Willie Stargell

AKA:

Pops

Birth Name:

Wilver Dornell Stargell

Birth Date:

March 6, 1940

Birth Place:

Earlsboro, Oklahoma

Death Date:

April 9, 2001

Place of Death:

New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, North Carolina

Age:

Cause of Death:

Stroke

Cemetery Name:

Oleander Memorial Park

Claim to Fame:

Sports

Willie Stargell was a legendary Major League Baseball player who spent his entire 21-season career (1962–1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Known for his powerful left-handed swing, Stargell hit 475 home runs and drove in 1,540 RBIs, earning a reputation as one of the most feared sluggers of his era. He was a seven-time All-Star and played a key role in leading the Pirates to two World Series championships, in 1971 and 1979. In the latter, he was both the National League MVP and the World Series MVP, serving as the emotional leader of the “We Are Family” team. Nicknamed "Pops" for his leadership and mentorship, Stargell was beloved by teammates and fans alike. In 1979, at the age of 39, 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. In 1982, the Pirates retired his uniform number 8. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 in his first year of eligibility.

Fun Facts

Bob Prince, the colorful longtime Pirate radio announcer, would greet a Stargell home run with the phrase “Chicken on the Hill”. This referred to Stargell’s ownership of a chicken restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. 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”. 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.

Responding to the strength of Willie behind the plate, Dodger Hall of Famer Don Sutton said of Stargell, “I never saw anything like it. He doesn’t just hit pitchers, he takes away their dignity.”

Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) with long arms and a unique bat-handling practice of holding only the knob of the bat with his lower hand to provide extra bat extension, Stargell seemed larger than most batters. Stargell’s swings seemed designed to hit home runs of Ruthian proportions. When most batters used a simple lead-weighted bat in the on-deck circle, Stargell took to warming up with a sledgehammer.

A Topps #230 of Willie Stargell baseball card goes for $9,000 on the open market.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Oleander Memorial Park

306 Bradley Drive

Wilmington, North Carolina, 28409

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Oleander Memorial Park in Wilmington, North Carolina

Grave Location:

Sunrise Mausoleum, Outside Wall (South)

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery through the brick pillars, drive straight ahead over the water feature and take the next left. Drive a short distance to the Sunrise Mausoleum. Facing the glass door entrance, walk around to the right side (south side) and in the first column, second crypt from the top, you will find the final resting place of legendary Hall of Fame baseball player and all-around gentleman Willie Stargell.