About Us [26], List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle, List of Major League Baseball home run records, List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise, "Willie Stargell at the Baseball Hall of Fame", "Biography: Stargell, Wilver Dornell (Willie, Pops)", "Obituary: Willie Stargell: Numbers couldn't measure the man", April 17, 1964 Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets Play by Play and Box Score, "September 30, 1978 Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score and Play by Play", "Montreal Expos at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score, October 3, 1982 | Baseball-Reference.com", "June 25, 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score and Play by Play", "Stargell's star a lasting tribute; Blast is marking point for all hitters", "Stargell was Pirates' inspirational leader in '70s", "In a time of upheaval, a constant remains Chipper Jones", "Willie Stargell Gave Out Amphetamines, Dale Berra Testifies", "Stargell hospitalized, undergoing treatment", "100 Greatest Baseball Players by the Sporting News: A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac", "Willie Stargell: Numbers couldn't measure the man", "Sickle Cell Society Inc/Murray Irvis Genetic Disease Center: A History of Care", "The Williie Stargell Foundation Website", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Willie_Stargell&oldid=1132452504, September 16,1962,for thePittsburgh Pirates, October 3,1982,for thePittsburgh Pirates, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 23:36. He has concerns over the West End's history and its future. "He was the ultimate class act," McClatchy said. Upcoming Birthday Currently, Willie Stargell is 82 years, 11 months and 17 days old. Monica Williams is counting on that, too. Steelers' legend Franco Harris died Wednesday, just two days before the 50 th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and just three days before his number 32 is retired by the Steelers during a game at Acrisure Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders.. Pirates' legend Willie Stargell died just two days after his statue was unveiled outside PNC Park. "When you had Willie Stargell on your team, it was like having a diamond ring on your finger," said Chuck Tanner, the Pirates' manager for Stargell's final six seasons. Before one game in Texas, he was confronted by a man with a shotgun who threatened to "blow your brains out" if he played that evening. And he told Jason, in particular, to be himself. Stargell had been in failing health for several years due to a kidney disorder, according to officials at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., where he died. Willie played his entire baseball career in Major League Baseball (MLB) as the left fielder and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates. is 6'4"(1.93m) . The second home run Stargell hit out of the Dodger Stadium, and the shorter of the two, occurred May 8, 1973. But when UC got an invitation to play Virginia Tech in the Sun Bowl in Texas, it came with one condition. Stargell is the only player to have won all three MVP trophies in a single year. The former TaftStadium, completed in 1986, was renamed in Stargels honor. He returned to the All-Star Game the next two seasons, hitting over 100 runs batted in (RBI) in both years, and finishing respectively 14th and 15th in MVP voting. Years later, he said the nickname bestowed on that team -- the Family, from the Sister Sledge song, "We Are Family" -- wasn't a misnomer. Wilver Dornell Stargell (March 6, 1940 - April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" later in his career, was an American professional baseball left fielder and first baseman who spent all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) ( 1962 - 1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Willie was suffering from a kidney ailment and heart disease caused by high blood pressure for a long time. In 1979 he won the regular season, NL championship series, and World Series Most Valuable Player awards en route to a second World Series championship. Willie Stargell Signed Baseball Treat Authentics COA Official League Baseball $59.00 $10.00 shipping or Best Offer Willie Stargell Signed ONL William White Baseball 1990's SUPER CLEAN Pirates COA $115.00 $11.45 shipping or Best Offer Willie Stargell Autographed Signed Official National League Baseball Pirates HOF $75.00 $5.99 shipping or Best Offer Honors and Awards The Pirates retired Willies' number 8 jersey in 1982. "It's emotional. [8] He finished out the decade with a strong performance in 1969 (.307, 29 HR, 92 RBI), and finished 21st in MVP voting. "Around here in the West End, there is no other stadium except Stargel Stadium where the Blacks could look up to and say, 'Hey, I knew him, " said Sterling Trice, Taft Alumni Association president. He smacked a ball completely out of Dodger Stadium. Willie Stargell hit 475 home runs during his career. "It means everything to the boys and to the parents and to the fans," Erica Bradley said while watching her son play in Tafts homecoming game two weeks ago. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He was married to Margaret Weller, Dolores Parker and Lois Beard. A career .282 hitter with 1,540 RBI, he became the 200th person inducted to the Hall of Fame when he entered in 1988. He slumped badly in 1976, after Dolores developed a blood clot on her brain, but won the comeback player of the year award in 1978 after hitting 28 homers and driving in 97 runs in 390 at-bats. If he hadn't played his first 8 seasons at cavernous Forbes Field, then the majors' most spacious ballpark, he probably would have hit more than 600 homers. Willie Stargell, 61, a hulking fixture of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won World Series championships in 1971 and 1979 and a baseball Hall of Famer who demoralized pitchers with towering home runs belted during 21 seasons in the major leagues, died April 9 of a stroke at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. Groundbreaking for Stargel Stadium in 2004. [7] He made his first of seven trips to the All-Star Game that year. Live Death Statistics Worldwide and The United States. He's optimistic about what's to come and what he hopes will remain. For a decade, BAF, renamed the Willie Stargell Foundation, raised research money and public awareness about the disease. Stargell died on . Willie Stargell's Life Path Number is 5 as per numerology. Stargel was prepared to teach high school math after getting a bachelors degree in 1947 and a Masters in 1952, but Cincinnati Public Schools didnt hire blacks to teach high school, he said. #inline-recirc-item--id-a4809f9c-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a4809f9c-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Only months from his 40th birthday, he made an unprecedented three-way sweep of MVP awards, sharing the NL award with Keith Hernandez of St. Louis and winning it in the playoffs and World Series -- a feat still not matched. Biographer Frank Garland relates that Stargell's family and friends called him Wilver and that Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully also made a point of using Stargell's given name. That included Jason and his twobrothers and two sisters, he said. Trying to win back their disillusioned fans during that 104-loss season, the Pirates had rehired Stargell as a coach but he left again a year later to rejoin Tanner, who was hired by the Atlanta Braves after being fired in Pittsburgh. Prince himself once promised free chicken to listeners if Stargell hit a home run; Stargell did homer and Prince picked up a $400 bill at the restaurant. Despite being overshadowed at times by more prolific home run hitters Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, and by his own Hall of Fame teammate, Roberto Clemente, Stargell's sheer power was unrivaled. Besides, Stargell enjoyed another fine season in 1970, batting .264 with 31 home runs and 85 RBIs and finishing 15th in MVP voting. Stargell died of a stroke two days after a 12-foot (4-metre) bronze statue of him was unveiled at the opening of the Pirates new stadium, PNC Park. He hit a second home run out of Dodger Stadium on May 8, 1973, against Andy Messersmith, measured at 470 feet (140m). "I dreamed of the big crowds, artificial turf, our new tradition and my increased home run power.". "These days, not even a food truck, Williams said. Willie Stargell was born on March 6, 1940. Despite developing a kidney disorder that required frequent dialysis, Stargell later worked in the Braves' minor league department for 10 years until returning to the Pirates yet again in 1997 as an aide to general manager Cam Bonifay. UC won, but it was a tainted victory to say the least. Willie Stargell was 6 feet and 4 inches tall in height with a bulky body that weighs almost about 90 kg. [13] The shot came in the second inning and chased starting pitcher Jim Bunning out of the game. [8], In the 1985 trial of alleged cocaine dealer Curtis Strong, Stargell was accused by Dale Berra and John Milner (both former Pirates teammates) of distributing "greenies" (amphetamines) to players. The 1979 World Series victory also made the Pirates the only franchise in baseball history to twice recover from a three-games-to-one deficit and win a World Series (previously they had done so in 1925 against the Washington Senators). In the same game, teammate Bob Robertson also collected five hits, including a home run; not until Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones in 2012 would two Pirates collect five hits in the same game. Survivors include his wife of eight years, Margaret Weller-Stargell of Wilmington; four daughters, Precious Stargell and Dawn Stargell Moore, both of Atlanta, Wendy Stargell of Claremont, Calif., and Kelli Stargell of Herndon; a son, Wilver Jr., of Atlanta; his mother; a sister; and five grandchildren. $6.00 shipping. Updates? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. [16] He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, his first year of eligibility. His marriage to Dolores Stargell ended in divorce. What was the cause of Willie Stargell death? Kelli, also known as Wendy Rebecca Stargell is suffered from a developmental disorder and says she is unable to support herself. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and with a deep, commanding voice, Stargell intimidated pitchers even before they delivered the ball by pinwheeling the bat in rhythm with their delivery. Did you know that Willie, his nickname, won the 1979 Most Valuable Player Award, the 1979 League Championship Most Valuable Player Award, and the 1979 World Series Most Valuable Player Award the only player in Major League history to have won all three MVPs during the same season? He died on 9 April 2001 in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. His 1963 rookie season was lackluster, but he enjoyed much more success the following season, his first as an everyday player. Where is Willie Stargell buried? Aman who was a role model and a father figure to many of his players and students. While he did hit 8 home runs, Seaver held him to a .238/.301/.546 . Stargell better known by his given name, Wilver (sometimes mispronounced as "Williver") during his Alameda days played his last major league game in 1982. Terms of Use, Willie Stargell with his first wife and son. In 1979, it was Stargell's turn to transform the World Series into a one-man act for an aging star. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Willie Stargell had a career batting average of 0.282. [3], Stargell played for farm teams in New Mexico, North Dakota, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. A clubhouse drug scandal and subsequent 1985 federal court trial in Pittsburgh implicated more than 30 major leaguers and badly tarnished not only the Pirates' image, but baseball's as well. Willie died on April 9, 2001 from complications related to his kidney disease - the same day PNC was opened. So stick with us till the end. That's how much respect we have for the man. Known as "Pops" to fans and to the teammates who benefited from his fatherly presence, Mr. Stargell died two days after a 12-foot bronze statue of him in a batting stance was unveiled at PNC Park, where the Pirates played for the first time yesterday and where a moment of silence was invoked. He slumped badly in 1976, after Dolores developed a blood clot on her brain, but won the comeback player of the year award in 1978. He had problems with his kidneys for several years before his death. When the job as head football coach at Taft opened in 1966, a white coach got it. Stargell signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and entered minor league baseball in 1959. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Besides, these figures, however, vary according to the contract and the skills of the player. On April he was admitted at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, who led the Pirates to two World Series victories with his tape-measure homers, died of a stroke Monday at age 61. He became the third player, after Lou Boudreau in 1946 and Joe Adcock in 1954, to collect five extra-base hits in one game. All Rights Reserved. Stargell led the Pirates to World Series championships in 1971 and 1979, sharing the National League Most Valuable Player Award with Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals in '79 at the age of 39. "The whole family was just so excited when the Taft alumni suggested that the stadium, Taft Stadium, be named Willard Stargel.". Willie Stargell Early Life and Family We all stood together, Ward said. Willie Stargell, byname of Wilver Dornel Stargell, also called Pops, (born March 6, 1940, Earlsboro, Okla., U.S.died April 9, 2001, Wilmington, N.C.), American professional baseball player who led the Pittsburgh Pirates to World Series championships in 1971 and 1979. Chapman, a 5-3, 120-pound running back when he started playing football at Taft, said he earned a football scholarship at Northern Illinois thanks to Stargel. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Stargell reluctantly became the Pirates' leader upon Clemente's death in a Dec. 31, 1972, plane crash, saying, "There's a time in a man's life when he has to decide if he's going to be a man.". A lot of memories on this field. The Pirates retired his number 8 on September 6, 1982. Died: April 9, 2001 . Stargell began and ended the season as the Pirates' everyday left-fielder, but spent extended periods playing first base as well. He grew up in Oakland, Calif., where he was spotted by Pirates scout Bob Zuk as he played on the same high school team as future majors leaguers Tommy Harper and Curt Motton. 9, 2001 from complications related to his kidney disease - the same day PNC was opened willie. 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