By Tom Fontaine

Published: Monday, November 5, 2012, 11:52 a.m.
Updated: Monday, November 5, 2012

A commemorative stamp featuring former Pirates slugger Willie Stargell finished as the top seller in a four-way race featuring some of the most iconic players in baseball history, the Postal Service said.

The Postal Service said it sold more than 8.2 million Stargell stamps since May — 11,320 more than one featuring former Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams, the last player to hit at least .400 in a season.

A stamp with Joe DiMaggio, the former New York Yankees outfielder who once hit safely in a record 56 straight games, finished third with sales of almost 8.1 million. Customers bought 7.8 million stamps featuring former Cleveland Indians outfielder Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League.

Stargell, nicknamed “Pops,” hit 475 home runs and led the Pirates to two World Series titles in his Hall of Fame career from 1962-1982. Stargell died in 2001.

The Postal Service's Stamps Batted In race began in earnest July 20 and concluded with the end of the World Series on Oct. 28.

Tad Kelly, a Postal Service spokesman in Pittsburgh, said Stargell came from behind to win. Williams and DiMaggio were far ahead of the pack from late May through July 20, when customers could order the Major League Baseball All-Stars Forever stamps before they went on sale to the general public.

“It's another feather in the cap for Pittsburgh. It shows the way we support our sports teams and revere our sports legends,” Kelly said.

Tom Fontaine is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7847 or tfontaine@tribweb.com.

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