Irish-born ballplayers have played a pivotal role in Major League Baseball since the sport's early days.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson -- who recently spoke about the Irish heritage in Pittsburgh's baseball history -- tells us about one former Pirates manager who may be underappreciated.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.