The Harrisburg Alumni Association

As trades go, this one made 39 years ago today is one of the best ever made to benefit the Class AA Harrisburg Senators as the Pittsburgh Pirates send disgruntled backup outfielder Ben Abner from City Island to the St. Louis Cardinals' affiliate in the Class A Midwest League. ‍

In return, the Pirates receive – and assign to Harrisburg – a first baseman named Ron Johns.

Initially the trade is not popular among some of the locals as Abner, from nearby Mechanicsburg, Pa., is a familiar face for fans of Harrisburg’s then-new team.

The parochial sentiment disappears five days later on June 17, 1987 as Johns enjoys the single greatest night at RiverSide Stadium, going 6-for-6 with three homers, three singles and nine RBIs during a 26-9 rout of the Albany-Colonie Yankees.

Johns goes on to bat .302 with nine homers and 44 RBIs in only 40 games for the eventual Eastern League champions.

Abner ends up retiring in 1987 after hitting only .210 in 34 games for the Cardinals' Class A team in Springfield.

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