8/8 Happenings: Hans Takes 'Em All, Dreyfuss Sells, Comeback Law, HBD Ohlie & More...

• 1902 - Honus Wagner became the first Pirate to steal second, third and home, against the Boston Beaneaters in an 8-6 loss at the South End Grounds. He did it four times during his career. Other Pirates to swipe a three pack were Max Carey (2), Kiki Cuyler and Bobby Byrne.

Hans - Max Stein postcard

• 1946 - Bill Benswanger, representing the Dreyfuss family, sold the Bucs to a group headed by Frank McKinney and John Galbreath with Bing Crosby as one of the minority investors. The price was reported to be $2.5M.
• 1960 - Dick Groat was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Fiery Leader of the Pirates.” The team captain and All-Star became the first Pirate to be named MVP since Paul Waner in their last pennant year of 1927 and led league with a .325 BA.
• 1963 - Injuries drove RHP Vern Law to the voluntarily retired list. But he returned with a vengeance to win 12 games in 1964, and in 1965, at age of 35, he led the Pirates with 17 victories and a 2.15 ERA. He was honored with the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award as comeback player of the year. But the injuries finally wore him down and the Deacon retired permanently after the 1967 campaign.
• 1982 - RHP Ross Ohlendorf was born in Austin, Texas. Ohlie pitched for the Pirates from 2008-11 with a line of 13-27/4.60. Ohlendorf was a bit more than a jock; he graduated from Princeton and spent a summer as an intern in Washington for the Department of Agriculture. He also tossed an “immaculate inning” - nine pitches to strike out the side - on September 5th, 2009 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ohlie 2010 Topps

• 1990 - The Pirates sent IF Willie Greene, RHP Scott Ruskin and a PTBNL to the Montreal Expos for LHP Zane Smith. The other player was OF Moises Alou (named as part of the deal on 8/16), a highly regarded prospect deemed expendable as he was blocked by OFs Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla. Alou played 17 years, made six All-Star teams and carried a .303 career BA. Smith spent six of his last seven seasons with the Pirates, winning 47 games behind a 3.35 ERA, and was a staff mainstay for the early nineties’ clubs, winning 16 games for the division champs of 1991.