Post by prisonerno6 on Oct 3, 2013 12:41:13 GMT -5
Shortly before the Pirates took the field Tuesday for their wild-card playoff game against the Cincinnati Reds, bench coach Jeff Banister went up to every player in the clubhouse and handed him a small, black star. In the center was a gold “P” – a Stargell star.
The stickers were like those handed out by Hall of Famer Willie Stargell during the Pirates' magical 1979 World Series run.
“I've been holding on to them for a long time,” Banister said. “I felt it was time. I said, ‘Let's take a little bit of Willie out on the field tonight and see where it takes us.' ”
Catcher Russell Martin slugged two home runs — a Stargellesque performance — with that star stuck to his cap.
“Banny told us Pops would be with us, and it felt like he was with me tonight,” Martin said. “I definitely had some type of energy around me tonight that helped me out.”
Banister has been with the Pirates for nearly three decades. Stargell was one of his role models as a young player in the mid-1980s.
“He took the time to teach me a lot about baseball and about life,” Banister said. “What it meant to be a baseball player and what it means to be Pittsburgh Pirate.”
The stickers were like those handed out by Hall of Famer Willie Stargell during the Pirates' magical 1979 World Series run.
“I've been holding on to them for a long time,” Banister said. “I felt it was time. I said, ‘Let's take a little bit of Willie out on the field tonight and see where it takes us.' ”
Catcher Russell Martin slugged two home runs — a Stargellesque performance — with that star stuck to his cap.
“Banny told us Pops would be with us, and it felt like he was with me tonight,” Martin said. “I definitely had some type of energy around me tonight that helped me out.”
Banister has been with the Pirates for nearly three decades. Stargell was one of his role models as a young player in the mid-1980s.
“He took the time to teach me a lot about baseball and about life,” Banister said. “What it meant to be a baseball player and what it means to be Pittsburgh Pirate.”
