40. Willie Stargell Hits Pirates’ Record 475th Home Run, 1982
Willie Stargell was the greatest left-handed slugger in Pirates history, but he had the misfortune of playing the first half of his career in spacious Forbes Field. He broke Dale Long’s single-season home run record of 27 for a left-handed hitter when he hit 33 home runs in 1966, but in his first nine seasons, from 1962 to 1970, he never topped his 1966 home-run total. In 1971, his first full season in the friendlier confines of Three Rivers Stadium, he hit 48 home runs and followed that total with 44 home runs in 1973. In 1979, at the age of 39 and in the twilight of his career, Stargell hit 32 home runs on his way to the co-MVP award. He was also named the MVP of the NLCS and the World Series that year. He struggled with injuries over the next few season, but, in 1982, he hit his 475th and last home run off Tom Hulme of the Cincinnati Reds and tied Stan Musial for 14th place on the all-time home run list.
Stargell HR wins for Pirates, 3–2
Captain Ties Musial for 14th Place
CINCINNATI—It was the Pops Stargell Show last night as he said farewell to Riverfront Stadium, where the Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 3–2 before 16,543 fans.
When Stargell crashed a tie-breaking pinch home run off Tom Hume in the eighth inning, many of the fans treated him like a hometown hero. They stood and cheered, and when the game was over and Stargell was being interviewed on radio by Jim Rooker in the visitors’ dugout, about 300 fans stood near the box seats, shouting good luck remarks to the 41-year-old veteran who plans to retire at the end of the season.
This was Willie’s last hurrah in Cincinnati, where in the 1979 playoffs he beat Hume with a three-run homer.
Last night’s circuit was career No. 475 for Stargell, tying him for 14th place with Stan Musial on the all-time list.
“Musial?” Stargell said. “I never thought I’d ever be in his company. He was one of my idols when I was growing up and now I know him. What a great guy.”
As Stargell spoke to a group of writers on the field following his radio interview, one fan shouted, “Thanks for a great 21 years, Willie.”
“It’s heartwarming hearing something like that,” said Stargell, who joined the Pirates in 1962 and who in his last year is playing out a wonderful tune as a pinch hitter.
His pinch circuit last night tied a Pirate club record held by four others who also hit three pinch homers in one season. Stargell has almost a half a season left to break that mark.
The drama of Stargell’s home run overshadowed some big performances by several Buccos.
Larry McWilliams, the bargain find from Atlanta, won his fourth game as a Buc. McWilliams gave up a two-run homer to Paul Householder in the fourth inning. It wiped out a 1–0 Buc lead that was accounted for by Dale Berra, who homered in the third inning off Bob Shirley.
Fan favorite Willie Stargell tips his hat to an appreciative Pittsburgh crowd. (Marlene Karas/Post-Gazette)
Tony Pena’s RBI double high off the left field wall in the seventh tied the game, and Russ Nixon, the new Cincinnati manager who replaced John McNamara earlier in the day, made his first pitching move.
He lifted Shirley for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh and Hume came on in the eighth.
After Berra flied out to open the eighth, Stargell batted for McWilliams. On July 8, Stargell hit a two-run homer off Hume that sparked a five-run ninth-inning rally. This time, Stargell lined over the right field wall and as he trotted around the bases, many of the Cincinnati fans saluted him with cheers.
For the sixth straight game, Kent Tekulve relieved, and after a routine one-two-three eighth, Tekulve needed some breaks in the ninth.
“I didn’t exactly fool them in the ninth,” said Tekulve, who told Chuck Tanner before the start of the inning that he was tired.
Cesar Cedeno led off the ninth with a wicked liner toward the mound. Tekulve got his glove on the ball and it rolled slowly toward second base.
Berra charged, barehanded the ball, and flipped it to Jason Thompson to retire Cedeno by a half step. Next came Dan Driessen. He hit another line drive. It went directly at Dave Parker in right field. Then Householder took his cuts. Nothing big there. He hit a high pop to Omar Moreno in center.
Tekulve, in his last six appearances, has worked 72⁄3 innings. Twice he asked to pitch because had had three days off during the break for the All-Star Game.
When he started in the ninth last night, Enrique Romo and Randy Niemann were warming up in the bullpen.
“If Teke had gotten in trouble, I was going to go to the pen,” said Tanner, who many times sinks or swims in the ninth with his bullpen ace.
The four Pirates, beside Stargell, who have hit three pinch home runs are Hamilton Hyatt, Bob Skinner, Dick Stuart, and Jose Pagan.
If the baseball script goes Hollywood, Stargell is sure to become the only Pirate to hit four pinch homers in one season.