5/23: HDB Deacon, Clyde, Gonzo; Meadows, Lynch Deals; Steal City and More...

• 1872 - RHP Charles “Deacon” Phillippe was born in Rural Retreat, Virginia. The Deacon spent 12 years with Pittsburgh (1900-11) with a line of 189-109/2.59. He went 3-2 in the 1903 World Series with a 3.07 ERA and closed out two games in the 1909 World Series, pitching six scoreless innings. Phillippe was perhaps the greatest control pitcher of the modern era, won 20 games six times, and was voted by Buc fans as the greatest right-handed pitcher in Pirates history. He came about his nickname honestly, being a devout Lutheran and clean living guy in an era noted for its rowdy ballplayers. He also went by “The Great Phillippi” due to his pitching prowess (Phillippi was his birth name). 

Deacon Phillippe (Virginia Sports Hall of Fame)

• 1890 - During a 17-10 New York victory at the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants swiped a record 17 sacks against the battery of rookie P Fred “Crazy” Schmit and veteran C George “Doggie” Miller. The Alleghenys added three steals of their own to set a game record of 20. Crazy was thought nuts by the other players because he was the first pitcher to keep a book on hitters, warmed up at 75' rather than 60', using a water-soaked ball to make it heavier and other quirky tricks of the trade (he was also known as "Germany").  The 1890 Alleghenys, it should be noted, may have been baseball’s worst team ever, winning just 23 games and allowing 447 stolen bases, nearly four per game - and the catchers had a 31% toss-out rate!
• 1892 - The Pirates ended the Chicago Colts 13 game winning streak with a 5-4 win at South Side Stadium in front of 2,000 Windy City fans. The Pirates overcame an early 4-0 deficit, led by extra base knocks by Jake Beckley, Doggie Miller, Mike Smith and Lou Bierbauer, generating just enough offense to push Mark Baldwin to victory. As the Pittsburg Press reported “The Pittsburgs defeated the Chicagos in a very close and exciting game. The Pittsburgers were outbatted, but their hits were more timely and counted more than those made by the Colts.” Part of the excitement was the fielding; each side surrendered just one earned run, with the clubs combining to boot five balls.
• 1923 - Pittsburgh sent 2B Cotton Tierney and P Whitey Glazner to the Phils for 2B Johnny Rawlings and P Lee Meadows. Meadows went 87-51 over the next five years taking Glazner's spot in the Pirate rotation, winning 20 games once and 19 twice. Rawlings spent four years with the Bucs, hitting .272 mainly off the bench. Whitey was out of baseball after winning 14 games in two seasons for the Phils, and Cotton spent just one campaign in Philadelphia.

Lee Meadows 1925 (photo Bain News Service/Library of Congress)

• 1924 - Coach Clyde King was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. King never played for the Bucs, but he managed the Hollywood Stars in 1957 and the Columbus Jets in 1958, both Pirate farm clubs. After a couple of moves, he returned as a member of Harry Walker’s coaching staff from 1965 to 1967. He went on to coach both in the minors and MLB as manager of the SF Giants, Atlanta Braves and NY Yankees.
• 1952 - It took 13 frames, but Johnny Merson’s double scored Gus Bell with the game winner to end an eight-game losing streak as the Bucs topped the Cubs 6-5 at Forbes Field. The Pirates scored four times in the opening inning, but Bob Friend couldn’t hold on. Ted Wilks spun the last 5-⅔ frames without yielding a run to end the drought.
• 1963 - The Bucs sent OF Bob Skinner to the Reds for Jerry Lynch, who started his career in Pittsburgh. Lynch spent his last four years as a Pirate and set the MLB pinch hit home run record of 18 (since surpassed by Matt Stairs) in a Bucco uniform. Skinner spent nine seasons with Pittsburgh, compiling a .280 BA, and lasted five more years in the show.

Jerry Lynch 1965 Topps

• 1978 - Reliever Mike Gonzalez was born in Corpus Christi. He was drafted by the Pirates and pitched his first four seasons (2003-06) in Pittsburgh. Gonzo became a rare LH closer in 2006, earning 24 saves before being sent to Atlanta in the off season as part of the Adam LaRoche deal. He last pitched in the majors in 2013 for the Brewers.
• 1984 - Bucco lefty John Candelaria struck out 12 batters in eight innings of work as the Pirates beat Cincinnati, 7-2, at Three Rivers Stadium. It was Candelaria’s fourth win of the year. The Pirates took the lead with six runs in the fifth inning and never looked back. Catcher Tony Pena went 3-for-4 with a triple.