RIP Rusty Staub

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway
‏ @gatorhoops

Mets' Staub, known for his philanthropy, dies

NEW YORK -- Rusty Staub, the orange-haired outfielder who became a huge hit with baseball fans in two countries during an All-Star career that spanned 23 major league seasons, died Thursday. He was 73.

He died after an illness in a hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida -- hours before the start of the baseball season -- the team said in a statement. The Mets learned of the death from friends of Staub who were with him at the time, a team spokesman added.

Affectionately dubbed "Le Grande Orange," Staub was a six-time All-Star and the only player in major league history to have at least 500 hits with four teams (Houston Colt .45s/Astros, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers and Montreal Expos). He was a favorite with fans in the United States and Canada, most adored in New York and Montreal.

A savvy, reliable slugger with left-handed power and a discerning eye, Staub played from 1963 to 1985 and finished 284 hits shy of 3,000. He had three-plus great seasons with the Tigers and batted .300 for the Texas Rangers in 1980.

He broke into the majors as a teenager with Houston, lasted into his 40s with the Mets and spent decades doing charity work in the New York area.

"There wasn't a cause he didn't champion," the Mets said.

He owned and operated two popular Manhattan restaurants that bore his name and authored a children's book titled "Hello, Mr. Met!"

Staub was the first star for the expansion Expos in 1969, embraced by French-Canadian fans at Parc Jarry who appreciated that he learned their language.

He made three straight All-Star teams with Montreal and hit a career-high 30 home runs for the last-place Expos in 1970. Though he spent only three full seasons in Montreal, plus a 38-game reunion in 1979, his No. 10 became the first uniform jersey the team retired, in 1993.