#Rusty staub series

He sat out Tom Seaver's decisive win in Game 5 and missed the World Series opener against Oakland, yet returned to the lineup the following game.īarely able to make weak, underhand throws during the Series, he still batted. Staub separated his right shoulder when he crashed hard into the outfield wall to make a fantastic catch in the 11th inning of Game 4. Spurred by a now-famous rallying cry from reliever Tug McGraw - 'Ya Gotta Believe!' - the Mets upset heavily favored Cincinnati, with Staub socking three home runs in the first four games of their best-of-five NL playoff. Staub was traded to the Mets in 1972 and one year later helped lead them to a surprising National League pennant. Long after the Expos moved to Washington and were renamed the Nationals before the 2005 season, he remains one of the most beloved players in franchise history. He broke into the majors as a teenager with Houston, lasted into his 40s with the Mets and spent decades doing charity work in the New York area. He had 3½ great seasons with the Detroit Tigers and batted. and Canada, most adored in New York and Montreal.Ī savvy, reliable slugger with left-handed power and a discerning eye, Staub played from 1963 to 1985 and finished 284 hits shy of 3,000. He became a huge hit with fans in the U.S. The team learned of the death from friends of Staub who were with him at the time, a spokesman added.Īffectionately dubbed 'Le Grand Orange,' Staub was a six-time All-Star and the only player in major league history to have at least 500 hits with four teams. He died after an illness in a hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida, hours before the start of the baseball season, the New York Mets said in a statement. NEW YORK (AP) - Rusty Staub, the orange-haired outfielder who became a huge hit with baseball fans in two countries during an All-Star career that spanned 23 major league seasons, died Thursday.