5/7 Through the 30s: Clarke Cycle; Bucs/Grays DH; Triple Play; Signature Solos; Game Stories; HBD Dave

• 1903 - For the second time in his career‚ Fred Clarke hit for the cycle and added a walk‚ sacrifice and stolen base‚ but the effort came up short as the Reds beat the Pirates 10-8 at the Palace of the Fans. The Pirates lost Honus Wagner to a temper tantrum after a collision at 2B with Reds IF Jack Morrissey. Hans threatened to punch Morrissey‚ ump Bug Holliday restrained him, and the pair then rolled around in the dirt for a bit. The Flying Dutchman was ejected and suspended for three games. 

Dave Barbee 1932 (The Sporting News)

• 1905 - OF Dave Barbee was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. After a 1926 job with the A’s, Barbee spent the next several years in the high minors. He smacked 41 homers in 1930 and in the following campaign hit .332 w/47 home runs. In 1932, Dave got the call to join Pittsburgh, selected by the Bucs in the Rule C draft for minor-league players (a precursor of the Rule 5 draft). He was the Pirates' starting left fielder by May but lost the job in August. In 97 games Bucco games, he batted .257 with five home runs. Barbee went back to the minors and retired in 1938. 
• 1916 - Max Carey homered off Cubs rookie Jimmy Lavender in the fourth to give the Pirates a 1-0 win. The Cubs lost 10 decisions by a 1-0 score that year‚ tying the MLB record. Erv Kantlehner tossed a three hitter to top Lavender’s five hit effort at Weeghman Park. 
• 1922 - Buc rookie RF Walter Mueller hit a HR on the first pitch of his career off none other than the Cubs’ Hall-of-Famer Grover Alexander, the first major leaguer to accomplish the feat. The Bucs won 11-5 at Wrigley Field with Mueller collecting five RBI to help Hal Carlson to the win. In four big league seasons, Mueller hit one more HR. 
• 1925 - SS Glenn Wright snagged the Cards’ Jim Bottomley's ninth-inning line drive, doubled up Jimmy Cooney at second, and tagged Rogers Hornsby coming from first to complete the only unassisted triple play in franchise history. It didn’t help; the Bucs lost to St. Louis 10-9 at Forbes Field after taking a 9-4 lead into the eighth inning and then allowing the Redbirds to score six times. Eddie Moore had three Bucco hits, as did Al Niehaus, but it wasn’t enough as Emil Yde, Babe Adams, and Johnny Morrison were battered in that fateful eighth. 

Glenn Wright 1925 (photo Bain/Library of Congress)

• 1930 - Gus Suhr went 3-for-3 with a double, triple, two walks, three runs scored, and five RBI as the Bucs blasted the NY Giants 16-8 at Forbes Field. Steve Swetonic pitched 4-1/3 innings of shutout ball to earn the win in relief of Erv Brame. The first five Pirates in the batting order collected 12 hits, four walks, scored 12 times and drove in nine tallies. 
• 1932 - In an unusual twin bill at Forbes Field, the Pirates and Phillies played the opener and the Negro League Homestead Grays hosted the Cleveland Browns in the nightcap. The Bucs lost 5-3 despite rookie Dave Barbee’s pair of triples. The Grays walloped the Browns 21-3; eight of the nine Homestead starters had multiple hits.