8/24 Through the 1950’s: Fade Away; Game Stories; HBD Jewels, Billy, Matty & Al

• 1881 - C George “Billy” (it was his middle name) Kelsey was born in Covington, Ohio. His MLB credentials are two games for the Pirates in 1907 as a 25-year-old, going 2-for-5. He later managed in the Texas League (player/manager for Oklahoma City) and the Western Association (Tulsa). 

Jewel Ens - photo Mears Collection/The Sporting News

• 1889 - IF Jewel Ens was born in St. Louis. He played for the Pirates from 1922-25, hitting .290 as a seldom used bench player. Jewel came back to manage the club from 1929-31, and put up an overall 176-167 slate, finishing second once. He later coached for the Detroit Tigers (1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933; 1941) & Boston Braves (1934), and spent eight seasons (1942–49) as manager of the Syracuse Chiefs, then the Reds' top farm club. He was elected to the International League Hall of Fame in 1950, the year of his death. Jewel, btw, isn't a moniker - it was his given first name. 
• 1890 - OF Ralph “Matty” Mattis was born in Roxborough, Pennsylvania. Matty spent seven years in the minors as a pretty good batter with a lifetime .303 BA, but his only major league shot was in 1914 with the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels where he hit .247 in 36 games. The pasture was a crowded place to elbow into into that season; the Rebels carried, at one time or another, eight OF’ers including player/manager Rebel Oakes. 
• 1897 - C Al Bool was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He played three years of big league ball with his busiest year being in 1930 with the Pirates. He got into 78 games and hit .259, then moved to Boston in the off-season. He played one more season and retired to become a Nebraska farmer. 
• 1921 - The Pirates, in front by 7-1/2 games with 35 to go, dropped a double dipper to the Giants at the Polo Grounds before 35,000. Art Nehf won the lid lifter, 10-2, to hand Babe Adams his first loss in 10 games while Phil Douglas took the nightcap, 7-0. Manager George Gibson called a team meeting after the losses, per the Pittsburgh Press, and “...club matters were discussed, but they were discussed in a way that hurt. Errors of omission and commission were probed down to the raw flesh…” It didn’t rally the boys; they would end up blowing the title to the Giants by four games, going 14-21 over their final 35 contests. 

George Gibson's talk didn't help - 1921 photo Bains/Library of Congress

• 1928 - The Pirates romped over the NY Giants 16-5 at Forbes Field. The middle of the Pittsburgh order - Paul Waner, George Grantham and Pie Traynor - pounded out seven hits, including a homer and three triples, drove in 11 runs and scored six more. Every Pirates position player had at least two hits as the Bucs banged out 19 knocks.
• 1956 - The Cards defeated the Pirates‚ 6-2 at Busch Stadium in a game notable for its batting order. Manager Bobby Bragan batted the pitcher seventh, Maz eighth and Hank Foiles ninth. Mazeroski went 1-for-3 while Foiles hit a HR. The pitcher, Fred Waters, went 0-for-3. Bragan used the ploy next season, too, though it wouldn’t be repeated in Pittsburgh again until 2008 when John Russell hit Paul Maholm eighth, ahead of Jack Wilson. 
• 1959 - Bob Friend gave up 12 hits‚ but shut out SF‚ 6-0. He struck out eight and stranded a dozen G-Men at Forbes Field, backed by a pair of Rocky Nelson homers.