Clyde Barnhart, Emil Brown, Jack Wilson, Bucs In; Steelers Out...
- 1895 - OF Clyde "Pooch" Barnhart was born in Buck Valley, PA. He spent his entire career (1920-28) with the Pirates, starting as a third baseman and moving to the outfield. In 814 games, he hit .295, batting over .300 in five of his nine campaigns. Barnhart played on two World Series teams and hit .273 with nine RBI in 11 Fall Classic matches. Clyde played his college ball at Cumberland Valley State Normal School, now known as Shippensburg University.
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| Clyde Barnhart 1921 photo from The Sporting News collection |
- 1974 - OF Emil Brown was born in Chicago. Brown started his career as a Pirate, playing in Pittsburgh from 1997-2001, but could never hit his way into the lineup, with a .205 BA as a Buc. Brown did breakout with the Royals from 2005-07 with a slash of .279/38/229, but after a so-so season with Oakland, he was released by the Mets in 2009 after just six PA.
- 1977 - Jack Wilson was born in Westlake Village, California. He played SS for the Bucs from 2001-09, hitting .269. He was named to the All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger in 2004. The slick fielder (he led MLB in PO, assists and DPs 2004-05) collected 201 hits that year, the franchise's first player since Dave Parker (1977) and the first Pirate shortstop since Honus Wagner (1908) to reach the 200-knock mark. After Pittsburgh, he played for Seattle and Atlanta, but a steady stream of nagging injuries led to his retirement after the 2012 season.
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| Jack Wilson 2008 photo via LA Times (Matt York/Associated Press) |
- 2013 - The Steelers were eliminated from the post-season on this day. It was the first year since 1991 that the Pirates made the playoffs but the Steelers didn't. The streak began anew in 2014.
I really believe the downfall of Jack Wilson was the bulk he put on after his Silver Slugger season. You may remember that the very next year he started out like a house on fire and right after a two home run game (!!) he went on the DL for a hamstring pull and the injuries never stopped after that. He was a better hitter than most realize, but I think he overreached himself, overtrained, and never really recovered. He was an outstanding glove man and one of the better traditional shortstops I've seen in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what caused it, Will, but you're right - from 2008 on, Jack never reached 400 AB because of injury. It is a pity; he and Jay Bell were the two best Bucco shortstops I can recall from the post-Dick Groat era.
ReplyDeleteBarnhart's nickname was "Pooch". Just wanted to add that as he was a local product to where I live now.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Jordy Mercer, but I sure wish that prime time Jack Flash was our SS.
Lee - thx, I'll have to add that. U around the MD border? Half of Pittsburgh summers at Deep Creek! And agreed that Jack Flash could pick 'em.
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