Baseball Legends Clemente and Aaron Battle in 1962
Yesterday, the baseball world mourned the passing of legendary Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron at the age of 86. He ranked second all-time in career home runs with 755 home runs and is the leader for career RBI with 2,297 over his 23-year Major League career. He will be known as one of the greatest pure hitters in the game of baseball and was named an all-star in 21-consecutive seasons. He was the last player called to the Major Leagues from the Negro Leagues and spent the majority of his career in the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Braves organization. He may have never played for the Pirates, but there was a time that he and The Great One Battled it out in a game that showed off both of their skills.
It was a game on June 15th, 1962, at Forbes Field between the Milwaukee Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two of the game's greats that entered the league at about the same time were leading their teams. Hank Aaron entered the day hitting .318, and Clemente was right behind him hitting .310. It may have been a mid-season game that in the grand scheme of things didn't mean much, but a group of over 21,000 gathered to watch these two legends compete against each other. Aaron had the home run prowess and was noted for it around the league, but Clemente was able to spread the ball all over the field like none other. It would be a grand day for both players as both of them hit grand slams in what would be a wild 9-8 win for the Bucs at Forbes Field.
Hank Aaron: 4-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI
It was the Milwaukee Braves who got the game started with a bang as an early home run put them ahead 1-0. However, Aaron's first plate appearance came two batters later and he ended up singling but was stranded on base. However, the Pirates would add two runs in the top of the third, and the Braves found themselves down 2-1. After a single and a walk with one out, Aaron came to the plate with two on and came through with his first RBI of the day. It was an RBI single that scored teammate Roy McMillan and the Braves tied the game at 2-2. Another RBI single gave the Braves the lead and after three innings the Braves had a 3-2 lead.
The score remained 3-2 into Aaron's next at-bat in the top of the sixth inning, and he led off the inning with a single. He was now a perfect 3-3 on the day and got to second on a throwing error by the shortstop to get into scoring position. Two batters later, he would come around to score on a single by teammate Early Francis and the Braves extended their lead to 4-2. Braves starter Tony Cloniger was rolling right along after giving up those first two runs in the third inning, and it looked as though the Braves were in control for good. Aaron would make that look even more likely when he stepped up for his next at-bat in the top of the 7th inning.
The inning started with a Roy MacMillan single and things didn't get better for Pirates reliever Tom Sturdivant. The next two batters would single to load the bases and National League home run leader Hank Aaron was stepping in. He was a perfect 3-3 but hadn't hurt the Pirates too bad thus far with only three singles under his belt. However, the Pirates elected to go to the left-hander to face the left-handed-hitting Aaron, bringing in reliever Diomedes Olivo. Olivo was putting together a strong 1962 campaign and would finish the year with a 2.71 ERA. However, today was not his day as Aaron would blast a Grand Slam and the Braves would end the seventh ahead 8-2. It looked like the Pirates were finished, but Clemente was due up before the game was over.
Robert Clemente: 2-3, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB
While Aaron was putting together a good day at the plate, Roberto Clemente was having success of his own. His first at-bat came in the bottom of the second and he singled with one out in the inning. He would score the first Pirates run of the game on a Mazeroski triple and helped put the Pirates ahead 2-1. Clemente would then go quiet in his next two at-bats as Braves starter Tony Cloniger was settling in. He walked in the bottom of the fourth and followed that up with a groundout two innings later in the bottom of the sixth. The Braves piled on in the seventh and that is how we got to the Braves leading 8-2. When all looked lost, the Battling Bucs showed they won't go down without a fight.
It was the bottom of the eighth and Bill Virdon began the inning with a ground-out as Cloniger looked like he was on a roll. But then, the momentum changed as Dick Groat and Bob Skinner singled to put runners on first and second with one out. The Braves would end up making a pitching change and Hank Fischer entered the game. Fischer allows a single to Dick Stuart, and now it was time for Clemente to step in with the bases loaded. Clements would respond blasting a grand slam, his sixth home run of the season, and brought the Pirates to within two as the score sat at 8-6. The Pirates would end up scoring three more times in the inning and would take a 9-8 lead.
Roy Face would come in to close out the game and he would have to face Aaron one more time in the top of the ninth. Aaron was already 4-4 and was trying to keep the Braves alive. However, Aaron would groundout to end the game with a groundout, and the Pirates won the game 9-8. The two superstars of the game showed off their talents and were the top hitters on each of their teams. However, on this day, Clemente got the better of Aaron and led the Pirates to victory. Both players are now in the Hall of Fame and are considered faces of their franchises. We remember Hank Aaron and all of his accomplishments, he truly changed the game of baseball and was a humanitarian just like the great one here in Pittsburgh.
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