10/2 Happenings: HBD Ernie,Honest Eddie, Rex, Maury, Big Red & Marino; Lamont Axed, Bucs Sold & More

• 1877 - OF Ernie Diehl was born in Cincinnati. Ernie was a wealthy lad (his dad owned a distillery) and a toolsy ballplayer who starred in local semi-pro ball. The Pirates picked him up for a game in 1903 and a 12-game stretch in 1904, both times to fill in for injuries, and Ernie went 7-for-40 (.175). Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss offered him a season-long contract for both years; Diehl refused and played the games for nothing, returning to his local team and business interests after the Bucs were back to full strength. In fact, it was said that he was offered and refused a player’s contract by various teams for 10 consecutive years, though he played briefly for Boston for a couple of seasons and had short stints with Toledo & Louisville in the American Association. He continued in business, was a standout in amateur sports (he was also an excellent tennis player) and dabbled in local politics. The whiskey business was sold in 1918 and Ernie moved to Miami, where he lived until passing away in 1958. 
• 1891 - OF “Honest Eddie” Murphy was born in Hancock, New York. Eddie spent 11 years in the show, mostly as a bench guy and played his final season as a Pirate in 1926, batting .118 in 16 games at age 35. He joined Pittsburgh after five years of solid minor-league play, called up in August when the Bucs were battling for a flag, but he injured his knee and didn’t have any impact. The Pirates finished 4-½ games behind the Cards, although they would come back to take the 1927 NL flag. Eddie played two more minor league years before retiring. His nickname came about because he was one of the infamous 1919 Black Sox, but the tiniest splatter of mud couldn’t be tied to him; his reputation was so clean that he became known as Honest Eddie. 

Fred Clarke 1948 Exhibit Baseball's Greats

• 1901 - Pittsburgh railroaders held a parade complete with a band and marched from town to Exposition Park in the North Side to celebrate the final home game of the season for the pennant-winning Buccos. A horse-drawn carriage delivered a $500 loving cup that was presented to manager Fred Clarke, owner Barney Dreyfuss and club president Harry Pulliam for leading the team to its championship season, and each player was given a decorated badge with his likeness on it. After some speechifying, the Bucs went on to take an 8-4 win over Boston behind Sam Leever. The next evening, the Alvin Theater invited the team to enjoy its show as the Pirates were the toast of the town. Pittsburgh finished at 90-49, 7-½ games ahead of Philadelphia. 
• 1911 - Scout Rex Bowen was born in Shiloh, New Jersey. After a minor league career as a player, Bowen bird-dogged for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1943-50, the Pirates from 1950-1967, spending the last 12 years as the club’s scouting director, and finally joined the Reds front office from 1967-90. He signed Bill Mazeroski (who ended up marrying Rex’s secretary, Milene), Dick Groat, Bruce Dal Canton, Gene Freese, Gene Michaels and George Freese among others. In 2000, Baseball America named him one of the top ten scouts of the 20th Century.  
• 1932 - IF Maury Wills was born in Washington, DC. His glory years were with the Dodgers, though he played for Pittsburgh for two seasons, from 1967-68, as a third baseman who hit .290 with 81 steals. The Pirates sent him to Montreal and in 1969 he returned to LA, where he had spent the first eight years of his career and would spend his final four campaigns. Wills was one of the great base stealers of his era, amassing 564 swiped sacks in his 14 years. 

Maury Wills (photo Pirates promo)

• 1946 - Bob Robertson was born in Mt. Savage, Maryland. A member of the 1971 WS champs, Big Red hit four home runs in the 1971 NLCS against the Giants, three in one game, and added two more in the Fall Classic against the Orioles. In the years 1970-71, he bombed 53 HR, but never realized his potential as a Pirate. In nine Pittsburgh seasons, he hit .245 with 106 long balls. 
• 1966 - Matty Alou finished the season with a .342 BA to win the NL batting title. He went 4-for-6 against the Giants at Forbes Field in a 7-3 Bucco loss. The Pirates finished the season with 92 wins and the Giants with 93, but LA took the pennant with 95 victories. 
• 1969 - The batting title went down to the final swing; Pete Rose bunted for a single at Atlanta in his last at-bat while Roberto Clemente went 3-for-4 in a 8-2 win against the Expos, giving Rose a final .348 to .345 edge. If Clemente, who grounded out in his last dibs, had singled, his BA would have been .347; if Rose’s bunt failed, his would have been .346. 
• 1976 - RHP Victor Santos was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Victor, although he had five years in the league, made it to the Pirates via the Rule 5 draft from KC and spent 2006 as a Bucco, slashing 5-9/5.70 in 25 games (19 starts). He spent one more year in the league. 

Victor Santos 2006 (photo Elsa/Getty)

• 1981 - RHP Marino Salas was born in Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic. Salas was traded to the Pirates as part of the Salomon Torres deal with the Brewers. He began 2008 en fuego, going 2-0-2/0.77 in 14 appearances at AAA Indy and was recalled by the Pirates in May. It didn’t quite translate; in 13 appearances for the Bucs in 2008, he slashed 1-0/8.47 in 13 outings. At last check, Salas is still pitching in the Italian League. 
• 1985 - The Galbreath family and Warner Communications agreed in principle to sell the Pirates to the Pittsburgh Associates, a group of 10 primarily corporate and institutional investors that kept the team afloat and in Pittsburgh, for $21.8M. The deal was finalized in March, 1986. 
• 2000 - Gene Lamont was fired as manager. He replaced Jim Leyland in 1997 and led the Bucs to a second place finish, but overall his Pittsburgh record was 295-352 (.456). His hitting coach, Lloyd McClendon, was hired to take his spot three weeks later. Lamont returned to coaching with the Red Sox and the Astros, and has been with the Tigers (he’s now their bench coach) since the 2006 season.