– a tribute to the “Gunner,” Bob Prince
The pitch, crack …
“There it is… a tall can of golden bantam”
(A pop fly to the outfielder)
Three and one the count, the pitch, crack…
“There’s a bug loose on the rug…rolling all the way to the wall …
Alou will cruse into third with a standup triple”
(An extra base hit that skittered through the gap, between
outfielders, particularly on artificial turf)
The pitch…swing and a miss…
“Manny couldn’t of hit that pitch with a bed slat”
(Gunner would say when a batter chased a pitch way outside)
The pitch, crack…
‘There it goes folks…you can kiss it goodbye!”
(Bob Prince’s famous home run call!)
“Arriba, Arriba…”
(Prince’s cry to Roberto Clemente to inspire heroics)
The pitch, whack…
“There’s an alabaster blast…”
(A high chop hit into the artificial turf, usually an infield hit)
“He’s throwing aspirins up there…”
(Pitcher throwing a ball so hard it looked as tiny as an aspirin tablet)
The pitch, crack…
“there’s an atem-ball for the first out…”
(A line drive right to a waiting infielder)
“We need to summon some Babushka power tonight”
(Prince developed babushkas that the women in the stands
could wear to bring the Pirates good luck)
The pitch, crack…
“There’s the Bingle we needed…”
(A single or base-hit)
“All we need now is some TWO OUT LIGHTNING”
(A two-out rally)
“A bloop and a blast would get-her-done!”
(A two-out rally needed, down one or two runs)
“That was as close as a gnat’s eyelash”
(a very close play or a ball almost fair or foul)
“Chicken on the Hill” with Will…
(A home run for Willie Stargell, begun by the fact that Stargell
owned a chicken restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Hill District)
“That was closer than the fuzz on a tick’s ear”
(a very close call or pitch that almost hit the batter)
“The pitch, crack…there’s a “dying quail”
(blooper base hit)
“Let’s Jinx em with the Green Weenie”
(invented by the Gunner to jinx opposing players, the green
weenie was the size and shape of a hot dog. When pointed
at the opponents and shaken, it rattled)
The pitch, “he just lit up Broadway”
(response to a called third strike)
“Time to break out the Hoover”
(a double play grounder)
“How sweet it is”
(Prince enjoying victory or the smell of it)
“No doubt about it”,
“WE had ’em ALL THE WAY!”
(Bob would often say this after a Pirates win)