8/7 From 1920 Through the 1960s: Pops Signed; Forbes Fire; Everyone Hits; Game Stories; HBD Steve, Jerry & Jim

• 1920 -The Pittsburgh Press banner touted “Victory Boosts Pirates Into Third Place” with the front-page story headline of “Gibsons Warriors Shut Out League’s Leaders” after the Bucs beat the Brooklyn Superbas 7-0 for their fifth win in a row. Babe Adams got the win at Ebbets Field, tossing a six hitter. A two-run throwing error on a pickoff play gave the Pirates a five run cushion in the sixth and Max Carey’s two-run triple in the seventh was the icing. Alas, the pennant fever was premature. The Bucs faded and finished fourth at the end, 14 games off the pace. 

Babe Adams - 1920 photo NEA/RMY Auctions

• 1922 - Ten different Pirates had two hits apiece, a club record, as the Bucs whipped the Phillies 17-10 at the Baker Bowl, sparked by an eight-run fourth inning that saw 13 Bucco hitters bat. The only Pittsburgh batters without two knocks were cleanup hitter Clyde Barnhart and pitcher Wilbur Cooper; all 12 batters in the lineup hit safely while even the pitchers combined to go 5-for-5 with a homer. Whitey Glazner picked up the win in relief after Wilbur Cooper and Hal Carlson were bombed early. 
• 1925 - The Pirates and Brooklyn Robins had a wild final three innings at Forbes Field. The Robins scored twice in the seventh to go ahead 7-4; Pittsburgh scored three times in their half to tie. Brooklyn then plated twice in the eighth to go up 9-7; the Pirates answered in the ninth with three runs to take home a 10-9 win. Max Carey, Pie Traynor and Kiki Cuyler each had three hits in the victory, which went to Johnny Morrison. 
• 1936 - C Jerry McNertney was born in Boone, Iowa. He finished a nine-year MLB career with the Pirates in 1973, playing nine games, mostly as a defensive sub, and going 1-for-4 at the dish. The Iowa State product was later a bullpen and minor league coach with the Yankees and Bosox coach. 
• 1951 - RHP Jim Sadowski was born in Lawrenceville. A nephew of the local MLB clan of Ed, Ted and Bob Sadowski, he played for Central Catholic HS. Ed signed with the Pirates in 1969 and while not as successful as his uncles, he did get into four games with Pittsburgh in 1974, going 0-1/6.00 in nine innings of work. He spent a decade on the farm, playing in the Pirates, Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds systems. Jim’s now a financial consultant. 
• 1954 - OF Steve Kemp was born in San Angelo, Texas. He played for the 1985-86 Pirates and hit .246 before being released in early ‘86. He joined the club as part of the deal that brought Tim Foli back to Pittsburgh during the 1984 off season. After a stint in the Senior Baseball League, Kemp has coached at the amateur level and is a regular at Tigers fantasy camps, but is otherwise merrily retired. 

Steve Kemp - 1986 Pgh. Press Profile

• 1958 - The Pirates signed Willie Stargell as a free agent out of Encinal HS in Alameda, California. Pirate scout Bob Zuk got the 17-year old’s name on a contract for a very well spent $1,500 bonus, a bargain bin price tag for a Hall of Famer who belted 475 HR and chased home 1,540 runners, after three workouts. 
• 1962 - Forbes Field, which was plagued by a pair of fires after its closing in 1970, also had blaze delay on this day, stopping the Pirates-Cardinals game for 26 minutes when some materials stored under the right field seats burst into flames during the seventh inning. Some 200 fans had to be moved, but the fire was contained to the storage area and didn’t cause any damage to the stands. A fire needed to be lit under the Buccos instead of the faithful as Pittsburgh went up in smoke, 5-0, to Saint Louis. 
• 1966 - Roberto Clemente put on a one man show at Forbes Field with four hits, two homers and five RBI, but it wasn’t enough in a 9-7 loss to the Reds. Clemente had a chance to win the game in the ninth with two on and two out, but no mo' mojo: his flare to center was run down.