"A World Series trophy is a wonderful thing to behold"
About this Quote
A World Series trophy is a wonderful thing to behold because it’s one of the few objects in American sports that can’t be faked. Willie Stargell’s line reads simple, even a little polite, but that’s the point: it treats the trophy less like a brag and more like a hard-earned visual fact. “Behold” is doing the heavy lifting. It’s not “win” or “earn” or “deserve.” It’s a word from sermons and coronations, suggesting reverence, a hush. Stargell frames the prize as something that commands stillness after a season defined by noise, travel, injuries, and doubt.
The intent is gratitude, but the subtext is endurance. Baseball’s calendar is built to grind ego down to size; even the best players fail most of the time. Calling the trophy “wonderful” sounds understated until you remember what it represents: surviving a 162-game test of attention and health, then emerging from October’s pressure cooker. The line also sidesteps the self-centered language athletes are often expected to use. Stargell isn’t the subject; the trophy is. That humility doubles as leadership, the kind that made him the emotional center of the 1979 “We Are Family” Pirates, a team that turned clubhouse chemistry into a civic mood.
Context matters: Stargell played in an era when athletes were becoming brands, but he’s pointing to something older and sturdier than marketing - the communal artifact of a championship. The trophy isn’t just seen; it’s witnessed, like proof that the suffering meant something.
The intent is gratitude, but the subtext is endurance. Baseball’s calendar is built to grind ego down to size; even the best players fail most of the time. Calling the trophy “wonderful” sounds understated until you remember what it represents: surviving a 162-game test of attention and health, then emerging from October’s pressure cooker. The line also sidesteps the self-centered language athletes are often expected to use. Stargell isn’t the subject; the trophy is. That humility doubles as leadership, the kind that made him the emotional center of the 1979 “We Are Family” Pirates, a team that turned clubhouse chemistry into a civic mood.
Context matters: Stargell played in an era when athletes were becoming brands, but he’s pointing to something older and sturdier than marketing - the communal artifact of a championship. The trophy isn’t just seen; it’s witnessed, like proof that the suffering meant something.
Quote Details
| Topic | Victory |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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