The Pittsburgh Pirates took rebuilding to a new level after letting Barry Bonds and a string of competitive seasons walk away. Payroll was slashed left and right with three rookies taking spots in the opening lineup. All three appeared in the 1993 Finest set with Kevin Young starting at first and third bases.
Young didn’t exactly light the world on fire as he struggled to stay above the Mendoza line for several years. The Pirates cut him and parlayed his Kansas City roots into a roster spot in 1996. The following year he returned to Pittsburgh and found a home as one of the more popular members are some horrifically bad teams. In fact, he became a symbol of hope as he eventually became the last member of a winning Pirates team. He only had 9 plate appearances when Pittsburgh challenged for the 1992 National League Championship but he was still part of a team with a winning record. This had special meaning to Pittsburgh fans as the team amazingly posted a losing record for 20 consecutive years.
