6/16 From 1940 Through the 1970’s: Groat, Bailey Signed; Game Stories; HBD Kevin, Dave, Chris & John

• 1940 - Max Butcher tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout against a NY Giants team that boasted five .300+ hitters in their lineup, taking a 5-0 decision in the opener of a Polo Grounds DH. Elbie Fletcher went 4-for-5 with a triple to support Butcher. The Bucs took the nitecap too, 5-3, with Rip Sewell on the hill. Debs Garms had three hits and three RBI in game two. 

Dick Groat - 1952 Topps

• 1952 - Dick Groat was signed out of Duke University as a bonus baby reportedly for $25,000 plus $5,000 annually for the next five years. At the time of his signing, the media speculated that it was more like $75,000, and the Pirates never officially announced a figure. The story told is that the Pirates offered Groat a contract the year before, but the All-America hoopster & baseballer told them that he wanted to play out his last college season and if the team came back with the same offer after that, he'd sign with them. 
• 1960 - GM Dave Littlefield was born in Portland, Maine. He had been the Miami Marlins assistant GM, but he had a stormy reign in Pittsburgh with questionable deals, drafts and desertion of the Latino player market, hindered by a club that was perpetually cash poor. In September, 2007, Littlefield was canned by the Pirates and replaced on an interim basis by Brian Graham, the club's director of player development. Neal Huntington was later hired as GM. Littlefield then worked as a scout for the Cubs and Tigers, and in 2015 became Detroit’s VP of Player Development. 
• 1961- Pirate scouts Bob Hughes and Jerry Gardiner inked highly regarded Woodrow Wilson High grad Bob Bailey, 19, to a deal featuring a $150,000 signing bonus. He didn’t blossom into the next big thing (he never hit .300 or had 30 HR in his 17 year career) but the corner player (3B/1B/OF) did have a lengthy stay in the show, ending with a .257 BA, 189 HR and 773 RBI, playing seven years with Montreal, five more seasons with the Pirates with shorter stops in LA, Cincinnati and Boston. 
• 1967 - RHP John Ericks was born in Tinley Park, Illinois. The big righty (6’7”, 220), a first round pick of the Cards, spent his entire 1995-97 MLB tour in Pittsburgh, slashing 8-14-14/4.78. His foot in the door with the Pirates came via Ted Simmons, then Bucco GM and before that a Cardinal staffer. Ericks and his 98 MPH heater were headed toward a breakout campaign in 1997, with John going 6-of-7 in saves with a 1.93 ERA in his first shot as full-time closer and a decent contract, when boom - he went down with shoulder woes. Two operations later, his big league career was done. 

KY - 2001 Upper Deck

• 1969 - 1B Kevin Young was born in Alpena, Mississippi. Young played 11 of his 12 seasons for the Pirates (1992-95, 1997-2003), hitting .259 with 138 HR. He was the last Buc on the right side of the long losing slide. At the time of his retirement in 2003, he was the only player remaining who had played on the last winning Pirate team in 1992, during his rookie year. 
• 1971 - Dock Ellis went from the penthouse to the outhouse in a hurry as he carried a no-hitter and 4-0 lead into the sixth inning against Houston in the Astrodome when the ‘Stros erupted for five hits and tied the game. But the Bucs answered quickly when Roberto Clemente homered with Gene Clines aboard in the next frame, and the Docktor recovered his form, giving up two singles over the next three innings to claim the complete game victory. Clines had four hits and Clemente a pair with three runs plated; Al Oliver banged a big triple that drove in a run while he later scored. 
• 1971 - IF Chris Gomez was born in Los Angeles. Chris closed out his 16-year big league career in Pittsburgh, hitting .273 for the Buccos while playing all four infield positions. He was released after the campaign and then was cut by the Orioles out of camp in 2009. He retired a season later after playing nearly 1,500 MLB games and batting .262. He’s been a special assistant for the Pirates since 2014, working with developing players.