PITTSBURGH — Fifty years after leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a stunning World Series win that put the city and franchise on the professional sports map, Vernon Law is getting another pat on the back for the role he played in that historical world championship.
Law, a resident of Provo since his days with the Pirates ended in 1968, will be honored along with a dozen other former teammates from the 1960 world champions prior to Pittsburgh's game tonight at PNC Park against Cleveland. Law, who earned the Cy Young Award that season with 20 wins, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
"I think I'm the only one from our 1960 team who can still throw it to the plate," Law said. "But I've been down to the ballpark and threw about 50 pitches, and I think I can get it there."
The Pirates entered the 1960 World Series as huge underdogs to the powerful Yankees, a team that included Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. Law was the winning pitcher in Games 1 and 4, and left the deciding Game 7 in the sixth with a 4-1 lead.
"It's every player's dream to play in the World Series during the course of their career. And the frosting on the cake that year was to beat what everyone thought was the best club in baseball," Law said.
Law traveled to Pittsburgh this weekend with wife VaNita and their seven children. The Laws are also celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.
Joining him for today's pre-game ceremony will be former teammates Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat, Bill Virdon, Bob Skinner, Bob Friend, ElRoy Face, Dick Schofield, Joe Christopher, Joe Gibbon, Bob Oldis and George Witt.
"This is a great group of guys. We've always had a special bond and always liked being around each other. We've always watched each other's back, and that's the way we played back then," Law said.
In 16 seasons with Pittsburgh, Law won 162 games. Ironically, his career was cut short in part due to an ankle injury he suffered during a post-pennant-clinching celebration on the team bus the week before the World Series.
Despite the injury, Law pitched in three 1960 World Series games. Later in his career, however, the ankle injury caused him to change his pitching motion, which eventually led to a career-changing shoulder injury.
Upon moving to Utah, Law coached at BYU from 1969-79. He's also helped over the years with the Provo High baseball team. Last summer, he was honored at "Vern Law Day" in his hometown of Meridian, Idaho. The book "Kiss it Goodbye," about Law's career and life, was released this spring. It was written by longtime Pirates fan John Moody.
e-mail: jimr@desnews.com