Channel 11 Sports ranks the top 11 all-time Pirates players

PITTSBURGH — Love them or hate them, the Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the most storied baseball franchises in the country. From its founding in 1881 to the most recent season, Channel 11 Sports ranked the top 11 Pirates players of all time.

11. Andrew McCutchen

A perennial fan favorite during his time with the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen still has a soft spot for our region and returns often to the area. He was a top football recruit coming out of high school in Florida but chose a baseball career instead. He’s spent 11 years playing centerfield in Major League Baseball, 9 of them with the Pirates. In 1,346 games here, he had 5,033 at bats and 1,463 hits for a .291 average. That includes 203 home runs and 725 RBI. He is a five-time All Star, a four-time Silver Slugger, and has won the Gold Glove award and the Roberto Clemente Award. He also helped the Pirates end a 20-season losing streak in 2013 on his way to the NL MVP.

10. Bill Mazeroski

Nicknamed “Maz," he played 17 seasons in the MLB for the Pirates from 1956 through 1972. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 and is widely considered one of the greatest second basemen to ever play the game. He played in 2,163 games, had 7,755 at bats and 2,016 hits for a .260 average. He smashed 138 home runs and had 853 RBI. He was a seven-time All Star, an eight-time Gold Glove winner, was the Major League Player of the Year and won two World Series.

9. Dave Parker

The first professional athlete to earn an average of $1 million a year, Dave Parker played right field for 19 seasons in the MLB, 11 of them in Pittsburgh. He played in 1,301 games, had 4,848 at bats, 1,479 hits and a .305 average. Nicknamed “The Cobra," Parker hit 166 home runs and had 758 RBI. He was a four time All Star, won the Gold Glove Award three times, was a two time Batting Title MVP and won a World Series.

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8. Pie Traynor

Harold “Pie” Traynor played his entire career, 17 seasons, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was considered one of the greatest third basemen in baseball history following WWII. He got the nickname “Pie” during his childhood because he often went to a local grocery store and asked for pie. He played in 1,941 games, had 7,559 at bats, 2,416 hits and a .320 average. He had 58 home runs and 1,273 RBI. He was a two-time All Star, won the 1925 World Series and is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

7. Arky Vaughan

Arky Vaughan was the youngest player in the National League in 1932, but he ended up playing nearly 130 games that season because of injuries to other players. The shortstop played 14 seasons of baseball, 10 of them with the Pirates. He was consistently among the league’s best hitters and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He played 1,411 games, had 5,268 at bats, 1,709 hits and a .324 average. That includes 84 home runs and 764 RBI. He was an eight time All Star and won the Batting Title once.

6. Willie Stargell

Another beloved Pirates player, Willie Stargell smacked seven baseballs over the 86-foot-high right field stands at Forbes Field. Most players would use a weighted bat to warm up. Stargell used a sledgehammer and it helped the team win six National League division titles, two National penants, and two World Series. He played all 21 seasons of his career as a Pirate, appearing in 2,360 games, 7,927 at bats and compiling 2,232 hits for a .282 average. He had 475 home runs and 1,540 RBI. He was a seven time All Star, a two time National League home run leader, MVP, Major League Player of the Year, a World Series MVP and is in the Hall of Fame.

5. Ralph Kiner

Born in New Mexico, Ralph Kiner was of Pennsylvania Dutch, Scots-Irish and Jewish ancestry. He served as a Navy pilot during WWII as well. He only played 10 seasons in the majors at left field and first base, eight of them with the Pirates, but he was one of the league’s top hitters every season. He played 1,095 games, had 3,913 at bats, 1,097 hits and a .280 average. He smashed 301 home runs and had 801 RBI. He was a six-time All Star, a seven-time National League Home Run Leader, was the National League RBI leader once and is in the Hall of Fame.

4. Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is considered one of the greatest baseball players in history, but also one of the most controversial because of his role in the steroids scandal. Despite that, he holds several MLB records, including career home runs at 762, single season home runs at 73 and most career walks. He played seven seasons at left field with the Pirates before heading to the West Coast. While in Pittsburgh, he played in 1,010 games, had 3,584 at bats, 984 hits and a .275 average. He had 176 home runs, 556 RBI and 251 stolen bases. He was a two-time All Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, a three-time Silver Slugger and a two-time MVP.

3. Paul Waner

Born in Oklahoma Territory before it became a state, Paul Waner’s father turned down an MLB contract to instead settle a 400-acre farm. Waner said he learned how to hit from smacking corn-cobs on his father’s farm. He had astigmatism, a vision issue that does not allow the eyes to focus at any distance, but did not like wearing glasses while playing. He said his eyes made the baseball appear fuzzy, but it was the size of a grapefruit, allowing him to hit the center more often. Waner played 15 seasons with the Pirates at right field and played in 2,154 games. He had 8,429 at bats, 2,868 hits and a .340 average. Waner had 113 home runs and 1,309 RBI. He was a four time All Star, won the Batting Title three times, won MVP once and is in the Hall of Fame.

2. Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates before he died in a plane crash while delivering help to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He was both the first Latin American and Caribbean player enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Clemente played in 2,433 games, had 9,454 at bats, 3,000 hits and a .317 average. He had 240 home runs and 1,305 RBI. Clemente was a 15-time All Star, won the Gold Glove Award 12 times, was a two-time World Series champion, was a World Series MVP and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1. Honus Wagner

Johannes “Honus” Wagner is considered by baseball historians to be the greatest shortstop ever and one of the greatest players in history. He is featured on one of the rarest and most valuable baseball cards in the world. Born in 1874 in what is now Carnegie, Wagner dropped out of school at 12 to help his family in the coal mines before he was able to get a Major League tryout later in his life.. Wagner played in 2,433 games over 18 seasons in Pittsburgh. He had 9,034 at bats, 2,967 hits and a .328 average. He had 82 home runs and 1,474 RBI. He won the Batting Title eight times, defeated Ty Cobb in the 1909 World Series, is on the MLB All Century Team, the MLB All Time Team and is in the Hall of Fame.

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