The 2005 World Series

Willi Stargel

The towering drives that registered 7s and 8s on baseball's richter scale provided a stark contrast to the gentle manner in which Willie Stargell practiced his craft. As a lumbering 6-3, 225-pound, bat-waving slugger, Stargell could be frightening. As the easy-going leader of Pittsburgh's clubhouse, he could be inspiring. Nobody combined these seemingly divergent qualities more effectively than the man young Pirates players came to know affectionately as "Pops."

Stargell was a classic power hitter. He stood deep in the box with feet spread far apart and attacked the pitch with a long, hard swing. The ball left his bat like a bazooka shot and he quickly gained a reputation for long home runs-two balls out of Dodger Stadium, seven out of Forbes Field, four into the upper deck at Three Rivers Stadium. In between his 475 career home runs and 1,936 strikeouts (No. 2 all-time), the seven-time All-Star collected enough hits to compile a solid .282 average over a 21-year career that began in 1962.

But the Stargell legacy is about much more than long homers and numbers. The fun-loving, quick-to-smile first baseman learned from early-career mentor Roberto Clemente and eventually became one of the most influential team leaders of the modern era. The Pirates captured the 1971 World Series with Clemente leading the charge, but the 1979 championship, fueled by Stargell's "We Are Family" approach, belonged to Pops.

First the 39-year-old Stargell claimed the National League co-MVP award with a 32-homer, 82-RBI performance. Then he earned NLCS MVP honors with a .455 average and two home runs in Pittsburgh's victory over Cincinnati. He completed his MVP triple when he batted .400 and hit a World Series-deciding home run in Game 7 against Baltimore.