The Pittsburgh Pirates confirmed on Thursday that former outfielder Gene Clines, a veteran of 10 big-league seasons, has died. He was 75 years old.
Clines appeared in 870 games in The Show during his career, amassing a slash line of .277/.329/.341 (88 OPS+) with five home runs and 71 stolen bases (on 111 tries). Though his best individual season came in 1972, when he played well enough to earn downballot consideration for the Most Valuable Player Award, his career is best remembered through the lens of the 1971 campaign. That year, Clines not only helped the Pirates win the World Series, but he was part of MLB’s first all-minority lineup.
“I look to my left, there’s [Willie] Stargell. Look to my right, there’s [Roberto] Clemente. I look around more, and I started thinking, ‘Holy [expletive].'” Clines recalled last year, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I take a lot of pride in being a part of that.”
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