Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.

By The Green Weenie
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

8/9 Through the 1960s: Rip & Swift Gems, Kiki 6'er, Chief Connects, 23 Tallies, Rabbit HoF, 8-Game Streaks, Casey-Possum; HBD Ted & Roman

Saturday, August 9, 2025 7:33

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

1887 – Hampered by a laundry list of team issues, the Alleghenys introduction to the National League was rocky as they limped along with a 28-42 record, one spot from the cellar. They were closing out a long homestand with eight losses in ten tries, but the Boston Beaneaters proved good medicine for the North Siders, pitcher Cannonball Morris and 2,000 undaunted fans. The Bostonians booted the ball around behind Old Hoss Radbourne (14 runs were unearned), Fred Carroll homered and doubled, and the Beaneaters were drubbed, 23-3. The Allegheny win opened a three-game sweep at Recreation Park that triggered a Pittsburgh mini-run, taking seven of their next eight games. The 23 runs were the most the Allies had scored as a MLB team and the 20-run margin was their largest margin of victory to date. It didn’t lead to a second half surge, though – the Alleghenys finished with 50 wins and a sixth place finish.
1893 – In an Expo Park match described by the Pittsburgh Press as “…the most sluggish diamond trial of the season”, SS George Van Haltren went from hero to goat. Pop Shriver of the Chicago Colts “…sent a pretty hot grounder to him, and after a hop, skip and jump peculiar to him, Van threw the ball into a rat hole under the grandstand. Beckley (Jake, the third baseman) is no weasel, neither is Stenzel (Jake, the CF’er) and so the ball remained in the hole until Shriver had made the entire circuit of the diamond and tied the score.” George made amends in the 10th when his single to center scored Ad Gumbert to claim an 8-7 win.
1905 – The Bucs lost an error-filled game to the Boston Americans by a 5-3 count at Exposition Park. The Pittsburgh Press wrote that “Both teams played stupid, dopey ball…” Umpire Bill Klem joined the comedy routine by performing an early era ump show. In the ninth inning he threw eight Pirates (and for good measure, the mascot, too) out of the game for mocking his calls, then fined the whole lot $10 per man. BR Bullpen added that he had to spend the post-game hiding in a ladies’ room as irate gamblers who had bet on the heavily favored Pirates were looking for a piece of Klem’s hide after the contest.
1910 – It wasn’t the prettiest shutout ever twirled, but Babe Adams scattered 11 hits to beat Boston, 10-0, at the South End Grounds, helped by no walks, a pair of DP and some hot sticks. Owen “Chief” Wilson drove in four runs, Jack Flynn homered with three RBI, & Honus Wagner had three hits, a walk, and scored four times.

Honus Wagner – 1910 American Caramel E91C

1919 – The Pirates traded OF Casey Stengel to the Philadelphia Phillies for utilityman Possum Whitted after Stengel’s contract demands got him a ticket out of Pittsburgh. Possum batted .286 in 277 games for the Bucs through 1921, playing 1B, 3B & OF. The Old Professor lasted until 1925, but only started two more seasons. He hit .280 in his two Pirates campaigns.
1924 – The Pirates swept a pair from the Phils at the Baker Bowl by 16-4 and 7-0 scores. Kiki Cuyler went 6-for-6 in the opener with a triple and two doubles, while Glenn Wright went 4-for-5 with four RBI and a pair of runs to boost Wilbur Cooper. Ray Kremer won the nitecap. He tossed a five-hitter and was backed by Max Carey, who homered, doubled, scored twice and drove home three runs.
1928 – The Pirates won their eighth game in a row and 10-of-11 by a 5-4 score over St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field. Carmen Hill got the win and Burleigh Grimes earned a save by retiring the last batter. George Grantham drove in two runs and “Big Poison” Paul Waner scored a pair.
1930 – OF Roman Mejias was born in Abreus, Cuba. He was signed when the Pirates scouted him in 1953 when they held spring training in Havana. Mejias was a spare OF’er and pinch hitter for six seasons (1955, 1957-61) in Pittsburgh, hitting .245 over that span. He earned his way to Pittsburgh with a 55-game hitting streak for Class B Waco of the Big State League in 1954, where he ended the year with a .354 BA. Mejias couldn’t break into the Pirate OF of Bob Skinner, Bill Virdon and Roberto Clemente, but was selected by the Houston Colt .45s in the expansion draft and had his best season for them in 1962, batting .286 with 24 HR.
1935 – Rookie CF Bud Hafey lined an eighth inning homer over the scoreboard at Forbes Field, providing just enough offense to give Bill Swift a four-hit, 1-0, win over the Cincinnati Reds’ Al Hollingsworth. The Pirates only had seven hits, with Tommy Thevenow leading the pack with a pair.

Bud Hafey – 1979 Diamond Greats

1940 – Pittsburgh won its eighth game in a row by whipping the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, at Forbes Field. Vince DiMaggio went 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and two runs to lead the attack, while Rip Sewell tossed a four-hitter for the win. The streak ended the next day, and Frankie Frisch’s Pirates ended up a middle-of-the-pack club, finishing fourth in the NL with a 78-76 slate.
1949 – GM Ted Simmons was born in Highland Park, Michigan. Ted caught for two decades in the majors (Ted trivia: he was the first catcher to start an All-Star Game for both the NL and AL, first as a Cardinal in 1978, then again in 1983 as a member of the Brewers). His nickname as a player was Simba due to his longish hair. After he retired, Simmons was hired as general manager of the Pirates in 1992 after working in a front office job for St. Louis. He held the spot for just a year, retiring after suffering a heart attack in June 1993. Simmons was the GM who almost traded Barry Bonds. He had agreed to deal Bonds to the Atlanta Braves for P Alejandro Pena, OF Keith Mitchell and a PTBNL during camp in 1992, but had to back out when manager Jim Leyland blew up and stormed into president Carl Barger’s office, talking Barger into nixing the swap. The Pirates won a third division title under him, but Simmons was faced with Bonds and Doug Drabek becoming free agents and an ever-tightening payroll, no doubt adding to his stress. After he recovered, he went on to primarily scouting and player development jobs with a couple of bench coach gigs thrown in for several organizations. Ted entered the Hall of Fame in 2020 as a player.
1952 – 18-year-old RHP Jim Waugh became the youngest Pirate to ever win a game when he went wire-to-wire in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. He was close to a no decision as Brandy Davis pinch hit for him in the bottom of the ninth, but Davis keyed the win by tripling and scoring the game winner on Clem Koshorek’s rap to left. Signed out of Ohio State, Waugh went 1-6/6.36, then developed arm problems that ended his MLB career.
1954 – SS Rabbit Maranville was inducted into the Hall of Fame after a 14-year wait. The sweet fielder played for Pittsburgh from 1921-24, hitting .283. Rabbit sadly passed away in January, so his long anticipated moment was posthumous. Rabbit’s given name was Walter; he earned his moniker because he was quick as a bunny thanks to his speed and size (5’5”).

Roberto Clemente – 1959 Nabisco

1959 – The Pirates, losing 3-1 to the Cubs in the ninth, tied the game and then won, 5-3, in the 10th at Wrigley Field. Roberto Clemente singled home Dick Groat in the ninth and touched home to tie the game on Smoky Burgess’ sac fly. Groat’s knock in the 10th scored Roman Mejias with the go-ahead run and Rocky Nelson’s bases-loaded walk added the insurance. Elroy Face got the win to go 15-0. The dub was the part of a remarkable 19-2 record in extra inning games during the season – and ironically, one of the losses was Harvey Haddix’s 12-inning perfecto.
1963 – It was a long day at Forbes Field. A twin bill between the Colt 45′s and the Pirates was delayed an hour by rain, and then both games went into extra innings. Houston took the opener, 7-6, in 15 innings; the Bucs claimed the nitecap by the same score in 11 innings. Only 300 hardy fans remained at the yard when the curtain finally fell at 2:30 AM. Roberto Clemente picked up five RBI in the two contests; Don Schwall lost the first match while Al McBean won the second game. The Pirates used eight pitchers, with McBean and ElRoy Face tossing both ends.
1964 – Don Schwall and Al McBean combined on a four-hitter to shut out the Chicago Cubs, 2-0, at Forbes Field. Battery mate Jim Pagliaroni launched a two-run homer off Bob Buhl in the fourth to back his hurlers. Schwall started and didn’t give up a hit until there were two outs in the sixth inning; McBean took over from him after a leadoff single in the ninth to post the save.

Source: https://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2025/08/89-through-1960s-rip-swift-gems-kiki.html

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

LION'S MANE PRODUCT

Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules

Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.

Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.

Comments

Visits:	1,716,857,495
Stories:	8,469,765