Index: | Wagner | Clarke | Chesbro | Traynor | P. Waner | Greenberg | Carey | McKechnie | L. Waner | Cuyler | Clemente | Kiner | Vaughan | Stargell | Mazeroski | Others |
This painting from the Pirates 1996 scorecard shows several of the famous Pirate players in the uniforms from their era.
Many considered him as baseball's greatest all-round player. Despite his awkward appearance, the Pirate's nonpareil SS was a sensational hitter, a brilliant base runner and a flawless fielder. Broke into the majors by hitting .344 in 1897 and enjoyed 17 consecutive .300 seasons, including 8 as the NL batting champion, compiling a lifetime average of .329. The Flying Dutchman also stole 720 bases and led the league in thefts on 6 occasions.Honus Wagner: #33
Shortstop Born Feb 24, 1874 Died Dec 6 1955, both in Carnegie PA Ht: 5-11 Wt: 200 Threw and Batted Righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1936
Jim Gallagher (Jim_Gallagher@thegc.com) sent me these notes on Honus:
One of the earliest baseball movies was a short produced by the Vitagraph Studios in 1909.
The movie showed Honus Wagner teaching a little boy the art of batting. The little boy,
one Moses Horwitz, stayed in acting as Moe Howard, one of the Three Stooges.
Perhaps the most bizarre bit of Wagnerian trivia was his appearance in a 1919 film,
Spring Fever, whose cast included Moe and Shemp Howard. Who would ever have imagined
this Hall-of-Famer appearing in the same movie as two future members of
The Three Stooges?
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2785 10427 1740 3430 651 252 101 1732 .329
Fred Clarke:
Left Fielder Born Oct 3, 1872 at Winterset , IA Died Aug 14, 1960 at Winfield, KS Ht: 5-10 Wt: 165 Threw Right and Batted Lefthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945
Twenty-one year old Fred Clarke went five for five in his major
league debut with the Louisville Colonels on June 30, 1894; and
three years later he batted .406 as the team's player-manager,
only to lose the batting title to Willie Keeler. In addition to
his hitting prowess, he was an outstanding outfielder and
manager. Following the Louisville-Pittsburgh merger in 1900, he
directed the Pirates to three successive pennants and then to a
world championship in 1909.
Years with the Bucs: 1900-1915
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page
Hall of Fame Plaque. (43k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2204 8584 1620 2703 358 219 65 1015 .315From Baseball's Famous Outfielders, by Ira Lepouce Smith: Clarke made 10 put-outs against St. Louis on April 25, 1911. He was the first National League outfielder to be credited with four assists in one game. Playing against Philadelphia at Pittsburgh on August 23, 1910, his throws got one runner at the plate, another at third, and two more at second.
Clarke leads the franchise in games managed and posted a .595 winning percentage.
Jack Chesbro:
Pitcher Born Jun 5, 1874 North Adams, MA Died Nov 6, 1931 at Conway, MA Ht: 5-9 Wt: 180 Threw and Batted Righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946
Jack Chesbro was an early spitball ace whose 1904 performance
with the New York
Highlanders still rates 5 stars. He started 51 games, completed
48 and was the victor in 41 while hurling 454 innings. Between
1901-1906, he won 154 games - an average of 25-plus per season.
Hurling for the pennant-winning Pirates and later for New York in
the AL, he led both circuits in won-lost percentage.
Years with the Bucs: 1899-1902
G IP SHO W L PCT H SO BB ERA 392 2896 35 198 132 .600 2642 1265 690 2.68
Pie Traynor: #20
Third Baseman Born Nov 11, 1899 at Framingham, MA Died March 16, 1972 at Pittsburgh, PA Ht: 6-0 1/2 Wt: 175 Threw and Batted Righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948
Pie Traynor is rated as one of the great third basemen of all
time. His spectacular defensive prowess over-shadowed his fine
hitting, for he was a consistent .300 batter and 100 RBI-man.
Rugged, rangy and handsome, Pie was the pride of the Pirates in
the 1920's and '30's and was considered by John McGraw as "the
finest team player in the game." He received his nickname
because of his fondness for pastry as a kid.
His #20 was retired by the Pirates in 1972.
Years with the Bucs: 1920-1937
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page.
Another picture of Pie, circa-1938.
Hall of Fame Plaque. (43k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1941 7559 1183 2416 371 164 58 1273 .320
Paul Waner: #11
Right Fielder Born Apr 16, 1903 at Harrah OK; Died Aug 29, 1965 at Sarasota, Fl Ht: 5-8 1/2 Wt: 153 Threw and Batted lefthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1952
Paul Waner starred with his brother Lloyd in the Pirate outfield
from 1927-1940. "Big Poison" was a line drive hitter and an
adroit bat manipulator who reached the 3,000 hit plateau. He
captured 3 NL batting titles,
hitting .300 or better 14 times; and he collected 200 or more
hits on eight occasions. Paul was named the league's MVP in 1927 and went on to
compile a .333 average.
Years with the Bucs: 1926-1940
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page
Here's a picture of Big Poison and Little Poison.
Hall of Fame Plaque. (44k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2549 9459 1627 3152 605 191 113 1309 .333
Hank Greenberg: #5
First Baseman Born Jan 1, 1911 at New York, NY Died Sept 4, 1986 at Beverly Hills, CA Ht: 6-3 1/2 Wt: 215 Threw and Batted Righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956
Despite losing 4 prime seasons to WWII and another to a fractured wrist, Hank
Greenberg still walloped 331 homeruns. His peak year was 1938 when the slugging
right-hander hit 58 homers after driving in 183 runs the year
before. His last day of the season, 9th inning grand slam won
the 1945 pennant for the Tigers. A two-time MVP, he closed out
his career in Pittsburgh, shooting at Forbes Field's "Greenberg Gardens"
(from Cecil Greek's Page).
Here's a picture of Hank loosing up for the Bucs.
Years with the Bucs: 1947
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1394 5193 1051 1628 379 71 331 1276 .313
Max Carey:
Center Fielder Born Jan 11, 1890 at Terre Haute, IN Died May 30, 1976 at Miami Beach, FL Ht: 5-11 1/2 Wt: 170 Threw Right and Batted Both Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1961
Max Carey enjoyed six seasons in which he hit over .300, but he
built his reputation as a superb outfielder and as a scientific
base-stealer. He still holds NL records for fielding prowess and
10 times he led the league in
steals - still a major league high. In 1922, he stole 51
bases in 53 attempts. Carey experienced his best year in 1925 at
the age of 35, hitting .343 and then .458 for the Pirates in the
World Series.
Years with the Bucs: 1910-1926
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page
Here's another picture of Max.
Hall of Fame Plaque. (41k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2469 9363 1545 2665 419 159 69 797 .285
Bill McKechnie combined extensive baseball knowledge with uncommon patience and a likable personality to become a highly-successful manager and the only NL skipper to win pennants with three different clubs - Pittsburgh (1925), St Louis (1928), and Cincinnati (1939-40). His 1925 and '40 clubs were World Champions, and he was named manager of the year on two occasions. His managerial success was sandwiched between 11 seasons as a major league infielder and four as a coach.Bill McKechnie:
Manager Born Aug 7, 1887 at Wilkensburg, PA Died Oct 29, 1965 at Bradenton, FL Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962
Lloyd Waner: #10
Center Fielder Born Mar 16, 1906 at Harrah OK; Died Jul 22, 1982 at Oklahoma, OK Ht: 5-8 1/2 Wt: 150 Threw Right and Batted Lefthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1967
Although both Waner brothers weighed only 150 pounds, they were complete players
who could hit, field, throw, steal and beat opponents in
countless ways. Lloyd - "Little Poison" - batted .355 as a
rookie and set a freshman mark that still stands with 223 hits.
He hit over .300 in ten of his first 12 seasons, compiled a
career mark of .316 and accumulated 2459 hits. A slap hitter, he
was probably the fastest in the NL going from home to first
during his heyday.
Years with the Bucs: 1927-1941
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page.
Here's a picture of Big Poison and Little Poison.
Hall of Fame Plaque.
(52k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1993 7772 1201 2459 281 118 27 598 .316
Curtis Lyons (lyons@aztec.lib.utk.edu) wrote to say that Lloyd was a great defensive Center Fielder; Little Poison had to be good with the glove to effectively patrol the huge areas in the Forbes Field outfield. Curtis asserts that Lloyd's leather was the key to his Hall of Fame selection.
Kiki Cuyler:
Right Fielder Born Aug 30, 1899 at Harrisville, MI Died Feb 11, 1950 at Ann Arbor, MI Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185 Threw and Batted Righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1968
Kiki Cuyler was one of the NL's outstanding outfielders of his
day. A fine hitter, fielder, thrower, and base runner, he batted
.300 in ten of his 15 seasons as a regular, topping .350 four
times and compiling a lifetime mark of .321. Four times he led the circuit in stolen bases as
he played for four pennant winners. His seventh game, eighth
inning, bases loaded double off Walter Johnson won the '25 World
Series for the Pirates.
Years with the Bucs: 1921-1927
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page.
Hall of Fame Plaque. (48k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1879 7161 1305 2299 394 157 128 1065 .321
Roberto Clemente: #21
Right Fielder Born Aug 18, 1934 at Carolina PR; Died Dec 31, 1972 at San Juan PR Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185 Threw and Batted righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973
The Pirates' Roberto Clemente played with an intensity that won him universal
admiration. Despite an unorthodox batting style, he topped the
.300 mark 13 times, winning 4
batting crowns, and amassing 3,000 hits. He was equally
brilliant in right field, as he paced outfielders in assists five
times with his rifle-arm. Clemente was the NL MVP in 1966 and the star of the
1971 World Series, when he batted .414. He died in a plane crash
on Dec 31, 1972 flying relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake
victims.
His #21 was retired by the Pirates in 1973.
Years with the Bucs: 1955-1972
Did you know that Roberto collected more hits from 1960-1969 than any other major league hitter?
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page
Photo from my childhood collection; Arco
sponsored these photos in 1971. (40k)
Hall of Fame Plaque(55k)
Read "Tales of the Tape" for a description of the longest balls hit by Roberto.
Read A
Form of Punishment; by Abby Mendelson at the Pirates Official Web Site.
Matthew Blair's Clemente page has
information, pictures, and links.
recently, the family has approved an Official
Roberto Clemente Web Site.
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2433 9454 1416 3000 440 166 240 1305 .317Bob Prince said, "When Bobby Clemente retires, there'll be nothing but mere mortals playing right field".
In a relatively brief (10 year) career shortened by a back ailment, Ralph Kiner hit 369 HRs, winning or sharing the NL HR title each of his first 7 seasons in Pittsburgh. His top HR output was 54 in 1949, but he also had 51 HR in 1947; and his ratio of 7.1 HRs per 100 ABs is second only to Babe Ruth. Kiner averaged better than 100 RBIs a season as he led the NL in Slugging Percentage 3 times. He had a "Korner" named after him in Forbes Field.Ralph Kiner: #4
Left Fielder Born Oct 27, 1922 at Santa Rita, NM Ht: 6-2 Wt: 195 Threw and Batted Righthanded Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975.
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1472 5205 971 1451 216 39 369 1015 .279
Arky Vaughan: #21
Shortstop Born Mar 9, 1912 at Clifty, AR Died Aug 30, 1952 at Eagleville, CA Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185 Threw Right and Batted Left handed Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985
Among Hall of Fame Shortstops, Arky Vaughan's .318 lifetime
batting average is second only to Honus Wagner's .329. In 1935,
he hit a towering, league-leading
.385 for the Pirates, a mark since unequaled by any NL
performer. Vaughan homered twice in the 1941 All Star Game and
he fanned only 276 times in 6622 career at bats. He was also an
excellent fielder and a good base runner - leading the league
with 20 thefts for the Dodgers in 1943.
Years with the Bucs: 1932-1941
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page.
Hall of Fame Plaque. (46k)
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 1817 6622 1173 2103 356 128 96 926 .318
Willie Stargell: #8
Left Fielder Born Mar 6, 1941 at Earlsboro, OK Died April 9, 2001 at Wilmington, NC Ht: 6-3 Wt: 225 Threw and Batted Left handed Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1988
Willie Stargell combined charisma and power. He crushed 475
career homers - twice leading the
NL with 48 in 1971 and with 44 in '73. He drove in 1540
runs, scored 1195 and had 2232 hits with a lifetime batting
average of .282. His influence, however, extended beyond the
white lines and into the dugout and clubhouse as well, where his
inspirational leadership contributed greatly to Pirate World
Championships in 1971 and in 1979, when he shared NL MVP honors.
His #8 was retired by the Pirates in 1982.
Years with the Bucs: 1962-1982
Did you know that of all the great sluggers in the majors during the 1970's, that Stargell hit
more home runs from 1970 to 1979 than anyone else in the majors?
Picture from Cecil Greek's
Pirates Home Page
Picture from my baseball card collection.
Photo from my childhood collection; Arco
sponsored these photos in 1971. (35k)
Hall of Fame Plaque. (52k)
Read "Tales of the Tape" for a description of the longest balls hit by Willie.
Here is a book review of Willie's autobiography.
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2360 7927 1195 2232 423 55 475 1540 .282
Willie left the Pirate family when manager Chuck Tanner was fired by the Pirates after the 1985 season. Willie had been a coach under Tanner. Stargell spent several years with the Atlanta Braves, following Tanner south, before returning as a special assistant to the Pirates General Manager in 1997. Stargell died from an extended illness on the day that the new PNC Park was opened. Several major league teams honored Stargell with a moment of silence and a video montage.
Bill Mazeroski: #9
Second Baseman Born September 5, 1936 in Wheeling, WV. Ht: 5' 11.5" Wt: 183 Threw and Batted Right Handed Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2001
His well-chronicled home run against the Yankees gave Pittsburgh the 1960 World Championship. During his 17-year career with Pittsburgh, "Maz" won eight Gold Glove awards and earned a reputation as one of the finest fielding second basemen in the history of the game. Among the Major League records for second basemen he holds are:
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI Avg 2163 7755 769 2016 294 62 138 853 .260Maz had a .983 career fielding percentage.
In Total Baseball, an article by Michael Gershman listed Maz as one of the 100 best Major League players of all time. He was selected as one of 10 second basemen on Gershman's team. The article cites the Baseball Ratings, by Charles Faber, that examined fielders with 10 years experience in fielding percentage, assists, chances and range. In that study, Bill Mazeroski leads every player, at every position, in every era in fielding.
Some of the members of the Pirate e-mail list had a lengthy discussion about Maz's chances/qualifications/competition for the Hall of Fame. I prepared a summary of the thread and called it, Maz and the HOF.
Here's a wrap up of the 1996 Veteran's Committee vote.
What Maz's Home Run Means: Here is an AP
story that sums up Maz's 1960 World Series winning home run.
Here's a photo of that famous home
run. Or, you can see Yankee left fielder Yogi Berra look up at Maz's famous
blast.
I wrote a review on Twin Killing: The Bill Mazeroski Story. Here's a picture from that book of rookie Bill Mazeroski in 1956.
Here is a web site by the author of Twin Killing. The site opens with an animated .gif of Maz turning the pivot at second, includes a .wav file of a call of his Series-ending homer in '60, and includes quotes, pictures and bios of the 23 players and coaches interviewed in person for the book.
Name Years with Pgh Comments Branch Rickey 1951-1955 General Manager Jake Beckley 1888-89, 91-96 "Old Eagle Eye" Jim Bunning 1968-69 Pitched a no-hitter in both leagues Joe Cronin 1926-1927 7-time All-Star Frankie Frisch 1940-1946 HOF as a player; Pgh manager James "Pud" Galvin 1887-89, 91-92 Second only to Cy Young Burleigh Grimes 1916-17, 28-29, 34 Last legal spitballer Ned Hanlon 1889, 91 19th Century Manager Billy Herman 1947 Master of the hit-and-run Waite Hoyt 1933-37 "School Boy" Joseph Kelley 1891-92 Hit over .300 11 times George Kelly 1917 "Highpockets" Chuck Klein 1939 Triple Crown Winner Fred Lindstrom 1933-34 Youngest Player in a World Series Al Lopez 1940-46 Player with Bucs, HOF Manager Connie Mack 1891-96 Managed the A's for 50 years Heine Manush 1938-39 Career .330 hitter Rabbit Maranville 1921-24 2670 games Casey Stengel 1918-19 Won 7 WS in 12 years Arthur "Dazzy" Vance1915 MVP in 1924 Rube Waddell 1900-01 K'ed 16 in a game Vic Willis 1906-09 Won over 20 games 4 years in a row
A tour of the Baseball Hall of Fame: A Pirates Perspective. Use this page as a starting point for your own tour through Cooperstown. These are my notes from my tour of the HoF in January 1999. If you look closely, Pirate displays are all over the museum.
***Additional Information Source: 1995 Records and Information
Guide
(Pirates Media Guide)
Thanks to the Pirate team offices for their assistance with some
of the uniform numbers.
Go back to Glenn's Home Page
