Willie Stargell MVP Award

Lore & Background

Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, but later moved to Florida with an aunt after his parents divorced. Later, he returned to Alameda, California, to live with his mother. He attended Encinal High School, where his baseball teammates included future MLB players Tommy Harper and Curt Motton. Stargell signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and entered minor league baseball in 1959. While in Plainview, Texas, he was accosted at gunpoint by a man who threatened his life if he played in that night's game. Stargell played and nothing came of the incident.

In Their Own Story

The lights at Three Rivers Stadium hummed against the Pittsburgh night as Willie Stargell stepped into the batter's box, the weight of the city on his shoulders. The crowd fell silent, a sea of black and gold waiting for the crack of the bat that had defined their summers for nearly two decades. With a focused gaze, he connected with the pitch, sending it soaring over the scoreboard in left field—a moment of pure magic that echoed through time, proving once again why his name would forever be etched into the very fabric of baseball's highest honors.

Reader's Guide

Stargell made his MLB debut at the end of the 1962 season at the age of 22. He hit the first home run at Shea Stadium on April 17, 1964. He won the first of his two home-run titles in 1971; his 48 edged out Hank Aaron's 47. In 1973, Stargell achieved the rare feat of simultaneously leading the league in both doubles and homers. He originated the practice of giving his teammates embroidered "Stargell stars" for their caps after a nice play or a good game.

Did You Know?

• Stargell had the most home runs (296) of any player in the 1970s.
• He became the third player to collect five extra-base hits in one game, on August 1, 1970.
• Stargell's uniform number 8 was retired by the Pirates in 1982.
• He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 in his first year of eligibility.