[GeoPoto]

Immediate recognition of the unprecedented event by the press was mixed. There was no newspaper coverage of the event in Pittsburgh as all of the papers were closed due to a strike. The Philadelphia papers did not really recognize the event either. It was not mentioned in the game account in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the only allusion to the unique Pirates lineup in the Philadelphia Daily News was reporter Bill Conlin’s reference to Danny Murtaugh’s “all-soul lineup,” with no further explanation.

However, a United Press International story that focused upon the all-Black lineup was published in several newspapers around the country. In that article, Danny Murtaugh was quoted as saying, “When it comes to making out the lineup, I’m colorblind, and my athletes know it. They don’t know it because I told them. They know it because they’re familiar with how I operate. The best men in our organization are the ones who are here. And the ones who are here all play, depending on when the circumstances present themselves.”

Batting ninth and pitching: Dock P. Ellis, Jr. Pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968-1975 and 1979. 138 wins and a career ERA of 3.46 in 12 MLB seasons. 1971 All-Star. 1971 World Series champion. Pitched no-hitter in 1970. Claimed that he never pitched in MLB (317 career games started) without using drugs (particularly amphetamines), including pitching his no-hitter while high on LSD. His best season was probably 1971 for the Pittsburgh Pirates as he posted a 19-9 record with a 3.06 ERA in 226.2 innings pitched.