Stargell died on April 9, 2001 at a hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina. He had problems with his kidneys for several years before his death. Stargell died on the same day that the Pittsburgh Pirates opened their new ballpark, PNC Park. After his death, former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner said, "When you had Willie Stargell on your team, it was like having a diamond ring on your finger."