Stargell Dodges Death, Returns to the Pirates

BRADENTON, Fla. â€”  He is heavier now than when he played. He walks and talks more slowly. As he watches prospects at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ camp, he depends on a golf cart with his No. 8 on the side to transport him from field to field.

Clearly, Willie Stargell is more Grandpops these days than Pops, his nickname when he single-handedly willed the Pirates to an unexpected World Series title as a 38-year-old first baseman with gimpy knees in 1979.

But for a 60-year-old man who nearly died only a few months ago, Stargell looks very much alive, very much in charge, very much in control.

Asked recently by several concerned ex-teammates how he felt, he said, “I haven’t felt this well in a long time.�

The sigh of relief from Pirates fans was heard all the way back to Pittsburgh, where he remains the most popular living Pirates player--a beloved reminder of the days when the town was called the City of Champions.

To Stargell, living is the operative word.

Stargell, who returned to the Pirates in 1997 as a special assistant to general manager Cam Bonifay, has been in deteriorating health for several years because of a kidney disorder that requires dialysis several times a week. Dialysis is required when the organ is failing.

But an infected finger, and not the bad kidney, hospitalized him for six weeks last fall and nearly caused him to die.

Stargell was cutting meat at his Pittsburgh apartment late last season when he was distracted by his TV and looked up. When he looked down, he had sliced not the meat, but his right index finger.

To Stargell, the cut did not appear serious. After the bleeding stopped, he bandaged it, sat down, and finished his meal.

But, several days later, after the finger swelled and began to hurt, he was admitted to a Pittsburgh hospital. The diagnosis: a severe infection that was quickly spreading throughout his body, attacking his organs.

He spent a month and a half in the hospital, including two weeks in intensive care, receiving antibiotics and around-the-clock care. About half of the infected finger was amputated.

The Pirates strictly guarded Stargell’s privacy and declined to reveal the nature of his illness, and Stargell still dislikes discussing his health. When his hospitalization finally was reported, the Pirates received sacks of letters and get-well cards from fans.

“I thank them very much for their support,� Stargell said.

Now, some of these same fans respectfully approach Stargell at the Pirates City complex for a picture or a scrawled signature. He almost always accommodates them, though he occasionally shoos away someone if he is in the midst of evaluating a player.

Stargell still has not totally regained his strength, and his movements are more stilted than before. But, according to general manager Cam Bonifay, his eye for talent was not affected by his illness.

“Willie Stargell knows baseball,� Bonifay said.

Now that Stargell has returned to work, Bonifay continues to rely heavily on his ability to assess young talent. This weekend, Stargell will fly to Arizona to watch spring training there.

Obviously, not even a brush with death could get Willie Stargell off the baseball diamond.

“There is no greater icon for Pirates baseball and professionalism than Willie Stargell,� Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy said.