According to a release by MLB on April 8, fans can visit MLB.com/FranchiseFour to select the four most impactful players for each franchise who best represent the history of each franchise out of eight choices from its lineage. There is also a space for a write-in selection. Voting is live now until May 8.
The Ballot:
Barry Bonds (1986-1992)
Roberto Clemente (1955-1972)
Ralph Kiner (1946-1953)
Bill Mazeroski (1956-1972)
Willie Stargell (1962-1982)
Pie Traynor (1920-1935, 1937)
Honus Wagner (1900-1917)
Paul Waner (1926-1940)
Shoestring Catches Recommendations for the Pittsburgh Pirates:
Roberto Clemente: A 15-time all-star and 1966 National League Most Valuable Player, Roberto Clemente has a significant baseball award named after him. That should be enough to earn a vote, but the 1973 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee was also very successful on the field. Clemente had exactly 3,000 career hits and was a member of Pittsburgh’s 1960 and 1971 world champions. A 10-time Gold Glove winner, he was the 1971 World Series Most Valuable Player.
Bill Mazeroski: One swing can really make a difference. Bill Mazeroski ended the 1960 World Series with a walk-off homer as the Pirates won the title from the New York Yankees in seven games. Mazeroski, however, was much more than just one swing. He played in 10 all-star games and won eight Gold Gloves to earn his place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Willie Stargell: A member of the 1971 and 1979 Pittsburgh world champions, Willie Stargell blasted 475 career homers for the Pirates. Stargell led the National League in homers with 48 in 1971 and 44 in 1973. The seven-time all-star was the NL MVP in 1979 and claimed the same honor in the World Series that season. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Honus Wagner: A charter member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, Honus Wagner has legendary status in the history of baseball. Wagner had 3,420 hits on his way to a .328 lifetime batting average. The leader of the 1909 World Series champs, Wagner knocked in over 100 runs nine times in his career, while stealing 732 bases.