchers, and the sun person who has done the most catching for the Mets is Ramón Castro. That made me think back to the days of Jesse Gonder and Choo Choo Coleman behind the dish, but couldn't recall if it happened back then.

It couldn't have happened back then because if it did, then the '71 Pirates would not have been the first team to pull that off.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: I imagine the best way to find out is to start with catchers, and the sun person who has done the most catching for the Mets is Ramón Castro. That made me think back to the days of Jesse Gonder and Choo Choo Coleman behind the dish, but couldn't recall if it happened back then. It couldn't have happened back then because if it did, then the '71 Pirates would not have been the first team to pull that off.

Ha ha.

Very logical.

You are right, sir.



Later