“We Are Family”

Willie Stargell launches a two-run homer off Scott McGregor in the sixth inning 44 years ago today to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 2-1 lead en route to beating the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series.

Stargell, who has four hits in deciding game, finishes the Series with a .400 batting average as the Pirates rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the final three games, including the last two at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

As the Wednesday night crowd of 53,733 files out of Memorial Stadium, the music plays long and loud in the visitors’ clubhouse. The celebratory choice is an easy one: Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” which is the Pirates’ mantra during the season.

“No words can express what we’ve done,” Stargell says after the game. “We’ve overcome. We’ve worked hard. We’ve scratched and clawed.

“We took that song, ‘We Are Family’ and identified with it. We weren’t trying to be sassy or fancy,” Stargell says. “We’re just a ballclub that is a family in our clubhouse. And that’s why we won the World Series; that’s why we came from behind.”

During the seven games against the Orioles, Stargell sets a World Series record with seven extra-base hits on four doubles and three home runs. He also has seven runs batted in.

Not surprisingly, he is the unanimous choice as the Most Valuable Player for the World Series.

This coming off being named the MVP in the National League Championship Series and the National League’s MVP for the regular season in 1979 – marking the only time that one player earns all three awards in the same season.

Turns out the championship is the Pirates’ last appearance in the World Series.

The Orioles wait another four years before beating the Philadelphia Phillies in five games of the 1983 World Series for what also turns out to be their last Series appearance.