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3/28: Heaton-Gideon, McEnaney-Jones; Buddy, Sisk, Cannizaro Dealt; Olivares Picked Up; Spring No-No; Bucs-Yanks Rematch; East-West Classic; RIP Cum; HBD Bryan, Shark, Steve, Bill & Chief

Thursday, March 28, 2024 7:01

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1898 – RHP Moses “Chief” Yellow Horse, a full-blooded Pawnee, was born in (where else?) Pawnee, Oklahoma (caveat emptor: some sources cite 1/28 as his BD; we’re sticking with the SABR date). His MLB years were 1921-22 and spent in Pittsburgh, where he went 8-4 with a 3.93 ERA, but suffered three different arm injuries that ended his career. He was one of the first, if not the pioneer, Native American to play MLB ball. He could do little wrong in the Steel City and was a fan favorite during his stay here. But Yellow Horse was all business once he stepped on the bump for the Pirates; he once drilled Ty Cobb between the eyes in an exhibition game for being too yappy at the dish.
1929 – RHP Bill MacDonald was born in Alameda, California. Bill tossed for the Bucs in 1950 and again briefly in 1953, compiling an 8-11-1/4.66 mark. He had a promising debut campaign for Pittsburgh, but after missing 1951-52 while in the service, Mac never regained his form. He tossed for two more seasons in the Pacific Coast League and then retired from baseball.
1946 – Cumberland “Cum” Posey, who owned the Homestead Grays from 1911-46, died in Mercy Hospital from cancer. He was a part-time player until 1929, and managed until 1937. Posey was a big-time owner, and his teams played regularly in Forbes Field and Washington DC’s Griffith Stadium. The Grays won eight Negro League pennants and three World Series titles under his reign.
1961 – In a repeat performance, the Pirates bounced the Yankees in their first meeting since the World Series by a 9-2 score at Fort Myers’ Terry Park during a spring game played in front of an overflow crowd of 5,351 fans. Bob Friend tuned up by going the distance, scattering eight hits and fanning seven. Dick Stuart and Roberto Clemente homered while Maz led the nine-hit attack with a pair of knocks. But the Bronx Bombers proved better suited for the long run – they won the AL and then beat Fred Hutchinson’s Reds in the ‘61 Fall Classic in five games while the Bucs stumbled to a 75-win, sixth-place campaign.

Pgh Press – Les Biederman, 3/29/1966

1966 – It was only a spring game, but Bob Veale and Luke Walker spun a no-hitter against the LA Dodgers at Fort Myers’ Terry Park, the Bucco spring home, winning 5-0. The big lefty did most of the heavy lifting, going seven innings with seven whiffs, giving up a walk and Bob Bailey error while Walker added two clean frames to seal the deal as the southpaws dazzled the 1,950 Florida fans. Gene Alley’s four knocks and Roberto Clemente’s three raps led the attack.
1969 – The Pirates traded RHP Tommie Sisk and C Chris Cannizzaro to the San Diego Padres in exchange for OF Ron Davis and IF Bobby Klaus. Sisk was on the backside of his career while Davis and Klaus never became big-time performers, but Cannizzaro became an All-Star in 1969 for the expansion Padres (albeit with a .220 BA) and had a 12-year career that lasted through the 1974 season.
1970 – The one-time East-West Major League Baseball Classic was held at Dodger Stadium to commemorate Dr. Martin L King. Played before 31,694 fans, the Pirates were represented by Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente; other players with Pittsburgh links were Grant Jackson, Maury Wills and Jim Fregosi (the teams were integrated, per MLK’s philosophy) while Mudcat Grant played and sang the National Anthem. The East won, 5-1, (Roberto doubled, scored and chased home a run) while the game raised $30,000 for the Southern Christian Leadership Council. A small army of current Hall of Famers coached while 15 future members of the Hall played.
1975 – RHP Steve Sparks was born in Mobile, Alabama. Sparks was drafted by the Bucs in the 28th round of the 1998 draft from the U of South Alabama and tossed three times for the Pirates in 2000 during a brief mid-summer visit. He had no decisions and a 6.75 ERA in his only MLB season. Steve played two seasons after that in the upper minors, hanging ‘em up in 2002 at the age of 27.

Steve Sparks – 2000 Fleer Tradition Rookies

1978 – The Bucs, who had been on the lookout for some lefty bullpen help, picked up Will McEnaney from the Expos in exchange for RHP Tim Jones. They should have kept on looking as the deal was a wash – Jones bombed in AAA and retired, while McEnaney was shelled in Pittsburgh (10.38 ERA) and sent to AAA Columbus, where he was released at the end of the season after posting a 6.24 ERA. He was fighting drug & drinking demons in 1977-78, triggered by a divorce and the death of his mom, but after a car wreck and under the wing of his second wife, Cindy, he’s been flying straight ever since those dark days.
1980 – RHP Eddie “Buddy” Solomon Jr. was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Pirates for a PTBNL, minor league RHP Greg Field. Solomon worked 1980-82 for Pittsburgh, going 17-15-1/3.58 before being traded at the deadline to Chicago for 3B Jim Morrison. Field never advanced past AAA ball while Buddy died young in a car accident in Macon in 1986 at age 34.
1985 – RHP Mark Melancon was born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Melancon came to Pittsburgh in 2013 from the Red Sox as a versatile backender, working both as set-up man and closer, and earned a spot on the ‘13 All-Star team. Mark the Shark took the closer’s job full time in early 2014, saving 33 games in 37 chances. In nearly four Pirates seasons, he picked up 10 wins, 130 saves and 41 holds while posting a 1.80 ERA (2.27 FIP) in 267 appearances. He won The Sporting News & Trevor Hoffman NL reliever of the year awards in 2015. The Shark was traded to Washington at the 2016 deadline and since played with the Giants, Braves, Padres and D-Backs; he’s now an FA. He earned his nickname in New Zealand; he swam amidst some sharks, and one of his buds named a shark Melancon in his honor, eventually leading to the Bucs’ Shark Tank bullpen.

Bryan Morris – 2013 Panini Prizm

1987 – RHP Bryan Morris was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Acquired in the Jason Bay trade, he was part of the Bucco bullpen from 2012-14, going 13-8/2.61 before being dealt to Miami. Morris was otherworldly in his first season, posting an 0.66 ERA (although his 3.03 FIP was more down to earth) and finished his Fish tenure with a 2.30 ERA. He moved to San Francisco in 2017 and retired in June.
1989 – LHP Neal Heaton was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Pirates for RHP Brett Gideon. Heaton worked four years for the Jimmy Leyland playoff teams of the early nineties and made the All-Star team in 1990. He was out of the MLB after the 1993 season and is a pitching instructor for the private All Pro Sports Academy in Bellport, NY. Gideon got into five games for the Expos in 1989-90 to end his MLB days and officially retired after the 1992 campaign.
2001 – The Pirates staff was beset by injuries, and the Bucco FO made a conditional deal with the Oakland A’s for RHP Omar Olivares, who had just been beaten out as the Green & Gold’s fifth man. The 33-year-old Olivares joined his eighth team and got a dozen starts for the Pirates, going 2-7/7.12, before being stashed in the bullpen where he posted an improved but still meh 4-2-1/5.63 line in his last MLB campaign, finishing up with a final slash of 6-9-1/5.71.

Source: https://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2024/03/328-heaton-gideon-mcenaney-jones-buddy.html

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