Pittsburgh Pirates: Four Players Robbed of NL Rookie of the Year

PITTSBURGH - AUGUST 9: Outfielder Andrew McCutchen #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats during a Major League Baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on August 9, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cardinals defeated the Pirates 7-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH - AUGUST 9: Outfielder Andrew McCutchen #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats during a Major League Baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on August 9, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cardinals defeated the Pirates 7-3. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – 1955: Outfielder Dale Long, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1955 against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York, New York. (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – 1955: Outfielder Dale Long, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1955 against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York, New York. (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

Dale Long

Early rookie of the year voting was weird, but that still doesn’t mean there were not any players who were unjustly snubbed of winning the award. Dale Long in 1955 may have been one of the first players to be snubbed of the award.

Long had a solid 10-year career, in which he spent about a season and three quarters of a season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Long got his first long look at the Major Leagues in 1955. Long established himself as a really solid hitter, hitting for a .291/.362/.513 slash line, hitting 16 long balls, he led the league in triples with 13, and posted a 132 OPS+ and 128 wRC+. This was all though 479 plate appearances. He was even a pretty solid defender at first with +2 total zone runs.

Long didn’t receive a single National League Rookie of the Year vote, but finished 19th in MVP voting. Like I said, award voting was weird back then. Then St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Bill Virdon took home the award.

Before Virdon became one of the Pirates’ best defensive outfielders in their history, he was the second Cardinal National League Rookie of the Year. Virdon hit just .281/.322/.433 with a 100 OPS+ and 92 wRC+. Virdon posted an fWAR of just 1.1. Long outdid Virdon in every single category.