Mets hitter Rusty Staub, known after career for work for police and firefighters, dies at 73

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.

Long after the Expos moved to Washington and were renamed the Nationals before the 2005 season, he still remains one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

Staub was traded to the Mets in 1972, and one year later he helped lead them to a surprising National League pennant. Spurred by a now-famous rallying cry from reliever Tug McGraw -- "Ya Gotta Believe!" -- the Mets upset heavily favored Cincinnati, with Staub socking three home runs in the first four games of their best-of-five NL playoff series.

Staub separated his right shoulder when he crashed hard into the outfield wall to make a fantastic catch in the 11th inning of Game 4. He sat out Tom Seaver's decisive win in Game 5 and missed the World Series opener against Oakland, yet returned to the lineup the following game.

Barely able to make weak, underhand throws during the Series, he still batted .423 with a home run, two doubles and six RBIs as New York lost in seven games. In all, Staub hit .341 with 11 RBIs in his only postseason, a clutch and gritty performance that endeared him to Mets fans forever.

In 1975, he became the first Mets player to drive in 100 runs in a season, setting a club record with 105 that wasn't broken until 1990.

New York traded Staub to Detroit in December 1975, and he made his final All-Star team with the Tigers in 1976. He had 121 RBIs and finished fifth in American League MVP voting in 1978, becoming the first major leaguer to play all 162 games in a season at designated hitter.

Staub re-signed with the Mets before the 1981 season and was a player-coach for them in 1982. Late in his career, often sporting black batting gloves and choking way up on the bat, he became one of baseball's best pinch hitters, tying an NL record in 1983 with eight consecutive pinch-hits and equaling a major league mark with 25 pinch-hit RBIs.

His final season was 1985, one year before the Mets won the World Series for the second time. After spending nine seasons with New York, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 1986, and when he was honored at Shea Stadium, smiling ex-teammates such as Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry wore long, orange wigs for the on-field ceremony.

"This is a sad day for Met Land," a tearful Hernandez said Thursday. "Rusty was a very dear friend. He has his place in Met lore and also the city. It's a tough day."

Staub worked as an announcer on Mets television broadcasts from 1986 to 1995. He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Only 11 days after suffering a heart attack -- Staub was revived by doctors and nurses aboard a flight as it returned to Ireland -- he threw out the first pitch at Citi Field before a Mets playoff victory in 2015.

"It's a little mind-boggling that I'm here, considering what went down," Staub told MLB.com that night. "I mean, I was tap dancing in front of Saint Peter. He could have taken me easily. But maybe he had some more good for me to do. You know, I do some pretty good work. And I don't know how much time I've got. So, I guess I better hurry up."

The following April, he was on hand again to help raise the NL championship banner.

At the end of his distinguished career, Staub founded the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. The charity has raised tens of millions of dollars and provided additional support to families of first responders killed in the line of duty.

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Mets players and coaches donated their entire salaries from their first game back, about $450,000, to Staub's foundation.

Staub also has helped serve up meals to thousands of hungry and homeless people at food pantries all over New York City through Catholic Charities, with funds from his annual golf tournament and wine auction dinner.

"Rusty helped children, the poor, the elderly, and then there was his pride and joy, The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund," the Mets said.

"Rusty was a superb ambassador for our sport and a generous individual known for community efforts, particularly for the New York City Police and Fire Departments," commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Rusty's family and friends, Mets fans and his many other admirers in the United States and Canada."

Born and raised in New Orleans, Daniel Joseph Staub was called Rusty because of his bright red hair. He made his major league debut with the Houston Colt .45s in 1963, eight days after his 19th birthday, and led the NL with 44 doubles in 1967 for the renamed Astros, earning his first All-Star selection.

"We send our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, former teammates and many fans of Rusty Staub, who sadly passed away this morning," the Astros said in a statement. "As a member of Colt .45s and Astros from 1963-68, Rusty was one of the first stars in the club's history and played a significant role in establishing the franchise in its early years. ... His contributions to the Astros organization and to Major League Baseball overall will always be remembered."

There was a moment of silence for Staub prior to the Astros-Rangers game Thursday.

Playing mostly right field and some first base, Staub retired with a .279 career average, 292 home runs and 1,466 RBIs. Staub, Ty Cobb, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield are the lone players to homer in the majors before age 20 and after 40.

Staub had a .362 career on-base percentage. He drew 1,255 walks and struck out only 888 times in 9,720 at-bats over 2,951 games.

He appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot seven times, never receiving more than 7.9 percent of the vote. He dropped off after getting 3.8 percent in 1997.

He is survived by his brother, Chuck, and his sisters, Sue Tully and Sally Johnson.