The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of a youth movement, but they still have plenty of older legends kicking around.
Bobby Shantz — the oldest living Pirates player — celebrated his 100th birthday on Friday. The team wished him a happy birthday on social media.
Shantz, a native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, enjoyed a 16-year Major League career as a left-handed pitcher from 1949 to 1964. He came up with the Philadelphia A’s at age 23 and had several of his best seasons in Philly before the team moved to Kansas City.
Shantz had his best year in 1952, winning American League MVP honors after going 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP and 8.8 WAR in 279 2/3 innings. Had the Cy Young Award existed at the time, he likely would have won it.
Injuries during the mid-1950s limited his effectiveness as a starter, but he enjoyed a resurgence after pitching more frequently in relief for Casey Stengel. He led the Majors in ERA in 1957 during his first season with the New York Yankees and revived his career in the Bronx, helping them win three American League pennants and a World Series title during his four years in pinstripes.
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After losing to Pittsburgh on Bill Mazeroski‘s walk-off homer in the 1960 Fall Classic, Shantz was traded to the Pirates that offseason. He spent the 1961 campaign with the defending World Series champs (who slumped to 75-79), going 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 89 1/3 innings.
One of the best-fielding pitchers of his era, Shantz won eight straight Gold Gloves from 1957 (the first year of the award) to 1964 — his final season. He’s one of only three pitchers in Pittsburgh team history to win a Gold Glove, along with Harvey Haddix (1959 and 1960) and Rick Reuschel (1985 and 1987).
Shantz only spent one season with Pittsburgh, as he was drafted by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1961 expansion draft. He bounced around over his final few seasons before ending his career with the infamous 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, who collapsed down the stretch despite Shantz’s strong performance (2.25 ERA in 14 appearances).
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A three-time All-Star, eight-time Gold Glove winner, World Series champ, MVP and ERA champion, Shantz was one of the best pitchers of the 1950s. The second-oldest living MLB player after Bill Greason (who recently turned 101) and a father of four, Shantz lives in Ambler, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Shirley, and dog, Jake, according to his recent interview with The Athletic.
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Featured image via Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images