The Man

At 5:45 pm, Saturday, January 19, baseball fans of the St. Louis Cardinals lost the greatest Cardinal of them all: Stan Musial. In a world of high priced salaries, arbitration, free agency, and every other word for the business side of baseball, Stan Musial's presence can take one back to a time before all that. His name can take the fans to a time when baseball was America's lifeblood and professional athletes often had second jobs and when professional athletes took on the role of being role models for the youth of America. Of all the men who were perfect for baseball, Stan Musial compares to no one else.

Stan Musial in the 1950's

If you are not familiar with Musial, or if you aren't a Cardinals fan, then you may ask what is so special about this man? Why does everyone herald him? The answer is simple: for his achievements on the field, and his character off the field. There is a story that Musial enjoyed a cigar after games. He asked the press not to photograph him with his cigar, and in exchange he would give all the time necessary for interviews. Why? Because he knew that photos of him smoking cigars was not a good role model for the youth of America. After he retired, Musial was always around the ballpark, greeting new players and treating them like they were a part of the team. He always had a smile on his face, and was always pleased to share a story or two. But the part that made him interesting and a true gentleman was the fact that he always listened to what you had to say too. My stepfather met him at his home years ago when he was delivering medical equipment. In the middle of their conversation, Musial asked what day it was. My stepdad told him, and Musial said, "Today's the day I hit five home runs." Then he signed a ball and gave it to my stepdad, then told his wife to open a bottle of champagne. Musial was a fan of the harmonica and played it whenever he was asked. His favorite song to play? "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

Your memory of Musial changes based on how old you were when you learned about him. If you were young when he was already old and a revered member of the Cardinal Alumni, then you looked at him as the awesome, funny, clean grandfather you never had. If you were lucky enough to see him play, then you saw a man who gave 100% every day and never complained and played cleanly. He was a man to respect because of his honesty and respect that he gave.

So what did he achieve on the field? He has records that will blow your mind, if you're a baseball fan. He played 22 seasons, all of which with the Cardinals (unheard of anymore). He was an All-Star 24 times (some years had 2 All-Star Games). He was on 3 World Series teams (1942, 1944, 1946). He was National League MVP 3 times (1943, 1946, 1948). He was National League Batting Champion 7 times (1943, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957). The 4 big offensive career stats: lifetime batting average of .331, lifetime runs batted in were 1,951, home run total was 475, and total hits were 3,630. The most unusual stat is his hits. He is the only player in MLB history to have the exact same number of hits home and away: 1,815 at home and 1,815 on the road. Ty Cobb, one baseball's best players in history, was quoted in 1952 as saying: "No man has ever been a perfect ballplayer. Stan Musial, however, is the closest to being perfect in the game today.... He plays as hard when his club is away out in front of a game as he does when they're just a run or two behind." One more interesting stat is that the most times he struck out in a season was in 1962; he struck out only 46 times.

So the real question is, why isn't he more well-known across the country? There are many factors, but two come to mind. 1.) His off the field demeanor. He was not a notorious player (like a Ty Cobb). He was kind quiet gentleman who kept to himself and out of the limelight. All you heard about him were his good things, but good deeds don't sell papers. 2.) He played in the midwest. If Musial had played for a team like the Yankees or Red Sox or even the Dodgers, then he would remembered by everyone. It's those big market teams that have garnered a lot of memories, leaving the midwest teams to be remembered by their own fans. Had Musial played for the Yankees, he would no doubt be forever mentioned together with Ruth, Gehrig, and Mantle, even though he should be mentioned with them now. I do believe that his passing will help a national audience understand what Cardinal Nation and the diehard baseball fans already knew.

When Musial retired at the end of the 1963 season, the commissioner of baseball Ford Frick said this of Musial: "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior...Here stands baseball's perfect knight." Truer words have never been said about him. This saying is engraved on the statue of Stan outside Busch Stadium.

Musial, later in life, with his harmonica

And in case you're wondering, Stan Musial had a nickname: Stan the Man. How did he get it? Although it's not 100% agreed as to who first uttered it, most agree that it was courtesy of the Brooklyn Dodgers fans of Ebbets Field in 1946. Musial was so good that when he was up to bat, this phrase would be uttered: "Here comes the man." So, Stan the Man was born.