Willie Stargell: An Autobiography [FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING]

Stargell, Willie; Bird, Tom

Verlag: Harper & Row, New York, 1984

Beschreibung

Fine unread condition brown boards/dark brown cloth spine/gold spine lettering contained in a fine condition non price-clipped color photographic dust jacket. Includes Acknowledgments and Author Dedication. Illustrated with sections of black-and-white photographic plates. "Willie Stargell, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' most popular and talented stars, is one of the few major-league players loved more for his personality than for his impressive statistics. His twenty seasons with the Pirates established him as one of the most powerful hitters in all of modern baseball, yet Stargell's magnetic personality and his emphasis on teamwork and loyalty earned him as much respect as his spectacular playing. In this moving memoir, Willie recalls his life in and out of baseball: his childhood in Oklahoma and Florida and especially in the housing projects of Alameda, California; how at the age of two his fixation with hitting and throwing was already evident; and how his intense love of baseball eventually earned him a professional contract. Looking back over his rough years in the minor leagues, Stargell sees the many adversities he faced - from constant physical pain to the insults of racism and segregation - as essential to his development as a ballplayer and as a person. From his first years in the major leagues up to his retirement in 1982, Willie was "emotional leader" of the Bucs, in his later years known as "Pops" to teammates and fans alike. He reveled in the friendship, togetherness, and confidence of true team spirit, and his personal flair - from his "Ladies Days" and "Stargell Stars" to "Chicken on the Hill with Will" - always brought fun and spark to the team, the town, and the fans he so loved. Stargell's "We Are Family" slogan became Pittsburgh's rallying cry during the Pirates' dramatic struggle to clinch the '79 World Series. As he shares his experiences and views on his family, his career, teammates such as Roberto Clemente and Dave Parker, managers, the press, the changes in the baseball industry, and the transitions his team went through; as he reveals the struggles of playing pro ball (the injuries, the booing, the constant pressure to hold one's own); or as he describes the indescribable "magic" of a winning team, Willie's unique "open heart" philosophy always comes through: his belief in tolerance, humility, flexibility, and the duty of fulfilling one's own given purpose. This is what made Willie Stargell the beloved hero of millions of fans, and what gives this book its warmth and poignancy." - from the inner front and rear jacket flaps. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 005199

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Willie Stargell: An Autobiography [FIRST ...

Verlag: Harper & Row, New York

Erscheinungsdatum: 1984

Einband: Hardcover

Zustand: Fine

Zustand des Schutzumschlags: Fine

Auflage: 1st Edition