7/7 Happenings: HBD Double Duty, Satchel, Billy & Chuck; Forbes Field All-Star Day; ASGs; Babe Blanked

• 1902 - P/C Theodore Roosevelt “Double Duty” Radcliffe was born in Mobile, Alabama. He stopped briefly in Pittsburgh, playing for the 1931 Homestead Grays and the 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords. Writer Damon Runyon gave him the nickname "Double Duty" because Radcliffe performed as a catcher one game and as a pitcher the next during a 1932 Negro League World Series doubleheader between the Crawfords and the Monroe Monarchs at Yankee Stadium. Radcliffe caught a Satchel Paige shutout in the first game then pitched a shutout in the second game.

Double Duty (post card via Negro League Museum)

• 1906 - Leroy “Satchel” Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama. He pitched through the thirties for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords. At 42, Paige became the oldest rookie in major league history when he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948, and in 1971 became the first Negro League star inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Paige is on the short list of great black pitchers, and what really cut him from the herd was his showmanship. One of his favorite acts was to have his fielders sit down at their positions while he’d strike out the side. According to Paige, his nickname originated from a childhood carrying bags at the train station, although his long-time friends suggested it was because he’d swipe the satchels. Either way…
• 1909 - IF/MGR Billy Herman was born in New Albany, Indiana. The Hall-of-Famer came to Pittsburgh in 1947 as a player/manager. Billy played a little, hitting .213, and after compiling a 61-92 record, he resigned as the manager on the last day of the season. That was also his last season as a player; he went on to coach, manage, and work in player development for decades after his retirement.
• 1921 - The Bronx Bombers visited Forbes Field for an exhibition tilt. The Pittsburg Press wrote “Thousands of fans who attended the exhibition match between the New York Yankees and the Pirates were disappointed when Babe Ruth failed to deliver a circuit clout.” The Bambino, who had 31 homers on his way to swatting 59 on the year, flew out twice and fanned two times in the Bucs 5-2 win. The Pirates RF Dave Robertson was the only player to go long.

Dave outdid the Babe 1921 (Bain News Service/Library of Congress)

• 1936 - The Pirates sent 1B Gus Suhr and SS Arky Vaughan to the All-Star Game at Boston Braves Stadium. Neither got in as the NL squeaked out a 4-3 win.
• 1937 - P Cy Blanton, SS Arky Vaughan and RF Paul Waner were selected as Pittsburgh All-Stars for the game at Griffith Stadium. Vaughan went 2-for-5, Waner 0-for-5 with an RBI, and Blanton faced one batter, Joe DiMaggio, whom he whiffed during the AL’s 8-3 romp.
• 1945 - IF Chuck Goggin was born in Pompano Beach, Florida. Chuck began his brief career (he played for four campaigns) in Pittsburgh in 1972-73, going 3-for-9. Goggin was a good hitter, but his major league journey was filled with injury-related hurdles: he had knee surgery, badly broke his ankle, and later ruptured a disc. He also suffered shrapnel wounds to his legs and back in 1966 when a mine blew up under him in Vietnam. The Marine was one of only two MLB players to earn a Purple Heart in ‘Nam. He also had one great Bucco moment - he collected his first major league hit in his first major league start on the same day that teammate Roberto Clemente collected his 3,000th hit, on September 30th, 1972. After his back problem, Chuck played in the minors and Latino leagues for a while, coached and then took a job as a US Marshall.

#3,000 for Roberto, #1 for Chuck (photo via ESPN)

• 1959 - The All-Star Game became a double feature when a new, two-game format was adopted. The first game was played at Forbes Field. The NL won 5-4 after the first pitch was tossed by VP Richard Nixon. C Smoky Burgess, P Elroy Face, SS Dick Groat and 2B Billy Mazeroski repped the Buccos. Maz went 1-for-1 with a single, Groat batted once and sacrificed, and Smoky didn’t make an appearance. The Baron of the Bullpen did, and probably wishes he hadn’t. He gave up three runs in 1-⅔ IP with three hits, two walks, and two K.
• 1964 - The NL defeated the AL at Shea Stadium in the All Star game by a 7-4 score, best remembered because of Johnny Callison’s three-run ninth inning homer. Roberto Clemente went 1-for-3 with a run, Willie Stargell 0-for-1, and Bill Mazeroski and Smoky Burgess were bench players.
• 1998 - Coors Field lived up to its hitter-friendly rep as the AL outslugged the NL 13-8 in the All Star game. C Jason Kendall was the Pirate AS and singled in his only at bat.