Best to Wear It

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
‘Burgh’s Best to Never Wear It: Honus Wagner holds Pirates records more than a century after he retired
The Tribune-Review is following its Best to Ever Wear It series, a daily countdown of the greatest college and pro athletes to wear every jersey number from 99 to 0/00, by honoring the Best to Never Wear It. The six athletes spotlighted didn’t wear a numbered uniform but brought pride...
‘Burgh’s Best to Never Wear It: Rochester’s Lauryn Williams was a champion of comebacks
The Tribune-Review is following its Best to Ever Wear It series, a daily countdown of the greatest college and pro athletes to wear every jersey number from 99 to 0/00, by honoring the Best to Never Wear It. These six athletes didn’t wear a numbered uniform but brought pride to...
‘Burgh’s Best to Never Wear It: John Woodruff’s roots remain strong in Connellsville
The Tribune-Review is following its Best to Ever Wear It series, a daily countdown of the greatest college and pro athletes to wear every jersey number from 99 to 0/00, by honoring the Best to Never Wear It. The six athletes spotlighted didn’t wear a numbered uniform but brought pride...
‘Burgh’s Best to Never Wear It: Bruno Sammartino forged authentic connection with fans
The Tribune-Review is following its Best to Ever Wear It series, a daily countdown of the greatest college and pro athletes to wear every jersey number from 99 to 0/00, by honoring the Best to Never Wear It. The six athletes spotlighted didn’t wear a numbered uniform but brought pride...
‘Burgh’s Best to Never Wear It: When it came to boxing, none was greater than Harry Greb
The Tribune-Review is following its Best to Ever Wear It series, a daily countdown of the greatest college and pro athletes to wear every jersey number from 99 to 0/00, by honoring the Best to Never Wear It. The six athletes spotlighted didn’t wear a numbered uniform but brought pride...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 0/00: Brian Shorter rebounded from Prop 48 to make impact at Pitt
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 0/00: Brian Shorter Compiling the best players ever to wear number 0 or 00 jerseys in a sports city typically is a short list....
‘Burgh’s best to wear it, No. 1: Larry Fitzgerald, 37, prepares for his 16th NFL season
When you look back at Larry Fitzgerald’s time at Pitt and in the NFL, much of it is difficult to believe. • In his second and final (sophomore) season at Pitt in 2003, he caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. • Equally amazing, he didn’t win the...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 2: Jack Wilson brought defensive wizardry to Pirates in 2000s
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 2: Jack Wilson In Jack Wilson’s nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, they lost 100 games once, dropped at least 90 games on five...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 3: Phil Garner pivotal in Pirates’ 1979 World Series run 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 3: Phil Garner No. 3’s company is extensive when it comes to quality candidates to wear that number in Pittsburgh sports history. In the...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 4: Ralph Kiner slugged homers, lived lavish lifestyle with Pirates
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 4: Ralph Kiner Ralph Kiner enjoyed the spoils that accompanied being a baseball star in post-World War II America. He drove fancy cars, dated...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 5: Beloved in Pittsburgh, Ulf Samuelsson was a villain everywhere else 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 5: Ulf Samuelsson To understand Ulf Samuelsson’s appeal in Pittsburgh, all you have to consider is who liked him. Jack Lambert. The toughest and...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 6: Controversial Tony Pena trade helped Pirates win division championships
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 6: Tony Pena Few players are good enough to contribute to a team by walking out the door, but Tony Pena found a way....
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 7: Ben Roethlisberger added to Steelers’ trophy collection 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 7: Ben Roethlisberger From Terry Bradshaw’s final healthy season in 1982 and over the next two decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers used a baker’s dozen...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 8: Before he hit all those home runs, Willie Stargell stared down bigotry
In his major league debut, Willie Stargell was upstaged by a 5-foot-8 catcher, but Stargell went on to seize the spotlight for the next 20 years. Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an 18-year-old amateur free agent in 1958 for a reported bonus of $1,500, Stargell bounced from Roswell, N.M.,...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 9: Bill Mazeroski provided legendary homer, glove for Pirates 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 9: Bill Mazeroski With the exception of games played (twice) and intentional walks (mostly a function of batting eighth in the order in 1962),...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 10: Often overshadowed, Ron Francis was vital to the Penguins’ success 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 10: Ron Francis It’s not the greatest goal in Penguins history. Heck, it’s probably not even the most famous goal of their Stanley Cup...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear it, No. 11: Pirates’ Paul Waner collected 3,152 hits, turned down 3,000th 
Paul Waner could hit a baseball better than most men who came before or after him. The Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder also possessed something else in a large quantity that many could not match: pride. Waner, who grew up in Harrah, Okla., and played for the Pirates from 1926-1940, led...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 12: Terry Bradshaw had perfect record in Steelers’ biggest moments
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 12: Terry Bradshaw Once the most accomplished passer in Pittsburgh Steelers history, Terry Bradshaw has watched Ben Roethlisberger erase nearly all of his records...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 13: From midgets to the NFL, Dan Marino wore lucky number
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 13: Dan Marino He was the coach’s son, so it was only right that a very young Dan Marino had to accept he was...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 14: Chris Kunitz’s persistence paid off for Penguins 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 14: Chris Kunitz Chris Kunitz nearly quit professional hockey before his career even began. After bouncing through waivers between the Anaheim Ducks and the...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 15: Chuck Cooper helped break NBA’s racial barrier
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 15: Chuck Cooper Eye-popping statistics weren’t the reason Chuck Cooper finally earned his place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019....
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 16: Al Oliver provided plenty of hits for Lumber Company Pirates
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 16: Al Oliver Thanks to his knack for plucking balls out of the dirt at first base, Al Oliver was given an appropriate nickname...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 17: Rick Kehoe was Penguins’ points leader in pre-Mario era 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 17: Rick Kehoe Much of Pittsburgh might feel as if the Penguins didn’t exist until Mario Lemieux arrived in 1984. But in the pre-Mario...
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 18: Andy Van Slyke was at center of division-winning Pirates teams 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 18: Andy Van Slyke A 1987 trade that brought Andy Van Slyke to the Pittsburgh Pirates initially was highly unpopular with the franchise’s fanbase....
‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 19: Pirates’ Bob Friend made durability hallmark 
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number. No. 19: Bob Friend Pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950s was like taking the mound for the home teams these days at PNC...


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