Battling Bucs : State By State Bucco History Part III

This is the continuation of my ATP (All Time Pirates) series but I have opted to change the name to make it a little more obvious what is covered in the topic. As a quick recap this is a running series of mine that digs into the Pirates past and takes a look at it from various different angles. This particular exercise is looking at it from the player's place of birth. Each US state, the District of Columbia and each foreign country will be investigated in the attempt to build a team. For more specifics check out the introductory post here.

In part III I will be covering position players from what I call class D locations. By class D locations I am referring to locations that have between 16 and 30 position players. These locations will all be able to fill out the entire 15 man roster and will also require some cuts but the overall pool of players to choose from is not all that large. There are 12 such locations overall meaning 61 of the 70 eligible locations will have now been covered.
Canada
Lineup
Pop Smith, SS
Russell Martin, 3B
Jason Bay, CF
Matt Stairs, 1B
Doug Frobel, RF
George Gibson, C
Frank Colman, LF
Sam LaRoque, 2B
Bench
Frank Smith, C
Jimmy Knowles, 1B
Justin Morneau, 1B
John O’Brien, 2B
Billy Reid, IF/OF
Fred Osborne, OF
Gus Dugas, OF
Notes: Martin playing 3B may seem a little weird but his 3 games played there is the most of any eligible player and him and Gibson are two of the better players on the team so it would be a shame to sit one of them. Smith isn’t an ideal lead off hitter but has the best speed on the team and Martin is a good OBP guy in the 2 hole. Jason Bay is probably the best player on the team and combined with Stairs in the middle of the order gives this team some nice power. The back 4 of Frobel, Gibson, Colman and LaRoque aren’t great hitters but are all solid enough to make this a deep lineup 1 through 8. Defensively the outfield is lacking a true center fielder, a catcher even an athletic one like Martin isn’t ideal at 3B and LaRoque at 2B is also known as a weak fielder (O’Brien is a good fielder and will likely spell him at times) so it may be a little rough. The bench is filled with hitters that can hold their own and O’Brien who is here for his defense and ability to play the infield and overall it’s a fairly average group for this class.
Florida
Lineup
Carl Taylor, RF
Jay Bell, SS
Andrew McCutchen, CF
Turner Ward, LF
Jim Morrison, 3B
Gaby Sanchez, 1B
Al Lopez, C
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Bench
Tony Sanchez, C
Michael Morse, 1B
Steve Pearce, 1B/3B/OF
Jimmy Bloodworth, 2B
Marlon Byrd, OF
Lastings Milledge, OF
Jason Michaels, OF
Notes: Taylor isn’t your typical leadoff guy but this team doesn’t really have one so the C/1B/OF who knows how to get on base will have to do. Bell is a very sound 2 hole hitter and the combo of him and Taylor should set the table nicely for McCutchen who is already the best player on this team and arguably the second best player in this class. Ward and Morrison are two very good hitters behind them. Sanchez, Lopez and Rodriguez leave a bit to be desired as the back of the lineup but none are automatic outs so its another deep lineup 1 through 8. Defensively, this should be a nice sound team with few issues. On the bench Byrd provides a nice bat that almost cracked the starting lineup but his short time with the Pirates prevented that. Overall the bench is deep and one of the better ones in the class. A quick note on two guys who missed the cut Michaels barely edged out Ryan Ludwick for the last roster spot and Brad Eldred has the most PA (255) of anyone not to make a roster.
Indiana
Lineup
Max Carey, CF
Kenny Lofton, LF
Jeff King, 3B
Chuck Klein, RF
Lloyd McClendon, 1B
Milt May, C
Clint Barmes, SS
Tommy Thevenow, 2B
Bench
Bob Coleman, C
Don Leppert, C
Mike Simon, C/OF
Warren Gill, 1B
Peek-A-Boo Veach, 1B/2B
Billy Herman, 2B
Jermaine Allensworth, OF
Notes: If you don’t consider Cutch to already be the second best player in this class then Carey is probably your choice. Carey comes with great speed (nearly 700 steals with the Pirates) and was known as a skilled defender in center field and this in addition to being a very good hitter. His defense is enough to push another solid defender Kenny Lofton to left field. The middle of the order lacks the punch of the top but King, Klein McClendon and May are no slouches and give this lineup some real depth. The middle infield pairing of Thevenow and Barmes are here for their defense and have weak bats creating a soft bottom of the lineup. Overall this should make for an excellent defensive team with 1B and RF being the only real weak spots. On the bench the team opts to carry an extra catcher as the other options are significantly weaker. The bench is a decent one with the catchers being solid options and Allensworth a good bat/poor fielder but the team is lacking infield depth as no one on the bench ever played the left side with the Pirates.
Kansas
Lineup
Fred Brickell, LF
Gail Henley, RF
George Grantham, 1B
Cotton Tierney, 2B
Andy LaRoche, 3B
Ray Mueller, C
Joe Kelly, CF
Pat Meares, SS
Bench
Art Weaver, C
Duff Cooley, 1B
Monty Basgall, 2B
Gene Mauch, 2B/SS
Ike McAuley, IF
Mitch Webster, OF
Beals Becker, OF
Notes: Brickell is a decent hitter but not someone who would typically be categorized as a lead off option but this team lacks a true option to fill that role. Gail Henley managed to crack the starting lineup with just 35 PA for the Pirates and while he was good in that time that is still a knock against the team. Grantham is easily the team’s best player and is a nice option in the 3 hole but behind him Tierney is little more than a league average guy and it falls off quickly after him. LaRoche, Mueller and Kelly represent a significant drop off in the lineup but are not truly awful hitters. Meares in the 8^th spot is a very weak hitter who also wasn’t a great defender at the shortstop position. The team’s defense isn’t going to be great but it should be fine as no one is an awful defender and everyone is playing a position they are familiar with. The bench is at least capable of filling in every spot except for the third catcher role but it is filled with very poor hitters none of which appear to be elite defenders either so overall it is a very poor bench.
Michigan
Lineup
Nate McLouth, LF
Jim Pagliaroni, C
Kiki Cuyler, RF
John Vander Wal, 1B
Kevin Young, 3B
Bill Virdon, CF
Frank Scheibeck, 2B
Clem Koshorek, SS
Bench
Frank Bowerman, C
Jerry Lynch, C/OF
Bunny Brief, 1B
Jud Smith, 3B
Ken Hamlin, SS
Maurice Van Robays, OF
Vic Saier, OF
Notes: Kevin Young at 3B is a little odd but he did play 90 games there for the Pirates and the makeup of the team made it necessary. McLouth is a solid lead off hitter a top the order and Pagliaroni isn’t a usual 2 hole hitter but he does a good job getting on base. Kiki Cuyler is probably one of the most underrated players in Pirates history and is the best player on this team. Vander Wal is the reason for Young sliding over to 3B as he earned a starting spot but 1B and the OF were all full creating a need to open a spot. Him and Young are two good hitters with power in the middle of the order. Virdon is a decent hitter in the 6 hole but of course he earns his keep with his glove. The bottom of the order is occupied by the middle infield and while they aren’t great hitters they are at least respectable bats. The outfield and catcher defense should be great though the infield defense might be a little rough. On the bench Van Robays is probably the best bench player in this class and gave McLouth a good run for the 3^rd OF spot. Beyond him everyone but Hamlin is a decent hitter making this a fairly strong bench. A notable player left off the team is Kirk Gibson who played briefly with the Pirates near the end of his career.
New Jersey
Lineup
Danny O’Connell, 3B
John Kelty, LF
Dots Miller, 2B
Sean Casey, 1B
Joe Orsulak, CF
Dan Lally, RF
Dale Berra, SS
Steve Nicosia, C
Bench
Hardy Peterson, C
Charlie Hargreaves, C
Bill Eagan, 2B
Johnny O’Brien, 2B
Frankie Zak, SS
Eddie O’Brien, IF/OF
Charlie Reilly, IF/OF
Notes: O’Connell and Kelty is a very odd top of the order as both players lack speed but they are both around league average hitters who do a decent job getting on base which in this lineup makes them the most appealing options. Dots Miller is the best player on the team and along with Sean Casey in the 4^th spot gives the lineup two more solid bats. Orsulak and Lally are hitters capable of holding their own in the 5^th and 6^th spots and Berra and Nicosia aren’t complete black holes at the bottom but are weak bats with good defensive skills. The infielders should be a solid defensive group but the outfield looks like it will leave a bit to be desired. The bench actually has quite a bit of experience having the second most combined PA in the class but the players with most playing time were poor hitters while with the Pirates while the others were decent. The bench overall isn’t a bad one and is probably roughly average for this class. Left off the team was first baseman Jack Rothfuss who is probably the best player not to make his team in this class and he has a decent case but I give preference to the guys with more playing time.
North Carolina
Lineup
Possum Whitted, LF
Mike LaValliere, 3B
Smoky Burgess, C
Ham Hyatt, 1B
Stu Martin, 2B
Pep Young, SS
Alex Cole, CF
Dave Barbee, RF
Bench
Clyde Kluttz, C
Bill Baker, C
Tommy Helms, 2B/3B
Jimmy Brown, IF
Gair Allie, IF
Ron Davis, OF
Andy Tomberlin, OF
Notes: LaValliere was of course a catcher but him and Burgess are the best two players on the team so in order to get both in the lineup LaValliere slides to 3B where he played 1 game with the Pirates. The team can be rearranged (Whitted to 3B and Hyatt to LF) for him to play 1B if 3B proves too difficult. Whitted actually leads the team in steals but with a paltry 23 so this is another case of lacking a true leadoff guy. Behind him LaValliere and Burgess as I have already touched on are the two best players on the team with Burgess probably being the best hitter. Hyatt in the fifth spot is another very solid bat who is probably slightly better than league average. The bottom four in the lineup aren’t filled with superstars but each and everyone of them is going to be a tough out making this another lineup that is deep all the way through. The team’s defense looks like it should be solid all around with the possible exception of how LaValliere responds trying to play off his normal catcher position. On the bench the two backup catchers are very solid options and the rest of the group is respectable with a few decent bats and Allie who is a very good defensive shortstop.
Puerto Rico
Lineup
Jose Lind, 2B
Jose Pagan, 3B
Roberto Clemente, RF
Orlando Merced, 1B
Wil Cordero, LF
Junior Ortiz, C
Carlos Bernier, CF
Rey Quinones, SS
Bench
Benito Santiago, C
Carmelo Martinez, 1B/OF
Ramon Vazquez, IF
Jose Hernandez, IF/OF
Fernando Gonzalez, IF/OF
Sixto Lezcano, OF
Armando Rios, OF
Notes: Lind is a very good defensive second baseman but isn’t a great hitter still he sits atop the lineup thanks to his speed and lack of other options. Pagan is a solid hitter in the two hole but unfortunately struggles in the on base department. Now we reach the reason everyone is competing for the title of second best player in this class and its do to the great one himself, Roberto Clemente. Clemente combined with Merced gives Puerto Rico a formidable middle of the order. After passing them Cordero in the 5^th spot is a solid hitter who can’t field all that well. Ortiz and Bernier aren’t terrible hitters so they can’t be overlooked but Quinones is a pretty lousy one and just barely squeezed his way into the lineup by virtue of his glove.The defense on this team should be about average with Lind and Clemente as standouts. On the bench Vazquez and Herandez are the alternatives at shortstop as their bats are slightly better but not quite by enough to offset their poor gloves at the position. Lezcano is probably the best bat on the bench and if it wasn’t for the need for a CF would probably be in the lineup over Bernier. The rest of the bench are at least serviceable hitters.
Venezuela
Lineup
Jose Tabata, LF
Vic Davalillo, 1B
Francisco Cervelli, C
Carlos Garcia, SS
Luis Sojo, 3B
Tony Alvarez, RF
Ronny Cedeno, SS
Gorkys Hernandez, CF
Bench
Raul Chavez, C
Carlos Maldonado, C
Jose Castillo, 2B
Luis Rivas, 2B/SS
Cesar Izturis, 3B/SS
Al Pedrique, SS
Alex Ramirez, OF
Notes: Tabata atop the lineup is something he did do at one point and he does get on base at a good clip and is overall a decent hitter. Davalillo is really an outfielder but he is the only guy on the team with significant time at 1B so he plays there and while he is a good hitter he isn’t the type you’d expect at 1B. Cervelli is the best player on the team and will form the middle of the order with Garcia and Sojo who were capable bats with a little bit of power. Tony Alvarez only played briefly with the Pirates but was solid while batting. Ronny Cedeno of course isn’t a great option but for a shortstop he is useful and Gorkys Hernandez hit awful with the Pirates but is a strong glove out in center field. Overall this team should field fairly well, though Garcia isn’t a great defender at shortstop and we all know Tabata has his issues. On the bench are a ton of infielders highlighted by Jose Castillo who spent a while with the Pirates but was pretty bad on both aspects of the game. Ramirez barely lost out to Hernandez for the final OF job in the lineup. Overall it’s a below average bench. One quick note Elias Diaz was left off the team but could conceivably have the backup catcher job by the end of 2016 if he sees enough MLB time.
Virginia
Lineup
Tony Womack, 2B
Gene Alley, SS
Dave Robertson, RF
Hank Foiles, 1B
Steve Brodie, CF
Jerry May, C
Curtis Wilkerson, 3B
Ed Glenn, LF
Bench
Toby Atwell, C
Jim Mattox, C
Vinnie Smith, C
Charlie Sands, C
Paul Hines, 1B
Brandon Inge, 2B/3B
Steve Carter, OF
Notes: Tony Womack wasn’t much of a hitter but he had some serious speed and that is enough to place him atop this lineup. Gene Alley is the best player on this team thanks to his excellent defense at shortstop but he was also a quality hitter. Hitting in the third spot is Dave Robertson who is easily the best bat on the team and might be the only above average hitter on the team. Foiles is a catcher who is manning 1B despite never playing the position and that is due to the sheer volume of catchers on this roster and the fact he is one of the team’s better players so he needs in there somewhere. Foiles combines with Brodie and May to give the lineup some depth of non-awful hitters. The 7^th and 8^th in the lineup are rough as Wilkerson and Glenn are fairly poor hitters. Assuming FOiles transitions to 1B well the defense should be fine with a lot of average type players surrounding the elite talent of Alley. On the bench there are a ton of catchers headlined by Atwell who is a very nice player but with 2 catchers already in the lineup has no where to play. Hines will be in the lineup if Foiles doesn’t work at 1B but isn’t a good option. Outside of Atwell the bench is a fairly weak one.
West Virginia
Lineup
Dick Padden, 3B
Sam Barkley, 1B
Jack Glasscock, SS
Gene Freese, LF
Bill Mazeroski, 2B
Hal Rice, RF
Farmer Weaver, C
Lee King, CF
Bench
J.R. House, C
George Freese, 3B
Paul Popovich, 2B/SS
Scott Bullett, OF
Bull Smith, OF
Gene Curtis, OF
Dave Augustine, OF
Notes: Dick Padden has never played 3B but his usual position of 2B is otherwise manned and he is too good a player to sit on the bench so he is going to take his chances there. Padden and Barkley top the lineup for their OBP skills. Glasscock may look like an odd choice for the 3 spot but he is actually a very solid hitter in addition to being a good defensive shortstop. Freese in the cleanup spot has some nice power but he too is playing a position he isn’t too accustomed with as he was primarily a 3B with only minimal time in the OF. Mazeroski is of course the best player on the team but that is due to his stellar defense at 2B but he does have some pop which is why he slots into the middle of the order. Rice and Weaver were solid hitters with the Pirates but had minimal time so they do give the lineup a bit of depth. King rounds out the lineup as a rather poor hitter who also isn’t an exceptional defender but options were limited. Defensively, I think Padden should be ok at 3B so the team has a nice defensive infield but will probably be weak out in the pasture. On the bench George Freese is solid and will take over at 3B if Padden can’t handle it but the rest leaves a lot to be desired making this a very poor bench.
Wisconsin
Lineup
Ginger Beaumont, CF
Joe Randa, 3B
Otto Schomberg, LF
Gary Varsho, RF
Ed Konetchy, 1B
Jason Jaramillo, C
Cozy Dolan, 2B
George McBride, SS
Bench
Ray Berres, C
Fred Carisch, C
Eric Hinske, 1B/OF
Dad Lyte, 2B
Abner Dalrymple, OF
Ed Barney, OF
Joe Wright, OF
Notes: Beaumont is the team’s best player and also has all the skills necessary to be a dynamic lead off hitter. Batting 2^nd is Joe Randa who is probably the team’s second best player and combined with Beaumont should give the middle of the order plenty of guys on base. Schomberg only played 1B with the Pirates but has previous experience in the OF so he is moving there t help the team out and he bats 3^rd as the second best hitter on the team. Varsho has a bit of power so he’ll bat cleanup and the want to get Konetchy into the lineup is why Schomberg moved as he is another solid hitter. The lineup drops off at this point. Jaramillo, Dolan and McBride are all weak hitters and Dolan is actually playing out of position as he is a 3B by trade but hopefully he can handle the move. Defensively, with a couple people playing out of position this doesn’t look like a strong group. On the bench there is a nice collection of hitters in Hinske, Dalrymple, Barney and Wright though it is lacking for infield options. Overall the bench appears to be about an average one in this class.
Power Rankings
12. Virginia
Gene Alley is a terrific player but that is more so for his defense rather than his offense so having him as arguably your second best hitter is a big drain on the lineup. The Virginia lineup just doesn’t have any fire power behind Dave Robertson and in this class that just isn’t going to cut it. The team is also hurt by the lack of depth but it’s the lack of an offense that places them at the bottom.
11. New Jersey
The New Jersey lineup isn’t a bad lineup and each player in it has some positives on their side but the issue is the lineup is lacking any real superstar talent. Dots Miller is the best player on the team and he is a nice solid average regular but that simply isn’t enough out of your “star”. On the plus side even the defensive minded players at catcher and shortstop are respectable at the plate but there just isn’t enough high end talent here for the team to rank any higher.
10. Venezuela
Similar story to New Jersey here where the lineup is fine but there is no high end talent supporting it. Francisco Cervelli is already the best player on the team and solid as he is that isn’t a good sign. The bottom of the lineup has a couple weaker spots with Ronny Cedeno and Gorkys Hernandez but they are non horrible options who will help out with their gloves. Again solid team but just need some higher end talent.
9. Kansas
Kansas is our first team with a legitimate star atop its roster in George Grantham. Grantham is enough to vault Kansas over the previous three teams but his supporting cast is weak enough that the team can’t rise any higher. Pat Meares is the only real black spot in the lineup but the lineup lacks any above average hitters besides Grantham and that is enough to keep the team from moving up.
8. Wisconsin
Wisconsin is similar to Kansas in that they have a star to build around in Ginger Beaumont but are lacking for above average players to place around him. The makeup of the two rosters are actually largely similar and it is splitting hairs to decide who belongs where but Wisconsin gets the slight edge for me due to the strength of their bench which I feel is significantly better than Kansas’s.
7. West Virginia
The makeup of this team is largely similar to the Virginia team in that the star, Bill Mazeroski, is a great defensive infielder, that is only decent with the bat but what causes the big gap between the two is that West Virginia actually has a few good bats in the lineup. The team lacks a true above average stick but there is no one in the lineup that can be overlooked as they are all at least capable of holding their own at the plate. The lineup depth and what should be a solid defense allows West Virginia to climb this high but the lack of any great hitters prevents them from going any higher.
6. Puerto Rico
Starting your team with Roberto Clemente has a ton of benefits and is the largest single reason Puerto Rico broke into the top half of these rankings but unfortunately aside from Orlando Merced who is a good slightly above average hitter the rest of the supporting cast leaves you wanting. The team isn’t bad and Roberto Clemente will obviously help a lot but there just isn’t the necessary talent around him to crack the top 5.
5. North Carolina
Much like the teams are the low end of this list the North Carolina team doesn’t have a true superstar with catchers Smokey Burgess and Mike LaValliere being the team’s best player. What they do have though is the ability to send out a close to league average bat or better at all 8 positions and even without elite top end talent that still makes for one very fine team. The depth of the lineup will prove a good test for any pitcher but it’s the lack of high end talent that stops their climb here.
4. Canada
Another team lacking that superstar a top its lineup but making up for it somewhat by being deep all through their lineup. Jason Bay is very nice player and not a terrible option to build a team around but it’s the presence of above average hitters Russell Martin and Matt Stairs along with a rest of a lineup of roughly league average hitters that allow team Canada to rank so highly. Much like North Carolina this team is going to be one that tests a pitcher spots 1 through 8 but what gives them a slight edge is that their best bats are just a bit better.
3. Indiana
Now we have reached a point where the formula for the makeup of the top teams is the same. Each of the top 3 teams have a superstar and a strong supporting cast. For Indiana that superstar is Max Carey. Carey’s supporting cast is headed by Jeff King and catcher Milt May. The lineup does have some weak spots at the bottom as the middle infielders are weak hitters but overall this is probably the best defensive team in the class and that is enough to give the team a boost into third place.
2. Michigan
As previously stated the top 3 teams all have the same general formula a legitimate superstar surrounded by a cast of very solid big league regulars. For Michigan that superstar is the underappreciated Kiki Cuyler and his supporting cast is headed by the great defensive center fielder Bill Virdon and a solid two catcher in Jim Pagliaroni. Add in the power of John Vander Wal and Kevin Young and this is a truly formidable lineup. Michigan also benefits from a good bench and the best bench player, Maurice Van Robays, in this class.
1. Florida
Following the model of the previous two teams Florida has a superstar who the team is built around in Andrew McCutchen. I don’t know need to say much about how truly great a talent McCutchen really is. His supporting cast is headed by Jay Bell another very good player who would be the best player on several of these teams. Beyond those two is a lineup 1-6 filled with average bats or better. The bottom of the lineup has some weak spots but Al Lopez is a good defensive catcher and Sean Rodriguez is at least serviceable at second. The bench could use another infielder but the bats available off it are better than any in the class making this the deepest team and when combined with some great high end talent it is enough to claim the top spot in the class.