5/1: Ray Searage, Chico, Johnny Beradino B-Days, Nine-In-A-Row, Dock's Message & More

• 1885 - RHP George McQuillan was born in Brooklyn. He was a decent pitcher for low-scoring teams, going 29-33 from 1913-15 with a 3.06 ERA for Pittsburgh. In 1907 he set one of the longest-lived records in MLB history when he pitched 25 innings for the Philadelphia A’s before giving up his first earned run. The record stood for 101 years before being broken by Oakland A’s reliever Brad Ziegler, who extended the record to 39-1⁄3 innings. 
• 1886 - C Bill Kelly was born in Baltimore. He came to the Pirates from minor league St. Paul in 1911, becoming their third catcher but personal caddy to P Marty O’Toole. He played here through 1913, hitting .293 with 20 RBI’s in 102 games with a reputation as a good hit, bad glove backstop. 
• 1895 - Bill Hart hurled a one-hitter in a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati at Exposition Park. CF Jake Stenzel and C Joe Sugden had a pair of knocks to lead the Pirates and SS Monte Cross made several nice running catches of short outfield tweeners. As the Pittsburg Press noted succinctly of the Reds: “One hit will not win many games.” 

Monte Cross - Edward Dana photographer

• 1896 - Heinie Meine was born in St. Louis. The RHP spent six seasons with Pittsburgh (1929-1934), going 66-50 with a 3.95 ERA. Between 1931-33 he was a workhorse, throwing 663-2/3 frames in 96 games, going 46-30. In 1931, he led the NL in wins (19), innings pitched (284), and was fourth in ERA (2.98). He was an interesting guy, known as "The Count of Luxemburg" because he ran a speakeasy/tavern in the Luxemburg section of St. Louis. 
• 1917 - 2B Giovanni “Johnny” Berardino was born in Los Angeles. He got a couple of cups of coffee with the Bucs in 1950 and 1952, but his claim to fame wasn’t at the ballyard but rather in the back lots, as he went on to become soap opera star playing the role of Dr. Steve Hardy of General Hospital. 
• 1933 - Arky Vaughan and Earl Grace became the first pair of Pirates to hit grand slams in the same game (Bill Madlock & Richie Hebner matched the feat in 1982) when they did it against the Phillies at the Baker Bowl to lead Pittsburgh to a 10-0 win. Bill Swift scattered nine hits for the complete game whitewash. 
• 1953 - The Pirates defeated the Reds‚ 8-3‚ at Forbes Field for their third win in a row‚ their longest streak since August, 1951. Bonus baby Paul Pettit was the winner in his first MLB start. It was his only win, as he never recovered from arm injuries suffered the previous year in the minors, and spent most of his remaining career as a minor league outfielder. 

Paul Pettit 1953 - from Fritsch One Year Winners series 1977

• 1955 - Pirate pitching coach Ray Searage was born in Freeport, NY. The West Liberty State grad coached Buccos for the Williamsport Crosscutters in 2003-04, the Hickory Crawdads in 2005, the Altoona Curve in 2006-07 and the Indianapolis Indians in 2008-09. In 2010, he joined the MLB staff during John Russell’s final season. He was a reliever in his seven year MLB career, spinning the cowhide for four different clubs. 
• 1957 - The Cubs sent 1B Dee Fondy and 2B Gene Baker to the Bucs for 1B Dale Long and OF Lee Walls. Fondy hit .300 while Walls and Long combined for 45 Chicago HRs in 1957.
• 1959 - Dick Stuart hit one of the longest shots ever launched at Forbes Field, carrying well over the scoreboard and landing in Schenley Plaza when he caught a 2-0 curve off Jim Brosnan. Alas, the almost 500’ two-run, two-out drive in the ninth only made it close as the Bucs went down to the Cards 7-6. Big Stu had three hits, including a double, in the loss. 
• 1960 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game, their longest string since 1945, against the Reds 13-2 at Crosley Field. Roberto Clemente had a grand slam and Maz added a three run shot to back Vern Law’s pitching. The streak would end the next day against the Cards and Ronnie Kline by a 4-3 count. 

Photo: Jay Publishing Company

• 1964 - Jose Lind was born in Toabaja, Puerto Rico. In six seasons with the Pirates (1987-92), the 2B hit .255 and appeared in three NLCS bouts. Chico was considered a top flight defender, and won a Gold Glove in 1992. A coke addiction drove him out of the game and into several clashes with the law, but Chico came clean and participates in the Bucco fantasy camps now. 
• 1973 - The Giants scored seven runs with two outs in the ninth to claim an 8-7 win at Candlestick Park. Bob Moose started and got the first two outs in the ninth, but Ramon Hernandez and Dave Giusti gave up three hits and two walks trying to close out the game, the capper being Chris Arnold’s pinch-hit bomb off Hernandez. The Bucs wasted Stargell’s three hits and three RBI. 
• 1974 - Dock Ellis hit the Reds’ Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen in the top of the first inning; Tony Perez ducked several times and drew a walk as Ellis tied a MLB record for consecutive beaned batters before Danny Murtaugh yanked him. Ellis later revealed that he was high on pep pills as the Bucs lost 5-3 to the Reds, and was trying to counter what he saw as the Reds intimidation of the Pirates. 

Dock doin' it his way (photo: Associated Press)

• 1980 - Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock was fined $5‚000 and suspended 15 games by NL president Chub Feeney for poking ump Jerry Crawford in the face with his glove after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded. Madlock appealed‚ but withdrew the protest and took his medicine on June 6th after the NL umpires threatened to eject him from every game he tried to play while appealing. 
• 1994: The Pirates completed a three game sweep of the Braves as Paul Wagner defeated Atlanta’s Tom Glavine 4-1 for his second career complete game in front of 30,614 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. Wagner allowed just three hits, losing his shutout bid in the ninth inning on a home run by David Justice.