Willie Stargell Quotes & Sayings

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

When they start the game, they don't yell, "Work ball." They say, "Play ball." — Willie Stargell

I would always reserve a special place in my heart for Pittsburgh. — Willie Stargell

That's where the future lies, in the youth of today. — Willie Stargell

Life is one big transition. — Willie Stargell

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

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

Be honest and work hard to get what you want. Don't take shortcuts; you only cheat yourself in the long run. Success is not measured by money or fame, but by how you feel about your own goals and accomplishments and the time and effort you put into them. — Willie Stargell

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

You only have a few years to play this game and you can't play it if you're all tied up in knots. — Willie Stargell

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

They give you a round bat and they throw you a round ball and they tell you to hit it square. — Willie Stargell

I was always a self-proclaimed poor slider. — Willie Stargell

To me, baseball has always been a reflection of life. Like life, it adjusts. It survives everything. — Willie Stargell

Trying to hit Sandy Koufax was like trying to drink coffee with a fork. — Willie Stargell

A World Series trophy is a wonderful thing to behold. — Willie Stargell

To be successful, one must take chances. — Willie Stargell

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. — Willie Stargell

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

I loved to hit with men on base and with the game on the line. — Willie Stargell

Helping someone is what life is all about. — Willie Stargell

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

I'm a God-fearing man who worships with my heart and with my life. — Willie Stargell

I've witnessed thousands of superior athletes try to becomes hitters and fail at it. — Willie Stargell

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

Don't be sharp or flat; just be natural. — Willie Stargell

I love September, especially when we're in it. — Willie Stargell

To middle-class parents, the project team may have seemed unfit for children, but it was exactly what I needed. — Willie Stargell

I gave out stars whenever an appropriate situation presented itself. — Willie Stargell

Reporters often forget that athletes are human beings. — Willie Stargell

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

I've always been a slave to my heart. — Willie Stargell

Pittsburgh isn't fancy, but it is real. It's a working town and money doesn't come easy. I feel as much a part of this city as the cobblestone streets and the steel mills, people in this town expect an honest day's work, and I've it to them for a long, long time. — Willie Stargell

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

Unfortunately, inner feelings and potential are often stunted by our parents, relatives or peers. — Willie Stargell

Throwing a knuckleball for a strike is like throwing a butterfly with hiccups across the street into your neighbor's mailbox. — Willie Stargell

Never was I booed. — Willie Stargell

The bat is gone, but the smile remains. — Willie Stargell

Judgment traps you within the limitations of your comparisons. It inhibits freedom. — Willie Stargell

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

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. — Willie Stargell

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

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

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

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

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

There's nothing I value more than the closeness of friends and family, a smile as I pass someone on the street. — Willie Stargell

I owe a large part of my success to Joe Brown, who helped me both as a player and a person. — Willie Stargell

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

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

It's supposed to be fun, the man says 'Play Ball' not 'Work Ball' you know. — Willie Stargell

I found myself in a race with Mother Nature to play as much baseball as I could before she forced me to stop. — Willie Stargell

Never had I had so many friends and so much fun as I did in the projects. — Willie Stargell

Love soothes wounds, while hatred and violence deepen them. — Willie Stargell

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

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

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

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

Vietnam helped me realize who the true heroes really are in this world. It's not the home-run hitters. — Willie Stargell