Former Pirates infielder Rennie Stennett dies at 72

PITTSBURGH — One of the popular Pirates from the 1970s has died. Rennie Stennett, an infielder who played on both the 1971 and 1979 World Series championship teams, was 72.

Stennett died in Florida after a battle with cancer. In a statement, Pirates President Travis Williams remembered Stennett as a “beloved member of the Pirates family” and a “cherished member of our Alumni Association.” Williams added that “Rennie was a great player on the field, and an even better person off of it” and that “Rennie symbolized what it meant to be a Pittsburgh Pirate.”

Stennett joined the Pirates in July 1971 and went on to bat .353 for the World Series champs. That year, Stennett was also part of the first “all-minority lineup” in major league baseball.

In 1975, Stennett went 7-for-7 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He’s the only modern day player to get seven hits in a nine-inning game. “Rennie’s legacy will live on,” Williams said, “here with the Pirates and through his family he loved dearly.”

Home runs and planted trees: Pittsburgh Pirates, Duquesne Light partner for Earth Day projects

Cox Media Group