Stargell disrupts Year of the Pitcher with three-homer game

A day at the plate like Willie Stargell had usually comes when a hitter's been hot, not in a slump. But the 5,075 in attendance would never have believed it after watching the hitting display he put on that day at Wrigley Field.

On May 22, 1968 – in the middle of what would come to be known as the Year of the Pitcher – Stargell had the best day at the plate in his 21-year career with the Pirates. The 28-year-old Stargell went 5-for-5 with three home runs, a double, and a single in a 13-6 win versus the Cubs.

Coming off a 3-for-7 performance against the Mets the day before – including a homer off of fellow future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver – Stargell was looking to build on a solid day at the plate. In his first at-bat against Cubs starter Joe Niekro, Stargell launched a solo shot into the left field bleachers giving the Bucs an early 1-0 lead. With the Cubs leading in the fourth inning his next time up, it was the same result: Another solo home run for the power-hitting left fielder.

The next inning, Stargell knocked Niekro out of the game with a game-tying RBI single to right field. In the sixth, Stargell’s clutch two-out double off reliever Bill Stoneman brought home two, extending the Pirates’ lead to 9-5. The ball clipped the bleacher railing in left field, just barely staying in the park.

In his fifth and final at-bat of the game, Stargell belted his third home run of the day, a two-run blast to left-center field in the eighth off right-hander Chuck Hartenstein, making it 13-5 Pittsburgh. He was welcomed back to the dugout to a standing ovation from the Cubs fans.

“What a warm feeling it gives a player, especially a visitor, when the fans welcome you like that, the home runs make you feel good all over and the applause is welcome music.” Stargell said.

Stargell finished the day a perfect 5-for-5 with seven RBI and four runs in the 13-6 victory over Chicago.

This gave him eight hits in the last two games, increasing his average from .222 to .281 a clip on the season.

“I never had a better day, I just can’t believe it, but I knew in our last game in New York that things were going to get better for me, I just had that feeling,” said Stargell.

The 1979 National League MVP, NLCS MVP, and World Series MVP – the first player to receive all three awards in the same season – finished his career with 475 home runs, leading the league in that department twice. One of the best power hitters the game has seen, Stargell was the first to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium, doing it twice.