The term “one-hit wonder” is generally applied to the music business. Some band or singer will produce a gem that captivates the listening public, but then they will never be able to reproduce the magic again. That’s because staying at the top is often harder than reaching the top. Despite the fact that the artist may never produce another hit, people still tend to fondly remember their one good song. Pro atheletes are no different. Some find it impossible to duplicate the success of one period in their career but we still look back with appreciation. This week’s America Loves Countdowns® series is dedicated to the Pittsburgh sports figures who had their brief, yet memorable, moment in the sun.

Warren Young
Former Penguins winger Warren Young could teach a course on how to become a one-hit wonder. Step 1: Be at the right place at the right time (check – Young was on a line with a brilliant rookie named Mario Lemieux in 1984-85). Step 2: Take advanatage of the good fortune presented to you by step 1 (check – Young scored 40 goals that season despite playing on a team which finished in last place). Step 3: Parlay your brief success into financial opportunity (check – Young signed a big contract with Detroit after that season). Step 4: Make sure you never do anything of note for the rest of your career (check – if you total up Young’s goals during his entire career before and after 1984-85, that total is smaller than the number he put up playing on Lemieux’s line that one season).

Neal Heaton
Heaton was a journeyman pitcher who bounced around to several teams during his 12-year career, including three seasons in Pittsburgh. His only flirtation with stardom came in the spring of 1990 when he opened the season by winning his first six starts, catapulting the Buccos to what would eventually be their first of three straight division titles. He was selected for the All-Star Game that year but never made it into the game. After that, he cooled off considerably, finishing the season with a 12-9 record while teammate Doug Drabek heated up and captured the Cy Young Award. Two years later, the Pirates traded Heaton to Kansas City for Kirk Gibson.

Carlton Haselrig
Though he never played football in college, the Steelers still thought that Johnstown wrestler Carlton Haselrig would make a good offensive lineman. Haselrig proved to be a huge success in 1992 when he made the Pro Bowl and established himself as one of the best guards in the NFL. Sadly, things came crashing down after that season. Haselrig struggled with alcohol and drugs, and eventually ended up in prison. Had he stayed clean, he most likely would have been a mainstay on the Steelers dominant o-line of that era.

Frank Pietrangelo
The Penguins opened the 1991 playoffs as favorites to win the Wales Conference, but things quickly fell apart during a first round playoff series against New Jersey. The Devils took a 3-2 lead in the series and even worse, the Pens lost starting goaltender Tom Barrasso to an injury. In came backup netminder Frank Pietrangelo to save the day. He made “The Save” on a Peter Statsny shot in Game 6 at Jersey, a moment forever etched in Pittsburgh sports lore. Thanks to that stop, the Pens hung on to a slim 4-3 victory and were able to close out the series in Pittsburgh in game 7. Shortly after that series, Pietrangelo was back on the bench and never heard from again.

Kendrell Bell
The Steelers defense ranked as the best in the NFL in 2001 thanks in large part to a rookie inside linebacker named Kendrell Bell. He was a terror for opposing quarterbacks. Bell posted 9 sacks and won the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. However, he was never able to match the magic of that first season. His play declined sharply mostly due to injuries. The Steelers discovered that he was also a very one-dimensional player. They tried to use Bell in their 3rd down coverage schemes and he failed miserably. He was gone after the 2004 season, and he was recently just released by Kansas City as well.

Warren Morris
Although he is best remembered for his walk-off homerun that won the 1996 College World Series for LSU, Warren Morris also made a huge splash as a rookie for the Pirates in 1999. He hit .288 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI’s. He also finished in the top three for the NL Rookie of the Year award. The Bucs thought they had found a guy who would be their second basemen for the new decade. Like everything else involving the Pirates, it didn’t turn out quite the way they expected. Morris stunk after that one great season and was out of baseball altogether a few years later. Yet another promising career went straight down the drain courtesy of your Pittsburgh Pirates.

Patrick Lalime
Few Pittsburgh atheletes have burst onto the scene with more luster and exited as quickly more than Penguins goalie Patrick Lalime. He was a minor league player who was suddenly forced into service at the NHL level when the Pens lost their top two netminders (Tom Barrasso and Ken Wregget) during the middle of the 1996-97 season. With the season about to collapse, Lalime played brilliantly. He went 14-0-2 in his first 16 starts, breaking a record held by Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden! After one game in which he completely thwarted Ottawa, star center Daniel Alfredsson blurted out, “Who is this guy?!” It seemed like Lalime would be the goalie of the future, but just like that – poof, he was gone. A bitter contract dispute led to Lalime being sent back to the minors after the season and never again appearing in a Penguins uniform. He had moderate success elsewhere in the NHL and is still playing today, but he was never able to play at the level he did during those first 16 games.

Johan Hedberg
Goalie Johan Hedberg’s nickname in Pittsburgh was “The Moose”, but it was not because of anything he did as a player that resembled a moose. It was because he was playing for the Manitoba Moose of the now-defunct IHL when the Penguins acquired him late in the 2000-01 season, and since he was unexpectedly rushed into starting action, he never had time to get a new helmet so he wore his old helmet instead with a giant picture of a moose on it. He very quickly became a star when he guided the Pens to a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals that spring, besting two of the NHL’s best goaltenders – Olaf Kolzig and Dominik Hasek – along the way. But the novelty of The Moose soon faded. He was never able to match his 2001 playoff run (although in his defense, the entire team was in the process of being salary-dumped at the time), and he was sent packing two seasons later.

Tommy Maddox
As a former college star whose career had gone so far downhill that he was stuck selling insurance for a living instead, Tommy Maddox was just grateful to be playing anywhere when the Steelers signed him to back up Kordell Stewart. When Stewart faltered to open the 2002 season, the Steelers decided to take a chance on Maddox as their starting quarterback, and Tommy made the most of his opportunity. He led the Steelers from an 0-2 record to AFC North Division champs. Along the way he set the franchise’s single game passing record, led their greatest comeback ever, and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. Like everyone else on this list, Tommy’s good fortune was short-lived. He eventually became very interception-prone and lost his starting job, but he was around long enough to earn a Super Bowl ring with Pittsburgh in 2005.

Michel Briere
As a Penguins rookie in 1969-70, Michel Briere flashed signs of brilliance. He finished third on the team in scoring in the regular season and then really stepped up his game during the post-season. Briere helped lead the Pens – who were just a few seasons removed from expansion status – to the second round of the playoffs, scoring five goals in the ten post-season games including an overtime goal which won the first round series against Oakland. At age 20, his talent and upside potential were huge. Sadly, Briere never got a chance to realize that potential. He died from injuries he sustained in a car crash that offseason. His death had a long term impact on the team, and they were unable to continue the momentum created by the 1970 playoff run. The Penguins later retired Briere’s number 21. It’s the only number other than 66 that the franchise has retired.

Honorable Mentions:

• Sidney Thornton: When Franco Harris went down with an injury in 1979, Thornton racked up 585 yards in his place and helped the Steelers Super Bowl offense stay afloat. He had the potential to take over for Franco and become the feature back of the future, but it never happened.
• Cy Blanton: During his rookie season in 1935, Pirates pitcher Cy Blanton lit up the National League by posting 18 wins, 142 strikeouts, a 2.58 ERA, and a league-high 4 shutouts. It turned out to be his best year as he finished his career with a paltry 68-71 record.
• Bob Johnson: One season as Penguins head coach, one Stanley Cup championship. Badger Bob had his one great season behind the bench in Pittsburgh before he sadly passed away prior to the start of the following season.