Hall of Fame first baseman Willie Stargell (1940 – 2001) played the entirety of his twenty year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Born Wilver Donne Stargell, Willie entered the Major Leagues in 1962. During the course of his career, the hard hitting left hander affectionately known as "Pops" led the National League in home runs twice, made seven All-Star appearances and helped to bring the Pirates two World Series Championships (1971 and 1979.)
The 1979 Pirates championship team was known as "The Family," (a name taken from the popular Sister Sledge song "We are Family,")and "Pops" was its undisputed leader, taking home both the National League and World Series MVP awards that year.
Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, Stargell died of a stroke in 2001. His 475 career home runs and 1,540 runs-batted-in remain Pirates records. In recognition of his status as one of the city's most beloved athletes, a statue of Stargell has been erected in Pittsburgh outside of PNC Park, the Pirates current home.
Defender Werner Roth played for the North American Soccer League’s (NASL) New York Cosmos from 1972-1979. He would make 125 appearances for the Cosmos, scoring 2 career goals and winning 3 Soccer Bowl Titles (1972, 1977, 1978). Roth played for the United States Mens National Team (WSMNT) between 1972-1975, making 15 appearances.
Born in Yugoslavia, Roth moved to the United States when he was eight years old.
Miller Racing Group team shirt worn by co-owner Leonard W. Miller. Miller Racing Group was an African American racing team owned by father and son Leonard W. and Leonard T. Miller. MRG was sponsored by Dr. Pepper from 2001-2003 and delivered Dr. Pepper its first corporate win in the brand's history. The team competed in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Weekly Racing Series throughout the southeast. After the 2003 season, the Millers did not have a corporate sponsor for MRG and sustained the team with their personal funds and resources.
Hall of Fame first baseman Willie Stargell (1940 – 2001) played the entirety of his twenty year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Born Wilver Donne Stargell, Willie entered the Major Leagues in 1962. During the course of his career, the hard hitting left hander affectionately known as "Pops" led the National League in home runs twice, made seven All-Star appearances and helped to bring the Pirates two World Series Championships (1971 and 1979.)
The 1979 Pirates championship team was known as "The Family," (a name taken from the popular Sister Sledge song "We are Family,")and "Pops" was its undisputed leader, taking home both the National League and World Series MVP awards that year.
Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, Stargell died of a stroke in 2001. His 475 career home runs and 1,540 runs-batted-in remain Pirates records. In recognition of his status as one of the city's most beloved athletes, a statue of Stargell has been erected in Pittsburgh outside of PNC Park, the Pirates current home.
Pair of Everlast sparring gloves worn by Joe Louis, 1934-1951. Joe Louis, known as the "Brown Bomber," was considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time. He is often regarded as the first African American to become a nationwide hero and became the focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment with the Schmeling fight of 1936. He was the reigning World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 until his retirement in 1949.
Office Sign for Pittsburgh Pirates' Manager Danny Murtaugh, taken from Forbes Field. Forbes was home for the Pirates from 1909-1970. At times, the park also served as home field for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, the Negro League's Homestead Grays, and the NCAA's Pitt Panthers and Duquesne Dukes. The sign was acquired by donor after the field's demolition in 1971.
Danny Murtaugh managed the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball franchise four times; 1957-1964, 1967, 1970-71 and 1973-1976, leading the club to two World Series titles (1960,1971.) Overall, he amassed a managerial record of 1,115-950.
Before becoming the Pirates' skipper, Murtaugh was a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies (1941-1943, 1946,) Boston Braves (1947,) as well as Pittsburgh (1948-1951.) From 1943-1945 he served in the United States Army.
Murtaugh finished his playing career with a lifetime .254 batting average with 219 runs batted in. An exceptional fielder, he led the National League in putouts, assists and double plays in 1948.
Brown leather riding boots with a floral pattern stitched on the toes and sides of the boots. Vicki Armour wore these boots while a member of the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida during the early 1980s. Vicki Armour began playing polo at age thirteen and later developed an active business, training and selling polo ponies. She played in many tournaments in the United States and throughout Europe in the 1970s and early 1980s and was considered one of the best women polo players in the country.
Team shirt worn by Ken Wright as a Black American Racers crew member during the 1974-1975 Robert Bosch VW/Gold Cup Formula Super Vee Series. Wright was a mechanic on BAR's Lola T-324 Formula Super Vee race car with African American driver Benny Scott. Wright was one of the few African American mechanics that worked on the Formula Super Vee race car.
In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973 with Wendell Scott, Ron Hines and Malcolm Durham, who were members of the Black American Racers Association. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”
Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.
Chicago Hustle basketball jersey worn by Donna Geils (now Orender.) The Hustle played in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL,) an organization that lasted for three seasons (1978-1981.)
Donna Geils Orender played college basketball at Queens College. In 1979 she joined the WBL in its premier season, playing for the New York Stars (1978.) She would star for the New Jersey Gems the following year before joining the Hustle in what would be the WBL's final campaign (1980-1981.)
Over the course of her WBL career, Ordender averaged 13.2 points per game, with 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Following her playing career, Orender became a television producer before becoming the second president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA,) helming the league from 2005-2011.
