Babe Ruth's batter's-box prediction that he would hit the next pitch for a home run during the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field is disputed to this day.

But Willie Stargell, the Pittsburgh Pirate slugger who died earlier this month, left no doubt about his "called shot" home run at Portland's Multnomah Stadium in 1979.

On June 18, 1979, Stargell and the Pirates were in Portland for an exhibition game against their Class AAA affiliate, the Beavers. Stargell's magic moment came during a home-run derby before the game.

Portland GM David Hersh, who was handing out $100 bills to any player who could clear the fence during the derby, offered Stargell a $1,000 bounty if he could reach the balcony of the Multnomah Athletic Club. It was no easy poke, since the club was perched 403 feet from the plate behind the right-field wall and more than 55 feet above the playing surface.

"Make it $2,000," Stargell said. Hersh agreed, and Stargell sent the next batting-practice pitch soaring to its appointed spot.

"The ball that he hit is something ... you can call it once in a lifetime," said Hersh. "The fact that he called his own shot made it more incredible."