8/15: Birthdays & Ralph Kiner...

Birthdays & Ralph Kiner...

• 1864 - Doggie Miller, also as known as Foghorn and Calliope, was born in Brooklyn. Doggie was mostly a catcher, but also played the OF and every IF position, primarily third. In 10 seasons with the Alleghenys and Pirates (1884-1893), he hit .254 and was the epitome of a contact hitter: Doggie struck out 99 times in a Pittsburgh uniform (not counting 1884-86, which have no K stats), and never had a season where he whiffed more than he walked. Doggie was pretty athletic for a catcher; beside playing all those other positions, he swiped 209 bases. 
• 1945 - C Duffy Dyer was born in Dayton, Ohio. Dyer backed up Manny Sanguillen from 1975-78, hitting .227 as a Bucco. He caught John Candelaria's no-hitter on August 9, 1976 and led NL catchers in fielding percentage in 1977. 
• 1947 - Ralph Kiner hit consecutive home runs off Red Munger in his last two at bats during a 7-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field. Kiner homered in his first two at bats in his next game against the Cards Ken Burkhart, tying the record for consecutive home runs. 
• 1950 - The Pirates surrendered six runs in the ninth, then scored a half dozen of their own to beat the Reds 10-9 at Forbes Field. The Bucs put up the six spot with six singles, a walk and an error, with Clyde McCullough getting the walk off knock, scoring Wally Westlake from second. The highlight was a fifth inning homer by Ralph Kiner to left center off Ewell Blackwell that was estimated to travel 480’. 
• 1951 - Ralph Kiner banged a homer and triple, scoring twice and driving in four runs, as the Bucs beat the Chicago Cubs 7-0 at Forbes Field behind Bob Friend’s two-hitter (to go with eight walks). George Metkovich added three hits. 
• 1964 - Pirate pitchers Tommy Sisk, Frank Bork and Alvin McBean spoiled Ernie Banks Day at Wrigley Field, holding Bingo hitless in a 5-4 Bucco win. 
• 1981 - LHP Oliver Perez was born in Culiacan, Mexico. Part of the Jason Bay deal, he pitched from 2003-06 for the Bucs, with a breakout 2004 campaign, when he went 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 K in 196 IP, the third most in franchise history for a single season. Control and velocity problems ruined his effectiveness, and he reinvented himself later in his career as a LOOGY.