I grew up in Beaver Falls, Pa. around 30 miles from Pittsburgh. In the 1950s, the Pirates were so bad that many people followed Cleveland teams. Cleveland TV games were even broadcast by a local station. By the late fifties people were fed up and the management got the message. Joe L. Brown started moving in the right direction as General Manager. When Willie Stargell came things got exciting even though the team only finished in first in the division three times in the sixties.

Anyway, Willie was part of the change for the better. When they traded long time popular player Bob Skinner because of Willie, I admit that I was a little disappointed. But I soon came to enjoy Willie and "chicken on the hill". I saw him in person once and it was a great experience. It is too bad the franchise had poor pitching many of his years or he might have been in the postseason more often.

He will be missed. He was one of the last of a more innocent era.

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