Fan favorite, '25 WS hero Cuyler to be inducted into Pirates Hall of Fame
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PITTSBURGH – It was about four years ago at PNC Park when Heather Cuyler was offered a piece of her family’s history that nobody expected.
The great-granddaughter of Kiki Cuyler, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cuyler was watching her hometown Pirates when an usher approached her. Another fan in attendance (who Cuyler said requests anonymity) was cleaning out an abandoned store in nearby Donora, Pa., when he found a baseball bat with Kiki Cuyler’s name engraved on it.
It wasn’t a game-used bat, but it was a piece of lumber -- and history -- that was finally back in Cuyler hands.
“The likelihood that it lasted this long, and this gentleman happened to see me at the ballpark is really a cool story,” Cuyler said. “... His wife shared most of his uniforms [and] those types of things to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, so we don’t have a lot.”
The bat is now on loan at the Heinz History Center. Returning it to the family was a touching gesture, but Kiki Cuyler last played for the Pirates in 1927. That bat had to have been close to 100 years old when it was returned. And how did it wind up in Donora?
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With the help of the Heinz History Center and the local Society for American Baseball Research chapter, Heather discovered there used to be “Cuyler clubs” for sports fans in Donora and on the South and North sides of Pittsburgh. He went over occasionally and hit or pitched to kids in these organic fan clubs.
It’s hard to know exactly how popular a given player from a century ago was, but Cuyler was a favorite in Pittsburgh. That was evident by his and the team’s success on the field when he was with the club. Cuyler spent the first seven seasons of his 18-year Hall of Fame career with the Pirates and quickly became one of the best players in the National League.
Cuyler led the league in games played and runs scored in 1924 and '25. His 369 total bases in 1925 is still a franchise record, and he nearly became the first Pirate to win an MVP that season. That offensive output led the Pirates to their second World Series championship, where he delivered the game-winning double in the eighth inning of Game 7.
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Cuyler might have only played 525 games with the Pirates, but his impact on the organization is undeniable. It’s why he is being inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame this week, alongside 1971 World Series champ Al Oliver and 1960 Cy Young and World Series winner Vern Law. The ceremony is Thursday, and the celebration is Friday, when the Pirates face the Rockies.
This week marks the second time this month that the Pirates will celebrate Cuyler and his family, following the team's hosting of a reunion for descendants of the championship team. Seven members of the Cuyler family, including Heather, represented him on the field that day, and Michael Dewar, his great-grandson, sang the national anthem.
“Our family has shared the legacy of my great-grandfather playing for the Pirates,” Heather Cuyler said, “but since all of this and the replica of his jersey and the location of the bat and doing all this research, it’s just become more real. We’re prouder than we have been over the generations.”
Cuyler passed away in 1950 at the age of 51 due to a heart attack, so those today don’t have much first-hand experience to share about their Hall of Fame ancestor. Even though he played more than 100 years ago, a few stories from his playing career have passed through the generations of Cuylers.
One that has been held dear is Kiki’s favorite memory as a pro. The expectation is that it would be a clutch hit or personal accomplishment, but it was when he looked up into the stands and saw his son, Harold.
Nearly 100 years after his last game as a Pirate, his family will still be at the ballpark for him.
“This is such an honor to have this all occurring in my hometown,” Heather Cuyler said.