Billy Cox’s debut

Billy Cox with the Pirates in the mid-1940s

Billy Cox, the pride of Newport, Pa., makes his major league debut 85 years ago today, batting eighth and playing shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2-1 loss at Cincinnati.

Cox picks up two of Pittsburgh’s five hits off Reds right-hander Bucky Walters.

Cox finishes with a single – in his first at-bat, thank you – and a double off Walters.

Cox plays nine more games for the Pirates in 1941 before serving four years with the Army in World War II.

After the war, he spends two full seasons for Pittsburgh in 1946 and ’47 before playing seven seasons in Brooklyn and a final season in 1955 with Baltimore.

With Brooklyn, Cox moves from shortstop to third base and becomes one of the best ever to play that position.

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