3/16: Roberto & Maz Begin Long Runs; The Fleeing Dutchman; Spring No-No; RIP Pie; HBD Little Poison, Patsy, Abraham & Frosty Bill

• 1865 - OF Patrick “Patsy” Donovan was born in Queenstown, Ireland. He played for the Pirates from 1892-99, hitting .307, spent 17 years in the big leagues with seven teams and put up a lifetime .301 BA. He posted six consecutive .300+ seasons and served as player-manager from 1897-99. Patsy managed in the show for 11 seasons, went on to spend time as a minor league skipper and eventually completed his dugout calling as a high school coach at Phillips Academy in Andover, where he mentored the future 41st President, George HW Bush. 

Patsy Donovan - 1908 Whitehead-Hoag colorized

• 1874 - RHP “Frosty Bill” Duggleby was born in Utica, New York. In his eight years in MLB, Duggleby played for Philly, jumping from the NL Phils to the AL Athletics in 1902 and returning to the senior circuit before the year was out, by court order. His final big league campaign was in 1908 with the Pirates, when he slashed 2-2/2.68. He was sold to minor league Rochester over the offseason after suffering from a fall fever, played in the minors for five years, umped a little longer and then got on with his life’s work back home in New York. His “Frosty” nickname has two stories: first was that he preferred to toss in cool, autumn weather, and/or, it was an apt description of how he got along with his teammates. 
• 1906 - OF Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner was born in Harrah, Oklahoma. The Hall-of-Fame OF had a .319 BA over 17 seasons with Pittsburgh. He batted .316 with 2,459 hits, striking out just 173 times in an 18-season major league career. Lloyd and his sib Paul set the record for career hits by brothers in MLB with 5,611 knocks. Little Poison worked as a scout for the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles after retiring as a player and was elected into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967, joining his bro “Big Poison” Waner in Cooperstown. 
• 1908 - Honus Wagner announced his retirement at the age of 34, citing arthritis and the need to rest his body. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Some hope is still expressed that the mighty Teuton will see...the error of his way and return to the game.” He did after sitting out spring training. Hans played in 151 games in 1908, matching his 1898 high when he was just 24, and led the NL in batting average for the sixth time at .354, hits (201), total bases (308), doubles (39), triples (19), RBIs (109), stolen bases (53), slugging % (.542), OBP (.415) and OPS (.957). The Flying Dutchman finished the year two homers short of winning the Triple Crown. Honus retired several times in a regular rite of spring, but didn’t actually hang up his spikes until after the 1917 campaign. 

Honus - 1908 PC800 Real Photo Post Card 

• 1956 - The Pirates 10-5 exhibition win over the Tigers in windy Fort Myers gave long-suffering Bucco fans a rosy glimpse of the future. Les Biederman, beat man for the Pittsburgh Press, wrote “(Roberto) Clemente brought down the house when he twice tripled with two aboard and the 1,289 fans gave him the glad hand. (Bill) Mazeroski, the 19-year-old former Wheeling resident who is here for a long look, contributed two singles and played expertly in the field.” The Great One was in the second of 18 seasons with the Pirates while Maz would be called up in July to begin a 17-year Pittsburgh run. Both men ended up with retired numbers, ballyard statues and Hall of Fame plaques. 
• 1960 - It didn’t count, but still...Benny Daniels and Jim Umbricht tossed a combined no-hitter against the Tigers at Fort Myers. They were this close to a perfecto; Daniels “nicked leadoff man Eddie Yost in the trousers” (on an 0-2 count!) per Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press and he ended up the only Detroit runner. There weren’t any big-play heroics in the field either; all the outs recorded were garden variety during the Pirates 5-0 spring win. It was old hat to the blue crew, who had seen it before on bigger stages - arbiter Vinnie Smith was behind the dish for Harvey Haddix’s 12-inning gem in 1959 and Larry Napp was a base ump for Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. 
• 1972 - Pie Traynor died at age 72 in Pittsburgh. The 3B played 17 years for the Pirates, his only team, with a .320 BA and had a second career as the "Who Can? Ameri-can" spokesman. He managed the Bucs after he retired and later served as a Pirate scout before taking a job as a radio sports director in 1944. His show (he was on KQV, hosting the The Pie Traynor Club) was popular and he remained at the job for 21 years. In 1948, Traynor was selected to the Hall of Fame, being the first third baseman to be chosen by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In 1969, as part of the centennial of pro baseball, Traynor was named the third baseman for MLB's all-time team. 

Abraham Nunez - 1999 SP Signature

• 1976 - IF Abraham Nunez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The utility man - he played SS, 2B and 3B - spent eight seasons (1997 - 2004) with Pittsburgh and hit .238. His big league career ended in 2008 and after a 2010 fling in the indie leagues, Nunez retired. He now coaches in the Kansas City organization and manages in the Dominican League.