Pittsburgh Pirates: Forgotten All-Stars From the 20 Years of Losing

2010 Evan Meek

The 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates were not a good team, and that’s put it lightly. They won just 57 games, and lost 105. It was the third most losses the Pirates had suffered in a single season since their creation. Still, they had to send someone to the All-Star Game, and that was set-up man Evan Meek.

A Rule 5 Draft selection by the Pirates from the Tampa Bay Rays in December 2007, Meek finally got a chance at full playing time in 2010 with the Bucs. He was quite effective during this season. During the first half of 2010, Meek allowed just six earned runs, two home runs, and 14 walks in 48.2 innings. That resulted in a 1.11 ERA and a 2.77 FIP.

While Meek wasn’t as effective after the All-Star Game, he still put together a nice season among one of the worst Pirates’ teams in history. Overall, he pitched 80 innings for a 2.14 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 1.05 WHIP. But 2010 would be the highlight of Meek’s entire career. After a solid showing in 2010, he suffered injuries in 2011 and 2012 that limited him to just 32.2 innings.

Meek did not appear in the Majors in 2013, but he did in 2014 with the Baltimore Orioles, and I feel he wishes he had not returned in 2014. Like with Williams, Meek is not remembered as a late inning arm for the Pirates, but rather something that they themselves probably do not like reminiscing about.

Meek has not appeared in a Major League game since September 25th, 2014. Why was that day so special? Well it was the final home game at Yankee Stadium during Derek Jeter’s farewell tour. Meek’s last MLB pitch was the one Jeter sent into right field, walking the game off and ending his final home game ever in one of the most dramatic fashions ever.