Pittsburgh Pirates: Former Pitcher Al McBean Passes Away at 85

Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Al McBean, the first pitcher from the Virgin Islands to reach the majors, passed away at the age of 85 on Wednesday

Major League Baseball lost a little talked about trailblazer last Wednesday. At the age of 85, former pitcher Al McBean passed away. McBean is a pitcher who started, ended, and spent the majority of his MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

McBean was a trailblazer in baseball. When he debuted with the Pirates in 1961 he became the first pitcher in MLB history to hail from the Virgin Islands. To this day, McBean is one of just 15 MLB pitchers from the Virgin Islands.

In 409 MLB games, 76 of which were starts, McBean pitched 1072.1 innings. He posted a 3.13 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 8.1% walk rate, and a 12.7% strikeout rate. He finished his 10 season MLB career with a 13.6 WAR.

McBean pitched for the Pirates from 1961-1968. After being selected in the MLB Expansion Draft, McBean joined the San Diego Padres for the 1969 season. After making just one appearances with the Padres, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After starting the 1970 season back with the Dodgers, McBean was traded to the Pirates. This allowed the right-handed pitcher to finish his career with the Bucs, as 1970 was his final season in the majors.

During this time we send our condolences to McBean's friends and family. They will be in our prayers in the coming days.