As a kid in Youngstown, Ohio I got to be bat boy for the day for the Pirates in the early 60s, when they played an exhibition game against Youngstown Home Cafe. I got to meet Bob Skinner, Smokey Burgess, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Stargell among others. I will never forget Willie's kindness as he gave me a bottle of Coke, big deal back then, he picked me up into the team bus, and passed an autograph sheet around for all to sign for me, just a little kid. I loved "Pops" and always rooted for him. My family all lived in Pittsburgh at the time so this was a really big deal. I am 73 now, but will never forget that day and the kindness of that true hall of famer.
@2jacksplat2 жыл бұрын
What a great experience.
@nicholasschroeder36782 жыл бұрын
I once was on a 20+ hour bus trip in Argentina. There was a mom with her three kids across from me. Alas, I spoke no Spanish. But their hijinks were fun to watch. At a stop, I hit on the idea of buying them all a Coke: it seemed the American man thing to do. Man was that a hit! The little boy sat next to me, talked a blue streak, feel asleep on my shoulder, made fun of my snoring. Amazing what those Cokes meant. Made for a nice trip.😊
@dzanier Жыл бұрын
I think you won’t find one person who’s got something bad to say about Willie. Everybody loved him.
@danielcorreard3746 Жыл бұрын
that's a really great story it seems like the players of yester year were a lot nicer and friendlier then the players of today I met Larry Fitzgerald in 2018 and all he did was ignore the fans who were chanting for him. As a cardinals fan I lost a lot of respect for him. glad to know pops wasn't like that.
@johnmatzye6633 Жыл бұрын
I'm from Campbell. I never heard of that Y-town Home Cafe. Was it a semi - pro team. I thought I knew every thing about local sports history. I guess I'm not.
@brainscott81982 жыл бұрын
Fun Fact: Pops played all 21 of his seasons with Pittsburgh. Born and raised in Oklahoma, he entered the HOF in 1988 and died at age 61 in 2001 in Wilmington, N.C. R I P to a class act.
@richardkaylor96792 жыл бұрын
All fun except for the fact that he died. RIP my favorite player of all time
@hydra-12 жыл бұрын
Actually grew up in Oakland Ca
@thomasayer75112 жыл бұрын
My favorite Pirate.
@thomasayer75112 жыл бұрын
RIP Pops... class act.
@ThekiBoran2 жыл бұрын
@@hydra-1 I recently played ball at his high school in Alameda, CA, Encinal High School.
@video728 Жыл бұрын
Pops Stargell - One of the best in the business. He was a leader!
@barryjackson405 Жыл бұрын
I was at Dodger Stadium in '65 the night Willie hit 3 HRs.
@JayDogTitan-he6wo3 жыл бұрын
Pops looks like he could've played for the Steelers when the baseball season finished, He was a beast.
@PERCANGLE4123 жыл бұрын
Dudes a fucking unit. Big pops lookin like a pimp.
@kurtjanicki73253 жыл бұрын
6'2" 230 without even trying - easily an NFL stud ...
@searchforthestrangler50342 жыл бұрын
I think you're right. Another season for him at Three Rivers Stadium.
@1cryogen2 жыл бұрын
That bat looks enormous!
@HD4lyfe2 жыл бұрын
@@1cryogen Friend of mine has a Stargell bat and it's definitely a large piece of lumber! Took a really strong man to swing that tree trunk
@thomasmulhall4873 Жыл бұрын
Met him in 79 vs SF. Wonderful presence!
@drbonesshow12 жыл бұрын
Stargell was more muscular than he appeared in uniform. Here it looks like he could have been on Cool Hand Luke's chain-gang. Both he and Roberto Clemente sent me their autographs after I wrote to the Pirates as a kid in 1972. RIP
@darrellharney87182 жыл бұрын
That's exactly what I was thinking.
@crazyconcertdude2 жыл бұрын
Hittin’ it out here, Boss! Hittin’ it out, Pops!
@terryduffield58607 ай бұрын
We are Family!! My favorite team ever
@mylesgordon34622 жыл бұрын
A gentleman and Baseball Legend.
@buddmannable Жыл бұрын
Can you imagine how many baseballs Mr. Wilver Stargell would have deposited in the Ohio River at PNC?
@Jleed989 Жыл бұрын
Imagine Dave Parker
@jerrystewart75943 жыл бұрын
He was one of my favorite players, and from what I understand a class act Rest in Peace, Mr Stargellq
@tim96623 жыл бұрын
Bob Prince interviewing Willie. Loved Bob, “ Chickin on the hill with Will”. 😂
@johnlarocco33488 ай бұрын
Growing up in Chicagoland baseball was always on TV for free in the 60 and 70s. So I watched many Cub games but never missed one that had Willie playing because he was the " Cub Killer " who Always provided clutch hitting and some boomers over the fence.. . Great video and topic of one of the best swings in America 🇺🇸.
@kirk40862 жыл бұрын
Seeing this brings back so many memories! Both World Series! Especially the last one! He just put that team on this shoulder's! What a man! The Orioles never stood a chance! We are family! I still have that Sports Illustrated, with Bradshaw and all the steel workers, there with "Pops" Just imagine facing him...unreal the power!
@kmac17663 жыл бұрын
Strong back, quick hands & a fluid turn. Poetry in motion. 😎
@paulazmudzinski92253 жыл бұрын
The sound made by the bat striking the ball. Echoing in an empty stadium. Sounds just like a rifle shot. -mikenotpaula.
@ronondechek14 Жыл бұрын
Listening with my eyes closed just to focus on that amazing sound…. Pops could rake.
@OldBlindMan7322 күн бұрын
Thank you for sharing this. Love Pops.
@MrBee-cp9pt Жыл бұрын
We Are Family!!! The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.
@thomasayer75112 жыл бұрын
Much love and respect Pops.
@winst0n8882 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite heroes. The 8's are not only for show.
@anthonybatulis65162 жыл бұрын
In August of 1969 I went with my dad to old Forbes Field to see the Braves play the Pirates. Willie hit a home run over the right right field roof. What a moon shot that was.
@Jleed989 Жыл бұрын
Didn’t they paint some of the seats where he hit those moon shots?
@anthonybatulis6516 Жыл бұрын
@@Jleed989 I think they did that for his upper deck shots at Three Rivers.
@DavidSmith-xr8js11 ай бұрын
Willie was my favorite Buc when I was a boy in the 70s. His batting ritual was one of a kind. RIP Mr. Stargell.
@perryneum8 ай бұрын
I grew up a Tigers fan, but the Pirates were my favorite NL team. I'm a lefty, and I started imitating Willie's batting style at around 10 years old and never changed. The windmill would dissipate my nervous energy and allow me to make more consistent contact.
@latinoheat51692 жыл бұрын
Roberto Clemente And Willie Stargell Top 🥎🏴☠️
@ACD19946 ай бұрын
Honus Wagner too
@genekelley7579 Жыл бұрын
🛑🛑 CLASSIC!! Bob Prince (Voice of the Pirates) doing the interview, and a Youthful Willie “Pops” Stargell. 😀👍 This is when the Pittsburgh Pirates were relevant and were a Power House. 👍 The venue of the 3 Rivers Stadium and the old uniforms were just magical when you went to a game back then. 😂👍💯
@clayogawhite2 жыл бұрын
Pops turning hitting into an art form. That footage is shot at the Vet. Looking like when it first opened, best hitters park in the national league back in the multipurpose stadium era.. miss those days before cancel culture had pro sport leagues by the 🏈 ⚾️ 🏀 ..
@AABB-bm9kk Жыл бұрын
Never seen this before. Totally cool 😎
@AJKPenguin Жыл бұрын
This is art. Thank you for uploading and thank you Pops for your gracious tutorial.
@Manuel-zo3wg2 жыл бұрын
Clemente and Stargell last best MLB ⚾ 🏴☠️ in the Franchise RIP 🌹
@nuclearskull2 жыл бұрын
I SAW HIM HIT ONE INTO THE MID UPPER DECK TAKING BP IN ATLANTA FULTON COUNTY STADIUM.....THAT IMAGINE IS SCORCHED INTO MY MEMORY LIKE IT HAPPENED 3 SECONDS AGO!! LONGEST BALL I'VE EVER SEEN HIT IN PERSON.
@nuclearskull2 жыл бұрын
@Trigger Warning YEAH I SAW THE THE DIFFERENT COLOR SEAT AT JOE ROBBIE STADIUM IN THE UPPER DECK IN LEFT FIELD WHERE GALLARAGA LAUNCHED THAT ROCKET SHOT....JUST SEEING THE SEAT AND LOOKING BACK TO HOME PLATE WAS INSANE!!.
@morty4122 жыл бұрын
Two hero’s talking hitting. Gunner and Pops! Back when Pittsburgh had a major league baseball franchise.
@Jleed989 Жыл бұрын
Still the best stadium
@syrupofwahoo30597 ай бұрын
I remember playing wiffle ball with the fellas and imitating Pops batting stance 😂🙇 then next at bat, Joe Morgan then Bobby Bonds….such innocent times. Good memories
@peterp2153 Жыл бұрын
Love the shotgun blast sound of the bat hitting the ball.
@guitarboy194 Жыл бұрын
Willie! One of my favorites
@MOET022 жыл бұрын
How he was able to hold the bad basically by the knob and generate so much speed and power sounds like a gun going off every time Pops swung
@kennethshouler30552 жыл бұрын
Stargell hit 475 home runs. In sum, he was a most underrated player, especially due to the inflated totals amassed during the steroid era.
@donaldhall87852 жыл бұрын
You can add at least another 50 to his total for all those 400 foot flyouts in Forbes Field.
@TheKopsfanclub2 жыл бұрын
Not all power hitters use steroids.
@kennethshouler30552 жыл бұрын
@@TheKopsfanclub Correct. But eight who hit more than 500 did, not to mention several in the 400s and below.
@kennethshouler30552 жыл бұрын
@@pourspelang Corked bats and throwing the Series and stealing signs were episodic. Thus, they had no long-lasting effect on the game's math. Throw in amphetamines which do not increase size or strength and so don't allow individuals to belt a ball further. There is just no comparison to steroid use there. Scuffing the ball is another matter, if one does it steadily. But nothing shows up in the data like steroid or HGH use, especially for players such as Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Ortiz and four others who cheated in order to hit 500 home runs.
@ericdailey85872 жыл бұрын
Stargell struck out a lot. I believe he had one season where he led the NL in home runs and strikeouts. An interesting statistic would be to see how often a player hit a home run when they put the ball in play. In other words, throw out all the strikeout at bats and the walks and then calculate a home run batting average. It would be interesting to see how the power hitters compared to one another. Also, from there you could calculate how many home runs they might have actually hit if they had struckout less.
@edwardfestor87263 жыл бұрын
Willie the Starg was unique. I watched him play many times. At the end of his career he must have weighed 300 pounds and had no knee cartilage left. He ran like he was carrying a grand piano. But his bat when he pulled the trigger was as fast as it always was, which is to say very fast.
@obbor4 Жыл бұрын
I don't remember Willie weighing anymore than about 230. Where did you get 300 pounds from?
@obbor4 Жыл бұрын
I don't remember Willie Stargell ever weighing more than about 230. Where did you get him weighing 300 from?
@TheBatugan77 Жыл бұрын
@@obbor4 He pulled it out of his ass. He should shove it back in.
@haywood0457 Жыл бұрын
This is golden info.
@dskywalker33972 жыл бұрын
Legend has it that he landed one in the deck area of The Mac Club at Civic Stadium in Portland, Oregon during a Home Run competition when the big club was visiting the AAA team during an off-day.
@davidgrillo99282 жыл бұрын
Awesome video, it bring back memories when hader a professional team. Thank you
@bcask613 жыл бұрын
Guys back then did not believe in lifting weights. Think about that. He was a beast.
@howardcosell20223 жыл бұрын
He was the first player to bring a sledge hammer to the on deck circle
@JayDogTitan-he6wo3 жыл бұрын
@@howardcosell2022 There were a lot of players that hit the ball hard but Stargell just absolutely destroyed a baseball, Don Sutton who recently passed said that Stargell just doesn't hit pitchers he takes away their dignity, Stargell was known for hitting balls out of stadiums, He was something.
@mr.fancypants1524 Жыл бұрын
The crack of the bat sounds like a Tom and Jerry gunshot
@joelvalles99482 жыл бұрын
Homeboy swinging a tree trunk, probably a 38 ounce bat!
@jamessykes27602 жыл бұрын
I love the sound, that's a real crack!
@roberthuot7887 Жыл бұрын
One class act.,,,,,,oh and a great ballplayer too.
@clintcoop57172 жыл бұрын
I have a bat and ball signed by the entire Pittsburgh Team in luding Willie and Dave Parker...the bat was actually customer made by someone for me and given to me by the Pittsburgh organization...I was 12 years old...pretty Kool stuff the bat has my name ingraved on it....as well I honestly don't know how or why but my mom brought it to me after work....
@llg3peАй бұрын
Pops was built like an NFL linebacker. No wonder he crushed those home runs.
@mitchc6040 Жыл бұрын
Great player and even better leader.
@glennkrzeminski75397 ай бұрын
50 years have gone by an I still sometimes break out that preswing hitch! I forgot I got it from him!
@jimherron5540 Жыл бұрын
One of the Greats!
@TREEHUGGAH12 жыл бұрын
much respect mr.stargell
@areguapiri4 ай бұрын
"Wind it up, Big Willie"!
@ladiesman1ate73 жыл бұрын
I’d heard that he hit 2 balls out of dodger stadium from the left side. I believe it.
@brainscott81982 жыл бұрын
You are correct! The longest ball he ever hit was measured at 506 feet...out of Dodger Stadium, off Alan Foster in 1969. He hit another mammoth 475 ft homer out of the park in 1975 off Andy Messersmith.
@clintcoop57172 жыл бұрын
He did
@Alan_Page2 жыл бұрын
I believe most of them hit out of the stadium bounced off the top awning and out. I think one of Stargell's was the only one that cleared everything and just landed in the parking lot.
@larryaldama16732 жыл бұрын
🇺🇸👍⚾️🇺🇸
@larryaldama16732 жыл бұрын
@@Alan_Page 👍⚾️🇺🇸
@nickc7494 Жыл бұрын
1st class
@JLThisisMe2 жыл бұрын
Don Sutton once said that, while there were plenty of hitters that could hit mistakes for tape measure home runs, Stargell could be humiliating to face, because a pitcher could put a ball with plenty of velocity and movement just where he intended and Stargell would still hit it out of the park.
@ThekiBoran2 жыл бұрын
Was it Tom Seaver who wrote that occasionally your best pitch, perfectly thrown, is going to get knocked out of the yard?
@jimrutter28512 жыл бұрын
At Veterans Stadium Philly
@bcask613 жыл бұрын
Vet Stadium in Philly opened in 1971. That season Stargell hit a homer into the upper deck in right field. The seat it landed in was marked with a gold star. When the Vet closed in 2003, that was still the longest homerun ever hit in the stadium. I hope that seat was given to Stargell family or the Pirates but I don’t if it was.
@frankpalancio84713 жыл бұрын
This was taken in Vet stadium. My dad had season tickets behind home plate, first row of the second level
@mattcohen261 Жыл бұрын
Aside from Clemente, probably the greatest Pirate hitter ever. He was a World champion in 1971 and 1979 ( MVP). RIP Pops!
@gideon33 Жыл бұрын
I most remember Willie after Clemente’s passing…he went on a HR streak, every homer was dedicated in honor to his buddy.
@hughdismuke470311 ай бұрын
Your entire body is important when it comes to hitting. From the top of your head (because you have to keep your head down in a swing) to the tips of your toes (because your feet need to plant and shift during a swing). There isn't one part of your body that doesn't go into a swing. Willie makes a great point about being locked up in the arms and wrists. You have to be loose, but not too loose where the bat flies out of your hand, which is why it happens in MLB a lot of times. Or at least it use to.
@brandonmorris92 Жыл бұрын
I'm surprised no ladies were walking around the stadium. Look at his muscles!
@jamesrivera49472 жыл бұрын
James Rivera 41 seconds ago My favorite EDP during the 1970's. Only player to hit two home runs completely out of Dodger Stadium--1969 and 1973 ⚾ RIP 🙏
@therealbs2000 Жыл бұрын
Damn thats an old school strongman body right there
@frankmonte-ds2un Жыл бұрын
WE ARE FAMILY!!! I GOT ALL MY SISTERS WITH ME!!!
@danpierce88622 жыл бұрын
This is what someone who regularly trains and does not use PEDs... not many people naturally have the dimensions of people who play in the MLB today.
@jockoadams3377 Жыл бұрын
Chipper Jones credits Stargell with getting him to swing a heavier bat to deliver more power at the plate. That's a guy who hit 475 home runs helping a guy to go on and hit 468 home runs... and that is what makes baseball great.
@brainscott81982 жыл бұрын
He let his right pinky hang just below the bottom of the bat...gave him extra flexibility to get that full torque swing. He pulled a lot of his hits, rarely going to left field, it seemed to me.
@CarolinaBoyTV2 жыл бұрын
Just bought his jersey
@TheCdecisneros Жыл бұрын
I believe he was the only player to hit the ball completely out of dodger stadium. Tom Seaver tried to do that, what he said, catch him in between Pumps.
@TheCdecisneros Жыл бұрын
Or at least the first to hit it out of dodgers stadium
@mattrinck750311 ай бұрын
This is from before I was born, but I don't want to hear anyone say that players then weren't as strong as players now. That man was built like a tank.
@gregkeller803 жыл бұрын
Bonds wouldnt have a quarter of the home runs he had if he had to swing a bat that was that big and heavy. Muscles don’t equal brute strength. I’m glad Im old enough to remember watching Stargell.
@travis02033 жыл бұрын
Stargell "didn't have to" either. And maybe he wouldn't have struck 400 times more than bonds in a 5 year shorter career if he didn't
@chrisradtke3645 Жыл бұрын
What a tank.
@davidhackett71062 жыл бұрын
Great video. Old school mashing.
@leoverran31111 ай бұрын
One of my heroes as a kid, he used to kill my Cubs though
@marcusanderson9332 жыл бұрын
Pops taking BP at The Vet in Philly!
@alexyerkey31412 жыл бұрын
Looks like three rivers, but all those stadiums looked the same
@begood85912 күн бұрын
Pops!!!!!
@akbarlebowitz8151 Жыл бұрын
Love his batting practice jersey!! 😜🤣
@rhp_692611 ай бұрын
Saw this guy hit one into the upper deck in Candlestick.
@MichaelBecker-px5sy7 ай бұрын
Did see vs the Mets often, Seaver was Great, sure Willie pulled a few
@jdubmash Жыл бұрын
What a treat!
@miguelestrada9206 Жыл бұрын
Man he swings at 40 oz bat like nothing😳😳😳😳
@johnwilson63192 жыл бұрын
In a number of ways you can learn a whole lot more from listening and looking at guys like Willy who just kept everything simple and to the point rather than over analyzing everything although it's good to have knowledge but once you understand all of that less is more
@c7lee Жыл бұрын
The crack of the bat sound is unreal
@Steve-xy6en Жыл бұрын
Notice Willie mentions his barrel going back... alot of people say no one does that...
@toddm95015 ай бұрын
Wiilie "Pops". And Gordie "Mr. Hockey" . Not many players messed with them.
@DD-fm7xb2 жыл бұрын
And look at that bat compared to Barry Bond's wiffle ball bat
@Gorilla_Jones2 жыл бұрын
RIP Pops. Look at the size of his bat!!! That has got to be a 38oz or 40oz bat. Crazy.
@angelmarte69712 жыл бұрын
GOAT!!!
@ruth7603 Жыл бұрын
If baseball players played shirtless, more women would watch the games.
@tlist19702 жыл бұрын
Bill Robinson told me how strong he was. Swung the largest bat out there. A 44 magnum I think
@miguelestrada9206 Жыл бұрын
40oz bat...
@randyjames6933 жыл бұрын
Very Cool video......good questions by interview dude....great sound effects of sound of ball off bat! Willie Stargell...Pops....could you imagine him on the juice? 65 Homers a year
@peterp21533 жыл бұрын
He played the first part of his career in an extreme pitcher’s park. If he’d played his whole career at Three Rivers, he would’ve easily cleared 500, and possibly 600 HRs.
@jsd7952 жыл бұрын
Forget roids, just the small parks, lively bats and balls and junk pitching would put him around 600 homers in today's era.
@ccth222 жыл бұрын
Pops was a beast...
@Aubreykrendale7 ай бұрын
Free "chicken on the hill" every time he hit one.
@mortimerzilch2608 Жыл бұрын
wow with his shirt off! like the old Lou Gehrig clip/// uou can see why Willie could hit the ball 500 ft.
@localfox10002 ай бұрын
They don't make ballplayers half as cool as this.
@MrAitraining Жыл бұрын
Look at the size of that bat.
@Mack-bc4qo2 жыл бұрын
Take the best of the Big Red Machine and the Lumber Company and I'd put them up against the hyper buff all stars of today. The modern day players wouldn't have a prayer.
@Jleed989 Жыл бұрын
Those AstroTurf base hits helped
@chrismolina88942 жыл бұрын
Sounds like they were pitching grenades to him
@LaMostraVia2 жыл бұрын
Young ball players… pay close attention to everything he said about his wrists and forearms. Dude mashed back in the day. Pops had that almost one of kind sound when his bat made contact.