4 unfair Pirates Silver Slugger snubs that still sting

Much of the focus about accolades involving the “Steroid Era” has been on whether or not known users should be admitted into the Hall of Fame. Less attention has been paid to the players who lost out on recognition because their playing careers overlapped with sluggers on steroids.

Because the Steroid Era roughly coincided with a period of Pirates success, struggle, and resurgence (roughly 1988 to 2013 - José Canseco’s MVP year to the Biogenesis scandal), a number of Bucs were overlooked.

In terms of the Silver Slugger Award, that means a panel of managers and coaches were tantalized by massive, eye-popping numbers, which swayed their votes in a manner they may regret today, if pressed.

Outfielder Orlando Merced, 1993

When Barry Bonds left for San Francisco, Orlando Merced had the unenviable task of replacing one of the game’s great sluggers. The switch-hitter wasn’t the power bat that Bonds or Bobby Bonilla were for the Pirates of the early 1990s, but Merced brought an old-school approach to his at-bats in a time when baseball was shifting to prioritize power at the expense of strikeouts.

In 1993, Merced finished third among outfielders in batting average and on-base percentage. He trailed just Bonds (in BA and OBP), Tony Gwynn (in BA), and Lenny Dykstra (in OBP). Bonds, Dykstra, and David Justice won the Silver Slugger that year. Both Bonds and Dykstra were implicated in the Mitchell Report.

The Pirates had little to celebrate in the Steroid Era. These players should have earned Pittsburgh some recognition.

Catcher Jason Kendall, 1998

Really, at any point between 1998 and 2000, Pirates catcher Jason Kendall could have justifiably won a Silver Slugger Award if not for Mike Piazza. While Piazza and Braves backstop Javy Lopez brought pop, Kendall had speed and on-base skills. In 1998, he stole 26 bases and finished in the Top 10 among NL players in on-base percentage and batting average. Unfortunately, Kendall’s best years coincided with Piazza’s ten-year reign as the NL’s choice for Silver Slugger at catcher. Although Piazza has never admitted to using steroids, he fessed up to using Androstenedione, which is now banned by baseball but was permissible at the time.

Outfielder Brian Giles, 1999 & 2000

In 1999, Brian Giles was one of three NL outfielders to have an OPS greater than 1.000; the other two were Sammy Sosa, a known steroid user, and Larry Walker. The next season, Giles was one of seven NL outfielders to surpass the 1.000 mark: Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Vladimir Guerrero, Sosa, Moises Alou, and Richard Hidalgo. Bonds and Sheffield were also connected to PEDs. Of that group, Sosa took home two awards, Guerrero two, Walker one, and Bonds one. If Sosa’s awards were redistributed, Giles almost certainly would have been in contention. The sticking point here is that Giles was accused during a palimony trial by his ex-fiancee of taking steroids.

Outfielder Nate McLouth, 2008

By the time Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth had his breakout season in 2008, most of the stars of the Steroid Era had faded - with one notable exception. Ryan Braun, one of the key figures at the center of the Biogenesis scandal, was at the height of his powers.

Had Braun not been one of the picks for outfield Silver Slugger alongside Ryan Ludwick and Matt Holliday, McLouth still would have had an uphill battle for the award. McLouth finished in the Top 10 among outfielders in walks, RBI, home runs, and slugging. He also tied for the lead in doubles and logged a 20/20 season. Given McLouth’s sudden decline after being traded to Atlanta in 2009, this hypothetical Silver Slugger would have honored a well-earned banner year prior to disappointment.