8/4: HBD Jake, Paddy, Hicks, Luke; 45 Zippo IP; Salkeld Cycle...

• 1867 - 1B Jake Beckley was born in Hannibal, Missouri. “Eagle Eye” played eight seasons (1888-96) for Pittsburgh, with a year off in 1890 when he suited up for the Pittsburgh Burghers of the outlaw Player’s League. He hit 113 triples as a Buc and had four 100+ RBI years. Jake could glove it, too. He’s the all-time leader for putouts and top 20 in assists for MLB 1B’men. After his 20 year career was done, he was eventually selected in 1971 to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee with a lifetime .308 BA.
• 1879 - C Patrick “Paddy” O’Connor was born in Kerry, Ireland. A little used catcher for the Pirates from 1908-10, he hit .250. He played one more season in Pittsburgh, albeit with the Rebels of the Federal League, batting .228.

Paddy O'Connor 1910 Tip Top Bread series

• 1883 - RHP Lew “Hicks” Moren was born in Pittsburgh and attended Duquesne University. He pitched exactly two games for the Pirates between 1903-04, but was more successful with the Phillies, picking up 48 wins and 10 shutouts while pitching to a 2.88 ERA from 1907-10 before arm problems ended his career. He was one of the first to feature a knuckle ball, after its original practitioner, Eddie Cicotte.
• 1901 - Per Charlton’s Baseball Chronology, before Pittsburgh’s 6-3 win at Cincinnati‚ Reds and Pirates players were clocked while running from home plate to 1B. The fastest time for the 90-foot sprint was three seconds‚ by Bucco OF Ginger Beaumont. Though Beaumont was a lefty and was known for his wheels, scouts today consider 3.9-4.0 to be elite speed. The SABR Biography Project says he was once timed at 4.4, which seems a little more like it.
• 1909 - The Pirates’ Vic Willis lost a 1-0 pitching duel to the Brooklyn Superba’s Harry McIntyre at Forbes Field. Willis gave up just five hits, but one was a two out single by Tommy McMillan in the second inning that scored Whitey Alperman with the game’s only run. McIntyre was just as tough, giving up four hits and a pair of walks. Dots Miller had two of Pittsburgh’s four knocks.
• 1915 - 1B Luke Easter was born in Jonestown, Mississippi. The slugger played for the Homestead Grays from 1947-48. He hit .363 and led the Grays to a win over the Birmingham Black Barons in the 1948 Negro League World Series, the last one held. He went on to play for the Cleveland Indians, but age and injury limited him to just a couple of productive seasons.

Luke Easter 1948 (photo Richard Merken collection)

• 1931 - Heinie Meine started it and ended it. Pirate pitchers put together a streak of 45 consecutive scoreless innings, starting with Meine’s outing on July 27th and ending with Meine’s 7-1 loss to the Cards at Forbes Field after adding five more frames to the zero column. In between, Pittsburgh pitchers Larry French, Ray Kremer, Glenn Spencer and Erv Brame all tossed shutouts.
• 1945 - C Bill Salkeld went 5-for-5‚ hitting for the cycle‚ and driving in five runs‚ but the Bucs fell 6-5 to the Cardinals at Forbes Field, stranding 12 runners against St. Louis.
• 1958 - Roberto Clemente’s two out homer in the ninth off Juan Pizarro gave the Pirates a 4-3 win over the first place Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium. Clemente had three hits and scored three times to lead the attack as Roy Face saved the game for Curt Raydon.
• 1971 - OK, this is stretching Pittsburgh baseball history a bit, but... Tom Walker of Dallas-Fort Worth in the Texas League pitched a 15-inning no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Albuquerque. Tom is Neil Walker’s dad, and after spending six campaigns in the show, his last pro season was with Pittsburgh’s AAA Columbus club in 1978. He retired, got a job as a sales rep, moved to the City, and you know the rest.

Tom Walker (r) with Wayne Garland at DFW (photo via Texas League)

• 1990 - The Pirates broke open a tight 1-1 game in the tenth when Don Slaught doubled home Gary Redus and Chico Lind for the win at Veteran's Stadium. Bob Patterson gave up the Phils’ only run in the bottom of the ninth, but got the victory when Ted Power closed out the tenth. Starter Neal Heaton and Stan Belinda also put up goose eggs.
• 1998 - Fours were wild as 1B Kevin Young went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and four RBI during a 13-5 win over the Rockies at TRS. None of the Bucs went yard, but they did bang out nine doubles off four Colorado pitchers.
• 2006 - Tom Gorzelanny went eight innings of two hit ball and struck out seven as the Bucs beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field 6-0. Xavier Nady went 4-for-5 with three doubles, two RBI and two runs. Jose Castillo and Ronny Paulino homered, had two knocks and chased home a pair of runs apiece.