1/8: Goose HoF; Jose Inked; RIP Kitten; HBD Augie, Walker, Bo, Twitch & John

• 1864 - SS John Gilbert was born in Pottstown, PA. His big league career lasted a day. John played both ends of a doubleheader for the Alleghenys against the Phils on June 23rd, 1890, going 0-for-8 but playing a clean game in the field during the split. His brother Harry was his teammate up the middle, and that twin bill was his only major league time, too. They did make club history as the first bro teammates of the Alleghenys/Pirates franchise. 

Walker Cooper 1954 Dan Dee

• 1915 - C Walker Cooper was born in Atherton, Missouri. Walker had a long and strong 18-year MLB career, starting off with and finishing as a Card with five other clubs in between, and spent 14 games as a Bucco in 1954, going 3-for-15 at age 39. He was released and went to the Cubs. After retiring after the 1957 campaign, saying "it's time to quit when you've got a daughter old enough to marry a teammate" after his girl Sara was wed to 2B Don Blasingame. He spent four years as a minor league skipper and big league coach before he got baseball out of his system. Sibs of a feather: His brother Mort pitched for 11 MLB seasons and won 20+ games for three years in a row before arm injuries fell him. He and Walk were Cardinal teammates; both held out for bigger contracts in 1945 and both were gone before the 1946 season.
• 1921 - OF Marv “Twitch” Rickert was born in Longbranch, Washington. Marv put together a six-year MLB run (mostly as a fourth outfielder-type, getting into 100+ games three times) with three years lost to the service.He came over to the Pirates in 1950 after being bought from the Boston Braves, went 3-for-20 and was sold to the Chicago White Sox in late May, where he finished out the year and his career. Twitch earned his nickname because he was always full of energy and loved pulling clubhouse and off-the-field shenanigans. Fun fact: Rickert was one of the earliest, if not the first, major-leaguer to use a batting glove when as a Brave he began wearing a golf glove while batting. 
• 1934 - IF Gene Freese was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. Augie went to Wheeling Central HS and West Liberty State College, spending two stints (1955-58, 64-65) and six years with the Bucs. Mostly a reserve with Pittsburgh, he hit .247 as a Pirate, though while between Bucco rosters, he started at third for three years at Cincinnati, hitting 26 homers in 1961, helping the Reds to their first NL flag in years. After he retired, Freese settled near New Orleans where he ran a sports bar. Freese had a history of issuing nicknames; he claimed to have given Pete Rose his “Charlie Hustle” moniker. Gene had his nickname hung on him in 1955 thanks to Ebbets’ Field PA announcer Tex Ricard, who was noted for confusing names and introduced him as Augie, per ex- Bucco player and announcer Nellie King. 

Brian Boehringer 2003 Fleer Tradition

• 1969 - RHP Brian Boehringer was born in St. Louis, Missouri. The reliever closed out his 10 year MLB career in Pittsburgh between 2002-04, with a Bucco record of 10-9-1, 4.36 ERA. He had a sharp 2002 season, making 70 appearances and pitching to a 3.39 ERA, but couldn’t keep up the pace during his final two campaigns. 
• 1994 - LHP Harvey “The Kitten” Haddix passed away in Springfield, Ohio, at the age of 68 from emphysema; he had been a heavy smoker. The Kitten - he was Harry “The Cat” Brecheen’s protege at St Louis - tossed from 1958-63 for the Pirates, winning two WS games in 1960 and tossing what many consider the best game ever, going 12 perfect innings in 1959 against the Braves before losing 1-0 in the 13th. He helped himself on the field with his mitt, earning three Golden Gloves. After retiring following the 1965 campaign, Harvey served as the major league pitching coach of the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Pirates. 
• 2007 - The Pirates brought back utility man Jose Hernandez, who they had sold to the Phillies late in the 2006 campaign after he had hit .267 for the Buccos. Jose’s homecoming didn’t have a storybook ending as he was a late cut in camp and played for Indy, marking the end of his MLB career.

Jose Hernandez 2005 Upper Deck

• 2008 - In his ninth year on the BBWAA's ballot, Rich “Goose” Gossage was the only player elected to the Hall of Fame. During Goose's' 22-year career, he compiled a 124-107 record, saved 310 games, and posted a 3.01 ERA. He spent 1977 as a Pirate, going 11-9-26 with a 1.62 ERA and 151 K in 133 IP. Goose was inducted on July 27th.