Pittsburgh Pirates history: What was popular when they last won the World Series?
By Kevin Henry
The year was 1979 and the Pittsburgh Pirates reigned as World Series champions, defeating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games and overcoming a 3-1 Series deficit.
Willie Stargell was named as the World Series MVP, going 12-for-30 at the plate with three homers and seven RBI. He went 4-for-5 in Pittsburgh’s Game 7 win in Baltimore, hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Pirates a lead they would not reliniquish.
Yes, it’s been a while since the Pittsburgh Pirates last ruled the Major League Baseball world, so let’s take a look back at 1979 and see if you remember any of the other memorable moments, people, and items of that year.
Along with the Pittsburgh Pirates winning the World Series, here are other moments to remember from 1979
The most popular technology advancement of 1979
On July 1, 1979, a portable cassette tape player was introduced and it would change the way we listened to music. The Sony Walkman sold for $150 and gave music lovers a chance to easily carry around and listen to cassettes, which would outsell albums for the first time four years later.
The Walkman didn’t just change how we listen to music, but also allowed for people to move around more freely while enjoying their favorite songs. It’s estimated that, at the height of the Walkman’s popularity between 1987 and 1997, the number of people who said they walked for exercise increased by 30 percent.
The most popular songs of 1979
Speaking of music, “My Sharona” by The Knack, “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer, “Reunited” by Peaches and Herb, and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” by Rod Stewart were among the most popular songs of 1979.
Of course, if you’re talking about songs and the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, you can’t help but mention, “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. It became an inspiration and part of Pittsburgh’s World Series lore.
The most popular movies of 1979
From Alien to Apocalypse Now to All That Jazz, there were plenty of A-list movies in 1979. Also released that year were classics such as Mad Max, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Kramer vs. Kramer, Moonraker, The Jerk, and Rocky II.
The most popular television shows of 1979
“60 Minutes” was the most-watched television show of the year, while “Three’s Company” and “That’s Incredible” were household staples as well. “The Dukes of Hazzard” made it debut in 1979 as did “The Facts of Life” and “Knots Landing.”
Next. Looking back at the Gerrit Cole trade for the Pirates. dark
Some of the other big moments of 1979
On March 28, 1979, a partial meltdown occurred at Three Mile Island’s Unit 2 Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania, making it the scene of the worst commercial nuclear accident in United States history.
On July 11, 1979, Skylab crashed back to earth, sending debris into the Indian Ocean and parts of Australia.
On November 4, 1979, Iranian students seized the United States Embassy in Tehran. It would be 444 days before the hostages were released.