9/20 Through the 1950’s: Burleigh's Last Spin; Nick No-No; Champion Craws; HBD Vic, Red & Dennis; Game Stories

• 1907 - In his third big league start, Nick Maddox became the first Pirate pitcher to throw a no-hitter by defeating the Brooklyn Superbas, 2-1, at Exposition Park. At the age of 20 years and 10 months, Maddox was the youngest pitcher and the second rookie to throw a no-hitter. Errors by Maddox and Honus Wagner gave Brooklyn their run; Fred Clarke had both Bucco hits, but neither figured in the scoring as the Pittsburgh runs were also unearned. 

Nick Maddox 1908 (photo Bain/Library of Congress)

• 1916 - IF Red Juelich was born in St. Louis. Red played four years in the Cards’ minor league system and then got his shot with the Pirates in 1939, where he was a bench 3B/SS, hitting .239 in 17 games. Juelich stayed in the Pirates system at AA for the next three campaigns before dropping off the roster after 1942. Red, btw, was a ginger. 
• 1922 - LHP Vic Lombardi was born in Reedley, California. He put in three good years with the Dodgers and a workmanlike season with the Bucs in 1948 (10-9/3.70) but went downhill over the next two years to put up a slash line of 15-19/4.56 in Pittsburgh. Branch Rickey offered him a 1951 contract with a 25% cut; Lombardi didn’t take it and that was the end of his MLB career as took his services to Hollywood of the Pacific Coast League. 
• 1924 - The Pirates edged Brooklyn‚ 5-4‚ in 11 innings at Ebbets Field to end Dazzy Vance's 15-game winning streak. Pie Traynor singled with two gone in the 11th‚ and Rabbit Maranville lined a ball to center that got past the Robins’ outfielder Eddie Brown, who whiffed on a shoestring effort to glove the ball. Pie came in with the game winner, touching home for the third time during the game. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win. It wasn't quite enough for the Bucs, tho. They cut the front-running Giants' lead to 1-1/2 games, but finished three games off the pace as they followed the win with a four-game losing streak, dropping an extra-inning game to the Bums and being swept in a three-game set by New York. 
• 1925 - Owner Barney Dreyfuss and the City announced a deal that would allow the Pirates to build temporary bleachers for the World Series at Forbes Field (The location around FF was considered parkland and needed a city ok for any changes in use). The ballyard had just added 10,000 seats in right field before the season and were permitted to add 6,000 more seats at the princely price of $1.10 for the Fall Classic, bringing the field up to a fan capacity of 41,000. 

Burleigh Grimes (photo via Detroit Public Library)

• 1934 - In a 2-1 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbet’s Field, Burleigh Grimes made his last appearance, working a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a whiff. Not only did it mark the end of a 19 year career that led to the Hall of Fame, but also the end of an era. Grimes was the last legal spitballer standing after the pitch had been outlawed starting in 1921. 17 practitioners, including Grimes, were grandfathered into the ruling and allowed to serve a wet one at will. 
• 1935 - The Pittsburgh Crawfords beat the New York Cubans to win the Negro NL Championship 3-0. Left-handed curveballer Leroy Matlock, who went 18-0 during the regular season, tossed a three-hitter. He was backed by Josh Gibson‚ Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson and Oscar Charleston, all future Hall of Famers. The Crawfords won the hard fought seven game series after falling behind three-games-to-one to the Cubans. It was the only undisputed Negro League title won by the Crawfords. 
• 1941 - RHP Dennis Ribant was born in Detroit. The Pirates got Ribant in 1967 from an overflowing Mets staff in exchange for veteran Don Cardwell, and he got his last real shot joining a rotation with the Pirates, getting the ball 38 times, 22 as a starter. His line was 9-8, 4.08, and he was sent back home by the Bucs at the end of the year, with the Tigers giving up Dave Wickersham. Ribant was converted to reliever, had a couple of so-so seasons with four different clubs and his six-year career ended after 1969. 
• 1956 - The seventh place Pirates edged Milwaukee 2-1 in 10 innings at Forbes Field. It was a classic spoiler win, as the Braves eventually lost the pennant on the last day of the season by one game to the Dodgers. Bob Friend held the Braves to four hits for the complete game victory.