- 1873 - Middle infielder Claude Ritchey was born in Emlenton along the Allegheny River. He played for the Pirates for seven years, from 1900-06, batting .273 with 709 runs scored and 675 RBI, and was the starting 2B for the 1901 pennant winners and first World Series team in 1903. The combination of his size (5’6”) and his ability to drive in clutch runs gained him the nickname of "Little All Right."
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| Claude Ritchey (photo Harwell Collection/Detroit Public Library) |
- 1888 - Pud Galvin won his 300th big league game against the Washington Nationals at Swampoodle Grounds, throwing a four-hitter in the 5-1 Allegheny win. He was the first player in MLB history to reach the 300 win total, finishing his career with 361 victories, with 138 of them earned with Pittsburgh clubs.
- 1889 - RHP Jim Bagby Sr. was born in Marietta Georgia. He joined the Pirates in 1923 at age 34 during his last MLB campaign, going 3-2, 5.24. Jim provided the Bucs with a legacy, tho - his son, Jim Bagby Jr., also tossed for the Pirates, oddly enough also during his final big league season, 1947. The pair were the first father - son tandem to pitch in the World Series as Sr. appeared for the Indians (1920) and Jr. for the Red Sox (1946). Jim Sr. was known as “Sarge,” named after "Sergeant Jimmy Bagby,” a character in the 1919 Broadway play “Boys Will be Boys” that his teammates took in.
- 2007 - The Pirates fired manager Jim Tracy after two years and a 135-189 (.417) record. He was replaced by John Russell. As part of the purge by new GM Neal Huntington, director of player development Brian Graham, scouting director Ed Creech, director of baseball operations Jon Mercurio and Tracy's entire coaching staff also lost their jobs.
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| Jim Tracy (photo Chicago Tribune/Getty Images) |
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