The great Stan Musial dead at 92

[Class of '78]

Baseball lost one of its greatest today when Musial, a Hall of Famer with a career .331 average, died at age 92.

I normally would link to the story, but I'm not going to in this case. You'll be seeing his passing in all the headlines. Rather, I'm linking to Wikipedia because it is only here that you can begin to appreciate the lifetime of accomplishments of Stan The Man, the greatest Cardinal, on and off the field.

What a better world this would be if more people, professional athletes and otherwise, would model their behavior after Musial.

RIP.

Wikipedia

[oxrageous]

I actually worked with his only son, Dick Musial, in 2004. When I left the company, he gave me a postcard signed by his father as a gift, which I still have. He kept several of them in his car at all times and would hand them out from time to time.

[knoxgorilla]

Spending all my summers in Kansas from 1955-1965, He was my hero.

[Class of '78]

I actually worked with his only son, Dick Musial, in 2004. When I left the company, he gave me a postcard signed by his father as a gift, which I still have. He kept several of them in his car at all times and would hand them out from time to time.

Was reading about that trait either on ESPN or Wiki. Apparently it was John Wayne who advised him to carry baseball cards of himself.

[O&BGator]

Someone should have thought of the nickname "Stan the man"

[Okeechobee Joe]

The greatest player on one of the most iconic teams in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals, that was Stan Musial. I remember his stance, swung from left side of the plate, feet together, deep in the batter's box, hands held low, the crouch. Talk about great players who had unorthodox mechanics. Musial could hit with power, but also for high batting average, and could lead the league in singles, doubles, triples, rbi's. He was not noted as just a pure slugger, but he hit a lot of home runs. He hit to all fields, left, right, center, sprayed the ball around. When Musial swung and missed, he would do a little shake of his hips that fans got a big kick out of.

He was a humble player who was not interested in being a big star. He just wanted to be the best he could be. He did not say he wanted to lead the league in this or that or hit this many home runs or what have you, he just wanted to do his job everyday and be the best he could be and help his team to win. He even offered to return part of his salary one year because he felt he did not perform up to expectations. He was a favorite of the fans because he knew without the fans there would be no major league baseball. He was thrilled that he grew up to be a big league ballplayer, and he truly loved the game, and would never do anything to cast the game in a bad light. He took a year off to serve his country in the Navy.

I know it is a trite expression, but you could truthfully say about Stan Musial that they don't make 'em like that anymore. When you grow up watching players like Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Killebrew, Banks,Aparicio, Fox, and Musial, it is no wonder you don't really care about the product major league baseball has become today.



As Dizzy Dean says in the film clip, if Stan Musial walked up to the plate "with ducks on the pond" you felt like you had a great chance to win that ball game.

[rogdochar]

About age 11, I got one of Musial's bats; it was split but still together.
Nobody knew of a collector's item back then. Musial was my #1 favorite,
even though I wasn't a cardinal fan. The funny thing is I connected
Musial to my favorite most moral TV hero Roy Rogers. Whenever I saw
Musial on TV, I automatically thought: Roy Rogers.

[Wait ’til next year]

Damn, another great childhood hero gone.

[Wait ’til next year]

Those posting here and on Earl Weaver thread, we dating ourselves???

Loved to listen to Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean on tv broadcasts and Mel Allen on the Yankee radio... damn, fond memories.

[TommyGator]

Great thread for a great man.

I LOVED watching/listening to games with Ole Diz and Pee Wee. They were always a hoot, even if the game was a snoozer. You knew if it got really out of hand, Diz would break into a verse or two of "the Wabash Cannonball".

Baseball ain't what it used to be.

And on a side note, every time I see an unorthodox style that produced great results, I am reminded of the tragedy of the great Tim Tebow.

[Class of '78]

I was watching clips of Musial at bat last night and marveling at the effortlessly level swing, very reminiscent of Ted Williams and, in more modern times, Don Mattingly.

Both Musial and Williams were capable of going yard on any pitch but were just as happy to drive through the ball for base hits. Small wonder why they rank as two of the best five batters of all time.

[rogdochar]

"Tomgator", "Wait'lnextyear" don't forget to add to Pee Wee and Diz
as enjoyment facilitators, good ole Dad. Geez. back when everybody
loved baseball in the best ways.

[shortcast]

Hate to admit it...had anyone asked me yesterday about Stan Musial....I would have said..."I thought he had already died". He was from a time when I really use to enjoy baseball. Not much into anymore. With the advent of free agency and the rich teams ability to go out and literally buy a pennant, it just lost it's appeal for me.
Are there any others from this era still around

[ngamtngator]

A true iconic player. Rest in peace Stan the Man.

[Swamp82]

RIP Stan, the world loved you. Thank you for being a MAN.

[dangerous dave]

the oldtimers in gainesville use to talk about stan the man when he started out as a pitcher for the daytona beach islanders. hurt his shoulder and started playing outfield. daytona beach islanders was in the class
d league as was gainesville g men, palatka, leesburg, sanford, deland, st augustine saints. all places were a short distance from each as players could return home the same day.

[Maillot Jaune]

One of the last of a generation. A true gentleman and without question one of the top 10 hitters of all time.

[Okeechobee Joe]

the oldtimers in gainesville use to talk about stan the man when he started out as a pitcher for the daytona beach islanders. hurt his shoulder and started playing outfield. daytona beach islanders was in the class
d league as was gainesville g men, palatka, leesburg, sanford, deland, st augustine saints. all places were a short distance from each as players could return home the same day.

Man, some of those minor league teams had some great nicknames -- St. Petersburg Saints, Daytona Beach Islanders, Gainesville G-Men -- love that stuff. Musial was like Babe Ruth in that he started out as a pitcher. Those guys were just ball players and nothing was going to stop them. They were made to be ball players.

[law98gator]

Hate to admit it...had anyone asked me yesterday about Stan Musial....I would have said..."I thought he had already died".

Yeah, me too, but I guess that was part of his desire to be humble. He's not running around the country with a set of fake tits crying about not being a star anymore like Pete Rose.

I wish a few of these young kids watched some film of him or others like him. All they want to do it hit HRs now.

The steroid era is gone, but the mindset isn't.

[Since65]

As noted by Peter King in his SI.com column today:

Musial's career hit total: 3,630.

Musial hits at home: 1,815.
Musial hits on the road: 1,815.