Barone was in his eighth season of professional baseball when the
Pittsburgh Pirates called him up in September 1960, when MLB
active rosters expanded to 40 players. He had
batted .204 in 143
games played for the
Triple-A Columbus Jets of the
International League. The
1960 Pirates were en route to their first
National League title since . Barone debuted as a
pinch runner for 42-year-old
player-coach Mickey Vernon on September 22 in the ninth
inning of a 2–2 game against the
Chicago Cubs, but did not score in a contest eventually won by Pittsburgh, 3–2 in 11 innings. The Pirates clinched the pennant three days later, on September 25. On September 27, Barone started his only major league game. Playing
shortstop against the
Cincinnati Reds, he played
errorless ball in the field, handling five
chances, and went
hitless in five
at bats and five
plate appearances against the Reds'
pitchers Bob Purkey,
Orlando Peña and
Cal McLish. It was another extra-inning game: Barone played the first 13 innings before he was removed for
pinch hitter Smoky Burgess. The Pirates prevailed, 4–3, in 16 innings. On September 30, Barone appeared in his last major league contest as a late-inning defensive replacement, also making a
fly ball out in one at bat against
Bob Buhl of the
Milwaukee Braves. He was not on the Pirates'
1960 World Series roster. Barone played two more seasons of minor league baseball before retiring after the 1962 campaign. ==References==