8/4 From 1900 Through the 50’s: Leever Leave; Heinie Bookends Streak; Salkeld Rookie Cycle; Game Stories; HBD Luke, Bill & Homer

• 1901 - Before Pittsburgh’s 6-3 win at Cincinnati’s League Park‚ Reds and Pirates players were clocked while running from home plate to 1B. The fastest time for the 90-foot sprint was three seconds flat‚ by Bucco OF Ginger Beaumont. Though Beaumont was a lefty and was known for his wheels, scouts today consider 3.9-4.0 to be elite speed. The SABR Biography Project says he was once timed at 4.4, which seems a little more like it. As for the game, the Buc attack was primed by Beaumont and Hans Wagner with three hits apiece and a Lefty Davis homer. Ed Poole, subbing for scheduled but sore-armed starter Sam Leever, went wire-to-wire for the win. 

Sam Leever 1902 (photo via Hall of Fame)

• 1901 - The Bucs made a couple of moves. First, they brought in veteran C George Yeager from the Cleveland Blues on a try-out basis after Chief Zimmer, the Bucs starting catcher, was spiked and put out of action (he would then break a rib in a fall three weeks later). George passed the test and finished the year with the Bucs, hitting .264 in 26 games. On the same day, P Sam Leever requested an unpaid leave of absence because of a sore arm, a problem he had throughout his career. The Goshen Schoolmaster told club secretary Harry Pulliam, as reported by the Pittsburgh Press, that “I am not in a position to earn my salary and in justice to the Pittsburg club I think I should take a vacation at my own expense. Just lay off me, Harry, until I send you word that my arm is right.” The Bucs granted his leave, with Pulliam replying “You are one of the highest paid men in the league and the officials will be pleased when they hear of your offer (but) you will get your salary if you do not pitch another game this season.” He didn’t but came back strong the following year and in fact tossed for the Pirates through 1910. 
• 1902 - RHP Homer Blankenship was born in Bonham, Texas. Homer tossed for a couple of years with the White Sox (1922-23) and then became a Texas League twirler; the Pirates gave him a shot in 1928 and he went 0-2/5.82 in two starts with one complete game. He retired from baseball in 1931. 
• 1909 - The Pirates’ Vic Willis lost a 1-0 pitching duel to the Brooklyn Superba’s Harry McIntyre at Forbes Field. Willis gave up just five hits, but one was a two-out single by Tommy McMillan in the second inning that scored Whitey Alperman with the game’s only run. McIntyre was just as tough, giving up four hits and a pair of walks. Dots Miller had two of Pittsburgh’s four knocks. 

Vic Willis (photo Conlon Collection)

• 1912 - IF Bill Schuster was born in Buffalo, New York. He started his five-year, 123-game big league stint in 1937 with the Pirates, going 3-for-6 in a three game audition. Schuster did have a long career spanning 16 years of pro ball, mainly in the PCL, where he’s a member of its Hall of Fame. After retiring as a player, Schuster managed and coached in the league, and later worked in the press room of the Los Angeles Times. 
• 1915 - 1B Luke Easter was born in Jonestown, Mississippi. The slugger played for the Homestead Grays from 1947-48. He hit .363 and led the Grays to a win over the Birmingham Black Barons in the 1948 Negro League World Series, the last one held. The Grays sold him to Bill Veeck and he went on to play for the Cleveland Indians, but age (he was 34 when he made his MLB debut) and injury limited him to just a couple of productive seasons. 
• 1931 - Heinie Meine started it and ended it. Pirate pitchers put together a streak of 45 consecutive scoreless innings, starting with Meine’s outing on July 27th and ending with Meine’s 7-1 loss to the Cards at Forbes Field after adding five more frames to the zero column. In between, Pittsburgh pitchers Larry French, Ray Kremer, Glenn Spencer and Erv Brame all tossed shutouts. 

Heinie Meine 1933 Goudey

• 1945 - C Bill Salkeld went 5-for-5 to become the first (and only) Pirates rookie to hit for the cycle and drove in five runs‚ but the Bucs fell 6-5 to the Cardinals at Forbes Field, stranding 12 runners against St. Louis.
• 1958 - Roberto Clemente’s two-out homer in the ninth off Juan Pizarro gave the Pirates a 4-3 win over the first place Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium. Clemente had three hits and scored three times to lead the attack as Roy Face saved the game for Curt Raydon.