Steve Blass and Bob Robertson of the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series Championship Team have been selected as Co-Grand Marshals for the 54th Annual Autumn Glory Grand Feature Parade, held on October 1, 2021 at 1pm. The Town of Oakland and Greater Oakland Business Association are the sponsors for the 2021 Grand Marshals.
Prior to the parade there will be a meet and greet from 10:30am-noon for fans to have memorabilia signed or pose for photos. To help protect the health of our distinguished guests, masks are strongly recommended during the meet and greet.
“We are thrilled to have Mr. Blass and Mr. Robertson as our co-grand marshals for the parade,” said Nicole McCullough, Oakland Business Coordinator and Grand Feature Parade Organizer. “Many people in our area are Pittsburgh fans and we’re overjoyed that they’ve agreed to celebrate Autumn Glory with us. The timing is excellent too, as the date of Autumn Glory is almost 50 years to the day of the Pirates winning the 71 World Series.”
In a dramatic victory against the Baltimore Orioles in game seven of the 1971 World Championship on October 17, Pirates Pitcher Steve Blass captured his second complete game win of the series, allowing only seven hits and two runs in 18 innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Orioles player Merv Rettenmund hit a bouncer straight up the middles to shortstop Jackie Hernandez. Hernandez fielded the hit and threw it to Bob Robertson at first to secure the out and win the series, four games to three. Many people still remember the infamous celebration of Blass jumping into Robertson’s arms in exhilaration.
Steve Blass is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1964 and from 1966 through 1974. Blass was one of the National League’s top pitchers between 1968 and 1972, helping the Pirates win four National League Eastern Division titles in five years between 1970 and 1974. He played a key role in the Pirates victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the 1971 World Series when he recorded two complete game victories. He remains the last National League pitcher to throw a complete game in Game Seven of a World Series. After his playing career ended, Blass had a 34-year career as a television sports commentator for Pittsburgh Pirates games.
Bob Robertson is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman between 1967 and 1979, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won five National League Eastern Division titles in six years between 1970 and 1975 and, won the World Series in 1971. He also played for the Seattle Mariners (1978) and the Toronto Blue Jays (1979).
Overnight accommodations for the Co-Grand Marshals are provided by Railey Vacations and the Suites at Silver Tree.
For information about the 54th Annual Autumn Glory Grand Feature Parade visit https://oaklandmd.com/autumn-glory-festival.html.
