# 4696a - 2012 First-Class Forever Stamp - Imperforate Major League Baseball All-Stars: Willie Stargell

US #4696a
2012 Willie Stargell – Major League Baseball All-Stars (Imperforate)

• One of four stamps commemorating MLB Hall of Famers and the impact they’ve had on baseball

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Major League Baseball All-Stars
Value:  45¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  July 21, 2012
First Day City:  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued:  20,000,000 (Includes die-cut AND imperforate stamps. The exact quantity of imperforate stamps is unknown, but it is only a tiny fraction of the total print quantity, making the imperforates much scarcer than traditional die-cut stamps.)
Printed by:  Avery Dennison (AVR)
Printing Method:  Photogravure
Format:  Panes of 20
Perforations:  Die Cut 11
Tagging:  Phosphored, Type II

Why the stamp was issued:  To celebrate MLB great Willie Stargell.

About the stamp designs:  Pictures artwork of Willie Stargell by painter and illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles, California. He based the stamp art on historic photographs of the four players.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Willie Stargell’s hometown.

About the Major League Baseball All-Stars set:  Issued as reminders of great moments in the history of America’s pastime. Each stamp pictures a different famous baseball player: Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell, and Joe DiMaggio. Artwork by painter and illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles, California. He based the stamp art on historic photographs of the four players.

The First Day of Issue Ceremony for the se-ten was held in Cooperstown, New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. There were additional First Day of Issue Ceremonies the following day in each of the pictured players’s hometowns: Boston, Massachusetts (Ted Williams); Cleveland, Ohio (Larry Doby); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Willie Stargell); and New York, New York (Joe DiMaggio).

History the stamp represents:  The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates were struggling early in the baseball season. Team captain Willie Stargell (1940-2001) insisted they adopt as their theme the song “We Are Family.” The Pirates caught fire, and Stargell led the way. They called him ”Pops.” He was 39 years old, and became the oldest player to win the Most Valuable Player award.

Early in his career, Stargell was a productive player and occasional All-Star, but not quite realizing his potential. It wasn’t until the Pirates moved out of gigantic Forbes Field and into a new, normal-sized ballpark in 1970 that Stargell’s power really shone through. He was big and burly; a menacing figure in the batters’ box. He didn’t just hit a lot of home runs (475 in all), he hit them far – great, titanic blasts. One opposing pitcher remarked, “He doesn’t just hit pitchers. He takes their dignity.”

In the years following his career, Stargell struggled with kidney problems that sapped him of his mammoth strength. The Pirates honored him for his contributions to the team and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On April 9, 2001, the Pirates opened a brand new ballpark, complete with a Willie Stargell statue out front. He never saw it, having died earlier that morning.