33 days until Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers and catchers have their first spring workout

Spring Training is another day closer for the Pittsburgh Pirates

In just 33 days, pitchers and catchers for the Pittsburgh Pirates will take to the fields of Pirate City in Bradenton, Florida, for their first workout of Spring Training 2018.

When you ask people who the greatest player in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates is you may get responses such as Barry Bonds, Dave Parker, Roberto Clemente, or Willie Stargell. While Bonds is the greatest hitter to ever live, he did not spend enough years in Pittsburgh to be the greatest Pirate ever. The greatest Pirate ever is the player that number 33 is retired for in the Steel City – Honus Wagner.

When discussing the greatest players in baseball history Honus Wagner is often times overlooked, which is a crime. Wagner is the greatest shortstop to ever play the game of baseball, and there is a very good chance that will never change.

Honus Wagner is a Pittsburgh native who played for the Pirates from 1900 – 1917. As a member of the Pirates he played in the first ever World Series in 1903, as well as having helped lead the Bucs to a World Series Championship in 1909.

He was a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team for the 20th Century, as well as being on Major League Baseball’s All-Time Team that was released in 1997. League MVP awards did not exist when Wagner played, however, if it did, then Barry Bonds would not hold the Major League record for most career MVP awards won.

During his 20 year Major League career, which includes three seasons with the Louisville Colonels, Honus Wagner owned a .391 on-base percentage, .466 slugging percentage, a .408 wOBA, 147 wRC+, and a 138.1 fWAR. He also stole 722 bases in his career, and is one of three former Pirate players to have their own statue outside of PNC Park.

In 1956, Wagner became the first player in Pirate history to have their number retired. This came 20 years after he was in the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame class. In the first ever class enshrined into Cooperstown, Wagner finished tied with Babe Ruth for the second most votes behind Ty Cobb.

Next: Tigers claim Johnny Barbato off waiver- yay!

Just 33 more days until the first workout of the spring for the Pittsburgh Pirates!