Pirates announce inaugural 19-member Hall of Fame class

The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated their storied history Sunday with the announcement of their inaugural Hall of Fame class, a 19-member group that includes 16 players enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Pirates will unveil the Hall of Fame display Sept. 3 during a special induction ceremony on PNC Park’s Riverwalk. The inaugural class then will be honored as part of a special pregame ceremony on the field before their game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“This inaugural class is going to be really special,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on AT&T SportsNet’s pregame show. “It’s very important. When you look up and you see the retired numbers, you see the Hall of Famers and you think about all the great players and great teams that were here, it’s important for our fan base. It’s important for our players. We need to glorify the history of this organization.”

The list is highlighted by the players who led the Pirates to their five World Series championships, from Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke (1909) to Max Carey, Pie Traynor and Lloyd Waner (1925) to Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente (both 1960 and ’71), Steve Blass (1971), Willie Stargell (1971 and ’79) and Dave Parker (1979), as well as manager Danny Murtaugh (1960 and ’71).

The Pirates Hall of Fame also celebrates Pittsburgh’s rich Negro Leagues history, including four stars: Ray Brown and Buck Leonard of the Homestead Grays, and Josh Gibson and Oscar Charleston, who played for the Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords.

“The Pirates have been a part of the fabric of Pittsburgh for more than 135 years. During that time, the game has brought generations of families and friends from our community together to cheer on some of the greatest players who have ever played,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “We are proud to celebrate these players and managers and provide an avenue to continue to share their stories with our fans for generations to come.”

There are notable names missing.

The list doesn’t include Barry Bonds, who owns baseball’s single-season (73) and career (762) home run records, which came under suspicion of steroid use, but won two NL MVP awards, three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers in seven seasons with the Pirates. It also excludes Dick Groat, the Swissvale native who was the 1960 NL MVP and batting champion, and New Castle native Chuck Tanner, who managed the Pirates to the 1979 World Series title.

The inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame class:

Honus Wagner: Considered by many to be MLB’s greatest all-around player, the shortstop hit .300 or higher for 15 consecutive seasons from 1899-1913, won eight NL batting titles and had 723 stolen bases. The Pirates’ all-time leader in games played at shortstop (1,887), ranks second in club history in hits (2,970) and doubles (556) while leading in runs (1,521) and triples (231). Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Fred Clarke: Recorded the most career victories as a Pirates manager (1,422) and compiled a .312 batting average in his 21 seasons as a player. Guided the Pirates to three straight National League pennants (1901-03) and a World Series Championship in 1909 after posting a 110-42 record in the regular season. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.

Pie Traynor: Recognized as one of the greatest third basemen of all time. Compiled a .320 lifetime batting average in 17 seasons with the Pirates, is club’s all-time leader in games played at third base (1,864) and ranks fifth in hits (2,416), sixth in doubles (371) and fifth in extra-base hits (592). Hit .300 or better 10 times, with seven 100-RBI seasons. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948.

Paul Waner: A four-time All-Star with the Pirates who captured three National League batting titles, collected 200 or more hits eight times, and hit .300 or better in each of his first 12 seasons. The seventh player in MLB history to reach the 3,000-hit mark. Produced a club-record 237 hits and led the NL with 131 RBIs in 1927. Compiled a .340 batting average in his 15 seasons with the Pirates, a figure that still ranks first on the club’s all-time list. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952.

Max Carey: The Pirates’ all-time stolen-base leader (690), holds the National League record for most years leading the league in stolen bases (10). Ranks fourth all-time among Pirates in games played (2,168) and runs (1,414) and fifth in hits (2,418) and doubles (375). Stole home more times than any other player in NL history (33). Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961.

Lloyd Waner: Produced a .309 average or better in 10 of his first 12 seasons with the Pirates. His 223 hits during his rookie season of 1927 remains a club record. Set a club rookie record while leading the National League with 133 runs scored in 1927. Ranks fourth on the club’s all-time list with 1,680 games played in the outfield and ranks sixth on the club’s all-time hits list with 2,317. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

Jake Beckley: Turn-of-the-century player who compiled an average of .308 and 2,938 hits during his 20-year career. Hit .300 or better in five of his eight seasons with the Pirates, which included a career-high .345 average in 1894. Ranks second on club’s all-time list for most games played at first base (1,045) and eighth with 116 triples. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Roberto Clemente: Regarded as the greatest defensive right fielder in baseball history, winning 12 Gold Glove awards. Topped the .300 mark in batting average 13 times, won four batting titles and amassed 3,000 hits in his 18 years with the Pirates. A 12-time All-Star, the National League MVP in 1966 and a two-time World Series Champion (1960 and 1971). The Pirates all-time leader in at-bats (9,454), hits (3,000) and total bases (4,492) while ranking in the top five in nearly every other category. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Ralph Kiner: Won or shared the National League home run title in each of his first seven seasons with the Pirates, the only player in major league history to do so. Topped the 50-home run mark twice, hitting 51 in 1947 and a career-high 54 in 1949. A five-time All-Star with the Pirates who averaged better than 100 RBIs a season and led the NL in slugging percentage three times. His 301 home runs hit with the Pirates rank second on the club’s all-time list, and his 795 walks rank fifth. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

Arky Vaughan: Holds the Pirates record for highest batting average in a season, posting a league-leading .385 mark in 1935. Led the NL in OBP (.491), slugging (.607) and OPS (1.098) in 1935 while being named to his second of nine All-Star teams. Ranks second on the club’s all-time list with 1,381 games played at shortstop. Compiled a .324 batting average in his 10 seasons with the Pirates and led the league in walks and on-base percentage three straight years (1934-36). Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

Willie Stargell: Spent his entire 21-year career in a Pittsburgh uniform and is the Pirates’ all-time leader in home runs (475), RBIs (1,540) and extra-base hits (953). Seven-time All-Star who led the NL in home runs in 1971 and 1973. Won World Series championships with the Pirates in 1971 and ’79. Shared NL MVP honors in 1979 and was also named MVP of both the NLCS and World Series that season. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Bill Mazeroski: A seven-time All-Star who hit one the most famous home runs in baseball history: a ninth-inning, game-winning blast against the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Won eight Gold Glove Awards and earned the reputation as one of the finest fielding second basemen in the history of the game during his 17-year career. Holds National League records for most seasons leading the league in assists (nine), most seasons leading the league in double plays (eight) and most double plays turned in a single season (161 in 1966). Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Josh Gibson: Considered by many to be the greatest slugger in the history of the Negro Leagues. A 12-time All-Star and four-time batting champ during his 17-year career in independent baseball and the Negro Leagues. Led the league in home runs and RBIs in six consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays from 1933-38 and had a career-best 109 RBIs with the Grays in 1943. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Buck Leonard: One of the best pure hitters to play in the Negro Leagues. Part of the Homestead Grays’ dynasty of the 1930s and 1940s and spent his entire 15-year career with the Grays, the longest term of service for any player with one team in Negro Leagues history. Compiled a .345 lifetime batting average and played in a league-record 11 East-West All-Star Games while exhibiting stellar defense at first base. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Oscar Charleston: Produced a .364 batting average in his 18 seasons of play in the Negro Leagues, which included back-to-back batting titles in 1924 and ’25. Also managed several teams during his 40 years in Negro League Baseball, including the 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords team that many consider to be the best Negro League team of all time. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

Ray Brown: An All-Star pitcher who helped lead the Homestead Grays to eight pennants in a nine-year span during his 14 seasons with the club. Finished his Negro League career with a record of 122-45 and pitched a perfect game in 1945. Ranks among all-time Negro League leaders in wins, winning percentage and shutouts. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Danny Murtaugh: Managed more than 2,000 games for the Pirates and posted the second-most wins (1,115) in team history. Led the Pirates to nine winning seasons and five league/division titles in his 12 full seasons as manager. Guided the Pirates to World Series championships in 1960 and 1971 and was named The Sporting News Manager of the Year in both years. Spent parts of 29 years with the Pirates as a player, coach, manager and front-office executive. Led the NL in stolen bases as a rookie in 1941.

Dave Parker: Played 11 seasons (1973-83) in a Pittsburgh uniform and ranks among the Pirates all-time top 10 in home runs (166), doubles (296), RBIs (758) and extra-base hits (524) while producing a .305 batting average. Named the NL MVP in 1978 and captured back-to-back batting titles with the Pirates in 1977 (.338) and 1978 (.334). A World Series champion with the Bucs in 1979, the “Cobra” won three Gold Glove awards for his defensive excellence and was named to the NL All-Star team four times while wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.

Steve Blass: A valued member of the Pirates organization for 60 years, the former right-handed pitcher spent 10 seasons with the Pirates and compiled a record of 103-76 in 282 games. A member of the 1972 NL All-Star team who won 78 games during a five-year period between 1968 and 1972 and led the NL with a .750 winning percentage in 1968. Picked up complete-game victories in Game 3 and Game 7 of the 1971 World Series championship over the Baltimore Orioles. Has the most years of service (34) as a Pirates broadcaster (1986-2019).