8/6 Through the 1960s: Sothern Trade; Danny's #1; Woodie Cover; Sewell Streak; Matty Mauled; Game Tales; HBD Steve, Stan, Clem, Bud, Jim, John & Brownie

• 1860 - Utilityman Jim McDonald was born in San Francisco. He spent most of his brief career with the Alleghenys in 1884, batting .159 while playing 2B, 3B and the outfield. Though he only got into 43 big league games for three teams between 1884-85, he did have a long minor league career on the coast, mostly playing in the California League from 1878-94. When he was done, he stayed in the game as an umpire, spending four years as an NL arbiter. 
• 1875 - LHP John “Brownie” Foreman was born in Maryland. He tossed for two big league campaigns, spending 1895-96 with the Pirates before being released and finishing out his second year with the Reds where he joined his brother Frank, also a hurler. Brownie, who came up as a 19-year-old, went 11-9-2/4.25 with the Bucs. He played pro ball from 1893-1900, with nine different stops in the minors, and after his baseball days he became a policeman. 
• 1881 - 1B Bayard “Bud” Sharpe was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Bud played in the majors in 1905, then again in 1910 for three teams, and one of the clubs was the Pirates. He opened 1910 with them and went 3-for-16 in four games before being traded to Boston as part of the Kirby White deal. The Penn Stater was also a noted soccer player, spending his off season as a booter. Sharpe was a player and manager in the minors along as a scout for Boston, but he was plagued by health problems and eventually succumbed to tuberculosis at age 34. 

Jack Chesbro - 2014 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

• 1902 - The Pirates shut out the Giants 2-0 to sweep a four-game set against New York at Exposition Park, as Jack Chesbro beat Dummy Taylor in five innings of a rain-shortened affair. Ginger Beaumont and Tommy Leach scored first-inning runs on a hit by Kitty Bransfield and a Giant error. Tempers did flare, although not between players. The Giants’ Jimmy Jones knocked the mask off umpire Bob Emslie while arguing a strike call and was suspended for the season. The Pirates beat a lot of teams that year; they won the NL pennant by 27-1/2 games with a record of 103-36. 
• 1912 - OF Bud Hafey was born in Sacramento, California. He spent three years in the show, hitting .222 as a Pirate in 1935-36. His cousin, Chick Hafey, apparently got the deep end of the gene pool and was elected to the Hall of Fame. Bud only got one full season of major league ball, spending most of 1930-41 in the minors. 
• 1913 - The Giants’ Christy Mathewson was tagged for nine runs on 10 hits in five innings at Forbes Field as the Pirates took a 9-1 victory from New York. One Giants player speculated that manager John McGraw left his ace in so long because Matty had gone golfing at Schenley Park before the game, a sport that Muggsy thought was bad for pitchers’ arms. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “Whether golf or something else was responsible, it is certain that Mathewson took the drubbing of his long career.” George McQuillan went the distance for the win. 
• 1926 - RHP Clem Labine was born in Lincoln, Rhode Island. The 13-year vet spent his last full-time days with the Bucs in 1960-61. The Pirates signed him in mid-August after the Tigers released him as a complement to ElRoy Face. In 15 games through the remainder of the season, he slashed 3-0-3/1.48, helping the Bucs to the pennant. After the ‘61 season (4-1-8/3.69), he finished out with three games with the Mets in 1962 at the age of 35. One of the early closers, his 96 career saves ranked fourth in MLB history when he retired. Clem went on to work in the sporting goods business and died at the age of 80 in Florida, where he was working at a Dodger fantasy camp. 

Clem Labine - 1980 TCMA/1960 Pirates

• 1930 - In a roundabout manner, the Bucs sent 23-year-old OF Fred Brickell to Philadelphia for 26-year-old OF Denny Sothern. The trade deadline had passed, so both centerfielders had to be waived past the Boston Braves and Cincy Reds, both beneath the Pennsylvania clubs in the standings. But Boston had a young CF’er in the wings and the Reds weren’t looking to add any payroll, so the waiver gamble worked. Southern was a fizzle, hitting .176 the remainder of the year for Pittsburgh before being sent to the minors; he played 19 games for Brooklyn in 1931 to finish his MLB career. The speedy Brickell was given through 1931 to earn a starting spot in Philly, but hit just .250. He got into 53 more games over the next two years and was released; he retired from baseball in 1936. 
• 1943 - Rip Sewell lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-3 at Sportsman’s Park, snapping his win streak at 11. Rip and his Eephus pitch would end up 21-9 that season, but he did fade after the loss, finishing 4-5 for the remainder of the year, although he did pick up three saves in that stretch. 
• 1955 - C Steve Nicosia was born in Paterson, NJ. A platoon and reserve catcher, he was with Pittsburgh for six years (1978-83) after being selected in the first round of the 1973 draft. He wasn’t much of a stick, hitting .248 as a Buc and getting just one knock in the 1979 World Series, but he did catch the seventh game victory. He also had a knack for whacking Steve Carlton (.339 as a Buc), but despite that, he was injury plagued and was traded to the Giants for Milt May in 1983 before ending his career in 1985. 
• 1957 - It took three tries, but rookie manager Danny Murtaugh won his first MLB game as a skipper when the Pirates snapped an eight-game losing streak by taking a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field. Gene Freese belted a two-run homer and Bob Skinner chased home a pair of runs, giving Ronnie Kline enough support to go the distance for a five-hit victory (and breaking his personal seven-game losing string). Murtaugh, who was hired on an interim basis after first base coach Clyde Sukeforth was offered the job, but turned it down (Clyde recommended Danny), led the Bucs to a 26-25 record. The “Whistling Irishman” was named full-time manager for 1958, finished second and won the Associated Press Manager of the Year award. 

Stan Belinda - 1993 Stadium Club

• 1966 - RHP Stan Belinda was born in Huntingdon, PA. The sidewinder started his career as a Buc (1989-93) after being a 10th round draft pick in 1986. His line was 19-15-61/3.52 in Pittsburgh. Stan went on to have a 12-year MLB stay, mainly pitching in a set-up role. He’ll be remembered locally as the guy who gave up Francisco Cabrera’s single to score Sid Bream with the winning run in the 1992 NLCS. He was traded at the 1993 deadline to KC and tossed through the 2000 campaign. 
• 1966 - Woodie Fryman was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Pride of the Pirates.” It was Fryman’s rookie campaign, and he put up a 12-9/3.83 slash during a year the Bucs won 92 games, finishing third behind the Dodgers by three games.