Andy Van Slyke began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, where after four years, he was dealt to the Pirates. It was a great move for Van Slyke, as his career took off at Three Rivers.
Van Slyke mostly in Centerfield, and in 1988, his second year with Pittsburgh, Van Slyke went to his first All-Star Game, led the NL in Triples (14), and set career-highs in Home Runs (25) and RBIs (100). He won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger and was fourth in MVP voting.
Van Slyke would struggle offensively the following year, but his defense remained an asset, and he continued to accumulate Gold Gloves in his trophy case, gaining five in total. The Outfielder went to two more All-Star Games (1992 & 1993), and in 1992, he had his best season in Baseball when he led the league in Hits (199), Doubles (45), and batted a career-high .324. Van Slyke again won the Silver Slugger, and as he did in 1988, he was fourth in MVP voting. The Pirates went to three consecutive National League Championship Series (1990-92), and Van Slyke can take a lot of the credit.
Van Slyke left the Pirates for the Orioles as a Free Agent before the 1995 Season, but he was no longer an All-Star contender by this time. He accrued 1,108 Hits, batted .284 with 127 Home Runs for Pittsburgh.
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