A product of the Dominican Republic, Starling Marte began his professional baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team that signed him in 2007 and which he debuted for in 2012.

Playing in Centerfield, Marte had at least 140 Hits from 2013 to 2016, showing a nice blend of power and speed, belting 53 Home Runs and 1478 Stolen Bases while going to the All-Star Game on the strength of his first .300 Season in 2016.  Defensively, Marte was fabulous, winning two Gold Gloves (2015 & 2016) and the Wilson Defensive Award in 2015.

Marte 80 Games in 2017 due to a PED suspension; Marte still managed to steal 21 Bases that year and stole 20 or more the next two years giving him seven straight.  With his contract coming due, Marte was traded to Arizona after the 2019 Season, leaving Marte’s numbers as a Pirate saw him bat .287 with 1,047 Hits, 108 Home Runs, and 239 Stolen Bases.

Bob Veale was a Pittsburgh Pirate for most of his career, signing as an Amateur Free Agent in 1958, debuting for the Pirates in 1962, and joining the starting rotation two seasons later.

From 1964 to 1967, Veale won at least 16 Games and was the league leader in Strikeouts (250) in '64.  He fanned at least 200 batters the next two years, and again in 1969, but he was also prone to delivering Walks, leading the NL four times in that category.

Late in his Pirates career, Veale helped Pittsburgh win the 1971 World Series.  He was sold to Boston shortly after, but he was never the same player.

Veale had a 116-91 Record as a Pirate.

Advanced metrics don’t always tell the story.

Doug Drabek was the ace of the Pirates staff during the years they went to three consecutive NLCS (1990-92), though his bWAR does not reflect this.  Still, Drabek WAS the ace, won a lot, and generated confidence in teammates and fans alike.

Drabek began his career with the New York Yankees and was traded to the Pirates after only one year.  Inserted into Pittsburgh starting rotation immediately, Drabek slowly became a workhorse for the team, first breaking the sub-3 ERA in 1989 (2.80), and he reduced that to 2,76 in 1990.  That was the year he led the NL in Wins (22), had a WHIP of 1.063, and won the Cy Young.  Drabek then took the Pirates to the playoff three straight years, winning 30 Games combined in 1991 and 1992, with a fifth-place Cy Young finish in the latter year.

The Pirates imploded after the 1992 Season, essentially disbanding due to cost-cutting.  Drabek joined Houston as a Free Agent.  With the Pirates, Drabek won 92 Games against 62 Losses with a 3.20 ERA, a 1.148 WHIP, and 820 Strikeouts.

Bespectacled and unassuming, Kent Tekulve was one of the better Relief Pitchers in the National League for years.

Tekulve was in the Pirates organization from 1969 to 1985, debuting for the parent club in 1974.  Having never started a game for Pittsburgh, the submarine-style hurler settled in with the Pirates bullpen, becoming their closer in 1978.  That year, and the year after, Tekulve led the National League in Games Pitched, Games Finished and was fifth in Cy Young balloting.  Tekulve was also instrumental in Pittsburgh's 1979 World Series Championship, saving three games, including the deciding one.

Tekulve continued to be a top reliever in the early 80s but was traded to their in-state rival, Philadelphia, before the 1985 Season.  With the Pirates, Tekulve appeared in 722 Games, saved 158, and finished 470.