A TO Z: W is for...

Willie Stargell, the Pirates Hall of Fame slugger and emotional leader of the 1979 "We Are Family" champions.  The seven-time All Star, a hero at both Forbes Field and Three Rivers Stadium, also owns a New York milestone: he belted the first home run (in the first game ever played) at Shea Stadium on April 17th, 1964 -- where that July, he appeared in his first All Star Game. On the other side of Pennsylvania, he also authored the longest home run in Veterans Stadium history, a moonshot that reached the 600 section of the park's upper deck.

His 48 home runs in 1971 are the most by a lefthanded Pirate (fellow Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner is the only Pittsburgh player to launch more in one year -- with 54 and 51 in 1949 and '47, respectively).  All told, his ticket to Cooperstown packed 475 roundtrippers and a reputation as one of the game's best liked players.

Stargell's statue, just outside PNC Park's left field gate, pays forever tribute to "Pops."
 

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