4/20 Through 1984: Willie the Roofer, Rip Roarin', Gus-to, Sweet Steve, Game Days All-MLB; HBD Chris, Steamer & Sam

• 1869 - OF Sam Nicholl was born in County Antrim, Ireland (recently, John Dreker of Pirates Prospects has found the date to be 4/18/1865). After a strong year at Wheeling, Nicholl finished out the 1888 campaign with the Alleghenys. He went 1-for-22, but his BA was considered bad ball luck as he hit the ball well, and he was also a plus defender. He was a late cut in camp the next season and sent back to Wheeling. Sam got one more shot in 1890 with Columbus, then closed out with five years in the Western Association before a leg injury effectively ended his career. 
• 1881 - OF Jim “Steamer” Flanagan was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, across the Susquehanna River from Wilkes-Barre. He was rumored to have turned down a scholarship to Notre Dame to turn pro in 1901. He played for the Pirates briefly in 1905 as September insurance, and showed well, hitting .280 with seven runs scored and three stolen bases in seven games. Steamer was considered a five-tool guy, but for reasons unknown, he never got another shot at the majors, playing in the minors through the 1915 season. After his ball-playing days, he lived in Wilkes-Barre as a cop, sandlot player, manager and umpire, while also serving as a bird dog for the Red Sox and Athletics. Per Jack Smiles of SABR, “he ran, it was said, like a steam locomotive” and hence his nickname. 
• 1916 - The Pirates lost the Home Opener at Forbes Field to St. Louis 5-0, held to five hits by Harry “Slim” Sallee in front of 20,000 or so. But there was some early excitement. With two on and a 3-1 count on the batter, manager Jimmy Callahan, coaching third, stepped out of the box to talk with base runner Doc Johnston between pitches. He apparently placed his hand on Johnston during the chat and plate umpire Ernie Quigley called Doc out on coaches interference due to Callahan’s contact. The Bucs protested to no avail, and owner Barney Dreyfuss protested the game to NL President John Tener. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that at a smoker that evening, Dreyfuss went on about a conspiracy with the boys in blue having secret league instructions (he didn’t disclose their nature) and went so far as to call them “...pin-headed umpires.” Tener rejected the protest, though he did clarify that the rule was to be in effect only when the player was physically assisted leaving or returning to a base by a coach. 

Hans - 1983 Sports Design West Collection

• 1930 - Long-time baseball writer Irwin Howe of the Chicago Tribune picked his all-time MLB team (baseball was young enough that the Hall of Fame was still a twinkle in the eye), and it included SS Honus Wagner and 3B Pie Traynor. Howe had the background for the job - he was a baseball historian, the secretary for the Chicago chapter of BBWAA and the AL’s official statistician. 
• 1932 - Mt. Pleasant native and Pitt grad Steve Swetonic came as close as any Pirate pitcher (Bob Moose matched his feat in 1968) to tossing a no-hitter at Forbes Field. He surrendered a two-out knock in the eighth to the Card’s George Watkins that spoiled his bid. Though he gave up a couple of anti-climatic ninth inning singles, he cruised to a 7-0 victory in the Home Opener before 16,000 fans. His career was short circuited after five years when he retired at 28 because of a chronic sore arm. 
• 1936 - The Bucs’ Gus Suhr slugged a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth off Roy Henshaw to erase an early six-run deficit and give Pittsburgh a 9-8 win over the Cubs at Forbes Field. Pep Young and Cookie Lavagetto also went long, and Bill Swift worked the final four frames for the win. 

Rip Sewell - 1947 Sports Exchange

• 1946 - Rip Sewell spun a four-hitter to win a duel against the Cards Bucky Walters, 2-1. Walters was a one-man show, scoring his clubs’ only run by stealing home, but RBI doubles banged out by Bob Elliott and Elbie Fletcher sent the Forbes Field crowd of 27,891 (and Rip) home happy. 
• 1948 - Rip Sewell did it all; he tossed a complete game six-hitter and homered as the Bucs won their Home Opener 3-2 over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. Rookie second baseman Monty Basgall had the game-winning rap, his first big league homer, in the sixth inning. 
• 1970 - Willie Stargell belted a sixth-inning homer off Jim Bouton that cleared the RF roof at Forbes Field as the Pirates took a 3-1 decision from Houston; Pops drove in all three Bucco tallies. Dock Ellis went six innings for the win, with Dave Giusti covering the last three frames while fanning four. The deed wasn’t witnessed by very many; there were only 4,015 fans in the house. 
• 1980 - CF Chris Duffy was born in Brattleboro, Vermont. Duffy hit .269 in his three Buc years (2005-07) but butted heads with manager Jim Tracy who wanted him to change his batting style. Duffy stormed home after a closed-door session with the skipper and his career pretty much sank after that affair. He played one more season for Pittsburgh, and in 2008 was injured and released. He would play just 13 more MLB games as a Milwaukee Brewer in 2009.