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Click on
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Back in the early sixties,
with the help of Post-Gazette sportswriter Dan
McGibbeny and chief
photographer Jim Klingensmith, children in the Brookline baseball
program were occasionally treated to a Pirate game at Forbes Field. One such occasion was July 1, 1961,
when members of the Kiwanis Club Little League team saw the Pittsburgh
Pirates play the San Franciso Giants.
The photo above shows Pirate left
fielder Bob Skinner instructing Kiwanis outfielders (from left to right)
PeeWee Esposito, 12; Jackie Onodi, 9; Danny McGibbeny, 10; Kevin Jeswald, 11,
and Jackie Mitchell, 10. The photos below show Kiwanis players mingling
with other Pirate greats, like Danny Murtaugh, Smokey Burgess and
Roberto Clemente.
Today, nearly forty years later,
the Pirates are still busy instructing our local children. Over the past
several years the Pirates have sent players, coaches, and even the
zany Pirate Parrot, off to neighborhood baseball camps for a day with the kids.
Brookline has been the site of many such events, and several field trips
to see Pirate games, like the
2005 event at PNC Park.
But, nothing could beat meeting
the players at the major league ballpark on a hot summer afternoon.
When Mr. McGibbeny took a team to the game, there were locker room
visits, dugout conversations with the players, lots of pictures,
souvenirs and plenty of snacks! On one such occasion in 1971,
at Three Rivers Stadium, I was privilieged to have a photo
taken with Bill Mazeroski and Roberto
Clemente. That was
the "Pirate Day" I'll never forget.
Photos and captions reprinted from the Brookline
Journal - 9/14/1961,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - 8/6/1961, or provided by Elva
McGibbeny.
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Sam "Toothpick" Jones
Kiwanis' pitching staff gets advice
from San Franciso's Sam "Toothpick" Jones. Left to right: Mike Drake, 11;
Kenny Magrini, 12; Danny McGibbeny, 10; Chuckie Miller, 12; Bobby Minick,
11, and Sam Jones, whose best advice was to "forget about throwing curves
until you are older. Learn control and develop a fastball, holding it
like this." |
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Smokey Burgess
Pirate's all-star catcher Smokey
Burgess shows Kiwanis' catcher Billy Altimore how to crouch behind the
plate and still be in position to make a throw to a base. |
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Roberto Clemente
1961 National League batting
champion and Pirate all-time great Roberto Clemente shows Kiwanis'
first-year player Jackie Onodi, 9, how to grip the bat. Looking on are
PeeWee Esposito, 12, and Billy Fry, 11. |
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Don Hoak
Don Hoak looks over Kiwanis'
infielders as he shakes hands with second baseman Billy Fry, 11. Pictured
are (left to right) Danny McGibbeny, 10; Mike Drake, 11; Jackie Onodi, 9;
Sammy Ceheer; Chuckie Miller, 12; Fry; Kenny Magrini, 12, and
Hoak. |
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Vernon Law
Kiwanis' co-managers Smoky Rossa
(left) and Pete Green (right) chat with Vernon Law. Smokey and Pete
devote many hours to helping the youth of Brookline to learn the basic
fundamentals of the National pastime. |
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Danny Murtaugh
Kiwanis' players gather around as
Pirate skipper Danny Murtaugh sizes up, and offers some valuable P's
and Q's on the basic fundamentals of the game of baseball to, nine-year
old Jackie Onodi. "Always use two hands, keep your eye on the ball and
always try your best. Run hard and never, ever give up .... and always
remember that it's only a game." |
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