Agate
ON THIS DATE
July 27
1965 – Jimmy Russell, head football coach at Donora High School for 33 years, is hired for the same position at newly formed Belle Vernon. Russell, the dean of WPIAL football coaches, led Donora to three WPIAL championships (1944, 1945 and 1953). Also leaving Donora for Belle Vernon is Rudy Andabaker, Russell’s top assistant coach.
1976 – Bob Ford, a 23-year-old assistant pro at Oakmont Country Club, wins the $3,500 Millcraft Open at Lone Pine Golf Club.
1981 – Nat Cecchini is named head coach of the Beth-Center High School boys basketball team. Cecchini succeeds Tom Katruska, who served two seasons and guided the Bulldogs to a 22-27 record.
1988 – The New York’s Tommy John becomes the first pitcher to commit three errors on one play when he (1) bobbles Jeffrey Leonard’s grounder, and then, in an effort to recover, (2) throws the ball down the right-field line that Dave Winfield retrieves and fires home, where the Yankee left-hander cuts it off, (3) relaying the throw wildly to the plate to allow two runs to score. The 45 year-old’s fourth-inning miscues don’t stop him from getting the victory in the Yankees’ 16-3 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers in the Bronx.
1992 – Bob Keys resigns after seven seasons as head football coach at Jefferson-Morgan High School. Keys led the Rockets to a 44-30 record and three Tri-County South Conference championships. J-M promotes defensive coordinator Jan Haiden to head coach.
1992 – Patty Sheehan shoots a 1-over-par 72 for a two-stroke victory over Julie Inkster in an 18-hole playoff in the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club.
1996 – Washington High School’s Andy Molinaro catches touchdown passes of six and 35 yards but the Ohio all-stars defeat Pennsylvania 45-36 in the Big 33 Football Classic in Hershey.
1998 – Tony Womack of the Pittsburgh Pirates establishes a major league record by not grounding out into a double play in 888 consecutive at-bats, breaking the record previously established by Dodger outfielder Pete Reiser in 1946.