Eight former Pittsburgh Pirates born on this date, plus a trade to break down.
The Trade
On this date in 1957, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded first baseman Dale Long and outfielder Lee Walls to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for first baseman Dee Fondy and infielder Gene Baker. Fondy would be traded to the Cincinnati Reds seven months later for Ted Kluszewski. Baker was an All-Star for the Cubs in 1955. He played well for the Pirates after the trade, but he got injured in early 1958, then missed all of the 1959 season. He was a 35-year-old a part-time player on the 1960 World Series champs. The Pirates released him in June of the following season. Fondy was a 32-year-old veteran of seven seasons (all with the Cubs) at the time of the trade. He was a .285 career hitter at the time. He had some pop in his bat, although that disappeared in Pittsburgh. He had a .313 average and two homers in 95 games for the Pirates, before being traded to the Reds.
Lee Walls was just 24 years old when the trade occurred, with one full season in at the Major League level. He ended up playing until 1964, mostly as a bench player. He had an All-Star season in 1958, when he had a .304 average, 24 homers and 72 RBIs for the Cubs. Long was 31 years old at the time of the deal. He was off to a slow start during that 1957 season. He went on a tear after the trade, finishing with a .305 average and 21 homers for the Cubs over the rest of the season. He hit 20 homers and drove in 75 runs in 1958, then his production dropped off, although he did stick around the majors until the 1963 season. As far as value goes, the Pirates got just 1.4 WAR from their two players, and Kluszewski had just 0.6 WAR in his 1 1/2 seasons with the team. The Cubs won easily just with the 2.9 WAR they got from Long to finish out the 1957 season, but he finished with 4.8 WAR in Chicago, while Walls had 5.0 WAR on his own. Both players had some trade value as well, tilting the deal more in favor of the Cubs.
The Players
Miguel Yajure, pitcher for the 2021-22 Pirates. He was signed as an international amateur free agent by the New York Yankees in March of 2015 out of Venezuela. He was a few weeks shy of his 17th birthday at the time. He debuted in the Dominican Summer League in 2015, where he went 0-2, 1.42 in 14 starts, with 36 strikeouts and a 1.30 WHIP in 57 innings. Yajure moved up to the Gulf Coast League for the 2016 season. He had a 2.87 ERA and an 0.93 WHIP in 31.1 innings over six starts and three relief appearances. He missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery. The Yankees gave him 14 starts for Charleston of the Class-A South Atlantic League when he returned in 2018. He went 4-3, 3.90 in 64.2 innings, with 56 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP. He split the 2019 season between Tampa of the High-A Florida State League, and two starts with Trenton of the Double-A Eastern League. He combined to go 9-6, 2.14 in 138.2 innings, with 133 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP. The Yankees had Yajure at their Alternate Training Site during the shortened 2020 season. They used him for three relief appearances, in which he had eight strikeouts and one run allowed in seven innings.
The Pirates acquired Yajure as part of the four-for-one Jameson Taillon trade on January 24, 2021. His first season with the Pirates included him splitting his time between Triple-A Indianapolis and the majors, while spending more than two months on the Injured List mid-season. He also made two lower level rehab starts. Yajure had a 2-4, 3.40 record over 11 minor league starts, with a 1.11 WHIP in 47.2 innings. His big league time amounted to an 8.40 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP in 15 innings. He made three starts and one relief appearance. His 2022 season was somewhat similar, with big league time, a longer stint with Indianapolis, as well as a trip to the Injured List. He went 4-4, 6.09 in 54.2 innings with Indianapolis. Yajure had a 1-1, 8.88 record and a 1.93 WHIP over 24.1 innings with the Pirates, making one start and 11 relief appearances. He had a 5.23 ERA over four winter ball starts in Venezuela during the 2022-23 season. In the middle of his winter work, the Pirates placed him on waivers. Yajure was picked up by the San Francisco Giants. He opened the 2023 season on the Injured List. Through three seasons, he has a 1-3, 7.58 record in the majors, with 35 strikeouts and a 1.71 WHIP in 46.1 innings.
Jose Lind, second baseman for the 1987-92 Pirates. He was signed by the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1982 at 18 years old out of Puerto Rico. He debuted in the Gulf Coast League in 1983, hitting .301 in 45 games, with 26 runs, seven extra-base hits, 18 RBIs, 12 steals and a .728 OPS. Lind moved up to Class-A in 1984, where he hit just .207 in 121 games for Macon of the South Atlantic League. He had 39 runs and 39 RBIs, along with seven extra-base hits and a low walk rate, leading to a .489 OPS. He stole 17 bases that season, which was his high mark during his first three years in the minors. He played for Prince William of the Class-A Carolina League in 1985, where he hit .276 in 105 games, with 42 runs, 13 extra-base hits, 28 RBIs, 11 steals and a .654 OPS. Lind didn’t draw many walks or hit for any power during his entire career, but those numbers were very low until his 1986 season for Nashua of the Double-A Eastern League. He batted .263 that year, 58 runs, 24 extra-base hits, 33 RBIs, 43 walks and 29 steals. He hit his first home run as a pro, to go along with 18 doubles and five triples, which were his high marks in the minors. With the added plate appearances that year, along with a slightly lower average, he finished with a .643 OPS that was 11 points lower than the previous season. Lind began the 1987 season with Vancouver of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where he batted .268 in 128 games, with 75 runs, 22 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs, 21 steals and a .643 OPS. He was called up to the majors in late August. He took over at second base for the Pirates, where he hit .322/.358/.434 in 35 games, with 21 runs, 12 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs.
As the everyday second baseman in 1988, Lind put up a .262 average in 154 games, with 24 doubles, 49 RBIs, 15 steals, a .632 OPS and a career high 82 runs. His defense was terrific, finishing the year with a 1.4 dWAR. That led to a career best 3.5 WAR that year, which was a number that he never approached again. His batting average dropped to .232 in 1989, but he remained in the lineup full-time (153 games) due to his defense. Lind scored 52 runs, hit 21 doubles, and he went 15-for-16 in steals that year. He had 48 RBIs and a .569 OPS. He played 152 games in 1990, when he had a .261 average, with 46 runs, 34 extra-base hits, 48 RBIs, and a career high 28 doubles. His .646 OPS that year was the best he recorded while in Pittsburgh. The Pirates made the playoffs for the first time that year since 1979. He batted .238 in the NLCS, with a double, triple and a homer. He drove in a high of 54 runs during the 1991 season, while batting .265 in 150 games, with 53 runs, 25 extra-base hits and a .644 OPS. He went 4-for-25 in the playoffs that year, with no walks and four singles.
Lind had his worst season at the plate with the Pirates in 1992, putting up a .544 OPS in 135 games. He had a .235 average that year, with 38 runs, 15 extra-base hits (14 doubles) and 39 RBIs. He won a Gold Glove that year when he led the National League with a .992 fielding percentage, though modern defensive metrics had that year as his fourth best full season with the Pirates. He finished between 1.1 and 1.4 dWAR during the 1988 and 1990-91 seasons, then put up an 0.2 mark during his Gold Glove season. He hit .222 during the postseason, with two doubles, a triple and a homer. He’s still remembered for a ninth inning error in game seven of the NLCS that put the tying run on base. While that error hurt, there were still two walks and two hits in the inning that contributed to the loss. Lind was traded to the Kansas City Royals for pitchers Joel Johnston and Dennis Moeller after the 1992 season. In his six seasons with the Pirates, Lind hit .255 in 779 games, with 292 runs and 249 RBIs. He had a .607 OPS in 20 playoff games, which ended up being his only postseason games.
Lind hit .248 in 1933, with 33 runs, 15 extra-base hits (13 doubles), 37 RBIs and a .558 OPS in 136 games. He led American League second basemen with a .993 fielding percentage. He batted .269 over 85 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season, with 34 runs, 19 extra-base hits (16 doubles), 31 RBIs, nine stolen bases and a .655 OPS. He hit one homer that season, which was the only homer he hit during his final four seasons in the majors. Lind batted .268/.290/.299 over 29 games in 1995, before he was released by the Royals in July. He signed 12 days later with the California Angels, but he played just 15 games there before being released on August 31st, which ended his big league career. He hit .163/.217/.209 over 46 plate appearances during his time in California. He also put in ten games with Vancouver of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League after signing with the Angels.
Lind had an interesting pattern during his career, starting with his first full season, when he had a career high 668 plate appearances. His plate appearance total went down every season until his last year, seeing it decline for seven straight years. Lind didn’t play pro ball during the 1996-98 seasons, but he began to play independent ball for Bridgeport of the Atlantic League in 1999, remaining there for four seasons as a player (1999-2002), then managing the team during the 2003-05 seasons. He had a .262 average and a .666 OPS in 52 games during the 1999 season. He then batted .301/.331/.377 over 66 games in 2000. Lind played just 12 games in 2001, posting a .556 OPS in 45 plate appearances. His final season was actually just one game in which he went 0-for-5. He finished his big league career as a .254 hitter in 1,044 games, with 368 runs scored, 145 doubles, 27 triples, nine homers, 324 RBIs and 62 stolen bases. His .988 fielding percentage at second base is the 17th best all-time. His cousin Onix Concepcion played seven years with the Royals and one game with the 1987 Pirates. They are one of 26 groups of relatives to play for the Pirates. Lind’s brother Orlando Lind pitched in the minors for the Pirates during the 1983-89 seasons. They were teammates during the 1985-86 seasons. Orlando was traded to the Minnesota Twins prior to the 1990 season, though he never appeared in the majors.
Johnny Berardino, second baseman for the Pirates in 1950 and 1952. He looked like a superstar in the making during the 1940-41 seasons with the St Louis Browns, but Berardino missed most of 1942, and all of the 1943-45 seasons, while serving in the military during WWII. He had a nice season during his first year back in 1946, but his skills quickly went into decline, though he hung around the majors until the end of the 1952 season. Berardino started his pro career at 20 years old in 1937. He had a .334 average that first year, with 79 runs, 23 doubles, 12 homers, 51 RBIs and an .878 OPS in 91 games for Johnstown of the Class-C Middle Atlantic League. He moved up to San Antonio of the Class-A Texas League in 1938, where he batted .309 in 141 games, with 94 runs, 41 doubles, 13 homers, 69 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and an .827 OPS. He debuted in the majors in 1939, spending most of the season as the starting second baseman for the Browns. He hit .256 in 126 games, with 42 runs, 34 extra-base hits, 58 RBIs and a .675 OPS. Berardino saw most of his playing time at shortstop in 1940, when he had a strong year at the plate. His average went up just two points (.258), but he had 31 doubles, 16 homers, 85 RBIs and a career high 71 runs. He finished with a .725 OPS that was a 50-point jump over his rookie year.
Berardino hit .271 in 1941, with 48 runs, 30 doubles, five homers, 41 walks, a .716 OPS and a career high 89 RBIs. He was doing well in 1942, hitting .284/.329/.405 in 29 games, before joining the Navy in the war effort. Berardino returned to baseball action in 1946, when he played 144 games as the Browns starting second baseman. He hit .265 that year, with 70 runs, 29 doubles, 68 RBIs and a .664 OPS. He received mild MVP support for the only time in his career, finishing 25th in the voting. He batted .261 over 90 games in 1947, with 29 runs, 22 doubles, 20 RBIs, 44 walks and a .708 OPS, while setting a personal best with a .358 OBP. That mark was 52 points higher than his 1946 OBP, despite seeing a drop of four points in his batting average. Berardino was traded to the Cleveland Indians in December of 1947. Cleveland went to the World Series and won it all in 1948, but he had a rough year as a backup infielder, then didn’t get into a postseason game. He was dealt for infielder George Metkovich, who would later become his teammate on the 1952 Pirates. Berardino batted .190/.328/.279 over 66 games in 1948, with 19 runs, eight extra-base hits, ten RBIs and a 27:16 BB/SO ratio. He batted just .198/.296/.267 over 50 games in 1949, with 11 runs, seven extra-base hits and 13 RBIs. He saw a majority of his playing time at third base that year.
Berardino spent half of the 1950 season in the minors, splitting 44 games between San Diego and Sacramento of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. He batted just .213 during that time, finishing with a .586 OPS. He played briefly (four games) for the Indians early in the year, before they released him in August. The Pirates signed him four days later, then he finished the season as their regular second baseman. He hit .206/.307/.267 in 40 games for the 1950 Pirates, with 12 runs, five extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Pittsburgh released Berardino exactly two months after signing him. He then re-signed with the Browns for the 1951 season. He batted .227 in 39 games that season, though 17 walks boosted him to a .324 OBP. He had 13 runs, extra-base hits and 13 RBIs. He re-signed with the Indians in 1952, then they would end up trading him to the Pirates in August, after he batted .094/.310/.094 in 42 plate appearances over 35 games. Berardino hit .143/.200/.214 in 19 games for Pittsburgh, in what would be his last season in the majors. If you’re keeping track at home, that means his travels in the majors went from the Browns to Indians to Pirates, then Browns, Indians and Pirates again in the same order as the first time. He was a .249 career hitter in 912 games, with 334 runs scored, 167 doubles, 36 homers, 387 RBIs and more walks (284) than strikeouts (268). His bat kept him in the lineup early in his career, then improved defense kept him in the majors later in his career. He had a -2.1 dWAR in his four seasons before the WWII, and a 0.7 dWAR during his first five seasons back from the war. He became a famous actor after his baseball career ended, though he also did some acting while he was still playing. He was best known for his 33-year role on General Hospital.
Heinie Meine, pitcher for the 1929-34 Pirates. Before the age of 33, Meine pitched just one Major League game consisting of four innings on August 16, 1922 for the St Louis Browns. He didn’t debut in pro ball until he was 25 years old in 1921, playing semi-pro ball and serving nearly two years during WWI prior to beginning his pro career. He had an 8-16, 4.68 record and a 1.48 WHIP with Beaumont in the Class-A Texas League during his first season, while throwing 219 innings. He was actually with the Browns for all of 1922, but only pitched that one regular season game, while also making some exhibition game appearances. He was back in the Texas League in 1923, going 10-9 in 35 appearances, while throwing 194 innings split between San Antonio and Wichita Falls. He then spent the 1924 season pitching for Syracuse of the Double-A International League (highest level of the minors at the time), where he went 17-10, 3.93 in 252 innings, with a 1.43 WHIP. He stayed with Syracuse in 1925, where he put up a 10-6 record, though he had a 4.80 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP in 137 innings. Meinie pitched for Kansas City of the Double-A American Association in 1926, where he went 17-14, 3.73 in 275 innings, with a 1.34 WHIP. He retired in 1927 due to owning a successful business, but decided to return to Kansas City for the 1928 season. Meinie went 7-4, 3.49 in 111 innings that season, finishing with 37 strikeouts and a 1.26 WHIP. On December 8, 1928, the Pirates acquired him for cash and pitcher Les Bartholomew, who pitched six games for the 1928 Pirates. Meine was said to be 28 years old at the time, but he was actually four years older.
Meine made his Pittsburgh debut in relief on May 31, 1929, when he allowed a run on three walks in one inning. Nearly two weeks went by before his next outing, one that turned things around for him. He threw three shutout innings in relief, earning a tryout in the rotation. He ended up that first season with a 7-6, 4.50 record and a 1.43 WHIP in 108 innings over 13 starts and nine relief appearances. Offense in baseball was at its peak during the 1930 season. Heinie (his first name was Henry, which was used more often in print) had a 6-8, 6.14 record and a 1.81 WHIP that year in 117.1 innings over 16 starts and four relief appearances. That sounds like he pitched horrible, but that ERA was less than a run above the team’s combined ERA. The Pirates weren’t fooled by the high ERA. They stuck with Meine, which paid off for them the next season. He led the National League in wins (19), games started (35) and innings pitched (284) in 1931, finishing just ahead of teammate Larry French in the latter category. Meine finished with a 2.98 ERA that was nearly a full run below league average. He pitched two 13-inning complete games that season, both times without recording a single strikeout. He actually finished the year with 87 walks and just 58 strikeouts (a career high), despite facing more batters (1,202) than any other National League pitcher that season. He had three shutouts that year, which was nearly half of his career total. He also lowered by WHIP down to 1.29 from a career worst 1.81 in 1930, which was a number he never approached during his big league time.
Meine went 12-9, 3.86 in 172.1 innings during the 1932 season, making 25 starts and three relief outings. He had 13 complete games, one shutout and a 1.38 WHIP. He had a strong 1933 season, going 15-8, 3.65 in 207.1 innings, with a 1.34 WHIP. He had 29 starts out of his 32 games pitched, with 12 complete games and two shutouts. He finished second on the team in wins, though that ERA was actually the worst among the team’s five starters. Meinie saw a decline in his work at 38 years old in 1934, which ended up being his final big league season. He had a 7-6, 4.32 record and a 1.50 WHIP in 106.1 innings, with 14 starts and 12 relief appearances. He was bothered by a back injury and an arm injury during the season. He decided to retire on February 5, 1935. Meine fell just two outs short of 1,000 career innings pitched. He had a 66-50, 3.95 record with Pittsburgh, making 132 starts and 33 relief appearances. He had 60 complete games and seven shutouts. He was a pitch-to-contact pitcher during an era where strikeout totals were much lower than we see now. Meine had just 199 strikeouts in his career. His game high for strikeouts was five, which he did three times in his career, all during the 1931 season. His brother Walter tried out with the Pirates in 1930, but did not make the team, and never pitched in the majors.
Billy Kelly, catcher for the 1911-13 Pirates. He began his pro career at 18 years old in 1904, but he didn’t make his Major League debut until early in the 1910 season. He debuted in pro ball with Sioux City of the Class-A Western League, which was a rather advanced placement for a young player in his first season. That was one of five leagues considered to be the highest level of play in the minors at the time. Kelly was a regular that year at a young age, hitting .254 in 122 games (only stats available). He moved down a level in 1905, where he collected 59 hits in 86 games for Evansville of Class-B Central League (almost no stats are available from the league that season). Kelly remained in the Central League in 1906-07 with the Springfield club. He hit .249 over 110 games in 1906, with 13 doubles and four triples. He then batted .259 in 1907, with 33 runs scored in 86 games. He played for two other Central League clubs in 1908, seeing time with Dayton and Fort Wayne. The limited available stats show him hitting .209 that year, with 12 runs and seven steals in 46 games. He was clearly not progressing well towards the majors at this point. Kelly moved to the Class-B Three-I League in 1909, where he had a .232 average and five extra-base hits (all doubles) in 69 games for Cedar Rapids.
Kelly played two early season games for the 1910 St Louis Cardinals, before returning to the minors until late in the 1911 season. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored during his first cup of coffee in the majors. He was with St Paul of the Class-A American Association for most of 1910, and all of 1911. That was still the highest level of the minors until Double-A was created in 1912. He hit .265 during the 1910 season, with seven extra-base hits in 63 games. Kelly is credited online with playing for Freeport of the Class-D Northern Association, but that was another catcher by the same name. The two could be found playing on the same day, and this Billy Kelly (called Kelley in the papers), was released to St Paul on June 21st, so he spent over two full months with the Cardinals, despite playing just two games. Kelly put up a .286 average over 74 games in 1911, collecting ten doubles, six triples and three homers. The Pirates purchased him from St Paul on August 10, 1911, 2 1/2 weeks after they paid a record price for pitching phenom Marty O’Toole. While O’Toole’s price of $22,500 was more than twice as much as any other previous purchase price for a player, the $12,500 that owner Barney Dreyfuss ended up paying for Kelly would have also been a record if not for his St Paul teammate’s price 18 days earlier. It was said that the only reason the Pirates paid a heavy price for Kelly was due to the fact he was the only catcher on the St Paul team that could catch for O’Toole. The two were also best friends, though Dreyfuss said that he originally intended to buy Kelly first, assuming that O’Toole was out of his price range. Pittsburgh had a great defensive catcher in George Gibson, and a capable backup in Mike Simon, but the deal was made anyway to keep O’Toole comfortable on the mound.
Kelly joined the Pirates on August 25, 1911, with his arrival delayed a bit due to a minor finger injury that was said to be fine by the time he reached Pittsburgh. He got into six games over the final six weeks of the season, though he started just once, catching for O’Toole on August 30th. His other five games were pinch-hitting appearances. As it turned out, his finger injury wasn’t healed, so that kept him from playing more. Kelly hit .318 over 48 games in 1912, while mostly being used as the catcher for O’Toole. His average was an empty one, as he drew just two walks all year and he was a singles hitter, finishing with a .722 OPS. He had 20 runs, six extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and eight steals. He played 48 games again in 1913, where he hit for a .268 average, with 11 runs, four extra-base hits and nine RBIs. He drew just two walks all season for the second straight year, which resulted in him finishing with a .644 OPS. Kelly returned to the minors after the 1913 season, playing four years for Toronto of the Double-A International League before his pro career ended. The Pirates sold his contract off on November 13, 1913 to Toronto. His 1914 stats aren’t available, but from 1915-17, his average dropped each year from .259 down to .188 in 1917, while playing an average of 55 games. He’s credited with only seven extra-base hits total during that three-year stretch. He had a .585 OPS over 47 games in 1915, despite finishing with a solid .259 average. He had a .218 average and two doubles over 51 games in 1916, followed by that .188 average in 1917, when he finished with a .203 slugging percentage in 68 games. Kelly finished up hitting .293 with 31 runs, ten extra-base hits and 21 RBIs in 102 games while with Pittsburgh. He threw out 30% of base runners back then, which was very low for the time (league average was 44%) when teams ran much more often.
George McQuillan, pitcher for the 1913-15 Pirates. He debuted in pro ball in 1905 at 20 years old, playing most of his first two seasons for Jersey City of the Class-A Eastern League, which was the highest level of the minors at the time. He saw limited work that first year, going 5-2 in 54 innings over nine appearances, posting a 1.04 WHIP, while allowing 2.00 runs per nine innings (ERA isn’t available). The rest of his season was spent with New Bedford of the Class-B New England League, where he had a 14-7 record (only available stats). McQuillan had a 15-9 record and an 0.99 WHIP over 224 innings for Jersey City in 1906. He allowed 3.17 runs per nine innings. That helped him get an early season look in 1907 for the Philadelphia Phillies, though he spent most of the season back in the Eastern League, where he went 19-7 with 105 strikeouts in 225 innings for Providence. He had a 1.13 WHIP and he gave up 3.40 runs per nine innings during his minor league time that year. He pitched one game for the Phillies in May of 1907, then returned in late September. He tossed three straight shutouts upon his return, before giving up his first run in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates. He finished 4-0, 0.66 in 41 innings, with 28 strikeouts and an 0.78 WHIP.
McQuillan stuck in the majors after that impressive 1907 performance, then had a strong first full season. He went 23-17, 1.53, with an 0.98 WHIP in 359.2 innings for the 1908 Phillies, finishing third in the National League in ERA and fourth in wins. He set a career high with 114 strikeouts, which was good for tenth in the league. He completed 32 of 42 starts, throwing seven shutouts, while also pitching six times in relief. McQuillan had a losing record in 1909 (13-16), despite a 2.14 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in 247.2 innings. He pitched 41 times that year, with 28 starts, 16 complete games and four shutouts. He followed that up by going 9-6, 1.60 in 152.1 innings in 1910, completing 13 of his 17 starts. His starts were limited due to poor conditioning it was said. He was sent home from the team in early May, then suspended in early June, before returning and short time later to throw a shutout in his first game back. He was once again suspended in August for the rest of the season, though newspapers reported that he was pitching in the Pacific Coast League under an assumed name (Mitchell).
During his first four seasons in the majors, McQuillan had a 49-39 record for the Phillies with a 1.69 ERA. Despite the great ERA, Philadelphia was still upset with him from the previous season. They traded him to the Cincinnati Reds on November 12, 1910 in an eight-player deal, with four players going each way. Cincinnati gave up on him quickly, after he began the season poorly. He had a 2-6, 4.68 record in 77 innings, with a 1.60 WHIP and a 37:28 BB/SO ratio. He was not known for keeping himself in the best of shape during his early playing days, and that trend continued after he left Philadelphia. He was traded to Columbus of the Class-A American Association in the middle of the 1911 season. He initially struggled during his first year after being demoted, going 5-8 in 17 appearances (only available stats). He then saw better results in each of the next two season. McQuillan had a 17-18 record, a 1.17 WHIP and 140 strikeouts in 307 innings pitched in 1912, while allowing 3.66 runs per nine innings. The Pirates acquired him during the middle of the 1913 season from Columbus for relief pitcher Jack Ferry and other considerations. In the end, the Pirates also had to give up pitcher Eddie Eayrs and outfielder Fred Kommers to get McQuillan. While with Columbus in 1913, McQuillan had a 12-4 record, an 0.99 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 129.1 innings over 21 games, with 3.20 runs allowed per nine innings. He went 8-6, 3.43 in 141.2 innings for the Pirates in the second half of 1913, making 16 starts and nine relief appearances. He had 59 strikeouts and a 1.26 WHIP.
The 1914 Pirates were a very weak team on offense, even for the deadball era, and the pitchers suffered from the lack of run support. McQuillan had a 2.98 ERA that year in 259.1 innings, but he finished with a 13-17 record. He wasn’t even the biggest victim of the lack of offense. Wilbur Cooper was the only regular pitcher for the 1914 Pirates with a winning record, and he was just one game over .500, despite posting a 2.13 ERA. McQuillan pitched 45 times in 1914, with 28 starts and 15 complete games. He had 96 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP. The 1915 season basically went the same for McQuillan, though he had a major difference during the second half. He had an 8-10, 2.84 record and a 1.34 WHIP in 149 innings through the middle of August. The Pirates placed him on waivers, where he was picked up by the Phillies. He went 4-3, 2.12 in 63.2 innings to finish out the season, while improving to a 1.12 WHIP. He pitched mostly in relief with Philadelphia in 1916, going 1-7, 2.76, with a 1.18 WHIP in 62 innings, which were spread out over 21 games (three starts). He was back in the minors in 1917, going 14-19, 3.21 in 286 innings for Kansas City of the Double-A American Association. He then appeared for five games with the Cleveland Indians during the 1918 season, which ended up being his last in the majors. He did well during that brief time, with a 2.35 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 23 innings. The rest of his 1918 season was spent back in Columbus, where he had a 5-6 record over 12 games. McQuillan finished with a Major League record of 85-89, despite posting an ERA of 2.38 in 1,576.1 innings. He had 173 starts, 100 relief appearances, 105 complete games, 17 shutouts and 14 saves (not an official stat at the time). He went 29-33, 3.06 in 550 innings over 64 starts and 36 relief appearances for the Pirates. All of his shutouts came with Philadelphia.
McQuillan ended up pitching in the minors until 1926, finishing with 165 wins in his 15 minor league seasons. He was a player-manager during the 1921 and 1926 seasons, spending most of that time with Nashville of the Class-A Southern Association (1922-23), then back in Columbus for his last three seasons. Due to a salary cut, he refused to sign in 1919. He came back in 1920, splitting his time between Rock Island of the Class-B Three-I League and Columbus. McQuillan went 13-13, 3.00 that year in 198 innings between both spots. He went 11-12, 3.50 in 180 innings for Peoria of the Three-I League in 1921. He joined Nashville in 1922, where he had a 13-15, 4.68 record in 254 innings. He posted a 14-9, 3.32 record during the 1923 season, while throwing 190 innings for Nashville. He had an 11-10, 4.62 record and a 1.63 WHIP over 193 innings for Columbus in 1924. The 1925 season saw him go 9-12, 4.29 in 151 innings, while posting a 163 WHIP. McQuillan finished up with a 2-9, 4.41 record and a 1.51 WHIP over 102 innings in 1926.
Bill White, shortstop for the 1884 Pittsburgh Alleghenys. He began his pro career in 1883, playing one big league game for the Philadelphia Quakers (Phillies), and seven minor league games for Pottsville of the Interstate League. He’s credited with going 0-for-1 in that lone game for the Quakers, while putting up a .318 average during his brief time in Pottsville. The addition of the Union Association as a Major League in 1884, along with the expansion of the American Association from eight teams to 12 teams, opened up many more big league jobs. White was the Alleghenys regular shortstop for most of the early part of the 1884 season, playing 60 games at shortstop, along with ten games at third base, and another four in right field. He hit .227 in 74 games, with 25 runs, seven doubles, ten triples, 13 walks and a .582 OPS He was let go shortly after Horace Phillips took over as the new manager, and brought new players with him. The change didn’t help, as the team finished with a 30-78 record, including a 9-25 mark after White’s last game. White’s defense in 1884 was subpar, with a fielding percentage well below the league average. He finished up the 1884 season seeing brief time with two minor league teams, playing for Springfield of the Ohio State League and East Liberty of the Iron and Oil League. He spent all of 1885 in the minors with Washington of the Eastern League, where he hit .276 in 95 games, with 81 runs and 27 extra-base hits. He returned to the American Association with the Louisville Colonels, where he played much better than his first run through the league. Not only did he hit better during the 1886-87 seasons, his fielding was league average for the time.
White batted .257 over 135 games in 1886, with 96 runs, 17 doubles, ten triples, 66 RBIs, 14 steals and a .633 OPS. He hit .252 over 132 games in 1887, with 85 runs, 18 extra-base hits, 79 RBIs, 47 walks, 41 steals and a .627 OPS. He struggled in 1888, splitting the year between Louisville and the St Louis Browns of the American Association. He hit just .218 in 125 games, though he managed to compile 66 runs and 60 RBIs, to go along with 17 extra-base hits and 21 RBIs. His numbers were much better before the mid-season move, posting a .686 OPS with Louisville, before hitting just .175/.238/.226 in 76 games for the Browns. White ended up playing the next six seasons in the minors. He also managed for three years in the minors, all for teams from Wheeling, West Virginia, though the teams played in three different leagues and the years he managed were spread out over a ten-year period. White was quite the traveler during his final years as a player, playing for teams in Denver, Minneapolis, Portland (Oregon), Augusta (Georgia), Butte (Montana) and Bangor, Maine. His stats are extremely limited during those years with only three full-season batting averages available.
White had a .237 average for Denver of the Western Association in 1889, with 65 runs, 13 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs in 81 games. He also played for Denver of the Colorado State League that year, though no stats are available. There are also no stats for the 1890 season, which he spent with Denver in the Western Association. White played 40 games for Denver in 1891, and another 13 games that year for Minneapolis of the Western Association. He batted .268 in 53 games, with 33 runs, ten extra-base hits and 21 steals. He played for Portland of the Pacific Northwest League and Butte of the Montana State League in 1892. He’s credited with hitting .187 over 74 games between both teams, with 48 runs, 11 doubles, two triples and 28 steals. He had a .239 average in 1893 with Augusta of the Class-B Southern League, in a year when offense around all of baseball was on the rise due to new rules for pitchers that favored hitters. He finished with 50 runs and 15 extra-base hits in 84 games. There are no stats available for his final season with Bangor of the Class-B New England League in 1894. His career big league stats over five seasons show a .241 average in 467 games, with 272 runs scored, 39 doubles, 37 triples and six homers. RBIs and stolen bases weren’t recorded during the 1883-84 seasons, but he had 205 RBIs and 76 steals over his final three years.
Tom Forster, shortstop for the 1884 Alleghenys. Born exactly one year before Bill White, both played shortstop for that 1884 Pittsburgh team, though they were barely teammates. Forster began his pro career in 1881, playing for three different teams in the Eastern Championship Association, where none of his stats are available. He played for the New Yorks and the Quicksteps, both teams playing out of New York. He was also with the Washington Nationals team that moved mid-season to Albany. His Major League career began in August of 1882 with the Detroit Wolverines of the National League. He hit just .092/.148/.092 in 21 games for Detroit, with five walks, five runs and no extra-base hits. As you might expect with those stats, he spent the entire 1883 season back in the minors. His manager during that 1883 season with the East Saginaw Grays of the Northwestern League was Art Whitney, who was also his teammate in 1884 with the Saginaw Greys of the same league. Forster he hit .307 in 64 games during the 1884 season, with 55 runs, 15 doubles and five triples. Both Whitney and Forster joined the Alleghenys during the 1884 season, along with teammate Jay Faatz, when new manager Horace Phillips took over in mid-August. Forster played the final 35 games of the season for Pittsburgh, 28 as a shortstop, six at third base and one at second base. He hit just .222/.263/.262 over 133 plate appearances, but he played strong defense while at shortstop, with an .897 fielding percentage. That mark was well above league average, which was .862 at the time of no gloves, poor field conditions and unforgiving official scorers. Forster had ten runs, five doubles and seven walks during his time with the Alleghenys.
After leaving Pittsburgh, Forster played another two years in the majors with the New York Metropolitans of the American Association, though neither time was a full season. He was their second baseman both years. He still had trouble hitting during that time, but he was decent defensively, especially when he played shortstop. He hit .221/.281/.272 for New York in 1885, with 28 runs, nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in 57 games. He spent part of the season with Milwaukee of the Western League, where he had a .215 average, 28 runs and seven doubles in 35 games. He then put up a .195 average over 67 games for New York in 1886, finishing with 33 runs, six extra-base hits, 20 RBIs, nine steals and a .498 OPS. Forster hit one home run in his big league career over 719 plate appearances. It was an inside-the-park homer off of Matt Kilroy, hit during the same ear that he set the still-standing single-season strikeout record (513) in 1886. Forster ended up playing another four seasons in the minors after his final big league game, finishing his pro career in 1890 with Hartford of the Atlantic Association. He batted .305 during the 1887 season, with 107 runs, 23 doubles and 58 steals in 114 games with Milwaukee of the Northwestern League. His 1888 stats are limited from stops with Milwaukee and Davenport of the Western Association, but he’s credited with a .205 average and 13 extra-base hits in 105 games that year. He joined Hartford in 1889 (no stats available), then ended up batting .220 over 78 games during his final season of pro ball in 1890, finishing with 46 runs, 16 extra-base hits (14 doubles) and 17 steals. His final big league stats show a .197 average in 180 games, with 76 runs, 20 extra-base hits and 49 walks.
