As we have just found out, Andrew McCutchen signed a contract with Pittsburgh Pirates that potentially could keep him in the black and gold for ten total seasons(or hopefully more) if his option year is picked up. You may be wondering, especially with all the turnover in players over the last generation, just how many players have spent at least ten seasons in a Pirates uniform. The answer may surprise you, there have been 39 players to reach double digits over the years. The list is topped by Willie Stargell with 21 seasons followed by Honus Wagner, Babe Adams and Roberto Clemente, who all played 18 seasons in Pittsburgh.The most recent player on that list is Kevin Young with his last season coming in 2003. Prior to him it was both John Candelaria and Bob Walk playing their last season in 1993.
The list of players who have put on the Pittsburgh uniform for over a decade includes some pretty big names. Wagner, Stargell, Clemente, Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Pie Traynor, Fred Clarke, Max Carey, Bill Mazeroski and Arky Vaughan all are inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
If McCutchen does play ten years with the team, he will be the 11th outfielder to reach that mark. The last outfielder to reach ten years was Dave Parker, who last played in Pittsburgh in 1983.
The list also includes some pretty good pitchers who played their entire career for the team, Vern Law, Ray Kremer and Sam Leever. All three of them rank in the top seven on the team’s all-time wins list. Other players not mentioned yet who only played for the Bucs include Steve Blass, Bob Moose, Gene Alley and Carson Bigbee.
The 1971 World Series winning Pirates team had ten members of this list on their roster.
There are three catchers on the list, easily the hardest position in which to forge a long career. They are Manny Sanguillen, George Gibson and Doggie Miller, the only player on the list that played exclusively during the 19th century.
The breakdown by main position:
Catchers: 3
Outfielders: 10
Pitchers: 16
First Baseman: 2
Second Baseman: 2
Shortstop: 3
Third Baseman: 3
The breakdown by era they started their Pirates career:
19th century: 2
1900-1919: 9
1920-1939: 8
1940-1959: 6
1960-1979: 12
1980-1999: 2
21st century: none
