7/18 Through the 30’s: Grays Play First Night Game at FF; Triple Trouble; Long Day; Game Stories; HBD Hippity Hopp, Bill, Mayor, Al & Windy

• 1894 - C Bill Haeffner was born in Philadelphia. Bill had a three-year major league career that took 14 years to earn. He got a cup of coffee with Philadelphia in 1915 and with the NY Giants in 1928 while seeing his only serious time with Pittsburgh in 1920, batting .194 in 54 games. What he did in between is a mystery to us; Baseball Reference and the other chroniclers don’t have any record of him playing in the minors, although he most assuredly did play somewhere. We do know that Haeffner served as the head baseball coach as La Salle University from 1947 to 1952.
• 1894 - Wilbur “Mayor” Fisher was born in Green Bottom, West Virginia. His MLB career consisted of one at bat for the Bucs in 1916 as a 21-year-old. Not much info on him; he played for Marshall University as a P/OF and the last pro listing for him was in 1917, when he played for Petersburg Goobers of the Virginia League. He worked in the coal mines after playing ball. 

Otis Clymer 1905 (photo Chicago Daily News/Chicago History Museum)

• 1905 - The Bucs collected eight hits, including a home run by George Gibson against Christy Mathewson, and won 2-1 over NY at the Polo Grounds. The game was halted for a time by umpire Jim Johnstone after a Giants fan tossed a bottle at Pirate RF Otis Clymer while he was chasing a ball. Clymer had already made one great play in the pasture and apparently the home crowd didn’t want another. Charlie Case and Mike Lynch tossed a five-hitter for the win. 
• 1914 - The frustrated Pirates were probably tired of Forbes Field after splitting a twin bill with the Dodgers, winning the opener 3-0 and losing the evening game 6-5 in 10 innings. The first game of the series went 21 frames, and that was after the Pirates lost a pair to the NY Giants the day before. So the Bucs and Gotham nines played five games in a span of three days that lasted 58 innings, the equivalent of three twin bills. The G-Men & Dodgers took four of the matches, two in extra innings and another by a run. The only victory was behind Bob Harmon’s complete-game, six-hit shutout. The contests were part of a 19-of-20 games homestand (they had one road game in Chicago) that finished 7-13, tho they did end the season 39-36 in Oakland. Pittsburgh would finish seventh with 69-win campaign that year. 
• 1916 - OF Johnny “Hippity” Hopp was born in Hastings, Nebraska. He played three years in Pittsburgh (1948-50) with a .291/24/244 line as a Bucco. During his 14 year big league career, Hopp played in five different WS with the Cards and Yankees and was an All-Star in 1946. Hippity had a kind of odd stay with the Pirates. In 1949, he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Marv Rackley, but three weeks later, the trade was voided (Branch Rickey claimed Rackley had a bum arm, tho he disagreed) and the two players returned to their original teams. As a Bucco in 1950, Hopp had a streak of eight straight hits before the New York Yankees purchased his contract at the beginning of September. Besides “Hippity,” he was also known as “Cotney” (as in cottony) due to his prematurely white hair. Johnny was a coach through the fifties for Detroit and St Louis before getting a day job. 

Hippity Hopp 1949 Bowman

• 1918 - RHP Al Lyons was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. He put in four big league years with a stop with the Pirates. In August of 1947, Pittsburgh purchased his contract from the Yankees for and he appeared in thirteen games, going 1-2/7.31 over 28-1/3 IP. He did hit his only MLB homer as a Bucco, a future omen. The Yankees won the pennant and World Series that year while the Pirates finished in last place, but the Bronx Bombers remembered their ol’ bud and voted Lyons 1/2 World Series share ($2,915). After the season, the Pirates sent him to Boston as part of the Johnny Hopp/Danny Murtaugh deal. He got into a handful of games for the Braves and then spent several seasons in the PCL, where he became an OF/P hitting 99 homers and winning 47 games over seven seasons. He retired after the 1956 campaign and served for years as a Mets scout.
• 1925 - LHP John “Windy” McCall was born in San Francisco. He worked part of seven years in the majors, with a brief stop at Pittsburgh in 1950, getting no decisions and tossing to a 9.25 ERA in just two outings. He was pitching injured; a line drive hit him in the hand and he was bruised so badly that couldn't grip the ball. He was sent to Indianapolis to recover and was later sold to Boston. He was a Marine during WW2 that served in the Pacific Theater, delaying his entry into pro ball (he was signed at 17 by Brooklyn but didn’t get to go pro until he was 21). Still, he played in the majors until 1957 and closed out his pro career in the PCL after the 1959 campaign, becoming a mover. Windy got his nickname from Ted Williams; McCall said “I guess they think I talk too much.” 
• 1930 - George Grantham and Adam Comorosky each homered and combined with Pie Traynor to go 9-for-14 with nine RBI and seven runs scored as the Pirates defeated Boston 12-4 at Braves Field. Glenn Spencer went the distance for the win. 

• 1930 - While the Pirates were away, the Homestead Grays played. And it was a historic game, as the Grays squeaked out a 5-4, extra inning win against the storied Kansas City Monarchs in the first night game ever played at Forbes Field (KC was credited w/hosting the first night baseball game earlier in the year) in front of 6,000 fans. Homestead fell behind 4-0, but put up a pair in the fifth and then rallied to tie the game in the ninth. A line-out DP frustrated the Grays in the 11th, but Buck Ewing’s infield hit scored George Scales with the game winner an inning later. Leadoff men Jake Stephens and Vic Harris provided the juice, collecting five hits and scoring four runs. 34-year-old George Britt went the distance, as did the Monarch’s Chet Brewer, who would spend almost 20 years as a Pirates scout after his playing days. The illumination was provided by 35 sky-high “projectors” with three lights each; apparently the only issues were with the electrical cables laid along the park railings and foul pops behind the plate. The teams played a day-night doubleheader the next day. Bucco owner Barney Dreyfuss was at the game and told Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press “It is interesting, and provides entertainment for many people who cannot get away from work for afternoon contests...(but) I don’t think night baseball will ever replace the daylight brand in popularity.” It would take the Pirates another decade (6/5/1940) before they would play their first home night game under the hand of Dreyfuss’ son-in-law Bill Benswanger.

7/18 Between the 40’s-60’s: Kiners Day; The Hat Axed; Groat Rallies; HBD Jeff

• 1948 - It was a lousy day for the Pirates as they dropped a twinbill to the Boston Braves by 10-2 and 3-1 scores at Forbes Field. But it was a record setting afternoon for Ralph Kiner, who hit a solo shot in the ninth off Vern Bickford in the nitecap for his 100th career homer in 385 games, a pace that wasn’t surpassed until Ryan Howard did it in 325 games in 2007. 

Ralph Kiner 1950 Bowman

• 1951 - Ralph Kiner drove in seven runs and hit three HRs‚ including his 10th grand slam‚ in a 13-12 slugfest win over the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. His final bomb‚ a solo shot off Erv Palica in the eighth‚ broke a 12-12 tie. In Kiner's final at bat in the ninth‚ Carl Furillo hauled in his long drive near the CF gate. Ralph set the franchise record by notching his fourth game with three homers, later to be tied by Willie Stargell. Joe Garagiola and Gus Bell also went long for the Bucs. 
• 1953 - Scout Jeff McKay was born in Oregon. A minor league pitcher in the Giants system, he coached at Oregon for a couple of seasons before becoming a bird dog. He scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1982-89), Kansas City Royals (1990-2006) and Chicago White Sox (2007-08). Jeff coached at Corban University in Salem, Oregon, in 2007-2008 and became the Warriors head coach in 2011. McKay also founded Baseball Northwest, a showcase for high school ballplayers. 
• 1956 - Dick Groat’s two-run double in the 10th snapped a six-game losing streak for the Bucs, leading the club to a 4-2 win at Busch Stadium. The Pirates ran themselves out of chances to win in regulation by losing happy-feet runners at second, third and home. It ended a streak for Bob Friend, too - the two runs for the Redbirds ended his scoreless skein against them at 32 innings. On the bright side, the complete game four-hitter was his 12th victory of the year, one that took him a while to earn - his 11th win was on June 16th. 

Dick Groat 1957 Topps

• 1957 - Ernie Banks and future Bucco skipper Chuck Tanner of the Cubs hit inside-the-park homers at Forbes Field, but Chicago still lost 6-5 when the Pirates scored four runs off three Chicago pitchers in the ninth. Dick Groat’s two-run triple tied the game and he crossed the plate with the game winner following Bill Mazeroski’s single, giving Luis Arroyo the victory. 
• 1964 - The Milwaukee Braves got blown out at County Stadium, losing 8-2 to the Pirates, paced by Bob Bailey and Roberto Clemente’s three hits to back Bob Veale’s seven hitter. The Bucs also helped Brave legend Warren Spahn reach a milestone. Seven of Pittsburgh's 15 hits came against the southpaw, who lasted just 3-2/3 frames, but he managed to complete his 5,000th MLB inning, putting him in an elite group; he still ranks eighth all-time in IP (sixth since post-1900) and joined a club with just a dozen other 5K workhorse members. The Hall-of-Famer usually fared better against the Buccos; he beat them 49 times over his two-decade career. 
• 1967 - Harry “The Hat” Walker was fired as manager when the Bucs started out 42-42, despite winning 182 games and finishing third in back-to-back seasons. Old standby Danny Murtaugh returned to the bench in his stead.

7/18 TRS-PNC Park Era: Morton Zippos;11 In A Row; On Top; King Granny; Big Daddy's 400th; String Snapped

• 1971 - The Bucs won their 11th straight game when they swept a DH from the Dodgers, 3-2 and 7-1 at TRS. The Pirates took the opener when Gene Alley opened the ninth with a triple and plated on Gene Clines tapper. Dave Giusti got the blown save/win in relief of Bruce Kison. Richie Hebner and Milt May homered in the nitecap. Luke Walker had a no-hitter going into the ninth during the second game, losing the no-no on a homer to Joe Ferguson. 

Luke Walker was that close...  1971 Pirates Picture Pack

• 1986 - Rick Reuschel made the 400th start of his big league career a winner, allowing three runs in seven innings to earn a 12-7 decision over the Padres at TRS. UL Washington led the way for the Pirates, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, Jim Morrison collected three hits with three RBI and Sid Bream had three knocks and scored twice. The game was a laugher at 10-0 in the fifth; the Friars scored four times in the ninth off Barry Jones on the back of Tony Gwynn’s three-run shot to save some face. Big Daddy would finish his 19-year career with 529 starts and 214 victories. 
• 1990 - Jeff King hit his first career grand slam and added five RBI to lead the Pirates to an 11-2 win over San Francisco at Three Rivers Stadium. Sid Bream and Chico Lind also chipped in with long balls. Doug Drabek allowed two runs in eight innings while improving to 11-4 on the season. 
• 2000 - The Bucs snapped a six-game losing streak with an 8-6 win over LA at Dodger Stadium. The Pirates scored five times in the first two innings, but the Dodgers came back with a six spot in the third. The Bucs prevailed thanks to three RBI days from Jason Kendall and Wil Cordero, both whom also homered. Five Pirate relievers combined to toss seven innings of scoreless three hit ball to cement the win, which went to Jose Manzanillo. 
• 2009 - Charlie Morton went seven innings of three-hit ball to stop the Giants 2-0 at PNC Park. Matt Capps made it exciting, putting runners on second and third with an out in the ninth, but came back to get a K and grounder to preserve the win. Ryan Doumit scored and had an RBI to provide some spark to the attack. 

Charlie Morton 2010 Upper Deck

• 2011 - The Pirates took a 2-0 decision at PNC Park against Cincinnati as Charlie Morton tossed a three-hitter against the Reds. The Bucs played small ball in the fourth for the win. Chase d’Arnaud and Neil Walker led off with singles against Dontrelle Willis, with Walker taking second behind the play when the relay went toward d’Arnaud going to third. Andrew McCutchen’s tapper drove in one run, Matt Diaz’s sac fly another, and that was the day’s offensive output. 
• 2012 - The Pirates spent their last day tied for the top of the NL Central after taking a 9-6 decision from the Rockies at Coors Field. Garrett Jones, Pedro Alvarez, Casey McGehee and Rod Barajas homered for the Bucs. The Buccos collapsed like a house of cards after that, going 28-43 the rest of the way to finish with 79 wins for their 20th consecutive losing campaign.

Americans Win Home Run Derby, Drop Nationals 8-6; ASG & Pirate Notes

After six innings of home run or no count (Aaron Judge & Mike Trout for the AL, Willson Contreras for the NL), Felipe Vazquez got the call for his first AS visit to the bump in the seventh.  After two outs, including a whiff, he gave up a bloop single that Christian Yelich apparently lost in lights. That was followed by a full count walk that was an ump's gift. No diff; Felipe cruised out with another whiff. He was followed by ol' bud Charlie Morton in the bottom half. Ground Chuck gave up a line out and then another solo shot (so what else is new?) to Trevor Story. A walk, bop and wild pitch put him in a two-out jam, but he wiggled out.

Another long fly put the NL on the brink; Josh Hader gave up a couple of singles before Jean Segura dropped one into the stands after Joey Votto gave him new life by dropping his foul pop. Bad week for Milwaukee. Charlie served up another fan souvenir to Christian Yelich in the eight. The AL went down quietly in the ninth before Edwin Diaz tossed another ball that was launched by Scooter Gennett after a walk to tie it. It's bonus baseball time. Alex Bregman and George Springer lost baseballs back-to-back against Ross Stripling. Consecutive singles and a sac fly sent another AL'er home. Anther former Buccaneer, JA Happ, came in and of course Joey Votto greeted him with a dinger. Happ settled down and rode the game into the sunset with the AL taking an 8-6 win.

Felipe did the Bucs proud (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• Felipe Vazquez got a warm welcome from his old homies before the game. Asked earlier if there was any player he would like to meet during the ASG, he mentioned Yadier Molina. Looks like he got his wish - he was standing beside Yadi during the intros. Adam Berry of MLB.com posted an article on Vazquez's All-Star visit.
• The seven homers tonight set the AS record for a single game, breaking the old mark of six from 1971; it's been that kinda season. Then they added three more in the 10th, inviting questions about the balls being juiced. The two squads also combined for 25 strikeouts and nine walks.
• Amazing stat: after 88 ASGs going into tonight, the record is 43-43-2, with both sides scoring 361 runs. (s/o to Fox Sports)
• Asher Feltman of MLB Prospects checks the return value of the Cole/Cutch trades to date; he's not too impressed.
• If you were wondering, S-Rod is 9-of-36 (.250) at Indy with two homers, eight walks and 16 K.
• SS Manny Machado is paperwork/physicals away from joining the Dodgers. Prospect OF Yusniel Diaz is part of the return; the rest of the deal is still TBA.

Minor Moves & All Star Notes

We'll see how much Mother Nature likes baseball and how good the DC grounds crew is - it's storming in Washington now, but the skies are supposed to clear up by seven, with gametime at eight. If nature refuses to cooperate, the MLB does have a Plan B to play the game tomorrow night, though as of now, the game should go on.

It was a dark and stormy afternoon... (photo Bob Nightengale/USA Today Sports)

Notes:

• INF Alfredo Reyes was assigned to Indy from Altoona. Looks like a depth move with Chris Bostick rehabbing and Mad Max in Pittsburgh. The 24-year-old started the year at Bradenton, then moved up to Altoona, where he's hit just .235.
• RHP Luis Escobar, 22, has been promoted to Altoona. His Bradenton line was 7-6/3.98; the Colombian prospect has great swing 'n' miss stuff, but still needs work on his control.
• Rule 5 pick Nick Burdi made his first appearance since May, 2017, when he had Tommy John surgery, and struck out the side on 13 pitches in a perfect inning for the Bradenton Marauders.
• MLB.com ran a post giving out one fact for each AS performer. Felipe Vazquez's was duly noted as "Pittsburgh's closer has an average fastball velocity of 97.3 mph this season, ranking third among left-handers behind only Chapman and Jose Alvarado. And Chapman is the only lefty who's thrown more pitches 100-plus mph than Vazquez's 17. They also observed that Gerrit Cole six 10+ K games this year equalled the number he had as a Pirate from 2013-17.
• Some ol' Bucco pitchers on tonight' roster: Gerrit Cole & Charlie Morton of the Astros and JA Happ of the Jays made the team.
• Bryce Harper won the AS Home Run Derby, 19-18, over Kyle Schwarber with a fast and furious finish. 
• Chris Sale and Max Scherzer will start the MLB All-Star Game for the second year in a row. It's the second time in All-Star Game history that the same pitchers started consecutive years, joining Red Ruffing and Paul Derringer in 1939-40 per ESPN Stats & Info.

7/17 Through the 1910’s: Hans Day; Babe-Rube 21-Inning Duel; Mound Gems; HBD Jim & Chummy

• 1866 - RHP Jim Handiboe was born in Columbus, Ohio. Jim’s big league stay consisted of a season with the Alleghenys in 1886 where the 20-year-old put up a respectable 7-7/3.32 slash, going the distance 12 times. Apparently the team thought he needed a little more seasoning; Jim toiled in various whistle stops until 1901, retiring at age 34 after hurling for hometown Columbus. 
• 1873 - RHP George “Chummy” Gray was born in Rockland, Maine. His tale is that of a AAAA pitcher getting his moment in the sun. After back-to-back 20 win seasons, Gray tossed a no-hitter with one walk for Buffalo in 1899. He got his reward when the Pirates brought him up for the last month of the season. Gray went 3-3/3.43 in nine games, completing six of his seven starts. Chummy then rattled around the minor leagues for a few more years, but never again returned to the majors before hanging up the spikes after the 1901 season. He passed away at age 40 from tuberculosis and is remembered as a member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

1888 Alleghenys (photo George Hastings/Library of Congress)

• 1888 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys lost 2-0 to the Philadelphia Quakers, dropping a three-game set at Exposition Park by 1-0, 1-0 and 2-0 counts. The middle game was the most exciting when a ninth-inning hit-and-run single followed by an unpopular safe call at third led to the game’s only run. The Pittsburgh Press described it this way: “ …the umpiring...looked to be decidedly against the locals in the ninth inning. Twice it looked like Andrews (Quaker CF Ed Andrews who scored the game winner) was out. The first time on strikes (and)...again in deciding him safe at third when Billy Kuehne (Alleghenys’ 3B) had touched him fully two feet from the base. It looked as though another serious mistake had been made in favor of the visitors by the tenth man...There is little wonder that the indignation of the crowd knew no bounds but let it be said to its credit no act of violence was done.” For his part, the ump was indignant at the fans’ reaction and said he called the game in good faith while Philly manager Harry Wright claimed the “locals had no business to kick.” The Alleghenys straightened up and flew right afterward, going on to win 11-of-13 after the series while averaging 5-½ runs per game. 
• 1890 - For the first time, two 300-game winners were opponents as Tim Keefe of the Giants faced Pittsburgh's Jim 'Pud' Galvin in a Players League (which was eventually considered a major league) match-up. New York easily beat the Burghers, 8-2. O’Keefe did his part, tossing a four hitter (The Pittsburgh Press wrote “the wonder is that the Pittsburgs were allowed to score at all.”) while Pud was rattled for a dozen knocks. 
• 1907 - “The veteran Vic Willis was on the slab...and he tied knots in the home bunch from first to last. He allowed but two hits, one a scratch...” per the Pittsburgh Press and he led the Bucs to a 2-0 win over Christy Mathewson and the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds. Matty only allowed four hits, with the Pirates not getting on the scoreboard until the eighth with an unearned run. The clincher came in the ninth when Ed Abbaticchio bounced one off the wall; it caromed into a dirt pile by the fence and it took two Giants to finally dig it out. By the time the ball made it back in, Abby had rounded the bases. 

Vic Willis (photo Conlon Collection/TSN/Getty)

• 1908 - It was Honus Wagner Day at Exposition Park. Before the game, players from both teams lined up to honor him. He was speechified and then gifted with a $700 gold watch and an Elk’s pin with a diamond worth four bills. Wagner's tribute was originally scheduled for the 16th, but Honus asked that it be moved a day so it wouldn’t conflict with the annual benefit picnic for orphans. Oh - The Boston Doves won the game 4-0 behind ex-Pirate Tommy McCarthy’s five-hitter. It could have been worse - the Doves tacked on six more runs in the eighth, but the game was called because of darkness before the Pirates could bat. Hans went hitless. 
• 1914 - In one of the great pitching duels of early baseball, Babe Adams lost to the Giants Rube Marquard 3-1 in 21 innings at Forbes Field. Babe surrendered 12 hits without a walk; it’s the longest outing without a free pass in MLB history. NY’s Larry Doyle's inside-the-park home run was the spoiler. The key play was when Honus Wagner was called out for interference in the sixth inning. He slid into third and headed home when the ball disappeared from view; it ended up tucked in his uniform, as Wagner was, per the Pittsburgh Press “...trying to hide a ball and score off the trick.” Hans plated, but ump Lord Byron rung him up for the old hidden ball trick. As the Press reported “...the decision caused a mighty howl, which was participated in by many of the players and by Manager Fred Clarke, who applied a flow of profanity to the umpire, which was anything but pleasing to the disgusted spectators. Clarke’s language on this occasion...will not win ball games.” The Pirates appealed to the league with no success.

7/17 From the 30’s Through the 70’s: Cobra ASG-MVP; Forbes Field Burb; 14 Straight for Dock; Game Stories; HBD Jerry

• 1930 - OF/PH Jerry Lynch was born in Bay City, Michigan. Lynch started (1954-56) and ended (1963-66) his career in Pittsburgh, spending the seven middle years with the Reds. He hit .263/45/188 as a reserve Pirate outfielder and primo pinch hitter. Lynch had 116 pinch hits during his 13-year big league tour of duty with 18 HR, and even today he rates high on the hit lists for PH. 

Jerry Lynch 1966 Topps

• 1939 - Newly acquired Bucco outfielder Chuck Klein made his first appearance back in Philadelphia since leaving the city where he spent 10 years as a player and jacked a pair of homers to lift the Bucs to a 7-4 win at Shibe Park. The Bucs released Klein in August and he returned to his old club, retiring in 1944 as a Phil. 
• 1952 - Ralph Kiner hit a two run shot in the ninth to walk off the Phils at Forbes Field by a 4-2 count in the nightcap of a twin bill. He also joined the 1,000 hit club; he would end his career with 1,451 knocks. The blast off Karl Drews made a winner out of Ted Wilks, who tossed a scoreless ninth in relief of Woody Main. Clem Koshorek and Pete Castiglione joined Ralph with a pair of hits. The Pirates also took the opener 2-1 behind a Cal Hogue four-hitter. Catfish Metkovich singled home rookie Dick Groat to plate the first run and Groat drove in Clyde McCullough two innings later with the game winner. 
• 1966 - The Pirates swept a twinbill from San Francisco at Forbes Field 7-4 and 7-1 to vault over the Giants into first place behind the pitching of Steve Blass and Tommie Sisk. Matty Alou and Donn Clendenon collected four hits during the DH, with Clendenon homering. It was a wild race that year. The Bucs would finish third with a 92-70 slate, three games behind the Dodgers. 
• 1970 - Roberto Clemente led the Bucs to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field with three hits, falling a double short of the cycle. He tripled and scored the tying run in the sixth, homered for the eventual game winner in the eighth, and threw out Tommy Helms at the plate in the ninth to preserve the victory. 

Roberto Clemente 1970 Topps

• 1971 - A deserted Forbes Field suffered its second fire in a matter of weeks, and the structural damage was so bad that its demolition, already scheduled by Pitt, began almost immediately. Now the former ballyard’s footprint is the site of Posvar Hall, with home plate still showcased in the building and a bit of the brick & ivy wall left standing. 
• 1971 - Dock Ellis won his 13th straight decision by a by a 9-2 count over the Padres at TRS with Bob Robertson’s three-run homer providing all the scoring he would need while Manny Sanguillen had four knocks and Roberto Clemente added three more. Dock’s next outing would be a no decision before the Dodgers ended his streak. 
• 1979 - The NL won its eighth straight All-Star Game, 7-6, at the Kingdome in Seattle. Pittsburgh’s only representative, Dave Parker, threw out runners at home & third and was named the game's MVP. The Cobra went 1-for-3 with an RBI and was intentionally walked once. The ASG was the only one played at the Kingdom. By the time the Midsummer Classic returned to Seattle in 2001, the Mariners were playing in Safeco Park.

7/17 From the 80’s Forward: 9-In-A-Row; Bonus Baseball; Loaiza for TVP & Morris; Game Stories; HBD Brian

• 1982 - RHP Brian Rogers was born in Dallas, Texas. He joined the Pirates in 2006 after a trade with Detroit for Sean Casey and was called up at the end of August. He didn’t fare very well, and was sent to the minors the following campaign, getting three more not-so-successful outings with the big club and finishing his career with a slash of 0-0/9.28 in 13 games. Rogers was released in mid-June of 2008 and got short minor-league stints with the Tigers and Mets to end his pro career at age 25. He then went to work for a resort in Hawaii, got his degree and is now an account manager. 

Mike Dunne

• 1988 - The Pirates ran their winning streak to nine games when they held off the Giants 5-4 at TRS. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second on a Mike Dunne RBI grounder and a two-out, two-run knock by Darnell Coles. San Francisco used a pair of homers to tie it up before the Bucs regained the lead in the eighth on Barry Bonds’ long ball, stroked with two outs and two strikes, to take a 5-3 edge. Jim Gott finished it up, though with some drama - a pair of walks (one intentional) sandwiched around a double cut the gap to one, then he survived Harry Spilman’s long drive to center that Andy Van Slyke had just enough room to glove to save the win for Jeff Robinson. The streaky club lost the next day, took three in a row, then dropped 15-of-23 on the way to an 85-75 campaign. 
• 1998 - The Bucs traded RHP Esteban Loaiza to the Texas Rangers for RHP Todd Van Poppel and 2B Warren Morris. Loaiza pitched for another 10 seasons (albeit with seven teams), topped by a 21-9/2.90 campaign with the White Sox in 2003 when he was an All-Star and Cy Young runner up. Morris was released after the 2001 season and Van Poppel worked 10 weeks for Pittsburgh. 
• 1999 - In a wild 13-10 win over the Cleveland Indians at TRS, Kevin Young homered twice to drive in five runs and Al Martin also went yard two times to plate three more. The teams combined to bang out 32 hits and together burned through 13 pitchers during the game. 

Kevin Young 1999 Pacific Crown

• 2003 - The Brewers and Bucs exchanged grand slams in a 7-5 Milwaukee win at PNC Park. Ex-Bucco John Vander Wal clocked a first inning salami off Kris Benson; Craig Wilson pounded a pinch hit grannie in the fifth off Wayne Franklin.
• 2004 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to rally past the Florida Marlins 4-2 at PNC Park. Tike Redman and Jack Wilson had RBI knocks in the frame, while Tony Alvarez added a sac fly. Salomon Torres got the win; Jose Mesa the save. 
• 2009 - It took the Bucs 14 innings, but they ended a streak of seven losses in eight games going into the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Giants. Garrett Jones homered off Bob Lowry at PNC Park for the walk-off winner; he also brought in the first run with a long ball of Tim Lincecum. The pitching duel, begun by Paul Maholm and Lincecum, featured 13 pitchers between the two clubs, with Evan Meek getting the win. 
• 2013 - The International League won the AAA All-Star Game, 4-3, over the Pacific Coast League. The big bop was delivered by Pirates C prospect Tony Sanchez of the Indy Indians who banged a three-run homer off Jarred Cosart in the second inning and won the game MVP. He got a late call to the big club that season, hitting .233 in 22 games, but is still bouncing around among organizations in the minors as a depth player. 

Tony Sanchez 2013 Quarry

• 2016 - Starling Marte went boom against ex-Bucco Ollie Perez in the 18th inning to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 win over Washington at Nationals Park; he had chased home Adam Frazier in the sixth with the Pirates first run. The Pirates took the 1-0 lead into the ninth in a duel between Chad Kuhl and Max Scherzer, but Daniel Murphy homered off Mark Melancon with two outs and two strikes to set up some bonus baseball. The Bucs almost ended it in the 16th when Josh Harrison doubled, but speed-challenged C Eric Kratz was cut down at home. The two clubs burned through 17 pitchers with Jon Niese getting the win. 
• 2018 - Closer Felipe Rivero got his first All-Star nod (some thought a year overdue) as the only Pirates AS rep at Nationals Park, the yard where his career started. We'll see if he gets any action tonight.

Stuff During the Break - Thoughts & Notes

Life goes on during the AS break.

Thoughts on the trade deadline: Don't expect a lot as the Pirates don't have much to offer a contender. Corey D and J-Hay will prob attract interest, as may Jordy. But remember that the last two will go somewhere as bench pieces, not starters, and that will temper the return. Cervy was the most valuable trade bauble, but now his future behind the dish is cloudy. It's also possible Freeser gets a look; a veteran bench guy always has some value.

Thoughts on Austin Meadows: Surprised that they kept him up here so long. Getting a look at Jordan Luplow, a RH OF'er who could slot as a true fourth man down the line, was a good move. For both financial and developmental reasons, sending AM back to where he can get everyday playing time is also a good move, as was giving him a look at MLB pitching & life.

Thoughts on the team: Starling, Gregory & J-Bell are in good places now, but all three are high maintenance. As long as they're in gear, the offense will be respectable but with no consistent power. There are no real black holes in the lineup, although Harrison is the only guy that provides any positive value with the glove for the infield.

Who will surround Jamo in the rotation going forward? (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

As for the pitching, Jamo looks to be rounding into form while Ivan and J-Grove are what they are. The silver lining behind Chad's injury is that the Pirates have an opening to see what they have in Nick Kingham and Clay Holmes. Willy needs to pick it up to hold them off. The bullpen is a strong, young group, but keep in mind that even the best will have "mama said" spells, and that's especially true of an inexperienced group.

All in all, the gang will be streaky through its growing pains; a couple of games on either side of .500 looks realistic. The middle of the infield could be retooled in 2019 with Meadows in left, Diaz the everyday catcher, and possibly Ke'Bryan Hayes knocking on the door, so the transition will continue into next season.

Notes:

• Clint said post-game that he could have used Felipe Vazquez, Kyle Crick and Edgar Santana on Sunday, but he'd consider it only if the Bucs had the lead. 
• At 48-49 (they were 49-48 at this point last year), the Pirates are still nine games behind the division-leading Cubs. The Bravos hold down the second wild card spot going into the All-Star break and are 5-1/2 games up on Pittsburgh.
• Indy's LHP Brandon Waddell, 24, has been named the International League Pitcher of the Week after tossing a seven inning shutout with nine K last week. He was drafted out of Virginia in 2015 as a fifth-rounder.
• Per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects, Nick Burdi will join Bradenton tonight. Burdi was a Rule 5 pick reliever who had TJ surgery in May of 2017. He was the 46th overall pick from Louisville in the 2014 draft by the Twinkies and was a fastball (98-100)/slider guy before his injury. He added that Chris Bostick is beginning his rehab from appendicitis with the GCL Rookie League Pirates today.
• In the Futures Game played Sunday, US Team starter Mitch Keller tossed a clean opening frame with a whiff on 14 pitches, sitting at 97-99 MPH. 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes homered in three at bats with a walk, run and two RBI as one of just three US players to get in an entire game during a 10-6 US win that saw eight homers pounded by the prospects.

7/16 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: Beard Bomb; Stargell Splash; Hamilton Throws 16 Zeroes - And Loses; Rally Time; HBD Howdy

• 1894 - SS James Howard “Howdy” Caton was born in nearby Zanesville, Ohio. He spent his four year MLB career (1917-20) with Pittsburgh, hitting .226 as a reserve infielder. Howdy never did hit a homer, but he did leg out 16 triples. After his Bucco tenure, he played for local teams in the Midwest League including the Zanesville Greys for several years and was a city worker for Zanesville. Besides Howdy, he also answered to the nickname Buster. 

Howdy Caton 1918 (photo Chicago Daily News)

• 1910 - Chief Wilson had three hits, including two triples, and the Bucs scored three times in the eighth off Christy Mathewson to sweep a four game set from the NY Giants at Forbes Field by a 6-3 score. With two outs in the eighth frame, Fred Clarke and Honus Wagner banged back-to-back doubles for the lead. The insurance came on a John Flynn RBI knock followed by Bill McKechnie’s drive that glanced off a glove to score Flynn. Deacon Phillippe got the win. 
• 1920 - Lefty Earl Hamilton pitched 16 shutout innings before running out of gas and losing 7-0 to the New York Giants, getting just one out in the 17th frame. The Giants Rube Benton went the distance for the win at Forbes Field, tossing a seven hitter. The game featured outstanding defense, as one may imagine, with the Pittsburgh Press citing “remarkable work in the field” and “fielding thrills” provided by both nines. It described Pirates birthday boy SS Howdy Caton’s grab behind second and spin-a-rama toss to first to retire the Giants Frankie Frisch as “the greatest play witnessed on the local lot in several years.” 
• 1950 - The Bucs scored three times in the eighth and once in the ninth to edge the Boston Braves 6-5 at Forbes Field. Ted Beard (whose ball hit the RF roof and bounced over it, making him the first batter since Babe Ruth in 1935 and just the second in Forbes Field's 41-year history to clear the stadium's 89-foot-high roof) while Gus Bell went long (after Ralph Kiner was intentionally walked to get to him) with two down in the eighth to tie it. Earl Turner cracked another two-out dinger in the final frame to win it for Hank Borowy. Pittsburgh dropped the opener of the twin bill 9-5. MLB set a record of 37 HR hit this day; the Bucs contributed five to the cause - Bell (2), Beard, Turner and Danny O’Connell’s blast in the first game. 

Ted Beard 1951 Bowman

• 1960 - The Bucs jumped ahead of the Reds 2-0 in the first inning, but found themselves down 5-2 going into the seventh at Forbes Field. Maz’s homer made it 5-3 and Don Hoak’s two-out, bases loaded single an inning later tied it. The Pirates came all the way back when Dick Stuart drilled a pinch hit, walk off homer to left with an out in the ninth for a 6-5 victory. Stu hit for Earl Francis, who worked two scoreless frames for the win. 
• 1969 - Willie Stargell cannon-balled a pitch 495’ over the RF fence into the municipal swimming pool behind Jarry Park Stadium in the eighth inning as the Bucs beat the Expos 8-7. The Pirates scored three times in the eighth and three more times in the ninth to claim the win. Roberto Clemente had a two run, two out single in the final frame, followed by the eventual game winning knock, a Richie Hebner single that scored Stargell. Chuck Hartenstein got the save, even though he gave up a ninth inning homer (the Expos hit four long balls), to close the win for Joe Gibbon.