7/13 From 1990: Littlefield Hired; Hans All-Century; Todd So Close...; Team Mtg; All Star & Game Stories; HBD Casey

• 1990 - RHP Casey Sadler was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Drafted in the 25th round of the 2010 draft, he worked seven games (one start) for the Pirates in 2014-15, slashing 1-1/6.46. Sadler missed the 2016 season due to TJ surgery and after some bouncing around is now with the Cubs organization. 

Casey Sadler's first win v Brewers - 2015 photo/Pirates

• 1993 - The AL banged the ball all around the Camden Yards lot in a 9-3 win over the NL. Bucco rep 2B Jay Bell went 0-for-1. Andy Van Slyke was slated to be the NL's starting center fielder but sat out the game with a broken collarbone suffered when he crashed into a wall at Busch Stadium. AL manager Cito Gaston didn’t make any friends in Baltimore. The fans got fired up when the Birds’ Mike Mussina warmed up in the bullpen in the ninth and roared "We Want Mike!", but Gaston held him out. The Camden Yard crowd littered the field after the final out until Moose quieted them down. He said afterward that he warmed up on his own because it was his day to throw (he did pitch on the 16th), but more conspiratorial types believe he was trying to catch Cito’s attention so he could make a hometown appearance. 
• 1998 - After losing a twin bill for their sixth loss in a row and 13th in 16 games, Kevin Young asked manager Gene Lamont for the OK to hold a players-only team meeting for the struggling Bucs. Permission was granted and he, Al Martin, Jason Kendall & Jose Guillen spoke, touching on the teams’ inexperienced but talented roster and the need to progress. Martin said it was “It was more of a family talk...We wanted to get everything out in the open.” It worked that night as the Bucs beat the Cubs 6-2 behind Jon Lieber and an inside-the-park homer by Tony Womack, the 500th in franchise history. It launched the club on an 8-of-11 victory run, but the Pirates still finished last in the division with 69 wins. 
• 1999 - Honus Wagner was named a member of the All-Century team selected by fan vote and introduced at the All-Star game. Wagner came in fourth in the vote, but was included as a legend. Local players included on the ballot of the Greatest 100 Players were area Negro League standouts Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell and Josh Gibson, along with Buccos Wagner, Hank Greenberg, Pie Traynor, Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente, Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell and Paul Waner. 
• 1999 - The AL took a 4-1 win from the NL in the All Star game at Fenway Park. 3B Ed Sprague was the Pirate rep and grounded out softly to third in his only at bat. Pedro Martínez added to his legend when he punched out the first four batters he faced to become the first to begin the All-Star Game by striking out the side. He fanned out five of the six batters he faced and was named MVP. The game began 15 minutes late after Ted Williams came out in a golf cart for the pre-game ceremonies and was mobbed by the AS players who wanted to honor the all-timer. Two days earlier, Pirates pups Nashville 3B Aramis Ramirez and Lynchburg C Yamid Haad played for the World team in the Futures game while Buc coach Trent Jewell was a coach for the USA. 

Todd Ritchie - 2001 Upper Deck

• 2001 - Todd Ritchie lost a no hitter against the Royals when Luis Alicea bounced a one-out ninth-inning single through the infield. In the bottom half of the frame, Aramis Ramirez singled through a drawn-in infield to score Brian Giles for a 1-0 win at PNC Park for the Bucs second consecutive shutout win. Jimmy Anderson and Mike Williams had combined for a 2-0 sparkler over KC the day before, with Kevin Young’s two-run homer being the difference maker.
• 2001 - Dave Littlefield began his term as GM, replacing Cam Bonifay. Hampered by ongoing financial restraints, he was noted for a stretch of losing seasons and the erosion of both the farm system and the Latino player market, although he did have some successes. He drafted Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker and hired Rene Gayo to scout Latin America. Littlefield was fired in 2007 and eventually replaced by Neal Huntington.  
• 2004 - The junior circuit pounded out a 9-4 win over the NL All-Stars at Minute Maid Park. SS Jack Wilson was the lone Bucco representative and went 0-for-2 at the plate. At age 73, Jack McKeon became the oldest All-Star manager after becoming the oldest World Series skipper in 2003 with the Florida Marlins. 
• 2010 - The senior circuit finally solved the AL in the All Star game, taking a 3-1 win at Angels Stadium at Anaheim and snapping a 13-year losing streak. P Evan Meek was the Pirates rep and didn’t get in the game. Matt Capps, non-tendered in 2009 and then with Washington, got the win. It was the first game where the DH was made a permanent lineup fixture (before it only was used in AL parks), although it wouldn’t have any practical effect until the following year when the game was played at Chase Field.