6/18 Through 1964: Young Deal; Don's 1st Pitch; Sluggin' Smitty; Conn-Bucs; Game Tales; HBD Ron, Newt, Chippy, Pepper & Ben

• 1888 - SS Marty “Pepper” Berghammer was born in Elliot (now a Pittsburgh neighborhood). Marty had a couple of years with the Reds before joining the Pittsburgh Rebels in 1915 and batting .243 (although 83 walks and 12 plunks brought his OBP to a commendable .371). He went to St. Paul later in the season and played a decade for them, finishing out his baseball days in 1929 after a run as a minor league manager. He stayed local and was buried in Elliot’s St. Martin’s Cemetery. 
• 1893 - 1B/C Ben Shaw was born in La Center, Kentucky. Ben’s MLB career was a short sip of sarsaparilla, lasting for four months and 23 games with the Pirates from 1917-18 while batting .184. Not much is known of him after that other than he managed some in the late 20s-early 30’s in the low levels of the farm. 

Chippy Britt - photo Phil Dixon

• 1890 - RHP George “Chippy” Britt (aka Brittain & Britton) was born in Macon, Georgia. He pitched for the Homestead Grays from 1926-33 and again in 1940 earning one all-star appearance; the stats on his career are wildly incomplete. He played with 16 teams from 1917 to 1945 and manned every position on days that he wasn’t on the hill. His nickname was well-deserved. Per Baseball Reference “He was known as one of black baseball's ‘four big bad men’ along with Jud Wilson, Oscar Charleston and Vic Harris, and someone once said ‘he could whip the whole ballclub.’ In Mexico City, he once was declared ‘Public Enemy Number One’ when he challenged some armed revolutionaries in the crowd.” (A gentler alternate version claims he got his nickname because he called everyone Chippy). When Britt retired, he took a job as a nightclub doorman. 
• 1896 - 1B Newt Halliday was born in Chicago. Newt’s MLB days consisted of one Bucco outing in 1916 as a 20-year-old when he got a couple of innings in at first after Honus Wagner tweaked his leg mid-game, handling four chances flawlessly, and batting once (he K’ed). We’re glad Newt got his major league moment; he joined the Navy next year during WW1 and contracted tuberculosis while in training camp. He died at the age of 21, one of eight big leaguers to perish because of the war. 
• 1908 - The Buccos sent young righties Tom McCarthy and Harley Young to the Boston Doves for vet LHP Irv “Young Cy” Young. Irv was supposed to help build up an already formidable pitching staff (Vic Willis, Nick Maddox, Lefty Leifield, Howie Camnitz and Sam Leever) and though he tossed well (4-3-1/2.01), he ended up a swingman and was sold to the minor league Minneapolis Millers after the season. He finished his career tossing for the White Sox in 1910-11 and toiled on the farm through 1916. The two Pirate pups had a short MLB shelf life - McCarthy lasted two more campaigns, and Harley Young was done after 1909. 
• 1927 - Continuing a feud that dated back to Pirate C Earl Smith's days with the Braves, Smith dropped Boston manager Dave Bancroft with a right to the kisser after they jawed in the seventh inning. Bancroft was carried off the field, and Smith drew a $500 fine and a 30-day suspension. The Pirates won 7-4 at Forbes Field. Smith went 1-for-2 before being ejected, with Ray Kremer taking home the victory, with Johnny Gooch as his replacement battery mate. 

Earl Smith - 1927 photo via Detroit Public Library

• 1932 - Minor league legend RHP Ron Necciai was born in Gallatin, Fayette County. In 1952, Necciai struck out 27 batters while throwing a 7-0 no-hitter for the Bristol Twins and followed that with a two-hit, 24 K performance. The Bucs called him up later from Class A, but the 20 year old Necciai posted just a 1-6 record with 31 strikeouts and a 7.08 ERA in 54-2/3 IP from August 10th to September 28th, 1952, the span of his entire MLB career. He went into the service in 1953, and chronic ulcers and a torn rotator cuff ended his career before it could begin. 
• 1941 - Local boxer Billy Conn fought Joe Louis at New York City's Polo Grounds in a legendary slugfest for the heavyweight championship. The Pirates and the New York Giants, playing at Forbes Field, were called into their dugouts while the 24,738 fans in attendance listened to the radio broadcast of the 56-minute bout. The game resumed after the fisticuffs, went 11 innings and was called with the score tied 2-2 at 1:10 AM. It was decided on August 3rd, rescheduled as part of a twin bill that NY swept, so it didn’t end up a very good night for Pittsburgh fans. 
• 1948 - The Pirates spoiled Robin Roberts' five-hit debut, beating the Phils' rookie 2-0 at Shibe Park behind Elmer Riddle’s five-hitter. Wally Westlake homered and Frankie Gustine singled home Ed Fitz Gerald for the Bucco runs. But Roberts was in the show to stay. He lasted 19 years, won 286 games (40 against the Pirates) and entered the Hall of Fame. 
• 1960 - The Bucs were down 3-0 in the ninth at LA Memorial Coliseum with two outs and Gino Cimoli up with one swing left, behind in the count 1-2. That ignited a fast and furious comeback against the Dodgers when Cimoli eked out an infield hit to short and Hal Smith homered. Don Hoak singled, Maz walked and Smoky Burgess tied the game with another knock. Smith was the hero again in the 10th, banging a ground ball single to left off Larry Sherry that brought home Roberto Clemente that gave the Bucs an in-and-out of the jaws of death 4-3 win. ElRoy Face picked up the victory. 

Don Leppert - 1978 TCMA (1960's Pirates)

• 1961 - C Don Leppert made his MLB debut a memorable one with a HR off the first pitch he faced as a big league ballplayer against Curt Simmons in a 5-3 win over Cards at Forbes Field in the opener of a DH. The feat wouldn’t be duplicated by another Bucco until 2012 when Starling Marte lifted one off Houston’s Dallas Keuchel at Minute Maid Park. The Bucs dropped the nightcap of the bargain bill by a 7-3 count.