4/19 In Bucco History

Boots, bottles flying, firing blanks, birthdays and a trade...

• 1902 - The Cardinals booted 11 balls in a 10-4 loss to the Bucs at Sportsman Park‚ setting a NL record. The Pirates mishandled four more plays to help set a single game NL record. The Pittsburgh Gazette called it a “game that would make amateurs bush.”
• 1948 - At Cincinnati‚ the Reds opened with a 4-1 win over the Pirates in a game delayed by a shower of bottles in the eighth frame. The Bucs went down fighting when Cincy’s Hank Sauer hit a HR with Babe Young on second, who collided with Buc SS Stan Rojek on his way home. The two started swinging and the RF bleacher fans chimed in with their bottle barrage.
• 1949 - Rip Sewell whips Dutch Leonard 1-0 in front of Governor Adlai Stevenson and Mayor Martin Kennelly at Wrigley Field. It was the third time Sewell blanked the Cubbies on Opening Day.
• 1959 - Robert James “RJ” Reynolds was born in Sacramento. The switch-hitter spent six seasons with the Pirates, hitting .269 as a platoon outfielder and pinch hitter from 1985-90. He often played with Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke, but age and Bobby Bo’s emergence was the beginning of the end for RJ, who finished his career playing in Japan and Mexico.
• 1977 - Joe Beimel was born in St. Mary’s PA. The lefty from Duquesne University lasted 11 seasons in the show, starting and ending his career in Pittsburgh. He was 11-20 in his four campaigns with the Bucs, pitching to a 5.03 ERA. He had TJ surgery in 2012.
• 1979 - The Mets traded Tim Foli and minor league prospect Greg Field to the Pirates in exchange for SS Frank Taveras. Foli solidified the infield for the eventual World Champs, batting .291 and appearing in 133 games.
• 1983 - LHP Zach Duke was born in Clifton, Texas. He spent the first six years of his career in Pittsburgh and put up a line of 49-75/4.99. Called up in July of 2005 after being named the Bucco Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2004, he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA, but never posted an ERA south of four after that as a Pirate.