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Pirates great Rennie Stennett dies at age 72

May 18th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Rennie Stennett, a two-time World Series champion with the Pittsburgh Pirates, died Tuesday morning in Coconut Creek, Fla., after a battle with cancer. He was 72.

“We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family. Rennie was a great player on the field, and an even better person off of it,” Pirates President Travis Williams said. “A member of our World Series Championships in both 1971 and 1979 who remained a very active and cherished member of our Alumni Association, Rennie symbolized what it meant to be a Pittsburgh Pirate.

“Rennie was proud to be a member of the first all-minority lineup in Major League Baseball history when he took the field with his teammates 50 years ago on September 1, 1971,” Williams added. “And who could ever forget when he famously went 7 for 7 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 16, 1975, becoming the first, and still, only player in the modern-era to accomplish the feat in a nine-inning game.

“Rennie’s legacy will live on here with the Pirates and through his family he loved dearly. Our sincere condolences to his daughter Renee (Lujo), her husband Rolando and their sons Rolando Jr. and Rylan, Rennie’s son Rennie Jr., his daughter Nevaeh and son Camden, as well as Rennie’s son Roberto. We join them and all his loved ones in their grief. Rennie will be missed,” said Williams.