8/28 Through the 1920’s: Ens Replaces Bush; Kiki Legs Out Two; HBD Chauncey, Jolly Cholly, Wally & Howie

• 1873 - IF Bill “Chauncey” Stuart was born in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Bill was a two-sport star, playing halfback for Penn State. He got into 19 games and collected 77 at-bats in 1895 with the Pirates, batting .247; he would get one more major league plate appearance in 1899 with the NY Giants. He retired after that and went into oil speculation. He died in Fort Worth, but was buried at State College. 

Jolly Cholly 1919 (via Detroit Public Library)

• 1898 - Charlie “Jolly Cholly” Grimm was born in St. Louis. The 1B played six years (1919-24) in Pittsburgh, hitting .286, but made his reputation with Chicago in the following dozen years after a big 1924 trade sent him to the Windy City. Charlie became a manager after his playing days with stops in Boston/Milwaukee and the Cubs. He earned his nickname for his cheerful, upbeat manner, ala Chuck Tanner. 
• 1902 - OF Wally Roettger was born in St. Louis. Wally ended his eight-year MLB career (mostly with the Cards and Reds) in Pittsburgh in 1934, hitting .245. A college hoopster beside ballplayer, Wally went on to become the baseball skipper at the University of Illinois from 1935-51 and an assistant basketball coach from 1936-49; he started on that trail when he coached hoops at Illinois Wesleyan during the baseball off-season. His tale had a sad ending; at age 49, with heart problems and failing eyesight, he took his own life. 
• 1911 - Pirate super scout Howie Haak was born in Rochester, NY. Pittsburgh discovered much of its legendary Latino talent from the mid-1950s through the 1980s thanks to Haak's efforts. He recommended that Pittsburgh draft Roberto Clemente from the Brooklyn system and signed Manny Sanguillen, Omar Moreno and Rennie Stennett of Panama; Julian Javier, Tony Pena, Jose DeLeon, and Cecilio Guante of the Dominican Republic; Al McBean of the Virgin Islands and Roman Mejias of Cuba. 

Howie Haak (photo Getty Images)

• 1925 - The Pirates hung on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-9 at the Baker Bowl. Kiki Cuyler had four hits, including a pair of inside-the-park homers, Eddie Moore and Clyde Barnhart added three knocks apiece and George Grantham homered. Babe Adams and Tom Sheehan gave up five runs in the bottom of the ninth and Ray Kremer had to come on to get the final out with the bases juiced. He retired pinch hitter Nelson “Chicken” Hawks, who was batting for the second time in the inning and already had a hit and run under his belt. 
• 1929 - Donie Bush resigned as the Pirate manager, replaced by coach Jewel Ens. Bush took the team to the World Series in 1927, where they were swept by the Murderer’s Row Yankees and played without Kiki Cuyler, who Bush had benched. The Pirates had lost 8-of-9 when Bush resigned and were 14-½ games behind the eventual titlists, the Chicago Cubs.