They say these things happen in threes. We just said good-bye to legendary baseball coach Earl Weaver yesterday and now on the same day we find ourselves doing the same to St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial. The decorated hall of famer who was named to the “all century team” in 1999 was known as one of the great all-around players of the game, and at the ripe age of 92 Musial has now moved onto the great baseball diamond in the sky. That said, lets hope “they” are wrong this time, as losing two legends is a big enough blow for now.
Stan Musial was best known for his all around play, and some of his accomplishments still stand the test of time today. Originally signing into the majors as a pitcher, Musial would be recognized for his hitting capabilities before actually making a formal MLB debut, and it was his performance on the field that would grant him the status that he hangs onto today. An all-star on 24 different occasions, Musial still holds this record today with fellow baseball great Willie Mays. He was also best known for being one of the more reliable hitters of his time; an enviable career batting average of .331 he complemented this with just over 3,600 hits in his career. Musial wasn’t one though just to put the ball into play, but he also could land the ball outside the park clocking 475 home runs over the course of his career. Musial also brought home the NL MVP award on three separate occasions over the course of his 22 seasons in the majors. Amazingly Musial never struck out more than 46 times in a season. There were over 300 MLB players who struck out more than 46 times last season.
While Musial’s statistics grant him warrior status on the field, he also achieved the same recognition off the field. In 1945 Musial entered the US Navy, and worked at Pearl Harbour on non-combat duty in the honour of his country. He also worked as the physical fitness adviser to former US President Lyndon Johnson. After his retirement from baseball he also remained an integral cog with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, first as a vice-president and then general manager (where he oversaw a World Series winning team). Stan “The Man” would later be awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.
Why will we most remember Musial? Playing statistics aside, he represented and embodied what a player should be like both on and off the field. None of the high-tempered antics that we see from a lot of players today; despite being one of the greatest of the time he remained humble and a man of the people throughout his life… and won’t be forgotten for that if nothing else (although I don’t know how that would be possible). I still remember the first baseball card I was ever given, it was a Topps Stan Musial “Legends of the Sport” card – it stays close to my heart today.
Good-Bye Stan, you will be missed by all!
… and that is the last word
Main photo credit: ChrisGoldNY via photopin cc
