7/31 Through the 1940’s: Gee Whiz; Lefty Locked Up; Long Day; HBD Vic, Elmer, Frank, Joe & Peanuts

• 1870 - C/1B Joe Sugden was born in Philadelphia. Sugden spent the first five seasons (1893-97) of his 13 year big league career with Pittsburgh, hitting .277. He also played for the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Spiders, the White Sox and Tigers. Joe went on to become a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals before passing away at age 88 in his hometown. 
• 1892 - LHP Erv ”Peanuts” Kantlehner was born in San Jose. Working mostly as a starter for the Bucs from 1914-16, he went 13-29 with a 2.85 ERA. He made the Bucco record books by tossing a shutout in his first start on 4/17/1914, a four-hit, 2-0, win over St. Louis. Erv later coached high school baseball. He was said to have gotten his nickname in the minors for reasons unknown. 

Lefty Killen - photo via Baseball Revisited

• 1896 - Per Gregory Wolf of SABR: “In a game against Cincinnati at League Park, (Pirates pitcher) Lefty Killen charged home plate to argue with umpire Bud Lilly, who had changed his call on a fly down the left-field line from foul to hit. According to the Pittsburgh Daily Post, Lilly ‘let go at’ Killen, apparently under the impression that the pitcher would strike him. Killen retaliated by landing ‘a couple of blows on (Lally’s) face’ before a riot erupted with players, spectators, and police rushing onto the field. When order was finally restored, Killen was under arrest and escorted to the local police station. Killen was ultimately fined $25 while team owner William Kerr publicly condemned the umpire for provoking the incident.” Pittsburgh won in spite of the rhubarb, 9-7, over the Cincinnati Reds at League Park. The incident wasn’t out of character for the short-fused Killen. Wolf noted “The ‘grave objection to Killen is his temper,’ per Sporting Life. ’He is as obstinate as a mule.’” 
• 1912 - The Pirates scored three runs in the 19th inning and then barely held off Boston to take a 7-6 decision at the South End Grounds. 38-year-old Honus Wagner was the man of the hour, stealing home and later driving in the final, game-winning run for Pittsburgh against the Braves. The game was a duel turned into a slugfest - it was 2-2 going into the 18th when both clubs scored twice, and five more runs were scored in the 19th. Otto Hess of the Braves had an excuse; he went all 19 frames. For the Bucs, Hank Robinson and Howie Camnitz faded in relief of Marty O’Toole (he called it a day after 12 innings), although Camnitz got the win despite giving up two runs in the last frame. 
• 1914 - RHP Elmer Riddle was born in Columbus, Georgia. The 10-year veteran tossed his last two campaigns (1948-49) in Pittsburgh, winning an All-Star berth the first season while posting a 12-10, 3.49 line. He faded badly in ‘49, winning just one game in his final year while hobbled by a bum wheel. He toiled briefly as a scout for Kansas City afterward and then worked for United Oil in his hometown of Columbus. 
• 1936 - OF Vic Davalillo was born in Churuguara, Venezuela. He played for the Bucs from 1971-73, hitting .290 while a platoon player in the outfield and first. Vic played on two Pirate playoff clubs and when he was traded to Oakland in 1973, he joined a third. Davalillo was a motherland hero; he played 30 seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League and still holds a handful of career records, including a .325 BA. In 2003, Vic was selected in the inaugural class of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.

Johnny Gee - photo 1941 via Out of the Ballpark Development

• 1939 - The Pirates obtained 6' 9" LHP Johnny Gee from Syracuse of the International League for $75,000 and four players. Nicknamed “Gee Whiz,” he lasted parts of four seasons (1939, 1941, 1943-44) with the Bucs, winning five games. Also known as “Long John” (and the “$75,000 Lemon”), he never fully recovered from a 1940 arm injury. Gee was the tallest person to play MLB until 6’10” Randy Johnson debuted for the Montreal Expos in September, 1988. Not too surprisingly, Long John went on to play pro hoops for the NBA Syracuse Nationals. 
• 1944 - RHP Frank Brosseau was born in Drayton, North Dakota. A first-round pick of the Bucs in the 1966 secondary draft, he was inked from the U of Minnesota as an OF’er. When his bat proved weak, he was converted to the mound. That got him a shot in the show with the Pirates, albeit for three games in 1969 and 1971, working 3-2/3 IP and giving up two runs. He finished his pro career in 1971 at AAA Charleston.