African-American baseball great Willie Stargell (1940-2001) helped the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates win a World Series title, twice led the National League in home runs (48 in 1971 and 44 in 1973) and was famous for smashing baseballs out of stadiums. He had 475 home runs at the end of his career.
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When he took over as team leader, he gained a reputation for promoting team harmony and for bridging gaps among white, black and Latino players.
The Pirates retired his No. 8 jersey in 1982, and Stargell’s baseball career is now commemorated with a Forever Stamp bearing his image. That stamp is the anchor of the Postal Service and Pirates’ 8 on 8 campaign (launching Aug. 8), which encourages fans to mail eight letters to their friends and family using it.
Read more at PR Newswire.
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