9/18 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: HBD Heinie, Kitten, Ken & Roger; Ray & Vern's 20; Bucs Clinch; Paul's 200; Game Stories

• 1865 - The Philadelphia Athletic Base Ball Club began a two-day series of four games against Allegheny City teams. The Enterprise, Lincoln, and Allegheny Clubs, as well as an all-star team of the best players from the three clubs, challenged the touring Athletics. The “Great Base Ball Tournament,” played in the Allegheny West Commons (then in Allegheny City and now known as North Side's West Park), marked the first time an out-of-town club visited the area, the first time a bleacher structure was built for fan seating locally, and likely the first time fans were charged admission to see a game (25 cents per game; 50 cents for all four). The Philadelphia AC won the four matches by a combined score of 247-42, per the Heinz History Center. 

• 1889 - 3B Heinie Groh was born in Rochester, New York. He spent 15 years manning the hot corner for the NY Giants and Cincinnati Reds. The speedy Groh was an leadoff hitter extraordinaire, playing his invention, the bottle bat, to a .292 lifetime tune with a .373 OBP and 180 SBs. In 1927 Groh ended his career with Pittsburgh, playing only 14 games during the regular season (he had badly injured his knee in 1925, rendering him a bench player) and made his final big-league appearance as a pinch-hitter in the 1927 World Series; it was the fifth Fall Classic of his career. Per Sean Lahman of SABR: “When his playing days were over, Groh stayed in baseball, first as a minor league manager and later as a scout. He eventually returned to Cincinnati where he worked as a cashier at River Downs Race Track.” 
• 1890 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenies switched their match against the Cleveland Spiders from Recreation Park to Canton’s Pastime Park, a minor league field (some cite Mahaffey Park, tho Pastime seems the more likely). It was the first of two games that season played at a neutral site (although 30 or so home games were played at opponent’s parks) in hopes of attracting a crowd larger than the team roster. The Spiders, who finished seventh in the NL with 44 wins, took the match 11-10 behind Ohio boy Cy Young, pitching in his rookie year. Pittsburgh would become baseball’s worst team ever at the end of the season with a 23-113 record; they would lose the top spot to the Spiders a decade later when Cleveland finished 20-134 in 1899. 

Fred was clutch (photo The Sporting News)

• 1903 - The Bucs swept a twinbill from the Boston Beaneaters (aka Nationals) at Exposition Park in a pair of nail-biters, 7-6 & 6-5, to clinch the NL crown. The Pirates scored three times in the ninth in the opener and took the nightcap with a ninth-inning rally, too. In the first game, Fred Clarke was on first with two out when Hans Wagner doubled. Kitty Bransfield’s knock chased them both home and he scored the game-winner on Claude Richey’s knock. Clarke was the sparkplug in the second match, too, tripling in the ninth and scoring on Jimmy Sebring’s single. Sam Leever and Gus Thompson were both bloodied on the mound but each went the distance to earn the wins. The Boston Americans claimed the AL title the day before, and the teams announced that they would meet in the first World Series between the leagues to determine a champion. 
• 1909 - Vic Willis stopped the Brooklyn Superbas on one hit‚ a Baltimore chop off the plate in the third inning by Zack Wheat. It was the nearest anyone came to a tossing a no-hitter at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh won‚ 6-0, with two hits each from Honus Wagner and Tommy Leach. 
• 1925 - LHP Harvey Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio. The Kitten (he got that moniker as a rookie in St. Louis because of his similarities to veteran mentor Harry "The Cat" Brecheen) worked for the Pirates from 1959-63 with a line of 45-38/3.73. He won two games against the Yankees in the 1960 World Series, including the seventh, and tossed 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26th, 1959, losing in 13 frames, a game considered by many to be the best pitching performance in major league history. He was also the Pirates pitching coach from 1979-84. 

Kiki Cuyler 1925 Exhibits

• 1925 - Kiki Cuyler collected four hits to launch a five-game hitting streak during which he banged out 15 knocks (he had three four-hit games in the span). C Earl Smith joined him with a four-rap day in a 9-7 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field to give the Pirates third hurler, Emil Yde, the win. The Pirates won all five of Kiki-streak games on their way to the NL and WS titles while Cuyler finished the campaign batting .357, the highest average of his career. 
• 1930 - Ray Kremer picked up his 20th win of the year when he slipped by the Phils 6-5 at the Baker Bowl. He went the distance, surviving a pair of Chuck Klein homers behind a balanced Bucco attack that saw every Pirates position player reach base. It was Kremer’s second 20-win campaign; he won 20 in 1926, too. 
• 1931 - The Bucs split a twinbill with Boston at Forbes Field, losing the opener 6-1 and taking the nitecap 4-1. It was a memorable day for Pie Traynor. He doubled and drove in a run in the first game, then went 4-for-4 in the closer with a HR & 2B, scoring twice and bringing home a pair. His three RBI for the day were #99, 100, & 101, giving him his fifth straight 100 RBI season, which set the franchise record. He finished the year with 103 runners chased home. In his career, Pie had seven 100+ RBI campaigns and drove in 1,273 runs, the fourth highest total in franchise history, behind only Willie Stargell, Honus Wagner and Roberto Clemente. 

Pie Traynor 1931 W517 Strip Card

• 1937 - Paul Waner established a 20th century NL record with his eighth year of 200+ hits (he finished the year with 219 raps) when he collected three knocks against the Brooklyn Robins in a 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh’s Cy Blanton outlasted Freddie Fitzsimmons for the victory behind Gus Suhr’s pair of RBI. Big Poison had a string of 14 consecutive campaigns with 150+ hits that finally ended in 1940 when he was 37 years old. 
• 1938 - Pitching on one day’s rest (he worked 6-⅓ innings against the Braves on 9/16), Russ Bauers threw a complete game four-hitter at the Phillies and took a 1-0 victory as Paul Waner drove in pinch runner Johnny Dickshot in the ninth at Shibe Park. The second game was also a pitching duel between the Bucs’ Ed Brandt and Syl Johnson, but was called after five innings because of darkness with the score 1-1. 
• 1948 - LHP Ken Brett was born in Brooklyn. The 14-year vet spent 1974-75 in Pittsburgh, winning an All-Star berth in ‘74 as the Pirates sole rep and winning the game. He went 22-14, 3.32 for the Bucs and hit .281 with three homers before being sent to the Yankees as part of a package for Doc Medich. After his career, Ken was an announcer, college coach and minor-league team owner. Sadly, after a six-year battle with brain cancer, he died in 2003 at age 55. 

Roger Mason 1992 Fleer Update

• 1957 - RHP Roger Mason was born in Bellaire, Ohio. The nine-year vet rejuvenated his career in Pittsburgh from 1991-92, slashing 8-9-11/3.82. He worked for two World Series clubs and seven teams in his career while setting the dubious record of having the first three batters he faced in a game homer off him (They were San Diego Padres Marvell Wynn, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk. But that’s just a footnote; Mason’s Giants won the game.) He retired to his hometown after the 1994 season.  
• 1960 - Vern Law joined the 20-win club with a complete game, 5-3 win in the lidlifter of a Sunday doubleheader at Cincinnati's Crosley Field. The Deacon won the 1960 Cy Young award with a 20-9 record and 3.08 ERA. The Bucs didn’t have another 20 game winner until John Candelaria went 20-5 in 1977. His support came from Dick Stuart and Don Hoak, both of whom homered, doubled and drove in two runs. The Pirates took the nitecap 1-0 as Vinegar Bend Mizell tossed a three hitter against the Reds and Bob Purkey. Ducky Schofield drove in the game’s only run.