8/20: Al Lopez, Deuces Wild, Bangin' the Bats, Bonus Baseball, Omar the Thief, Jose DeLeon, Reggie & the Bombers, More...

Al Lopez, Deuces Wild, Bangin' the Bats, Bonus Baseball, Omar the Thief, Jose DeLeon, Reggie & the Bombers, More...

• 1883 - According to Charlton’s Baseball Chronology, after the Eclipse-Pittsburgh game at Exposition Park (won by Louisville 8-2), Allegheny OFs Billy Taylor and Mike Mansell‚ along with 2B George Creamer, were each fined $100 and suspended indefinitely for drunkenness. 
• 1903 - The Pirates set a record for futility in the first inning of a twin bill at the Polo Grounds, committing six errors (they would boot eight balls during the game) and allowing seven runs to the NY Giants in a 13-7 loss. But they came back in the nitecap behind Deacon Phillippe, who tossed a five hit, 4-1 winner against NY, backed by Fred Clarke’s home run. 
• 1908 - Hall of Fame catcher Al Lopez was born in Tampa. He caught seven years (1940-46) for the Pirates, hitting .254 with a rep as one of finest defensive catchers in baseball, earning a 1941 All-Star berth. After his playing days, Lopez had success as a manager of the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. 
• 1913 - The Pirates traded P Howie Camnitz and 3B Bobby Byrne to the Philadelphia Phillies for third baseman Cozy Dolan and cash. Camnitz and Byrne were at the end of their effective careers (Bryne had a strong 1914 before fading), and Dolan was traded at the end of the year, so though a couple of big names were involved, it ended up a minor deal. Cozy was banned from baseball in 1924 as a coach for instigating a bribe offer during a heated pennant race.

Cozy Dolan image by tnfoto of Out of the Park

• 1945 - The Pirates hit two homers (Babe Dahlgren, Pete Cascarart), two triples (Lee Handley, Jim Russell) and two doubles (Tommy O’Brien, Johnny Barrett) to romp over the Brooklyn Dodgers 11-1 at Ebbet’s Field. The Dodgers added seven errors and six walks to the mix to make it an easy day for the Pirates. Preacher Roe went the distance for the win. 
• 1946 - The Pirates voted against recognizing the American Baseball Guild as their bargaining agent by a 15-3 count with 10 abstentions‚ effectively killing the union. They then blanked the Brooklyn Dodgers 10-0 at Forbes Field behind Nick Strincevich’s four hitter.
• 1947 - It wasn’t a very good day for pitchers as Pittsburgh bludgeoned its way to a 16-10 win over Boston at Braves Stadium. 19 players banged out 34 hits. The leader of the pack was the Pirates’ Jim Russell, who went 5-for-6 with a double and triple, five RBI and three runs scored. Jimmy Bloodworth wasn’t far behind, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. It wasn’t all on the hurlers; the teams combined to commit six errors, allowing 10 unearned runs to score. 
• 1953 - The Pirates used four Philadelphia Phillies errors to beat Robin Roberts 5-2 at Connie Mack Stadium, ending his 15 game winning streak against them. The winner was 19-year-old Jim Waugh, who tossed a six hitter. Four of the Bucco runs were unearned. 

Jim Waugh 1953 Topps series

• 1961 - The Cubs and Pirates tied an NL record by playing their third straight extra-inning game at Wrigley Field. Chicago took this one 1-0 when Billy Williams singled home the winning run with two outs in the 11th, making Bob Friend a loser to Don Cardwell. The clubs had split the first pair; all three games went 11 innings. 
• 1980 - Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the season in a 5-1 loss at the Astrodome‚ becoming the first player in the 20th century with three consecutive 70-steal seasons. The Antelope swiped 71 in 1978‚ 77 in 1979‚ and finished 1980 with a career-high 96 successful larcenies. 
• 1981 - Pittsburgh traded John Milner to the Expos for Willie Montanez in a flip of back-up first basemen. Neither did much for their new teams, and Montanez was released after the 1982 season so the Pirates could bring Milner back. 
• 1983 - Jose DeLeon took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the third time during the season‚ but Cincinnati's Dan Driessen doubled with two outs to spoil the no-no. DeLeon finished with 13 strikeouts and a 4-0 two-hit victory at TRS. 

Jose DeLeon 1984 Topps series

• 1987 - The Bucs traded Rick Reuschel to the Giants for pitchers Jeff Robinson and Scott Medvin. Reuschel had a couple of good years left in the tank, winning 36 games between 1988-89 for the Bay City nine. Robinson worked as a reliever for three years in Pittsburgh, and Medvin had a couple of cups of coffee as a Bucco. 
• 2002 - Pirate pitching held the Cardinals hitless after a one out single in the first at Busch Stadium. The 8-0 win was started by Kris Benson, with an inning each from Brian Boehringer and Al Reyes. Jason Kendall had three RBI, and five Bucs homered - Brian Giles, Aramis Ramirez, Rob Mackowiak, Craig Wilson and Adam Hyzdu.
•  2003 - Reggie Sanders hit a pair of homers in the fifth inning, including a grand slam‚ as the Bucs scored 10 times in the frame on the way to a 14-0 romp against the Cards at Busch Stadium. The Pirates homered six times (Sanders - 2, Rob Mackowiak - 2, Jason Kendall & Brian Giles), with a team record-tying four bombs in the fifth as Kendall, Giles and Sanders went back-to-back-to-back in the inning. Jeff D’Amico tossed a complete game three hitter.