Quotes from Willie Stargell

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

To be successful, one must take chances.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The bat is gone, but the smile remains.

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

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

Helping someone is what life is all about.

I've always been a slave to my heart.

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

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

Life is one big transition.

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

Love soothes wounds, while hatred and violence deepen them.

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

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

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