4/17 Through the 1930’s: Phillippe, Leever, Ponder Gems; Game Stories; HBD Bob

• 1902 - Tommy Leach scored the game’s only run in the third inning as Deacon Phillippe won a 1-0 duel against the Cards Stan Yerkes on Opening Day at Robison Field in front of 6,000 fans. Leach singled, went to third after a Reds boot and scored when Cincy tried a tag ‘em out, throw ‘em out DP that was frustrated by the heady baserunning of Jack O’Connor, whose stop-and-go dance between bases eluded the tag. The Bucs were 103-36 that year and took the NL pennant, but there wasn’t a World Series until the following season because of animosity between the leagues. 

Tommy Leach 1903 (photo by Carl Horner)

• 1903 - RHP Bob (His first name was John, but he was called by a simplification of his middle name of Bode) Osborn was born in San Diego, Texas. Osborn was sold by the Cubs to the Pirates after a hot start in late April of 1931 as the Bucs were short on the mound with pitchers Ervin Brame, Remy Kremer and Steve Swetonic out of action. Osborn was a swingman, but the Bucs used him mainly as a short reliever. He appeared in 27 games (64-⅔ IP) during the season, starting twice, with a record of 6-1/5.01. During the off season, Osborn was part of the Bill Swift deal and never made it back to the majors again. 
• 1908 - Sam Leever tossed a three-hit, 3-0, shutout over the Cardinals at Robison Field to lead the Bucs to a series sweep. More importantly in the long run, though, was the signing of Honus Wagner, who had retired in March as a contract ploy. Barney Dreyfuss made him the highest paid player in baseball with a $10K deal, and The Flying Dutchman proved worth every penny. Bill James cited Wagner's 1908 campaign as the greatest single season ever for any player. Wagner hit .354 with 109 RBI in an era when half as many runs were scored as today. James wondered in his 2001 book Historical Baseball Abstract "if you had a Gold Glove shortstop like Wagner, who drove in 218 runs (109 x 2), what would he be worth?” 
• 1920 - The Bucs Elmer Ponder and the Cards Jesse Haines carried a scoreless ballgame into the 13th inning at St. Louis’ Robison Park. The Pirates finally broke the ice with three runs in the lucky 13th, driven in by Max Carey and Billy Southworth, and Ponder finished up with an eight-hit goose egg. It was his first full big league season; Ponder was an airman in WW1, became an aerial ace, was wounded and received the French Croix de la Valeur Militaire (Cross of Military Valor). He’s thought to be the first ballplayer to win a medal in the war. 

Elmer Ponder (photo via Find-A-Grave)

• 1923 - The Cubs opened newly remodeled Wrigley Field in front of 33,000 faithful but the Bucs took the match 3-2 on Charlie Grimm’s three-run, bases-loaded double in the fourth. The Pirates only had three hits, but Johnny Morrison made them stand up, working a complete game and giving up just a pair of unearned runs. 
• 1939 - The Pirates trailed 5-2 on Opening Day before scoring four times in the eighth inning and eventually taking a 7-5 decision from the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Gus Suhr led the way offensively for the Pirates by collecting three RBI while Cy Blanton started and hung around long enough to earn the win, with the save by Mace Brown. Suhr and Pep Young each collected three hits to lead the lineup.