An emerging star, he was part of a three-for-one trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 1, 1987.  Known for his wit as well as his prowess in centerfield, Van Slyke became one of the sports's biggest stars of the day.  Andy Van Slyke earned five Gold Gloves and three All-Star appearances during his tenure with the Pirates.  He finished second in the National League batting average race in 1992.  Although he may not have had the same hype as two other Pirate outfielders at the time, Van Slyke became the keystone of Pittsburgh's early 1990's lineup and remains one of the city's favorite players of all time.

What if you could make a lineup of your all-time favorites from a team's history?  Could you imagine Andy Van Slyke patrolling centerfield in the 1960 World Series?  How would Ralph Kiner match up against today's homerun hitters?  There have been other surveys to determine the Team Of The Century, but these are my picks for a classic lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates for all positions except pitching.  That is another project all in itself.

Golf,