The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, managed by Chuck Tanner, registered a regular-season record of 98-64 and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the then-Montreal Expos. The Pirates went on to sweep the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and then bested the American League Champion Baltimore Orioles in seven games to win their fifth World Series title. The Pirates became one of only six teams in the 20th century to have won a World Series after trailing three games to one. The team used the wildly popular disco hit "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge as the club’s official theme song that season. The club’s captain was 39-year-old Willie Stargell, who was the oldest player to win MVP honors for both the NLCS and the World Series. In the Fall Classic, in fact, he hit .400 with a record seven extra-base hits and matched Reggie Jackson's record of 25 total bases, set just two years prior. On the mound the team was led by John Candelaria (14-9), Bruce Kison (13-7) and Bert Blyleven (12-5).
This lot features the actual 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series trophy that was presented to Bucs Manager Chuck Tanner. It is arranged upon a 2 1/2-inch tall, 7 1/4-inch in diameter black wooden base, whose surrounding gold-colored band reads "WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS PITTSBURGH PIRATES 1979 CHUCK TANNER - MANAGER." Atop the black base, a 5"-diameter gold-colored band has a silver-colored baseball at its base and a very detailed crown figure at the top. Standing prominently at the front of the display are two press pin replicas representing the eventual World Series Champion Pirates. Surrounding the base are 26 gold-colored flags that, in alphabetical order, bear the names of each Major League Baseball team; the banners gradually ascend in size from 5.5” to 9.5” tall. Trophy seems to be in terrific shape and problem-free. A great reminder of one of the most memorable seasons in Pittsburgh Pirates history. Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, whose team Pittsburgh defeated in the NLCS, wrote of the Pirates: "They do everything with abandon, because that’s the way Chuck Tanner wants it. He’s an aggressive manager, a manager who doesn’t go by the book. That’s why Pittsburgh is such an exciting team."
Includes Letter of Authenticity from Tanner Family.