Willie Stargell

Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001) was an American professional baseball player. He was nicknamed "pops" in the later years of his career. He played Major League Baseball for 21 years. He was the left fielder and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1962-1982). While he was with the Pirates, he batted .282. He scored 2,232 hits, 423 doubles, 475 home runs and 1540 runs batted in. This helped his team win six National League East division titles, two National League pennants and two World Series (1971, 1979). Stargell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Death.
Stargell died on April 9, 2001 at a hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina. He had problems with his kidneys for several years before his death. Stargell died on the same day that the Pittsburgh Pirates opened their new ballpark, PNC Park. After his death, former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner said, "When you had Willie Stargell on your team, it was like having a diamond ring on your finger."