The back: Almost two full decades in the major leagues at this point.
The player: Willie Stargell was one of the best power hitters of his era. He put up excellent numbers in the 1960s at Forbes Field, an extreme pitchers park. When the Pirates moved to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, his power numbers jumped, and he led the majors in HR for the decade of the 1970s. In 2,360 games, all with Pittsburgh, Stargell hit .282 with 475 HR (twice leading the NL) and 1,540 RBI. His best season was 1979, when he was the MVP in the regular season, NLCS and the World Series.
The man: Stargell was the heart and soul of the great Pirates teams of the 1970s. Beloved by teammates and opponents, he gave out "Stargell Stars" for great performances, which recipients would wear on their caps. After his career he was a coach for the Braves and worked in the Pirates organization. He was deeply involved in charitable endeavors during and after his playing days. He died of a stroke in 2001.
My collection: I have 37 of his cards, from 1964 to 1983. I would be interested in trading for 1963 Topps #553, a famously difficult and expensive card.
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