Pittsburgh Pirates: Unveiling the 25-man All-Streak Team
By Matt Shetler
Outfield- Brian Giles
Giles made a big impact with the Bucs from 99-03. Photo Credit: Post Gazette
There’s the old saying that being the best player on a bad team doesn’t necessarily make you a good player.
That didn’t apply to Giles, who was very good while wearing a Pirates uniform.
After being acquired from the Cleveland Indians prior to the 1999 season, Giles averaged 37 homers and 109 RBI during his four full seasons in a Pirates uniform, the best years of his major league career.
As a Bucco he ended up hitting .308 with 165 homers and 506 runs batted in, clearly the best run producer throughout the 20-years of futility.
In addition he still is the owner of one of the best catches I have ever witnessed in PNC Park.
Giles wasn’t quite the same after leaving Pittsburgh, but he certainly left his mark while he was here.
Al Martin
Martin came up in 1992 and got 12 at bats, but by 1993 he was a regular in the Pirates outfield, where he stayed until 1999.
He was never a great player who put up big numbers, but during a really down time he was one of the few Pirates players worth watching.
In his eight seasons in Pittsburgh, Martin combined to hit .280 with 107 homers and 381 RBI. He also stole 152 bases, including swiping 38 bags in 1996. His best year with the bat came during his final season in Pittsburgh when he clubbed 24 home runs.
Jason Bay
The Pirates were able to flip Giles for Bay and he picked right up where Giles left off.
Bay won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2004 and when it was all said and done, he put together an impressive six-year stretch in Pittsburgh that include a .281 batting average, 139 homers and 452 runs batted in.
His best seasons came in 2005 and 2006, where he hit more than 30 homers and drove in over 100 runs in back-to-back seasons.
Unfortunately he was out of the Pirates price range, which looking back ended up being a good thing as he never produced again after a quick stop in Boston.