The early history of baseball has many specialized pitchers who saw their batting as a minor distraction, but Jesse Welborn Tannehill viewed the game differently. A gifted athlete with sharp reflexes, the slender left-hander from Kentucky was a double threat before the term was popular. He was known for a deceptive curveball and control on the mound, and also played outfield between starts. For five years around 1900, Tannehill was a key player for the rising Pittsburgh teams.

His introductory full year in the rotation was a rather nondescript affair, yielding a modest 9–9 record and a bloated 4.25 ERA as he adjusted to the dimensions of National League hitters.

Over the next five summers, Tannehill became one of Major League Baseball’s most reliable and dominant southpaws, leading a star-packed team with unwavering, consistent excellence. He achieved five straight seasons with at least 18 wins, including four seasons with 20 or more wins, demonstrating remarkable longevity. During this period, he consistently prevented runs, maintaining a single-season ERA below 3.00 each year.

His standout masterpiece came during the historic 1901 pennant race, where his cutting-edge efficiency stats hit league highs. Tannehill delivered an exceptional run-prevention performance to win the National League ERA title with a tiny 2.18, while leading the Senior Circuit with an elite 2.59 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) rating, helping him achieve a 21–11 record and 28 complete games.

However, focusing only on his throwing shoulder overlooks half of his actual contributions. Due to his natural bat control and spatial awareness, manager Fred Clarke often skipped standard bench players and moved Tannehill directly into the outfield when an offensive boost was needed. In 865 career at-bats with the Pirates, he demonstrated impressive contact ability, posting a .277 batting average, along with 29 extra-base hits and 96 RBIs, adding valuable run production that made the Pirates especially tough to face.

His historic tenure in Western Pennsylvania ended abruptly with the creation of the American League, which dramatically changed the landscape. Drawn by the large, unregulated financial incentives from the new league, Tannehill formally switched to the New York Highlanders before the 1903 season, marking the end of his main time in the National League as the modern World Series was being formed.

Tannehill had a 116-58 record with a 2.75 ERA and 466 strikeouts.

The early 1990s Pittsburgh Pirates are often remembered for Barry Bonds' rise, but the team's emotional and defensive anchor patrolled beside him. Coming from the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1987 trade for Tony Peña, Andy Van Slyke made Three Rivers Stadium his home. With sharp wit, a strong work ethic, and determination to catch every fly ball, the blonde center fielder became a fan favorite in Western Pennsylvania.

His true breakthrough as a versatile star occurred during an exceptional 1988 season, where his offensive output hit a league-leading peak. Van Slyke delivered an impressive at-bat performance, leading the National League with 14 triples and setting personal bests with 25 home runs, 100 RBIs, and an impressive .506 slugging percentage. He dominated the postseason awards, earning his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, and finished a notable fourth in the NL MVP voting.

Although a severe offensive decline slowed his batting that summer, his defense stayed an elite, high-impact asset that changed games fundamentally. Van Slyke established center field as a true no-fly zone, leveraging an exceptional, powerful throwing arm and perfect tracking instincts to earn five straight Gold Gloves from 1988 to 1992.

As the Pirates became the leading force in the National League East, Van Slyke regained his top-tier status at the plate. He secured consecutive All-Star selections in 1992 and 1993, shining brightly during the 1992 pennant race. Acting as the spark for a team that won its third straight division title, he led all of Major League Baseball with 199 hits and 45 doubles, achieving a career-high .324 batting average. This performance earned him his second Silver Slugger award and a fourth-place finish in MVP voting.

Sadly, the devastating loss in the 1992 NLCS against Atlanta marked the beginning of the decline of that legendary team core. During his last two seasons with the team, Van Slyke was significantly hampered by a series of severe lower-body injuries that diminished his famous speed and lower-half strength. As the franchise entered a cold, small-market rebuilding phase, he officially left club duty earlier than planned, signing a free-agent deal with the Baltimore Orioles before quietly retiring a year later.

He accrued 1,108 Hits, batted .284 with 127 Home Runs for Pittsburgh.

The 1970s "Lumber Company" era of Pittsburgh baseball is celebrated for its powerful, high-speed offense, with star sluggers often taking center stage. Behind that strong offense was a 6-foot-7 left-handed pitcher who methodically dominated National League lineups with calm, precise skill. John Robert Candelaria, known as "The Candy Man" by fans, brought a distinctive Brooklyn-inspired confidence to the mound. Drafted in 1972 after walking away from basketball, the lanky southpaw used an unorthodox, high-leverage cross-fire pitch that effectively neutralized opposing hitters, making him one of the most underrated starting pitchers in franchise history.

His quick rise through the farm system led to a remarkable debut in 1975, but it was his second season in 1976 that truly established his status as a top-tier pitcher. Candelaria made run prevention a consistent part of his game, highlighted by a historic moment on August 9 when he baffled the division-rival Cincinnati Reds with a stunning 2-0 no-hitter at Three Rivers Stadium, the first no-hitter by a Pirate in the city since 1907.

His peak physical performance and individual dominance reached its height in a stunning 1977 showcase, which remains a classic example of analysis. Candelaria delivered an exceptional pitching performance, achieving an impressive 20-5 record that led all major leagues with an .800 winning percentage. He dominated the National League by posting a league-leading 2.34 ERA and a flawless 1.071 WHIP, while consistently overpowering hitters and leading the league with a low 2.0 walks per nine innings, earning his first All-Star selection and finishing fifth in the Cy Young voting.

Candelaria's impact extended beyond a brief peak, offering exceptional durability to the rotation for ten years. He was a crucial, high-impact leader on the memorable 1979 "We Are Family" world championship team, winning 14 regular-season games and pitching six outstanding one-run innings to help secure a key win over Cincinnati in Game 1 of the NLCS. During his long initial tenure in Steel City, he recorded six more seasons with at least 11 wins, consistently dominating top hitters with precise control.

Tragically, rising tensions with management over his playing time and salary demands led to a mid-season trade to the California Angels in 1985, marking the end of his main tenure with the black and gold. However, demonstrating his strong emotional connection to the community, Candelaria returned to the Pirates for a short, nostalgic stint in the 1993 season to conclude his extensive major league career.

With the Pirates, Candelaria had a 124-87 Record, a 3.17 ERA, and fanned 1,159 batters.

Lloyd Waner, a 5-foot-9, 150-pound Oklahoma native, was a contact hitter known as "Little Poison,” with a short, quick right-handed swing. Often paired with his Hall of Fame brother Paul, he specialized in line drives and contact hitting, contrasting with power sluggers and making contact hitting a season-long routine.

His debut appearance during the 1927 campaign remains one of the most explosive and prolific in Major League history. If the Rookie of the Year award had been available then, Waner would have won it by an overwhelming margin. As a 21-year-old rookie, he consistently overwhelmed National League pitchers, hitting a career-best .355 and leading the league with an impressive 133 runs scored. He achieved an astonishing 223 hits, establishing a rookie benchmark that kicked off a remarkable decade of leading the lineup with outstanding table-setting skills.

While he never quite eclipsed that spectacular rookie batting average again, Waner remained a model of unshakeable, low-variance consistency for the next ten summers. He cleared the coveted .300 threshold nine more times in a Pittsburgh uniform and orchestrated four distinct 200-hit masterclasses.

He possessed elite spatial awareness on the basepaths, routinely stretching singles into extra bases, as highlighted by a brilliant 1929 season in which he paced all of baseball with a career-high 20 triples.

However, when examined with modern, advanced run-creation filters, his overall analytical evaluation hits a clear limit. Despite his localized hit volume, "Little Poison’ lacked the power to clear the fence, hitting only 24 home runs in his extensive career. Additionally, his highly aggressive style meant he seldom took free passes, drawing just 151 walks in total, resulting in a low walk rate and a career on-base percentage of .354. Although he had excellent speed on the field, he was surprisingly cautious on the bases, rarely posting large stolen base numbers.

As aging and declining contact skills appeared in the late 1930s, the organization signaled a transition, trading the franchise icon to the Boston Braves in early 1941. Waner, showing his strong community ties, returned to the Bucs briefly during 1944-1945 World War II rosters to finish his career.

With Pittsburgh, Waner had 2,317 hits, 1,143 runs scored, and a stellar .319 batting average across 1,803 games. He entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967 via the Veterans Committee.