MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Dave Roberts, a left-handed pitcher who played for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates during a 13-year career in the majors, died of lung cancer Friday. He was 64.

Roberts died at his home in Short Gap, according to his wife, Carol, and stepdaughter Kristy Rogan.

Rogan said Roberts had developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as a young man. During the offseasons, he worked as a boilermaker.

Carol Roberts told friends in Houston that the cancer had spread throughout his body over the last year. She said he returned home from the hospital Thursday night and died with his family at his side.

Before moving back east about 12 years ago, Roberts lived in the Houston area for many years. wo of his sons graduated from Cy-Fair High School.

His youngest son recently entered the military service out of high school, according to friends.

Roberts started playing professional baseball right out of high school. 

He was a left- handed pitcher for the Astros in 1972,1973,1974 and 1975.  He last worked for the organization during Art Howe’s tenure as manager. He worked as a pitching coach during spring training for the Astros major and minor league pitchers.

Roberts went 103-125 with a 3.78 ERA for eight teams, beginning in 1969 with the San Diego Padres and ending in 1981 with the New York Mets.

The Pirates got him from the San Francisco Giants in a five-player trade in June 1979 that also sent Bill Madlock to Pittsburgh. Roberts went 5-2 for the Pirates and made one relief appearance in the NL championship series that season.

Roberts also played with Detroit, the Chicago Cubs and Seattle. He finished second in the NL to Tom Seaver with a 2.10 ERA in 1971 for the Padres, and set career highs of 17 wins and six shutouts with Houston in 1973.

Roberts changed organizations 11 times in his pro baseball career. “The way I look at it, either I’m a bum or everybody wants me," he said according to his Wikipedia site.

Born in Gallipolis, Ohio, he had lived in West Virginia for more than a decade. Short Gap is about 120 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Funeral services will be Saturday January 17^th in Cumberland, Maryland.

Just last month Former Astros closer Dave Smith died suddenly at the age of 53.