10 players you forgot were once Pirates

December 1st, 2021

PITTSBURGH -- For the most part, the most famous players to wear a Pirates uniform are known for their time in Pittsburgh. When you think about Roberto Clemente or Willie Stargell or Bill Mazeroski or Honus Wagner, you identify them as Pirates. Dave Parker, Barry Bonds and played elsewhere, but initially came to fame with the Bucs.

But that's not always the case. There have been a few famous players -- even a handful of Hall of Famers -- who aren't best remembered for donning the black and gold. Some may be barely remembered for it, in fact. Here are 10 players, a mix of long-ago Hall of Famers and more recent stars, who you almost certainly know well -- but maybe not for their time with the Pirates.

Joe Cronin, 1926-27
Cronin was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1956 after a 20-year playing career and 15 years managing for the Washington Senators and the Red Sox. His No. 4 has been retired by the Red Sox, and he's in the Nationals' "Ring of Honor" for his accomplishments with the Senators. He made seven All-Star teams and retired with a career .301 batting average. But his career began in Pittsburgh, where he had 27 hits in 50 games over two years.

Hank Greenberg, 1947
Another Hall of Famer who spent only a little time with the Pirates, Greenberg ended his storied career with Pittsburgh. Greenberg won two American League MVP Awards, made five All-Star teams and won a pair of World Series with the Tigers. In his final season, he hit 25 of his 331 career homers for the Bucs.

Jim Bunning, 1968-69
Bunning is best remembered as a Hall of Fame pitcher and a politician who served in both chambers of Congress. He is likely not remembered as a Pirate. Bunning pitched 52 games for Pittsburgh, going 14-23 with a 3.84 ERA and seven complete games. The Pirates traded him to the Dodgers in 1969, and he finished his career with the Phillies. Bunning was a nine-time All-Star who pitched a no-hitter and a perfect game and eventually had his No. 14 retired by Philadelphia. He was elected into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in '96.

Rich "Goose" Gossage, 1977
Gossage actually enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 22-year career with the Pirates, going 11-9 with a 1.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP and 151 strikeouts in 133 innings over 72 games. He made the All-Star team that year, one of his nine All-Star nods. Gossage became a free agent after the 1977 season, signed with the Yankees and immediately won a World Series in '78. Gossage also pitched for the White Sox, Padres, Cubs, Giants, Rangers, A's and Mariners, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Bert Blyleven, 1978-80
Pirates fans certainly remember Blyleven because he helped the Bucs win the World Series in 1979. But the Hall of Famer is most closely associated with the Twins because he spent 11 years with Minnesota, won the '87 World Series with the Twins and now serves as a color commentator on Twins broadcasts. In three seasons with Pittsburgh, Blyleven went 34-28 with a 3.47 ERA in 105 games. Blyleven's Pirates tenure ended when he requested a trade and was subsequently dealt to the Indians along with Manny Sanguillen.

Kenny Lofton, 2003
Amid their 20-year losing streak, the Pirates saw a handful of recognizable veterans come and go. Enter Lofton, a household name after making six AL All-Star teams and winning four Gold Glove Awards with the Indians. The Pirates signed him before the 2003 season and quickly dealt him in the infamous Aramis Ramirez trade with the Cubs that July. Lofton played 84 games for Pittsburgh, batting .277 with nine homers and 18 steals.

Raul Mondesi, 2004
Like Lofton, Mondesi joined the Pirates during the twilight of his career. The 1994 National League Rookie of the Year Award winner played only 26 games for Pittsburgh after signing in 2004, batting .283 with two homers. The former Dodgers and Blue Jays slugger left the Pirates in May and went to the Dominican Republic to deal with a legal issue, and the Bucs wound up releasing him a few weeks later.

Sean Casey, 2006
Casey will always be tied to Pittsburgh as an Upper St. Clair High School graduate. "The Mayor" is also inextricably linked to PNC Park, because he christened the ballpark with its first hit, homer and RBI with one swing on April 9, 2001. But the longtime Reds first baseman and MLB Network analyst also had a brief stint with the Bucs in 2006, batting .296 with three homers over 59 games in 2006. The Pirates acquired Casey from the Reds in December 2005 and dealt him to the Tigers in July 2006.

Derrek Lee, 2011
Lee made two All-Star teams, won a World Series, picked up three Gold Glove Awards and claimed a batting title during his 15-year career. But his playing days came to an end in Pittsburgh. The Pirates acquired him from the Orioles in July 2011, and he made a great first impression by slugging two home runs in his first game. At that point, the Bucs were hovering above .500 and looking to end their ignominious streak of losing seasons. Lee was injured after only a few games, however, and the Pirates were well below .500 by the time he returned in September.

Steve Pearce, 2007-11
OK, you probably remember Pearce as a Pirate. The Bucs drafted him in 2005, and he actually spent more consecutive years in Pittsburgh than anywhere else in his career. But there was little remarkable about Pearce's stint with the Pirates, as he hit .232 with a .668 OPS as an up-and-down corner infielder/outfielder. Then Pearce began his wayward tour through the AL East in 2012, and in '13 he emerged as a productive platoon player with the Orioles. He then went from Baltimore to Tampa Bay (back) to Baltimore to Toronto and finally to Boston. Pearce reached the peak of his career 13 years after the Bucs drafted him, winning 2018 World Series MVP Award honors with the Red Sox.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com