7/23 Through the 1960s: Pie, Ralph Flex; Clarke Cycle; Gems & Game Tales; ASG; HBD Ginger, Mack & Ed

• 1876 - OF Ginger Beaumont was born in Rochester, Wisconsin. He played eight seasons (1899-1906) for Pittsburgh, hitting .321 with 757 runs scored and 200 stolen bases. Beaumont led the league in batting with a .357 average in 1902, and in 1903 led in at bats (613), runs (137) and hits (209) while hitting .342, helping the team to earn a spot in the first World Series. 
• 1899 - RHP Ed Holley was born in Benton, Kentucky. Ed was purchased in mid-season of 1934 from the Phils, where in 1932-33, he had won 34 games in 58 starts and tossed 435 IP for a weak Philadelphia club. Alas, at age 34 the sidewinder was done, lasting 7-2/3 frames in four Pirates starts with a line of 0-3/15.43. It was his last MLB posting after four years in the show. 

Fred Clarke - 1901 Pgh Press

• 1901 - Fred Clarke hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as the Pirates whipped the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 at Exposition Park behind Jack Chesbro, who struck out 11 batters. Lefty Davis, Honus Wagner and Kitty Bransfield added three hits apiece to power the 16 hit Bucco barrage. 
• 1901 - IF Malcomb “Mack” Hillis was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mack had a 12-game MLB career; 11 of those outings were with the 1928 Pirates. He went 9-for-39 with two doubles, three triples, six runs scored and seven RBI, but with Sparky Adams and Pie Traynor ahead of him, it was his last Pittsburgh and MLB campaign. Hillis started pro ball in 1922 and finally hung them up in 1934, playing mostly in the Eastern and Pacific Coast Leagues. 
• 1912 - Claude Hendrix tossed a seven-hit shutout, fanning nine, and Hans Wagner singled home Chief Wilson, aboard on a lead-off double, in the bottom of the ninth to give the Bucs a hard-earned 1-0 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. Honus used a little trickery; he showed bunt, but instead hacked away. Hendrix and Braves hurler Otto Hess were in command throughout; only one runner from each squad had reached third prior to the Wilson tally. 
• 1925 - The Pirates scored twice in the ninth to defeat the St. Louis Cards 3-2 at Forbes Field and regain first place. They held the top spot for all but three days during the rest of the season and capped it with a World Series title. Jess Haines of the Redbirds and the Buccos Emil Yde “waged a brilliant slab duel” per the Pittsburgh Press. The Pirates ninth was opened by Kiki Cuyler’s triple. The Card infield played in and Pie Traynor punched a double over their heads into right. Glenn Wright followed with a single to center and the Pirates had a first-place walk-off. 

Pie Traynor - 1987 All Time Greats

• 1930 - Pie in the Sky: The Pirates won the first game of a Baker Bowl twin bill against Philadelphia 2-1 as Heinie Meine slipped past Roy “Swede” Hanson, the match decided by a ninth-inning Pie Traynor homer. The second game, twice delayed by rain, went 13 innings and ended 16-15 Pittsburgh. With darkness threatening, Traynor was again the hero, blasting a three-run shot that provided just enough insurance to hold off the Phils, while going 5-for-7 in the nitecap. The second game set a couple of single game records: With eight home runs and nine doubles, the total bases mark of 83 was established. The other record was for the total number of at bats; the two clubs combined for 117 AB’s. 
• 1947 - Ralph Kiner hit his 24th and 25th long balls of the year off the Phils’ Al Jurisich, breaking the club record of 23 set by Johnny Rizzo in 1938 and tied by Kiner in his rookie year of 1946. Pittsburgh beat Philly 6-2 at Forbes Field as Hank Greenberg also went yard. Tiny Bonham gave up 11 hits but only two runs in the complete-game win. Kiner ended the year with 51 homers, tops in the NL and tied with Johnny Mize for the MLB title. 
• 1958 - The Dodgers put up crooked numbers before the Bucs got to the plate in both ends of a twilight twin bill, but it made no difference as the Bucs swept them, 11-3 & 6-3, at Forbes Field. Ronnie Kline gave up three runs to open the double dipper, then settled in to toss a four-hitter. Dick Stuart had four hits, including two triples, and two RBI; Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas added three more raps (each man homered) and six more RBI while Dick Groat chased home two more runs. Bob Friend did the honors in the nightcap, fanning 10 before getting ninth inning help from ElRoy Face. LA jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Groat’s bases-filled double keyed a five-run response by the Buccos; the shortstop ended the evening with three hits and four RBI. 
• 1967 - The Bucs dropped the opener of a Forbes Field twin bill to the Astros, 8-5, despite seven hits from Maury Wills and Bill Mazeroski. But they kept swinging in the nightcap, winning a 15-2 laugher. Maz banged out two more hits and joined Roberto Clemente (2) and Donn Clendenon (four RBI) in the home run parade. The Great One had three hits, along with the sizzlin’ Wills and Manny Mota, giving Tommy Sisk lots of help in his complete-game win. Manny Sanguillen, fresh from the Columbus Jets, made his MLB debut and first start, going one-for-five with an infield hit.

Billy Maz - 1967 Topps

• 1969 - After three years of low scoring games, the All Star contest at RFK Stadium featured some offense, with the NL winning 9-3. Matty Alou went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run while Roberto Clemente whiffed against Sudden Sam McDowell in his only at bat. The game was originally scheduled for the prior evening but heavy rains forced its postponement to the following afternoon. It also cost the game its first-pitcher, President Richard Nixon, who was slated for the night game ceremony but spent Wednesday at the Apollo 11 splashdown. VP Agnew Spiro did the day game honors. The contest was the last All-Star Game to be played earlier than Eastern prime time.