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.

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.

Pops Stargell - One of the best in the business. He was a leader!

Pops looks like he could've played for the Steelers when the baseball season finished, He was a beast.

Met him in 79 vs SF. Wonderful presence!

I was at Dodger Stadium in '65 the night Willie hit 3 HRs.

Clemente and Stargell last best MLB ⚾ 🏴‍☠️ in the Franchise RIP 🌹

The crack of the bat sounds like a Tom and Jerry gunshot

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

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 🇺🇸.

Bob Prince interviewing Willie. Loved Bob, “ Chickin on the hill with Will”. 😂

He was one of my favorite players, and from what I understand a class act Rest in Peace, Mr Stargellq

Can you imagine how many baseballs Mr. Wilver Stargell would have deposited in the Ohio River at PNC?

A gentleman and Baseball Legend.

Strong back, quick hands & a fluid turn. Poetry in motion. 😎

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!

We Are Family!!! The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

We are Family!! My favorite team ever

Much love and respect Pops.

One of my favorite heroes. The 8's are not only for show.

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.

The sound made by the bat striking the ball. Echoing in an empty stadium. Sounds just like a rifle shot. -mikenotpaula.

🛑🛑 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. 😂👍💯

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 🏈 ⚾️ 🏀 ..

Roberto Clemente And Willie Stargell Top 🥎🏴‍☠️

Willie was my favorite Buc when I was a boy in the 70s. His batting ritual was one of a kind. RIP Mr. Stargell.

This is art. Thank you for uploading and thank you Pops for your gracious tutorial.

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.

One of the Greats!

Never seen this before. Totally cool 😎

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

Two hero’s talking hitting. Gunner and Pops! Back when Pittsburgh had a major league baseball franchise.

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

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.

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.

Awesome video, it bring back memories when hader a professional team. Thank you

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.

Willie! One of my favorites

Love the shotgun blast sound of the bat hitting the ball.

Stargell hit 475 home runs. In sum, he was a most underrated player, especially due to the inflated totals amassed during the steroid era.

Pops was a great guy. What a great era for the Pirates.

They beat the Orioles in 1971 and 1979. In 1979, down 3 games to 1, one of only a handful of teams to come back and win a WS.

I love the sound, that's a real crack!

Homeboy swinging a tree trunk, probably a 38 ounce bat!

This is golden info.

"Wind it up, Big Willie"!

Guys back then did not believe in lifting weights. Think about that. He was a beast.

50 years have gone by an I still sometimes break out that preswing hitch! I forgot I got it from him!

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....

much respect mr.stargell

One class act.,,,,,,oh and a great ballplayer too.

Aside from Clemente, probably the greatest Pirate hitter ever. He was a World champion in 1971 and 1979 ( MVP). RIP Pops!

Great player and even better leader.

Great video. Old school mashing.

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.

I most remember Willie after Clemente’s passing…he went on a HR streak, every homer was dedicated in honor to his buddy.

Damn thats an old school strongman body right there

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.

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 🙏

WE ARE FAMILY!!! I GOT ALL MY SISTERS WITH ME!!!

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.

I’d heard that he hit 2 balls out of dodger stadium from the left side. I believe it.

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.

I'm surprised no ladies were walking around the stadium. Look at his muscles!

1st class

Just bought his jersey

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.

GOAT!!!

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.

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.

At Veterans Stadium Philly

The crack of the bat sound is unreal

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

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.

Saw this guy hit one into the upper deck in Candlestick.

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.

What a tank.

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

Notice Willie mentions his barrel going back... alot of people say no one does that...

Man he swings at 40 oz bat like nothing😳😳😳😳

Did see vs the Mets often, Seaver was Great, sure Willie pulled a few

Pops taking BP at The Vet in Philly!

One of my heroes as a kid, he used to kill my Cubs though

They didn't even lift weights back then. With today's training methods, light maple bats and bandbox ballparks Wilie could do some serious damage.

RIP Pops. Look at the size of his bat!!! That has got to be a 38oz or 40oz bat. Crazy.

Wiilie "Pops". And Gordie "Mr. Hockey" . Not many players messed with them.

What size tree was he using...

Pops was a beast...

And look at that bat compared to Barry Bond's wiffle ball bat

wow with his shirt off! like the old Lou Gehrig clip/// uou can see why Willie could hit the ball 500 ft.

Free "chicken on the hill" every time he hit one.

Bill Robinson told me how strong he was. Swung the largest bat out there. A 44 magnum I think

What a treat!

Look at the size of that bat.

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.

He looked in pretty good shape . When was this interview ?

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.

Sounds like they were pitching grenades to him

Love his batting practice jersey!! 😜🤣

If baseball players played shirtless, more women would watch the games.