8/20: HBD Al; Veale, Jose Gems; Antelope Record; Bad Glove Days; Small Deals

• 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 after being involved with a bribe offer during a heated pennant race.

Bobby Byrne 1910 Tip-Top Bread series

• 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.
• 1969 - Bob Veale tossed a four hitter with one walk and 10 Ks to defeat the Houston Astros and Denny Lemaster 1-0 at Forbes Field. The big lefty allowed just one runner beyond first during the contest. The game’s only run scored in the eighth, when back-to-back Astro errors and a successful bunt set up Roberto Clemente’s sac fly.
• 1980 - Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the year in a 5-1 loss at the Astrodome‚ becoming the first player in the 20th century with three straight 70-steal seasons. The Antelope swiped 71 in 1978‚ 77 in 1979‚ and finished 1980 with a career-high 96 successful larcenies.

Omar Moreno 1981 Topps/Coca Cola series

• 1981 - Pittsburgh traded John Milner to the Expos for Willie Montanez in a flip of reserve 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.
• 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.

Kris Benson (Getty Images)

• 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.
• 2014 - Down 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth and in the throes of a seven game losing streak, the Bucs rallied to overtake the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park by a 3-2 score. A leadoff walk to Gaby Sanchez in the eighth was followed by a ground rule double off Travis Snider’s bat. A grounder and wild pitch brought them home to tie the game. Jordy Mercer opened the ninth with a single and went to third an out later when Justin Upton misplayed Starling Marte’s fly to left center. Sanchez again was the man of the hour, hitting a fly just deep enough to plate Mercer. Tony Watson got the win and Mark Melancon the save.