7/21 Through the 1950’s: Fordham Flash HoF; Satch v Josh; Game Stories; HBD Young Cy & Dick

• 1877 - LHP Irv “Young Cy” Young was born in Columbia Falls, Maine. Irv worked on the railroad and played amateur ball; he didn’t join a pro team until he was 27 and was good enough to be in the majors the following year. He was a star pitcher for a terrible team, the Boston Beaneaters, and the Pirates had interest in him even then; they offered to buy him in September of his 1905 rookie campaign for $7,500 but were turned down. Irv returned to earth and in 1908 he was traded to the Pirates for pitchers Tom McCarthy and Harley Young. In 16 games for the Bucs, Young was 4-3-1/2.01. Sadly for Irv, the 1909 Bucs were loaded with pitchers - their top six starters were Vic Willis, Howie Camnitz, Nick Maddux, Lefty Leifield, Babe Adams & Deacon Phillippe - and despite Irv’s strong showing, he was on the outside looking in. Young Cy returned with the White Sox in 1910 and pitched well, but after the following season, his age 34 campaign, he was done. Fun fact: in 1905, Irv went 20-21 for the Boston Beaneaters to become one of two pitchers in modern (post–1900) era to win 20 games for a team that lost 100 games (51-103), and also had the most wins for a pitcher with an overall losing record. 

Irv "Young Cy" Young 1908 - photo Conlon Collection/Detroit Public Library

• 1927 - IF Dick Smith was born in Blandburg, Cambria County. The Bucs signed him out of Lock Haven, and from 1951-55 he yo-yoed back and forth between Pittsburgh and the minors. In 70 games over that span, he hit .134, never reaching the Mendoza Line in any of his five campaigns. But he was a decent minor league hitter, and his pro career spanned from 1949-60 with the last seven years spent mainly in the PCL before he retired at age 32. 
• 1932 - The Pirates tied the Chicago Cubs in the seventh on a Dave Barbee triple and Gus Suhr sac fly, then with the bases empty and two outs in the ninth rallied for a 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Pie Traynor singled and came all the way around in the final frame when Lloyd Waner, who had entered the game in the eighth inning, took the next pitch to left center to plate Pie with a walk-off double. Ray Kremer tossed a complete game seven hitter for the win over Jumbo Elliott. Little Poison’s pinch knock kept alive a 22-game hitting streak, and gave him hits in 31-of-32 games. 
• 1942 - At Forbes Field‚ in front of 11,500 fans in a game under the new Forbes Field lights, KC Monarchs (and ex-Pittsburgh Crawfords) pitcher Satchel Paige intentionally walked Howard Easterling to jam the sacks and set up a battle with Josh Gibson. Years earlier‚ Paige had told Gibson that one day he would strike him out with the bases loaded, and the showman decided now was the time. Well, he didn't fan him, but Satch did coax a soft fly to left with the same run-stranding result. Still, the Grays rallied from a 4-0 deficit, tying the game with a four-spot in the eighth and winning it, 5-4, in 11 innings. Later that year, Paige got his revenge when he won three Negro League World Series games against Homestead to lead KC to the title. 
• 1947 - Frankie “The Fordham Flash” Frisch was enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Though he never played for the Bucs, he managed the club from 1940-46. His teams were usually competitive (539-528/.505) but never serious contenders, and Frisch's years with the Pirates were remembered more for his on-field antics and umpire-baiting than victories.

Frankie Frisch 1945 - photo 7/11/1945 Pittsburgh Press

• 1956 - Brooks Lawrence took his 13-game winning streak into the ninth with a 3-1 lead, but his string was snapped by Roberto Clemente, who hit a three-run homer as the Pirates edged the Cincinnati Reds‚ 4-3, at Crosley Field. Lawrence gave up just six hits, but three of them were bunched up in the ninth. The first run was chased home by Frank Thomas, who had two hits. Elroy Face, who tossed two scoreless innings, won in relief of Bob Friend.