As a young reporter for Sports Illustrated, I was assigned to do a late-season report on the 1979, "We Are Fam-a-lee" Pittsburgh Pirates. As I quickly found out, they were indeed a family, with manager Chuck Tanner as the kind uncle, Dave Parker as the outrageous older brother and Willie Stargell as the charismatic Pops. All three made time for me in the middle of a pennant race, and all three left me in their debt.

But it was Stargell to whom I felt most grateful. Think James Earl Jones, with a really big bat. The Pirates may not have been the best team in baseball that year, but thanks to Stargell's carriage and wisdom and stroke, they brought Pittsburgh a title. Tanner once said, "Having Willie Stargell on your ballclub is like having a diamond ring on your finger."

A ring that will always sparkle.

Steve Wulf is executive editor of ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at steve.wulf@espnmag.com.