3/17: Smiley for Neagle; HBD Pete, Hot Rod & John; RIP Charlie; Vic in Venezuela

• 1919 - OF Pete Reiser was born in St. Louis. The veteran outfielder spent one season (1951) of his 10-year MLB stint in Pittsburgh, batting .271. He spent the next campaign with the Cleveland Indians before retiring.

Pete Reiser 1951 Bowman

• 1956 - LHP Rod Scurry was born in Sacramento. Scurry tossed for the Bucs for six years, (1980-85) going 17-28-34 with a 3.15 ERA. The first round pick of 1974 was using coke during his playing days, and never could kick the habit; he died in 1992 of suspected cocaine-induced heart failure.
• 1965 - LHP John Smiley was born in Phoenixville, near Valley Forge. He spent his first six seasons (1986-91) in Pittsburgh with a 60-42/3.57 line. 1991 was his best season, going 20-9 with a 3.08 ERA and All-Star selection. In the off season, he was traded to Minnesota for Denny Neagle, and went on to win 126 games in his 12 year career.
• 1972 - The Bucs watered their Latin roots by playing and sweeping a three game pre-season series against the Reds in Caracas, Venezuela. The final game was delayed when kids hopped the fence to get Vic Davillo’s autograph during the action. It took about ten minutes for play to resume. Beloved in his homeland, “Vitico” (Little Victor) played in the Venezuelan League before turning pro and returned when his MLB career was done, playing until he was 50 years old.

Vic Davalillo 1972 Topps

• 1992 - The Pirates traded LHP John Smiley (on his birthday!) after a 20-8 season to the Twins in exchange for LHP Denny Neagle and OF Midre Cummings. Smiley told Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press that “I’m extremely shocked. My contract had to play a little part in this” as he jumped to a $3.4M payday, a $2M jump over the prior year. GM Ted Simmons said no, telling the paper that “Salary was a non-issue,” and it was just a “daring and aggressive” deal. Smiley went on to toss eight more seasons, mostly with the Reds, while Neagle won 43 games in his 4-1/2 year Bucco stint and would pitch until 2003. Hot prospect Cummings ended up a bench player who posted parts of 11 MLB seasons on his resume.
• 2014 - Long time (1966-86) Post Gazette Pirate beat writer Charley Feeney, known for calling everyone “Pally” (he didn’t have a good memory for names) passed away at the age of 89. He was inducted into the writer’s wing of the Hall of Fame in 1996. After his selection, he told fellow sportswriter Ron Cook that “I'm in and Bill Mazeroski isn't. It's unbelievable." Maz joined him in Cooperstown five years later.

Charlie Feeney 1996 (photo via Baseball Hall of Fame)

3/16: Honus Retires (Briefly); RIP Pie; HBD Patsy, Little Poison & Abraham

• 1865 - OF Patrick “Patsy” Donovan was born in Queenstown, Ireland. He played for the Pirates from 1892-99, hitting .307, and spent 17 years in the big leagues with a lifetime .301 BA. He put up six consecutive .300+ seasons and served as player-manager from 1897-99. Patsy managed in the show for 11 seasons, became a minor league skipper and eventually a high school coach at Phillips Academy in Andover, where he coached the future 41st President, George H.W. Bush.

Patsy Donovan 1898 Pepsin Gum

• 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. Lloyd worked as a scout for the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles after retiring as a player and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967.
• 1908 - Honus Wagner announced his retirement at the age of 34, citing arthritis and the need to rest his body. The Pittsburg 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 during various spring camps, but didn’t actually hang up his spikes until after the 1917 campaign.
• 1972 - Pie Traynor, enshrined in Cooperstown, died at age 72. The 3B played 17 years for the Pirates with a .320 BA and had a second career as the "Who Can? Ameri-can" spokesman. He managed the Bucs after he hung ‘em up and later served as a Pirate scout. Traynor took a job as a radio sports director in 1944. His show (he was on KQV, hosting the The Pie Traynor Club) was popular with fans and he remained at the job for 21 years. In 1948, Traynor was selected to the Baseball 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 professional baseball, Traynor was named the third baseman for Major League Baseball's all-time team.

Pie Traynor 1926 Cover Boy for Baseball Magazine

• 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 indy leagues, Nunez retired.

3/16: HBD Patsy, Little Poison & Abraham; Pie Passes Away

• 1865 - OF Patrick “Patsy” Donovan was born in Queenstown, Ireland. He played for the Pirates from 1892-99, hitting .307, and spent 17 years in the big leagues with a lifetime .301 BA. He put up six consecutive .300+ seasons and served as player-manager from 1897-99. Patsy managed in the show for 11 seasons, became a minor league skipper and eventually a high school coach at Phillips Academy in Andover, where he coached the future 41st President, George H.W. Bush.
• 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. Lloyd and Paul Waner set the record for career hits by brothers in MLB. Lloyd worked as a scout for the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles after retiring as a player and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967.

Little Poison from The Sporting News Archives

• 1972 - Pie Traynor, enshrined in Cooperstown, died at age 72. The 3B played 17 years for the Pirates with a .320 BA and had a second career as the "Who Can? Ameri-can" spokesman. He managed the Bucs after he hung ‘em up and later served as a Pirate scout. Traynor took a job as a radio sports director in 1944. His show (he was on KQV, hosting the The Pie Traynor Club) was popular with fans and he remained at the job for 21 years. In 1948, Traynor was selected to the Baseball 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 professional baseball, Traynor was named the third baseman for Major League Baseball's all-time team.
• 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 indy leagues, Nunez retired.

3/16: Pie, Little Poison, Patsy & Abraham Nunez

• 1865 - OF Patrick “Patsy” Donovan was born in Queenstown, Ireland. He played for the Pirates from 1892-99, hitting .307, and spent 17 years in the big leagues with a lifetime .301 BA. Patsy put up six consecutive .300+ seasons and served as player-manager from 1897-99. Patsy managed in the show for 11 seasons, became a minor league skipper and eventually a high school coach at Phillips Academy in Andover, where he coached the future 41st President, George H.W. Bush. 

Patsy Donovan 1898 - via Whithead & Hoag

• 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. Lloyd and Paul Waner set the record for career hits by brothers in MLB. Lloyd worked as a scout for the Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles after retiring as a player and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967. 
• 1972 - Pie Traynor, enshrined in Cooperstown, died at age 72. The 3B played 17 years for the Pirates with a .320 BA and had a second career as the "Who Can? Ameri-can" spokesman. He managed the Bucs after he hung ‘em up and later spent time as a Pirate scout. Traynor took a job as a radio sports director in 1944. His show (he was on KQV, hosting the The Pie Traynor Club) was popular with fans and he remained at the job for 21 years. In 1948, Traynor was selected to the Baseball 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 professional baseball, Traynor was named the third baseman on Major League Baseball's all-time team. 

Abraham Nunez 2002 Topps series

• 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 indy leagues, Nunez retired.

3/16: Patsy, Little Poison, Pie and Abraham...

Patsy, Little Poison, Pie and Abraham... 

• 1865 - OF Patrick “Patsy” Donovan was born in Queenstown, Ireland. He played for the Pirates from 1892-99, hitting .307, and spent 17 years in the big leagues with a lifetime .301 BA. Patsy put up six consecutive .300+ seasons and served as player-manager from 1897-99.

 Patsy Donovan - Out of the Ballpark series

• 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. 
• 1972 - Pie Traynor, enshrined in Cooperstown, died at age 72. The 3B played 17 years for the Pirates with a .320 BA and had a second career as the "Who Can?- Ameri-can" spokesman. 
• 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.