Vern Law allowed 2 runs in 18 innings and struckout 12 but did not factor into the decision. Pirates won the game 4-3 in the 19th inning. I wonder if he was lifted because of his pitch count.

http://baseballpastandpresent.com/2010/ ... from-1955/

Awesome feat...Maybe the 2nd greatest by a Pirates pitcher.

For my dad and the old timers....http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pirates/in-1959-harvey-haddix-pitched-perhaps-the-best-game-ever-and-lost-343080/

I raise you a Harvey Haddix...2 Outstanding feats.

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they say Law threw 250 pitches that night.... didn't harm him one bit

I'll call your Haddix and Law and raise you this:

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Yeah, well played, Deebo. I love that video --- posted it a while back.

OK, an "almost" perfect game (2 strikes on the lead-off batter in the 9th) might not top a full no-no --- high or sober --- but I'll put my favorite Pirate pitcher's performance on May 27, 1974 up against any other (ironically against the Padres again):

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19740528&id=RG8zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=byMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2116,4539276

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1088844/index.htm

After retiring the first 24 San Diego batters and with a 1 - 2 count on his old high-school teammate Fred Kendall (father of future Bucco Jason), Ken Brett's perfect game was broken up with a clean base hit followed by one more before finishing off the Pads 6 - 0.

But Brett wasn't done, as he combined that feat with a pinch-hit, 2-run triple in the 2nd game of the double-header beat-down of the Padres.

Brett had 12 wins by late July while batting over .300 and was the winning pitcher for the Nat'l League team in the All Star Game.

[Two years later in '76 (having been traded to the White Sox) he again had a perfect game going with 2 outs in the 8th in Anaheim before giving up a walk, and then was robbed of the no-no in the 9th after a questionable ruling on what should've been an error, but unfazed he went on to win 1 - 0.]

Ken Brett . . . RIP; gone way before his time in 2003.

Awesome recalls, Pro, FC, Deebo, Franco. Great memories all. Mound warriors and battlers all. I have huge respect for all of them, all of them hold a place in my heart, as does Candy for his 1976 No-No.

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

I'm with FC. My vote goes to Harvey Haddix who in my opinion authored the greatest pitching performance of all-time, not just Pirates. Perfect ball for 12 innings against the likes of Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews and Joe Adcock in their house. That's just sick.

Love the Deacon. Love Dock. But Haddix's performance was the best. Just too bad the Buccos couldn't get a run for him.

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No argument from me, Jack. That was such a heartbreaking loss, but The Kitten certainly roared loudly that day, and never let it really get him down. Maz once said that most no-hit or near-no-hit ball games feature some spectacular defensive plays to get into that position, but that game, everything was easy. Harvey cruised through a lineup, as Jack mentioned, that was one of the toughest in the league at that time.

He won a game for us in the 60 World Series as a starter in game 5, then won again in relief holding down the fort after Bob Friend surrendered the lead and let the Yanks tie it up, getting all 3 outs in the inning to shut the door on their scoring.

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Playing football was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. If I could go out today and suit up, I would do it.--Jack Butler

Here is another tribute to Doc Ellis:

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Let's take them into deep water and drown them.

Ask Troy, he'll be available after he washes his hair.

-Mike Tomlin

Found this video on the Kitten. This one was filmed in '09 by the P-G interviewing his wife for the 50th anniversary of his gem. I never saw him pitch, but he was one of my Dad's favorites. I remember him when he was the pitching coach of the '79 champs.

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