Mike Wysocki’s Pittsburgh Pirates PNC Park 15th-Anniversary Team
Andrew McCutchen is a once-in-a-generation gem
By Mike Wysocki
PNC Park turns 15 years old this season. In its honor, I proudly reveal my picks for the PNC Park 15th-Anniversary Team. The criterion — as much as there was one — is that only the player’s total numbers accrued since the park opened were considered. Also, please remember that the majority of the PNC Park clubs were not so good.
First Base: Craig Wilson .268, 94 HR, 282 RBI
This was by far the toughest position to pick. The Bucs have had more than 50 men play this position since the park opened; it’s been a turnstile of incompetence. Wilson was the best of a mediocre bunch.
Backup: Adam LaRoche
Second Base: Neil Walker .272, 93 HR, 282 RBI
It’s going to be hard to watch Walker play in a Mets uniform this year and I still can’t believe he’s gone.
Backup: Freddy Sanchez
Third Base: Pedro Alvarez .236, 131 HR, 401 RBI
This is another position with no clear-cut favorites, but I think the nod goes to Pedro. Despite being the definition of the term “hit or miss,” he did lead the National League in homers a few years ago.
Backup: Aramis Ramirez
Shortshop: Jack Wilson .269, 60 HR 389 RBI
Wilson was just a solid ballplayer and all-around good guy. I really wish he could have experienced a winning Pirates season.
Backup: Jordy Mercer (you got any better ideas?)
Catcher: Jason Kendall .298, 22 HR 206 RBI
This was one of my grandfather’s favorite players because he wasn’t one of those sissies that had to wear batting gloves.
Backup: Russell Martin
Leftfield: Jason Bay .281, 139 HR, 452 RBI
Jason Bay was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He suffered with zero talent around him here before taking the Mets for a truckload of money on his way out of baseball. He made the best out of a bad situation.
Backup: Lastings Milledge. Just kidding, it’s obviously Starling Marte.
Centerfield: Andrew McCutchen .298, 151 HR, 558 RBI
We finally get an easy one. He has more homers and RBI than anyone on this list. He’s a once-in-a-generation gem.
Backup: Nate McLouth? Tike Redman? How about a clone of Andrew McCutchen?
Rightfield: Brian Giles .303 91 HR 268 RBI
He had more than 91 home runs as a Pirate, but we’re just counting PNC stats. He’s one of those guys that you forget how good he really was.
Backup: Believe it or not, Garrett Jones
Starting Rotation
- 1. Gerrit Cole 40-20 3.07
- 2. A.J. Burnett 35-28 3.34
- 3. Francisco Liriano 35-25 3.48
- 4. Paul Maholm 53-73 4.29
- 5. Kris Benson 22-23 4.60
When one of your best pitchers is 20 games under .500, needless to say there won’t be any backups. Maybe by the 20th-Anniversary Team we’ll have some new talent to knock Benson and Maholm off the list.
Bullpen
Closer: Mark Melancon 9-9, 1.85 ERA, 100 saves
Setup: Tony Watson 24-8, 2.46 ERA,
These are two of the best relief pitchers in the game right now. Joel Hanrahan, Matt Capps, and Jose Mesa all had decent careers here, but not like these two.
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