PITTSBURGH — Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, the thunderous home-run hitter who carried the Pittsburgh Pirates into two World Series with his power and helped win them with his patriarchal leadership, died early Monday after a long illness. He was 61.
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.
Stargell died on the day the Pirates opened their new ballpark, PNC Park, where a 12-foot bronze statue of Stargell's likeness was unveiled Saturday. The Pirates postponed a formal ceremony dedicating the statue because Stargell could not attend.
"Now, every opening day at PNC Park, everybody will know this is Willie Stargell's day," said Chuck Tanner, Stargell's manager from 1977-82. "He's up there, and he knows the Pirates are opening today."
One of the greatest home-run hitters ever, in volume and in distance, Stargell hit 475 homers — many of them soaring, majestic shots that rattled a pitcher's confidence. With Stargell batting cleanup for most of his 20-year career, the Pirates won World Series championships and NL pennants in 1971 and 1979 and six NL East titles from 1970-79.
Nicknamed "Pops," Stargell was a dynamic leader on the field with his tape-measure shots and a fatherly yet forceful presence off it, distributing his coveted Stargell stars for extra effort to teammates who proudly attached them to their ballcaps.
"When you had Willie Stargell on your team, it was like having a diamond ring on your finger," Tanner said.
Big and powerful at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, with a deep, commanding voice, Stargell intimidated pitchers even before they delivered the ball.
Despite being overshadowed at times by more prolific home run hitters Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, and by the play of his own Hall of Fame teammate, Roberto Clemente, Stargell's sheer power was unrivaled. He hit seven of the 18 homers over the right-field roof at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field from 1909-70 and once held the record for the longest homer in nearly half of the National League parks.
Stargell enjoyed his best season in 1971, with 48 homers and 125 RBIs. However, he was 0-for-14 in the NL playoffs against the Giants and had only one RBI in the Pirates' 7-game World Series victory over favored Baltimore.
In 1979, the 39-year-old with limited strength and mobility hit 32 homers during a memorable regular season and added two more during an NL playoffs sweep of Cincinnati.
Stargell hit three homers, including the decisive shot in Game 7 in Baltimore, as the Pirates won the World Series over favored Baltimore. He made an unprecedented three-way sweep of the MVP award, sharing the NL award with Keith Hernandez and winning the honors in the playoffs and World Series.