7/17 Happenings: HBD Jerry, Forbes Field Fire, Cobra ASG MVP, Hans Day & More...

• 1908 - Honus Wagner Day was celebrated at Exposition Park, and players from both teams lined up before the game to honor The Flying Dutchman. (Wagner's tribute was bumped back a day so it wouldn’t conflict with a benefit picnic for orphans, at Honus’ request.) Wagner was presented with a $700 gold watch. The Boston Doves won the game 4-0 behind ex-Pirate Tommy McCarthy’s five hitter. It could have been worse - the Doves tacked on six more runs in the eighth, but the game was called because of darkness before the Pirates could bat.

Honus Wagner 1909 Pittsburgh Press

• 1930 - OF/PH Jerry Lynch was born in Bay City, Michigan. Lynch started (1954-56) and ended (1963-66) his career in Pittsburgh, spending the seven middle years with the Reds. He hit .263/45/188 as a reserve Pirate outfielder and primo pinch hitter. Lynch had 116 pinch hits during his career with 18 HR, and even today he rates high on the hit lists for PH.
• 1939 - Newly acquired Bucco outfielder Chuck Klein made his first appearance in Philadelphia since leaving the Phils‚ who he spent 10 years with, and jacked a pair of homers to lift the Bucs to a 7-4 win at Shibe Park. The Bucs released Klein in August, and he spent until 1944 as a Phil again.
• 1971 - A deserted Forbes Field suffered its second fire in a matter of months, and the structural damage was so bad that its demolition, already scheduled by Pitt, began almost immediately. Now the former ballyard’s footprint is the site of Posvar Hall, with home plate still showcased in the building and a bit of the left field wall left standing.

A second blaze led to the hasty demo of Forbes Field

• 1979 - The NL won its eighth straight All-Star Game, 7-6, at the Kingdome in Seattle. Pittsburgh’s only representative, Dave Parker, threw out a runner at home and another at third, and was named the game's MVP. The Cobra went 1-for-3 with an RBI and was intentionally walked once.
• 1998 - The Bucs traded RHP Esteban Loaiza to the Texas Rangers for RHP Todd Van Poppel and 2B Warren Morris. Loaiza pitched for another 10 seasons (albeit with seven teams), topped by a 21-9/2.90 campaign with the White Sox in 2003 when he was an All-Star and Cy Young runner up. Morris was released after the 2001 season and Van Poppel worked one year for Pittsburgh.