Hall of Fame slugger Willie Stargell, who led the Pirates to two World Series victories with his tape-measure home runs, died of a stroke yesterday at age 61. 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. 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. 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. In '79 he was the National League MVP, Championship Series MVP, and the World Series MVP, taking most of baseball's Top Honors for the year. He was honored with two elaborate days during those last three seasons, and later turned down another. "He said it's important that we be better. Stargell promptly did, the chicken was distributed - and Stargell sent Prince the bill. WATCH StargelStadium dedication in 2004. 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. $60.00. [3] While on the road with some of those teams, Stargell was not allowed to stay in the same accommodations as the white players. [14] The star remained in place until the stadium's 2004 demolition. Stargell died in a Wilmington, North Carolina, hospital on April 9, 2001. Willie Stargell, whose great menacing bat and gentle patriarch's compassion were the hallmarks of his singular 21-year-career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, died of a stroke shortly after. Stargel helped UC to one its finest seasons, including a win over Indiana. He was the first minor-league hitting coach for Chipper Jones. Stargell signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and entered minor league baseball in 1959. Later, the duo mysteriously got divorced and the reason is still behind the curtains. We have estimated 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. Wilver Dornel Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Okla., and grew up near Oakland, Calif. Stargell played three more seasons on arthritis-ravaged knees, the last at the request of former MVP teammate Dave Parker, but had only 14 more homers and 64 more RBIs. Great team." Stargell died in April 2001. Stargell also had three homers, including the decisive shot in Game 7 in Baltimore, as the Pirates rallied from a 3-1 deficit to wrest the World Series title from the favored Orioles. The end of November. If he hadn't played his first 8.5 seasons at cavernous Forbes Field, then the majors' most spacious ballpark, he probably would have hit more than 600 homers. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. (His unusual first name was an amalgamation of his father's first name and his mother's maiden name). Willie Stargell had 2,232 hits in his career. "He was the ultimate class act," McClatchy said. The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Willie Stargell is a MLB baseball player. Willie Stargell - 1973 - 470 feet. Mr. Stargell, a seven-time National League All-Star, is the Pirates' all-time leader in home runs, RBI and extra-base hits. is 6'4"(1.93m) . . He did so twice over the course of his 21-year career, with . On August 5, 1969, Stargell hit a home run off Alan Foster that left the stadium and measured 507 feet, the longest home run hit at Dodger Stadium. [1], Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, but later moved to Florida with an aunt after his parents divorced. He was married to Margaret Weller, Dolores Parker and Lois Beard. On April he was admitted at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. The Pirates postponed a formal ceremony dedicating the statue because Stargell could not attend. Willie Stargell had a career batting average of 0.282. Count that, too, as part of the legacy of Willard Stargel. Stargell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 with an 82% vote. He was 61. He played alongside the man he credited with much of his success, Roberto Clemente, who died in a plane crash in 1972. The Pirates fell apart after Stargell retired in 1982. Stargell never hit more than 33 homers in Forbes Field, but hit 48 in his first full season in Three Rivers in 1971 and had 125 from 1971-73 until knee and elbow injuries cut into his production. One day it was Willie Stargell. Willie Stargell. [7] He made his first of seven trips to the All-Star Game that year. (AP). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. "November the 19th. Jason, though, said his father wasnt bitter about it. He also posted a career batting average of .282, with 2,232 hits and 1,540 runs batted in. "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. He won the final two NL Player of the Month awards of his career in April (.347, 11 HR, 27 RBI) and in June (.333, 11 HR, 36 RBI); yet he did not win the MVP award, finishing second to Joe Torre. For the third year in a row, he was narrowly edged out of the MVP award, as Pete Rose took the honor. "We won, we lived and we enjoyed as one," Stargell said. The Willie Stargell Foundation transitioned to raising money for treatment of and research into kidney disease. Stargell. She leases the space and saidshe was offered $20,000 to move. So they got the stadium. By Alan Robinson MMI The Associated Press. 2 bids. Also learn how He earned most of Willie Stargell networth? Jason Stargel sat in the empty stands during a sunny afternoon last week and explained what his fathers name on the stadium has meant to his family. Pictured on one of a set of 4 USA nondenominated commemorative postage stamps issued 20 July 2013, celebrating Major League Baseball All-Stars. A plaque of Willard Stargel hangs on the wall facing the field. It wasn't until 1960, when Stargell was 19, that the two men finally met. In addition to his NLCS and World Series MVP awards, Stargell finally took home the elusive MVP award (as co-winner along with St. Louis' Keith Hernandez) at the age of 39. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. [21] Champion Enterprises sponsors a Willie Stargell Memorial Awards Banquet which raises money for disadvantaged children in Pittsburgh. 8, here are eight cards that spanned the slugger's career. The first player to ever hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium is Pittsburgh Pirates legend Willie Stargell. However, he was 0-for-14 in the NL playoffs against the Giants and had only one RBI in the Pirates' seven-game World Series victory over favored Baltimore. The Pirates did win the World Series in 1979, in a similar style as they had ended the 1978 season: from last place in the NL East at the end of April, the Pirates clawed their way into a first-place battle with the Montreal Expos during the latter half of the season. Aman who was a role model and a father figure to many of his players and students. Stargell was subjected to racism in the minor leagues, where an angry fan once confronted him with a shotgun, but quickly won them over with his power and personality. The Pirates lost the first two games of that series, which Stargell said that media began referring to as "the St. Valentine's Day Massacre" before Pittsburgh's comeback.[9]. Willie was married to his second wife until he died of a stroke. On June 25, 1971, Stargell hit the longest home run in Veterans Stadium history during a 144 Pirates win over the Philadelphia Phillies. If he forgot to give you one, we'd be at his locker saying, `Willie, I did this' or 'Willie, I did that.' Clearly not in good health, Stargell wiped away tears from his eyes as he hugged several players amid a wave of cheers that rolled across the stadium. Besides, the duo was blessed with two beautiful daughters, Dawn Moore, and Precious Stargell. Live. Willie Stargell was born on March 6, 1940 (age 60) in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, United States. Wilver Dornel Stargell was born March 6, 1940, in tiny Earlsboro, Oklahoma, the son of William and Gladys Vernell Stargell. Price on day of issue was 45. [4] He might have quit baseball over the racial difficulties that he experienced, but he was encouraged by letters he received from friend and baseball scout Bob Zuk. The status quo is a lot easier, a lot less scary for many people. If you took the approach that is currently being taken regarding the use of steroids, these players were all cheaters as well. In the top pf the 13th, Willie Stargell clubbed a two-run blast into the right field bleachers, spoiling the joyous coming out party for the new Atlanta Braves. CINCINNATI - It's the end of an era. Stargell also threw out the ceremonial last pitch at Three Rivers Stadium before the team's move after the 2000 season. Many of the football players came from homes with no fathers. How many home runs did Willie Stargell hit? A clubhouse drug scandal and subequent 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. We all stood together, Ward said. He was a Seven Time All-Star. It gets me maybe 30 days to pay some bills and recoup and find out where I'm going to go work. In 1979, he became the first and currently only player to win the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, the NL Championship Series MVP Award and the World Series MVP Award in one season. . Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The stroke was one of many complications Stargell suffered as a result of a long history of high blood pressure. The point here is that Amphetamines . Works: Willie Stargell: An Autobiography. 1993 TED WILLIAMS #81 WILLIE STARGELL JSA CERTIFIED AUTHENTIC AUTO. Scully said that because he used the name Wilver, he became Stargell's mother's favorite broadcaster.[4]. Stargell began and ended the season as the Pirates' everyday left-fielder, but spent extended periods playing first base as well. Pirates manager Chuck Tanner said of Stargell, "Having him on your ball club is like having a diamond ring on your finger." "In 1979 in Montreal, he hit a ball so far there they painted the seat gold. 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. Willie Stargell hit 475 home runs during his career. Stargell capped off the year by hitting a dramatic home run in Baltimore during the late innings of a close Game 7 to seal a Pirates' championship. "My heart has not changed. And he told Jason, in particular, to be himself. Stargell, a beloved figure in Pittsburgh and elsewhere in baseball, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988. Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates Slugger, Dies at 61, https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/09/obituaries/willie-stargell-pittsburgh-pirates-slugger-dies-at-61.html. For a time, whenever he homered, Stargell's restaurant would give away free chicken to all patrons present in the restaurant at the time of the home run, in a promotion dubbed "Chicken on the Hill with Will". $4.99. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills at least 36, injures some 85, Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Bald eagle couple lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row, Lake Superior becomes hot spot for winter surfing. He won the first of the three NL Player of the Month awards of his career in June 1965 (.330, 10 HR, 35 RBI). To see them for sale and auction on eBay, click the title of each. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Pirates fell apart after Stargell retired in 1982. 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. His 1963 rookie season was lackluster, but he enjoyed much more success the following season, his first as an everyday player. A source close to the Pirates blamed Stargell's health problems on his gaining weight after retiring as a player. Upon the Expos departure in 2004, the seat was removed and sent to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. 11 Copy quote. "When you had Willie Stargell on your team, it was like having a diamond ring on your finger," Tanner said. On April he was admitted at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. Thats part of the reason people were so upset when they first learned FC Cincinnati wanted to bulldoze Stargel Stadium and replace it with a new $250 million soccer stadium. Born March 6, 1940 Died April 9, 2001 (61) Add or change photo on IMDbPro Add to list Known for Monday Night Baseball 7.2 TV Series It proudly displays Willard Stargels name on the field, the press box, the scoreboard and the locker room building. Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, who led the Pittsburgh Pirates to two World Series victories with his tape-measure home runs and patriarchal leadership, died Monday after a long illness. "It hurt Pops, I think, a little when UC decided to go the bowl game and leave him home when (Virginia Tech) said they wouldn't play against UC because dad was on the team, but they took a vote and that was the leadership that was at the University of Cincinnati at that time," Jason said. "He's Pittsburgh baseball," said Stephen Reiser, among the fans passing by the new stadium. He would see to it that we got home after practice and he would make sure we got to school on time.. ", Pirates announcer Bob Prince adopted it immediately: "Chicken on the Hill!" Stargell's last game was on October 3, 1982 at Three Rivers Stadium against the Montreal Expos. Stargel Stadium in the West End with the Downtown skyline to the south. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. While playing for the Pirates' farm club in Asheville, N.C., he was nicknamed "On the Hill Will" for the long homers he hit onto a hillside far beyond the right field fence. He doesn't just hit pitchers, he takes away their dignity." "We molded together dozens of different individuals into one working force. A disease doctors call the silent killer was ultimately responsible for the death of baseball great Willie Stargell. Stargell enjoyed another fine season in 1970, batting .264 with 31 home runs and 85 RBIs and finishing 15th in MVP voting. [15], After retirement, Stargell spent two years as a first base coach for the Atlanta Braves from 19861988, wearing his customary #8. In seven of the next nine seasons, Stargell finished in the top 10 in MVP voting, as his career moved onto a Hall of Fame track. "He's up there, and he knows the Pirates are opening today. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 6 March. 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