MLB is currently in the midst of more corporate-branded, created controversy, this time being the DHL Hometown Heroes voting. Five candidates from each team were designated as "finalists". It is worth mentioning that some teams elected to have their finalists chosen by a board of experts. The board features, among other, former .149-hitting Bucco Orestes Destrade and embattled former ESPN employee Harold Reynolds.
The Pirates' All-Time Greatest Player will be announced on Wednesday, September 27. Their final five candidates, with PIRATE statistics only:
Roberto Clemente (18 seasons) : .317 Batting Avg; 240 HR, 3000 Hits, 1 MVP, 1 World Series MVP, 12 Gold Gloves, 12-time All Star, 4-time Batting Champion, 2 Championships
162 game averages: .317 BA -- 16 HR -- 87 RBI -- 6 SB
Ralph Kiner (7 1/4 seasons): .278 Batting Avg, 301 HR, 1091 Hits, 6-time All Star, 7-time HR King, 0 MVP, 0 Championships
162 game averages: .278 BA -- 44 HR -- 119 RBI -- 3 SB
Bill Mazeroski (17 seasons): .260 Batting Avg, 138 HR, 2016 Hits, 7-time All Star, 8 Gold Gloves, 2 Championships, and one big home run.
162 game averages: .260 BA -- 10 HR -- 64 RBI -- 2 SB
Willie Stargell (21 seasons): .282 Batting Avg, 475 HR, 2232 Hits, 7-time All Star, 1 MVP, 1 World Series MVP, 2-time HR King, 1-time RBI King, 2 Championships
162 game averages: .282 BA -- 33 HR -- 106 RBI -- 1 SB
Honus Wagner (18 seasons): .328 Batting Avg, 82 HR, 2967 Hits, 7-time Batting Champion, 5-time RBI Champion, 5-time Stolen Base Champion, 1 Championship. 0 All Stars or Gold Gloves - they did not exist.
162 game averages: .328 BA -- 5 HR -- 94 RBI -- 41 SB
My question to you: should Barry Bonds be on this list?
Barry Bonds (7 seasons): .275 Batting Avg, 176 HR, 984 Hits, 2 MVP, 2-time All Star, 3 Gold Gloves.
162 game averages: .275 BA -- 28 HR -- 89 RBI -- 40 SB
Remember, Bonds' Pirate statistics are still historically looked upon as "clean", regardless of what happened once he met Victor Conte. Check out his resume next to the other five. If I were to insert Barry in the place of another player, it would probably be Kiner. He played in Pittsburgh just a fraction longer than Bonds, and played on just one winning team. I am by NO means a Bonds fan, but I was certainly a Bonds fan from 1986-1992. Kiner hit a lot of home runs, and certainly posted some spectacular numbers, but had 0 MVPs to Bonds' 2 MVPs. Bonds also won 3 Gold Gloves and was a threat on the basepaths.
Historically, the Pirates have shunned Barry Bonds. He brings a negative energy to anything he is associated with, and if the Pirates have enough of one thing, it is negative energy. But looking at these numbers objectively, are we short-changing the impact Bonds had in Pittsburgh? I look forward to some spirited debate on this topic.
