7/15 Through the 1930’s: Starring Starzel; Satch No-No; Barnburners; HBD Donn & Red

• 1893 - Jake Stenzel banged a HR and a triple, both with the bases loaded, to go with three other hits as Pittsburgh crushed the Washington Senators 19-0 at Exposition Park. The Bucs banged out a double, four triples and four homers in routing Washington. To add insult to injury, Frank Killen tossed a six-hitter, leading the Pittsburgh Press to write that the Sens were “...completely at the mercy of the clever left-hander.” 

Jake Stenzel - photo via Find-A-Grave (filter ColouriseSG)

• 1893 - LHP John “Red” Oldham was born in Zion, Maryland. Red tossed for Detroit for five years, dropped out of sight for a couple of seasons, dedicating himself to business and some indie league play, then resurfaced in 1925 at the age of 32 with the Pirates. His first season was solid enough at 3-2-1/3.91, but his big moment came in the World Series. Red pitched the final inning of Game 7 before 42,856 fans at Forbes Field. The Pirates took a 9-7 lead in the eighth and called on Oldham to put it away against the heart of the Washington Senators lineup that featured three future Hall of Famers. He whiffed Sam Rice looking, got Bucky Harris on a liner and finished the game by ringing up Goose Goslin. He faded in 1926 (2-2-2/5.62) and was let go in July. 
• 1905 - In a showdown twinbill between the first place NY Giants and the second place Bucs at the Polo Grounds, Pittsburgh overcame a 6-0 deficit against Iron Joe McGinnity to take a 7-6 lead in the seventh, but lost on a ninth inning homer 8-7 as Christy Mathewson shut them down over the last 2-2/3 innings. The Pirates took the nitecap, 3-0, behind Deacon Phillippe's four-hitter. Honus Wagner clinched the victory with a two-run homer that hit the el tracks in the eighth inning. The Giants eventually won the pennant with 105 victories (Pittsburgh had 96) and swept the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.  
• 1908 - The Pirates tied the Boston Doves with a run in the ninth thanks to a George Gibson triple and won in the 10th, 3-2, when Fred Clarke was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for a walk-off plunk. Sam Leever went the distance for the victory at Exposition Park. 
• 1932 - The Pirates got plenty of pitching from Ray Kremer, who tossed a three-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the Braves at Forbes Field as part of a four-game sweep of Boston. LF Dave Barbee doubled home Arky Vaughan in the fourth with the only score; the Buccos only had five hits off tough-luck loser Hub Pruett. Neither guy was particularly overpowering; each posted just one whiff during their complete game outings. 
• 1932 - In the second game of a doubleheader, Satchel Paige tossed his second no-hitter of the year and the first ever at Greenlee Field as the Pittsburgh Crawfords defeated the New York Black Yankees, 6-0. Three Hall of Famers took the field with Paige: Oscar Charleston at first base, Judy Johnson at third, and Josh Gibson in left field. Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe lived up to his nickname by pitching in the first game and then going behind the plate for Paige's no-no.

Satch - photo via Negro League Museum (filter ColouriseSG)

• 1934 - Waite Hoyt tossed a one-hitter against Boston, surrendering a single to Tommy Thompson in a 5-0 win in the opener of a twin bill at Braves Field. The offense was a team effort; five Bucs had two hits and all eight position players scored and/or drove home runs. Beantown’s Ed Brandt returned the favor in the nitecap, limiting the Bucs to three hits in a 4-0 Brave victory. 
• 1935 - 1B Donn Clendenon was born in Neosho, Missouri. An all around athlete at Morehouse College, he turned down offers from the Cleveland Browns and Harlem Globetrotters to sign with the Bucs. He spent eight years (1961-68) as a Pirate with a line of .280/106/488. Clendenon hit .302 as a rookie in 1962 (he didn’t play enough in ‘61 to qualify) and was a distant runner up to Chicago’s Ken Hubbs in the RoY voting. He spent a couple of off-seasons (1962-64) as an Allegheny County detective and eventually earned a law degree from Duquesne in 1978 that carried him into his post-baseball career. Family Act: Clendenon's stepfather was Nish Williams, a noted Negro League player and manager. Donn was a three-sport star as a youth, and is said to have selected baseball as his focus because of Nish.