9/26 Through the 1930s: One Step Away; Short No-No; Game Stories; HBD Bobby, Al, Bob & Joe

• 1890 - C Bob Coleman was born in Huntingburg, Indiana. The back-up catcher played for Pittsburgh from 1913-14, hitting .245 in 200 ABs. He got one more taste of the majors in 1916 with the Indians but would spend most of his innings on various farm clubs. He played until 1927 when he retired after the season at the age of 36. Bob became a minor-league lifer. He skippered for 35 seasons (20 at Evansville), and Coleman's teams won 2,496 games. Bob also coached for the Tigers and managed the Boston Braves, both for brief periods. 

Jack Chesbro - 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

• 1901 - The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 4-3 at Exposition Park, guaranteeing at least a tie for the 1901 NL pennant with Philadelphia. Jack Chesbro got the win and added an RBI. The other scores were driven in by Honus Wagner, Kitty Bransfield and Lefty Davis as the Pirates put together a four-run sixth inning for the win. They would clinch the next day to take their first ever NL flag. 
• 1906 - Lefty Leifield hurled a six-inning no-hitter, although not considered official as it didn’t go the prerequisite nine frames. He walked two and fanned six. The Bucs defeated Philadelphia at the Baker Bowl, 8-0, (per the Pgh Press, the Pirates were in “a swatting mood”) in the back end of a doubleheader that was shortened because of darkness. Pittsburgh won the opener by a shutout, too, taking a 5-0 win behind Vic Willis. The day’s hitting hero was OF Bob Ganley, who collected five hits and swiped a pair of sacks during the twin bill. 
• 1910 - LHP Joe Sullivan was born in Mason City, Illinois. Joe closed out his five-year major league career with Pittsburgh in 1941, going 4-1-1, 2.97 in 16 games (four starts). Though manager Frankie Frisch was said to like him as a guy he could use in any situation, Joe had control problems and in camp the following spring, he came down with a severe case of tonsillitis. He was sent to the farm and never made it back to the majors. Joe retired to the Pacific Northwest (he spent several years in the PCL after his MLB career) and worked in the Naval Shipyard. 
• 1911 - Announcer Al Helfer was born in Elrama, in Washington County. Al played football and basketball at W & J College, taking his first job as a sports reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette while also calling football games for the Pittsburgh Pirates (before they were the Steelers) and Pitt Panthers for WWSW. He started broadcasting Pirates games off ticker updates in 1933-34, launching a career as “Mr. Radio Baseball.” Helfer called the action for the Reds, Dodgers, Phils, Colts, A’s, and Mutual Broadcasting during his career. He was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award for Excellence in Baseball Broadcasting from the Hall of Fame posthumously in 2018; he had passed away at age 63 back in 1975. 
• 1920 - Babe Adams was pummeled 8-0 by the Reds in the season finale, but it was a nice season for the 38-year-old. He finished 17-13/2.16 and tossed 263 innings. Babe set a MLB record by walking just 18 batters in his 35 games, averaging 0.6 walks per nine innings, one free pass every 14-2/3 IP. That set a single-season control record that stood until 2005 (Jose Silva, 0.43 per nine innings in 188 IP for the Twins). 

Bobby Shantz - 1962 Topps

• 1925 - LHP Bobby Shantz was born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Bobby worked 16 years in the show for seven clubs, stopping in Pittsburgh for the 1961 season. He went 6-3-2, 3.32, making 43 appearances (six starts). The little lefty was a three-time All-Star and won eight Gold Gloves before he retired to run a restaurant and bowling alley back home. 
• 1937 - It just took three innings to win two games: The Bucs rallied to take the first game against Cincinnati 5-4, then scored twice in the first frame of the nitecap to claim a 2-1 sweep at Crosley Field. The Reds led the opener 4-0 in the eighth, but the Pirates scored three times that frame and twice more in the ninth for the victory. Jim Tobin not only went the distance, but had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Gus Suhr doubled home Woody Jensen and Lloyd Waner to provide Bill Swift, who tossed a complete game eight-hitter, all the support he needed in the closer.