Dick Groat was a two-sport star at Duke, playing both Baseball and Basketball, and was so good that he became the first man to be inducted to both the College Basketball and College Baseball Hall of Fame.  Groat even played a year in the NBA, but thankfully for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he made Baseball his main career choice.

Groat signed with the Pirates in 1952 and was third in Rookie of the Year voting but could not immediately capitalize as he was in the Military the next two years.  Returning in 1955, the Shortstop would patrol the infield for the Pirates until 1962, where he was an All-Star in three seasons, winning the Batting Title in 1960 (.325), leading the National League in Defensive bWAR (2.6) and the MVP.  Groat capped the season perfectly by leading Pittsburgh to a World Series win, completing one of the most successful years ever by a Pirate.

Groat was traded to St. Louis after the 1962 campaign, leaving Pittsburgh with 1,435 Hits and a .290 Batting Average.

From Panama, Manny Sanguillen played much of his career in shadows, a shame considering how good he was.

The Catcher debuted in 1967 for the Pirates but established himself in 1969 as their starter, a role he held until he was traded to Oakland in 1976.  On the loaded Pirates team, he was often forgotten behind stars like Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and later Dave Parker, but he played his role in Pittsburgh’s 1971 World Series win.  A three-time All-Star, Sanguillen, was never going to be considered the best Catcher of his time, not because he wasn’t good, but because Johnny Bench dominated the position in the National League in the 1970s.  Nevertheless, Senguilen had four .300 years for the Pirates, an atypical amount of hitting for a Catcher in the 70s.

Senguillen was traded to Oakland after the 1976 season but was back a year later, albeit in a reserve capacity.  He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pirates team that won the 1979 World Series, making Senguillen one of the few players to win a ring on both 70s Pirates Championship Teams.  He retired soon after.

With the Pirates, Senguillen batted .299 with 1,343 Hits.

The son of 12-year veteran Catcher Fred Kendall, Jason Kendall naturally came by his trade behind the plate and would eclipse his father in Major League accomplishments.

Kendall was a First Round Pick in 1992, and after slowly being groomed by Pittsburgh, he would make his Pirates debut as their starting Catcher in 1996.  The rookie year of Kendall was strong, as he was an All-Star, a third-place finisher for the Rookie of the Year, and he batted an even .300.  Kendall remained a good hitter over his duration with Pittsburgh, batting .300 five more times with the team, with an overall.306 Batting Average for the team.  Defensively, the three-time All-Star was competent, and though he was not a Gold Glove winner, this was not a deficiency in his game.  

Kendall was traded to Pittsburgh in 2007, and with the team, he had 1,409 Hits.

Signing as an Amateur Free Agent in 1964, Al Oliver first made the Pirates in 1968 and became their starting Centerfielder the year after.  

Oliver tied for second in Rookie of the Year voting and would help the Pirates win the World Series in 1971.  An All-Star the following season, Oliver developed his hitting stroke, batting at least .300 four times, and from 1969 to 1977, always at least 11 Home Runs, peaking with 20 in 1973.  Finishing seventh in MVP voting twice (1972 & 1974), Oliver added two more All-Stars (1975 & 1976), and by the mid-70s, he was regarded as one of the better hitters in the National League.

Despite his success, the Pirates were looking to shake things up, and Oliver was sent to Texas as part of a four-team trade.  Oliver batted .296 with 1,490 Hits and 135 Home Runs with Pittsburgh.