The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced the 2025 inductees into the Pirates Hall of Fame. They are outfielder Kiki Cuyler, pitcher Vern Law, and outfielder/first baseman Al Oliver. Of the three, only Cuyler is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Induction will take place on August 21, which is an off day for the Pirates. The inductees will then be honored on the field before the August 22 game against the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park.

The Pirates have announced that Kiki Cuyler, Vernon Law and Al Oliver will comprise the 2025 class of inductees into the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame.

— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) June 7, 2025

Pirates Announce 2025 Inductees into Their Hall of Fame
Kiki

Born Hazen Shirley Cuyler, it’s easy to see why he might have preferred Kiki, which is pronounced with long “I’s”, unlike Kiki Dee, Kiko Garcia, or Kiké Hernández. He was a Pirate from 1921-27, batting .336/.399/.513, 38 HR, 312 RBI, and 135 OPS+ while patrolling all three outfield spots. His best season in the majors was in 1925, when he batted .357/.423/.508, 18 HR, 102 RBI, and 152 OPS+ for the eventual World Series champion Pirates. That year, he led the majors with 144 runs scored and 26 triples, finishing second in the race for the National League Most Valuable Player.

Cuyler Went Breaking the Nationals’ Hearts

Cuyler was a clutch performer in that 1925 Series. His eighth-inning, two-run home run off the Washington Nationals’ Stan Coveleski was the margin of victory in Game 2. As the Pirates began to mount a comeback after being down three games to one, Cuyler’s line-drive, seventh-inning RBI single off Coveleski gave Pittsburgh a lead it never lost in Game 5. Finally, in Game 7, his eighth-inning, two-out, ground-rule double off Walter Johnson drove in two and broke a 7-7 tie, as the Pirates won, 9-7.

Cuyler was also a member of the 1927 Pirates who were swept in the Series by the New York Yankees. Due to a dispute with owner Barney Dreyfus, Cuyler was benched for much of August and September and didn’t appear in the Series. The Pirates traded him to the Chicago Cubs after that season. Cuyler played 11 more seasons in the majors. For his career, he hit .321/.386/.474, 128 HR, 1,065 RBI, and 125 OPS+. Whatever the dispute was between Cuyler and Pirates ownership, it’s been forgiven after 98 years. He’s a worthy 2025 addition to the Pirates Hall of Fame.

The Deacon

Right-handed pitcher Law spent his entire career with the Pirates, from 1950-67. Uncle Sam interrupted his career with military service from 1952 to 1953. In 16 years with Pittsburgh, he was 162-147 with a 3.77 ERA, 13 saves, 1.284 WHIP, and 101 ERA+ in 483 games, of which 364 were starts. Now age 95, he’s one of just three players included in the first Topps baseball card set in 1952 who are still living.

Law’s best season was 1960 while a member of the 1960 World Series champion Pirates. That season, he was 20-9 with a 3.08 ERA, 1.126 WHIP, and a major-league-leading 18 complete games. Law was a runaway NL Cy Young Award winner that season. He started three World Series against the Yankees while battling a late-season ankle injury. He was the winning pitcher in Game 1 at Forbes Field and the critical Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. Additionally, he exited Game 7 in Pittsburgh with a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning. Roy Face blew the save that day, setting the stage for the dramatic walk-off home run by Bill Mazeroski.

“An Eye for an Eye”

Law is a Deacon in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Legend has it that manager Danny Murtaugh once ordered Law to hit a batter in retaliation for a Pirates batter being hit. Law told Murtaugh, “The Bible says to turn the other cheek.” Informed there would be a fine if he didn’t carry out orders, Law is reputed to have said, “Well, the Bible also says an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” He’s a Hall-of-Fame person as well as a player. Each year, he’s invited to the annual celebration of the 1960 Series at the Forbes Field Wall. He’ll take the time to telephone his regrets. Can you imagine Barry Bonds doing that? Me neither. Pirates fans who have wondered why Law was omitted from the Pirates Hall of Fame can wonder no more.

Scoop

Oliver came up as a first baseman, earning the nickname “Scoop” for his ability to dig throws from the dirt. He came up with the Pirates in 1968 as one of the vaunted “Baby Bucs” who figured in Pittsburgh’s 1971 World Series victory and dominance over the NL East Division in the first half of the 1970s. In 10 years with the Pirates, the dangerous left-handed batter hit .296/.335/.454, 135 HR, 717 RBI, and 119 OPS+. The Pirates also had a big, power-hitting first baseman in Bob Robertson at the same time Oliver was coming up. They solved this dilemma after the 1970 season by moving Oliver to center field and moving on from center fielder Matty Alou, a good hitter and a poor fielder.

However, much to Oliver’s chagrin, he couldn’t escape a platoon situation, sharing center field with speedy Gene Clines in 1971. Oliver hit .282/.317/.446, 14 HR, and 64 RBI in that role. Perhaps his finest moment as a Pirate came in Game 4 of the 1971 NL Championship Series. The Pirates led the best-of-five series, 2-1, over the San Francisco Giants entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Roberto Clemente broke the tie with an RBI single off Gaylord Perry. Two batters later, Oliver put the game out of reach with a three-run homer off reliever Jerry Johnson. “That will always hold up as the most important hit of my career,” he told the Pirates pregame television hosts on Sunday. The 9-5 score held up, and the Pirates were on their way to the World Series.

Always a Pirate

In 1972, Bill Virdon took over as Pirates manager and ended the center field platoon, playing Oliver every day. It was then that Oliver blossomed as a hitter. Over his final six seasons with Pittsburgh, Oliver hit over .300 four times (back when that was a “thing”), was a three-time All-Star, and received MVP consideration in five of those years.

However, after the Philadelphia Phillies won the East Division in 1976 and 1977, Oliver became an unfortunate casualty of the need to retool the Pirates. He was traded after that season to the Texas Rangers for pitcher Bert Blyleven and first baseman/outfielder John Milner. Oliver played eight more seasons in the majors with six teams. His best string of baseball came during his four years with Texas. Then, in 1982 with the Montreal Expos, he led the NL in batting, RBI, hits, doubles, and total bases. For his career, he hit .303/.344/.451, 219 HR, 1,326 RBI, and 121 OPS+. When his playing days were over, he maintained his connection with the Pirates while clamoring for his inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Last Word on the 2025 Inductees Into the Pirates Hall of Fame

What took until 2025 to get these three into the Pirates Hall of Fame? Teams’ Halls of Fame and jersey number retirements can be as much about who can show up for the ceremony and draw a crowd as anything else. In any event, the Pirates have made three good choices.