<p>PITTSBURGH — Rennie Stennett, the sure-handed second baseman who was part of the first all-Black starting lineup in major league history and later helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, has died. He was 72.</p>
<p>The team, citing information provided by the Stennett family, said Stennett passed away early Tuesday morning following a bout with cancer.</p>
<p>Stennett hit .274 with 41 home runs and 432 RBIs in 11 big league seasons, nine of them with Pittsburgh. Though he was never named to an All-Star team, he received Most Valuable Player votes in both 1974 and in 1977, when he hit a career-best .336 before missing the final six weeks of the season due to an injury.</p>
<p>The Panamanian-born Stennett reached the majors with the Pirates in 1971. On Sept. 1, 1971, he started at second base as part of the first all-Black lineup in MLB history in a 10-7 victory over Philadelphia, a group that included Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. </p>
<p>On Sept. 16, 1975, Stennett became the only player in the modern era to go 7 for 7 in a nine inning game when hit four singles, two doubles and a triple in a 22-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.</p>
<p>Stennett played primarily at second base but also spent time at shortstop and the outfield during his career. He had a pinch hit in his only at-bat of the 1979 World Series, winning a ring as the Pirates rallied to beat Baltimore in seven games.</p>
<p>“Rennie symbolized what it meant to be a Pittsburgh Pirate,” Pittsburgh president Travis Williams said in a release.</p>
<p>Stennett left the Pirates after the 1979 season, signing a five-year contract with San Francisco. The Giants, however, released him in April 1982. </p>
<p>Stennett is survived by his daughter, Renee, sons Rennie Jr. and Roberto, and several grandchildren.</p>
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