1979 World Series Game 7 vs Pirates

Lore & Background

The Pirates were known for adopting Sister Sledge's hit 'We Are Family' as their theme song during the season. Willie Stargell, Bruce Kison, and Manny Sanguillén were the only players left from the Pirates team that defeated the Orioles in 1971, and Jim Palmer and Mark Belanger, along with manager Earl Weaver, were the only remaining Orioles from the 1971 team. Grant Jackson pitched for the Orioles in the 1971 series and for the Pirates in the 1979 series, and Frank Robinson, the Orioles' hitting coach, played for Baltimore in 1971. Pirates' infielder Rennie Stennett was not on the team's World Series roster in 1971.

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed over Three Rivers Stadium, casting long shadows across the infield dirt. Fans packed the stands, the air thick with anticipation and the smell of autumn leaves. A pitcher wound up on the mound, the crowd holding its breath for what many hoped would be a final showdown. Instead, it was the decisive moment that sealed history, a game 6 finish that felt just as heavy as any seventh game could have been.

Reader's Guide

Each game was played under National League rules. As a result, the Orioles' pitchers had to bat, and Tim Stoddard got his first major league hit and runs batted in (R.B.I.) in Game 4. Lee May, Baltimore's Designated Hitter, was reduced to three pinch-hitting appearances, but if the DH had been in use, Pittsburgh would have platooned Lee Lacy and Mike Easler in the role, which would have negated any advantage to Baltimore. Willie Stargell was voted World Series Most Valuable Player after batting .400 with a record seven extra-base hits, matching Reggie Jackson's record of 25 total bases set two years earlier. At age 38, Stargell became the oldest World Series MVP, breaking the previous mark set by his late teammate Roberto Clemente, who was MVP in 1971 at the age of 37.

Did You Know?

• The 1979 Pirates were the last team to win Game 7 of a World Series on the road until 2014, when the San Francisco Giants defeated the Royals in Kansas City.
• Pittsburgh became the third city to win the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same season or calendar year, with the Steelers having already won Super Bowl XIII (they would later repeat in Super Bowl XIV following t
• As of the source, this is Pittsburgh's last World Series victory and appearance, and their second-most recent postseason victory. The Pirates currently hold the longest active World Series appearance drought in the Natio