
Relief Pitcher Kent “Teke” Tekulve
Kent Tekulve is arguably the best reliever in Pirate history. Affectionately known as “Teke” and the “Rubber Band Man”, the right-hander played 12 of his 16 total seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even back then, Tekulve was a workhorse. He led the league in appearances four times throughout his career and hit 100+ innings seven times.
Tekulve would likely receive a juiced prime series card if he were added to the game. MLB The Show’s pitcher attributes are based on their per-9’s, and Tekulve didn’t have that great of per-9’s, even back then. However, they must boost their numbers in-game in order to make them usable.
Still, a low-90’s diamond Tekulve card would be extremely fun to use. Many pitchers with sidearm and submarine deliveries in the game play up as their animations are hard to pick up. Guys like Tyler Rogers, Darren O’Day, Steve Cishek, and Pat Neshek have been considered glitched cards by players as their awkward deliveries can throw off other players.
Tekulve might not be the most dominant or most used card in the game, but he’d be fun to use early in the year, as well as a nice thing for Pirate fans to have in their inventory. Every Pirate fan knows Teke, and having him in the game would be a nice addition for fans.