Wilver Dornell Willie Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed Pops in the later years of his career, was an American professional baseball player.targell made his major league debut at the end of the 1962 season at the age of 22. His 1963 rookie season was lacklustre, but he enjoyed much more success the following season, his first as an everyday player.