4/20 Through the 1970’s: So Close...; Rip's Big Day; Pops Roof Shot; Game Stories; HBD Sam & Steamer

• 1869 - OF Sam Nicholl was born in County Antrim, Ireland. After a strong year at Wheeling, Nicholl finished out the 1888 campaign with the Alleghenys. He went 1-for-22, but his BA was considered bad ball luck as he hit the ball well, and he was also a plus defender. He was a late cut in camp the next season despite a solid showing and sent back to Wheeling. Sam got one more shot in 1890 with Columbus, then closed out with five years in the Western Association before a leg injury effectively ended his career. He went on to become a hotel keeper in Steubenville. 
• 1881 - OF Jim “Steamer” Flanagan was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, across the Susquehanna River from Wilkes-Barre. He was rumored to have turned down a scholarship to Notre Dame to turn pro in 1901. He played for the Pirates briefly in 1905 as September insurance, and showed well, hitting .280 with seven runs scored and three stolen bases in seven games. Steamer was considered a five-tool guy, but for reasons unknown, he never got another shot at the majors, playing in the minors through the 1915 season. After his ball-playing days, he lived in Wilkes-Barre as a cop, sandlot player, manager and umpire, while also serving as a bird dog for the Red Sox and Athletics. Per Jack Smiles of SABR, “he ran, it was said, like a steam locomotive” and hence his nickname. 

Jimmy Callahan 1916 Holmes Bread

• 1916 - The Pirates lost the home opener at Forbes Field to St. Louis 5-0, held to five hits by Harry “Slim” Sallee in front of 20,000 or so on a sunny spring day. But there was some early excitement. With two on and a 3-1 count on the batter, manager Jimmy Callahan, coaching third, stepped out of the box to talk with base runner Doc Johnston between pitches. He apparently placed his hand on Johnston during the chat and plate umpire Ernie Quigley called Doc out on coaches interference due to Callahan’s contact. The Bucs protested to no avail, and owner Barney Dreyfuss protested the game to NL President John Tener. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that at a smoker that evening, Dreyfuss went on about a conspiracy with the boys in blue having secret league instructions (he didn’t disclose their nature) and went so far as to call them “...pin-headed umpires.” Tener rejected the protest, though he did clarify that the rule was to be in effect only when the player was physically assisted leaving or returning to a base by a coach. 
• 1930 - Long-time baseball writer Irwin Howe of the Chicago Tribune picked his all-time MLB team, and it included SS Honus Wagner and 3B Pie Traynor. Howe had the background for the job - he was a baseball historian, the secretary for the Chicago chapter of BBWAA and the AL’s official statistician. 
• 1932 - Mt. Pleasant native and Pitt grad Steve Swetonic came as close as any Pirate pitcher (Bob Moose matched his feat in 1968) to tossing a no-hitter at Forbes Field. He surrendered a two-out knock in the eighth to the Card’s George Watkins that spoiled his bid. Though he gave up a couple of anti-climatic ninth inning singles, he cruised to a 7-0 victory. His career was short circuited after five years when he retired at the age of 28 because of a chronic sore arm. 
• 1936 - The Bucs’ Gus Suhr slugged a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth off Roy Henshaw to erase an early six-run deficit and give Pittsburgh a 9-8 win over the Cubs at Forbes Field. Pep Young and Cookie Lavagetto also went long, and Bill Swift worked the final four frames for the win. 

Rip Sewell 1947 Tip Top Bread

• 1946 - Rip Sewell spun a four-hitter to win a duel against the Cards Bucky Walters 2-1. Walters scored his clubs’ only run by stealing home, but RBI from Bob Elliott and Elbie Fletcher sent the Forbes Field crowd of 27,891 (and Rip) home happy. 
• 1948 - Rip Sewell did it all; he tossed a complete game six-hitter and homered as the Bucs won their home opener 3-2 over the Cubs. Rookie second baseman Monty Basgall had the game winner, his first big league homer, in the sixth inning. 
• 1970 - Willie Stargell belted a homer off Jim Bouton that cleared the RF roof at Forbes Field as the Pirates took a 3-1 decision from Houston. Dock Ellis went six innings for the win, with Dave Giusti covering the last three frames. The deed wasn’t witnessed by very many; there were only 4,015 fans in the house.