Pittsburgh Pirates: Constructing the Franchise’s All-Time Defensive Team

First Base – Sid Bream

The man who sent the Pittsburgh Pirates into a downward spiral for 20 years was also one of, if not their best, defender at first base of all time. Sid Bream was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1985, and became their full time first baseman from 1986 to 1990. Despite never winning a Gold Glove Award, Bream was an outstanding defender at first. He wasn’t your typical all bat, little to no glove first baseman, having a .770 OPS, never hitting 20 home runs with the Pirates, but his defense was very good.

Bream had +35 total zone runs above average across 4832.2 innings at first base. That’s the second most by any Pirates’ first baseman, only surpassed by Jake Bekcley at +46. However, Beckley played in an era where FanGraphs doesn’t even know for sure how many innings he played at first base. He averaged about 7 total zone runs a season, and posted double digits in the stat twice. He fell just short of making it four seasons in 1987 when he had 9 total zone runs.

Following the 1990 season, Bream became a free agent. After hitting free agency, he signed with the Atlanta Braves. As you all know, he would then bite the Bucs with his infamous slide on that terrible October night in 1992 in what was arguably the worst moment in the history of Pittsburgh sports.