7/13 Through the 1950’s: Twin Bill Blankings; ASG's; Heavy Hitting; HDB Jeep, Frank, John & Jiggs

• 1866 - 2B John O’Brien was born in St. John, New Brunswick. He finished his six-year big league run with the Pirates in 1899, batting .226 after being bought from the Orioles in mid-June. His pro career stretched from 1889-1904 when he played his last campaign for Lawrence in the New England League. 

Jiggs in the Windy City - Chicago History Museum/Getty

• 1879 - 1B/C John “Jiggs” Donahue was born in Springfield, Ohio. He started his nine-year career with Pittsburgh as a LH catcher from 1900-01, going 2-for-10 before being released and catching on with Milwaukee. Donahue had his best years from 1904 to 1908 after switching to first base for the Chicago White Sox. His glove work was a key to the Sox 1906 World Series championship team (aka the “Hitless Wonders”) as he led AL 1B in fielding %, assists, and putouts from 1905-07; he was by consensus as the best fielder at first of his era and among the best at the spot all-time. He wasn’t lost at the plate, either, batting .267 during that span. Per Mark Miller of SABR, here’s how his moniker came about: As a teen, John worked at a cigar store and when the store wasn’t busy he stepped outside and did dance steps. Customers started calling him Jiggers, after the sand flea known as a jigger (apparently because of the hopping around he did while dancing). The nickname was later shortened to Jiggs. Donahue died young at age 34, the victim of syphilis he had contracted while living in the fast lane during his Chicago years. 
• 1888 - Harry Staley and Pud Galvin of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys became the first pitchers to toss a doubleheader shutout by blanking the Boston Beaneaters 4-0 and 6-0 at Recreation Park in front of 3,000 fans. It was the fifth shutout in six games for the Alleghenys as Staley fired a three hitter and Galvin gave up just an eighth inning knock. The Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette wrote that “If the Hubbys (Boston) came up on a goose egg hunt, they were eminently successful.” The paper also reported a pair of occurrences not usually seen in today’s game. Before the matches, the Boston mascot (who doubled as batboy) was found outside the park by Pittsburgh’s Galvin and Mike Donlin, who tossed him over the fence into the field. In the closer “The only mishap was reported by umpire Daniels who says some gentleman, or something else, stole his mask, thus leaving him exposed to the cold charity of the pitchers.” 
• 1900 - The Philadelphia Athletics took BP against Sam Leever and Jack Chesbro at Exposition Park and pounded their way to a 20-4 lead after five innings. Fred Clarke then sent his right fielder to the mound, Hans Wagner, to save some Bucco arms. Wagner, who wouldn’t claim the shortstop spot until the following season, had pitched a bit as a semi-pro and did OK for his first MLB outing. He tossed two shutout frames before giving up three runs in the eighth inning (all unearned) and the game was called with the scoreboard reading 23-8. The Flying Dutchman would make one more appearance on the hill in 1902, spinning 5-⅓ IP and giving up two unearned runs. His line wasn’t bad at all for a mop-up guy: 8-⅓ IP, seven hits, six walks and six K. The five unearned scores left him with a 0.00 ERA; he’s the only Hall of Famer with a career zero ERA. 

Jeep Handley - 1940 Play Ball

• 1913 - IF Lee “Jeep” Handley was born in Clarion, Iowa. He was signed to a $20,000 bonus contract by the Pirates and played eight years (1937-46, with 1942-43 off for war duty) for the team. A slick fielder, he mostly played third, but also some middle infield, and hit .269 for Pittsburgh. A tough guy, Jeep survived a serious beaning and a car accident during his career. As for his nickname, the Uniontown Morning Herald in 1938 noted that “Lee (Jeep) Handley came to the National League in 1936, the year of (Eugene the) Jeep's appearance in Thimble Theatre (the original name of the Popeye cartoon strip).” Coincidence? We think not.  
• 1930 - Brooklyn’s Jumbo Elliot tossed a four-hitter against the Bucs, but Larry French scattered nine knocks to earn a 1-0 win over the Robins at Ebbets Field. Charlie Engel opened the seventh with a single, went to third on a hit-and-run and scored on Paul Waner’s bouncer to second for the game’s only run. Brooklyn stranded 12 runners and had two more thrown out on the bases. 
• 1940 - LHP Frank Bork was born in Buffalo. He spent his one MLB campaign in Pittsburgh in 1964, getting into 33 games with a slash of 2-2-2/4.07. Bork had been signed by the Bucs in 1960 and remained a Pirate throughout his pro career, last pitching in AA Macon in 1967. He was just 26, but had torn a muscle in his back and opted not to have surgery, effectively ending his career. 
• 1943 - The AL defeated the NL in the first night All Star game, 5-3, which was broadcast to GIs via shortwave radio from Shibe Park. Pirates' OF Vince DiMaggio starred for the senior circuit with a single, triple and home run while scoring twice and driving in a run. P Rip Sewell and 1B Elbie Fletcher were also on the squad; Sewell pitched a perfect sixth inning and Fletcher went 0-for-2. A couple of other Pirates repped the City - Buc manager Frankie Frisch was a coach for AS skipper Billy Southworth while C Spud Davis was the NL bullpen catcher. 
• 1948 - The Bucs sent 3B Frank Gustine, LF Ralph Kiner and P Elmer Riddle to Sportsman’s Park for the All-Star Game. The AL jumped ahead quickly and won 5-2 as Gustine and Kiner each went 0-for-1 and Riddle never got in the game. 

Frank Thomas - 1954 Bowman

• 1954 - OF Frank Thomas was the Buc representative in the All Star Game at Cleveland Stadium, an 11-9 AL victory. He struck out in his only at bat. The teams combined for an ASG record 20 runs on 31 hits, which included six home runs.
• 1958 - There was some heavy hitting as the Bucs swept the St. Louis Cards 10-8 and 8-6 in a Busch Stadium twinbill. The first game featured 10 pitchers and 24 hits, with Pittsburgh surviving a ninth-inning rally by the Redbirds when Vern Law got Curt Flood, who represented the winning run, to bounce out to second, saving the win for Ron Blackburn. Bob Skinner had a big game with three hits, a homer three RBI while C Bill Hall added two knocks, one a long ball. Maz also had a pair of hits. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 5-0 first inning lead in the nitecap but by the fourth St. Louis had taken the lead at 6-5. Once again it was the Deacon to the rescue, coming on to spin five shutout frames to earn the win. Dick Groat, Mazeroski and Skinner were the batting stars, going 9-for-12 ensemble. Maz homered while Groat & The Hound smacked doubles; the trio chased home six runs and touched the dish six times.