Quotes By Willie Stargell

Simple pleasures were all the pleasures that I knew as a child.

We all wore a 21 patch that one season as a silent tribute to our deceased teammate Roberto.

I never did allow anything to keep me from my kids. They're the most important part of my life.

I always said that when it was time to retire, I would know it, and I would just tip my hat to the crowds.

I'm proud of the fact that I'm the only player to hit a ball completely out of Dodger Stadium.

I'm always amazed when a pitcher becomes angry at a hitter for hitting a home run off him. When I strike out, I don't get angry at the pitcher, I get angry at myself. I would think that if a pitcher threw up a home run ball, he should be angry at himself.

I wasn't out drinking and abusing my body. I simply loved to go out and dance.

If a reporter doesn't like the person he's writing about, it shows up in his article.

My first job after my retirement from baseball was as a narrator for the Eastman Philharmonica.

Baseball for me was instinctive, born within me, given to me as a gift from God.

Never was I booed.

Human beings are pampered by the Lord. Their real tests don't come until later in life.

The Giants were a good team, but our biggest enemy was said to be Candlestick Park.

I see a lot of people who love their jobs. I see some garbage collectors smiling as they go about their work.

I eventually became proud of my strikeouts, because each one represented another learning experience.

A World Series trophy is a wonderful thing to behold.

I flailed my arm in a throwing motion before I could even walk.

I was the most powerful left-handed hitter in the Alameda area.

Life is one big transition.

To be successful, one must take chances.

Playing baseball was my dream, and no amount of money could sway my opinion.

I've always been a slave to my heart.

I was bred as an outcast, part Negro and part Seminole, in my early years raised as an Indian.

Oakland revolved around Forbes Field. Nothing in the city could match that atmosphere.

People like us are afraid to leave ball. What else is there to do? When baseball has been your whole life, you can't think about a future without it, so you hang on as long as you can.

I don't really feel that I deserve all my applause.

We devote our entire lives to becoming good ball players. We take batting practice until our hands bleed.

When we make a mistake, it becomes front-page news. We don't need any reporter telling us how badly we played.

Helping someone is what life is all about.

I never search for a reason why - I have faith in the Lord's purpose.