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Stan Musial (1920-2013), Outfielder and 1st Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals (1941-1944, 1946-1963) - 24-Time MLB All-Star, 7-Time NL Batting Champion, 3-Time NL MVP, 3-Time World-Series Champion, MLB HOF


DonRocks

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ESPN SportsCentury Documentary on Stan "The Man" Musial - the legendary hitter from "way out west" in St. Louis - perennially underrated due to his distal locale, but beloved by connoisseurs of the game as one of the all-time greats. Stan Musial: superstar, role model.

In case anyone notices the discrepancy between the duration of Musial's Career (22 years) and that he's a 24-time All-Star, it's because from 1959-1962, MLB played two All-Star Games a year.

"Stan Musial is geographically challenged - had he played his career in New York, we would have called him Lou Gehrig."
-- John Thorn

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43 minutes ago, lovehockey said:

Stan the Man is worshipped to this day in St. Louis.

I rewatched that entire video again today - Musial was completely loyal to St. Louis, turning down a *lot* of money from the new Mexican league when his "skinflint" owner was only paying him $10,000 a year. 

Musial was also friends with Jackie Robinson, and welcomed him into the league. Interestingly, the Cardinals won the World Series in 1942, 1944, and 1946. Jackie Robinson's rookie year was 1947. The Cardinals didn't integrate until 1954, and after 1946, didn't win another World Series until 1964, the year after Musial retired (when the Cardinals had Curt Flood, Lou Brock, and Bob Gibson).

MusialRobinson.jpgMusial First All Star Home Run.JPG

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“It is a very sad day for me. I knew Stan very well. He used to take care of me at All-Star games, 24 of them. He was a true gentleman who understood the race thing and did all he could. Again, a true gentleman on and off the field — I never heard anybody say a bad word about him, ever.” – Willie Mays commenting to ESPN on Stan Musial’s death.

MusialMays.jpg

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01/20/13 - "Hammering Hank and Stan the Man" by Atlanta_Chris on talkingchop.com

Stan Musial, one of Hank Aaron's boyhood idols, passed away at the age of 92 yesterday. Here's a look back at Musial and his impact on baseball and Hank Aaron.

MusialAaron.png

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Its nice, and appropriate to commemorate Stan Musial.  He last played baseball in 1963.  You'd have to be an old codger to have actually seen him play.  I did.  On black and white tv, a couple of times while I was a wee elementary school kid.  I watched because people older than me stated with authority that Stan Musial was either one of the greatest or the greatest baseball player EVER.  Man...as an elementary school kid, with baseball and possibly little league dominating and no other sport being anywhere as near as prominent how could you not watch him.

Per all the records and stats (and baseball has a lot of those) Musial still stands out as one of the all time greats and leaders.  On top of that he was nice, good natured, a person of integrity, modesty, loyal, and true blue.  One accolade describes him as one of the two nicest superstars in all of baseball history.

20 hours ago, lovehockey said:

Stan the Man is worshipped to this day in St. Louis.

For fifty years following his baseball career, he remained in St Louis.  As a representative of Cardinal baseball he transcends all the owners, managers and all the players over the many decades.  Is there another baseball player that represents his playing city as much as Musial represented St Louis?  I don't think so, and speaking of a nearby city...I think an egotistical clown of an owner makes it impossible for Brooksie or Ripken to connect the team to the city as Musial did with St Louis and the Cards

I'm friendly with this father son duo from StL.  The son's grandfather passed away a very short while ago.  The 3 generations went to ball games together and the grandfather took his then young son to games decades ago.  The grandfather was a STL fan, as are the father and son.  The father vaguely recalls Musial and the grandson never got to see him.  The grandfather must have seen Musial in his prime.  Steeped in all that Cardinal lore to father and son, Musial is THE MAN.  With all the great Cards they have seen over the decades...none come close to The Man in terms of Cardinal Reverence. 

Albert Pujols, a player with some of the greatest stats for his first decade (11 years with the Cards) had an initial career that was quite statistically similar to that of Musial's first decade.  The two men reportedly respected and even revered one another (Pujols revered Musial).  The media and many others dubbed Pujols "El Hombre":  Pujols rejected it.  There was only one MAN in St Louis.  Pujols interviewed following the passing of Stan Musial

Here is Musials 3,000th career hit:  a double.  He has the third most doubles in baseball history and the second most Total Bases (from hits) in baseball history.  He was an awesome hitting machine.   All for the Cards!!!!

 

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If sports reverance is part of your make up and hero worship of athletic stars has contributed to your way of being here is a moving eulogy about Stan Musial by the sports announcer Bob Costas who had  made St Louis his home town and thus got to know Musial.   

Costas also gave the eulogy at Mickey Mantle’s funeral and in this tribute to Stan the Man he ties Musial and Mantle together twice.  It’s precious.  For baseball fans you get a look at the humanity of two stars, “all for the price of one”.  

Not only was Musial a player for all the ages he led both leagues in decency.  It’s a wonderful and enlightening tribute

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