@Philabaseball
Stan Musial, one of baseball's most prodigious hitters and arguably the best player ever to come from Pennsylvania, died Saturday at his home in Missouri. He was 92.
Recognized as Stan the Man, Musial won seven batting titles, hit 475 home runs and collected 3,630 hits. He also won three Most Valuable Player awards and played on three World Series championship teams.
Musial was born on Nov.. 21, 1920, in Donora, Pa., a steel town approximately 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. He began his career as a pitcher in the Cardinals' farm system before being converted to an outfielder and made his major league debut in September 1941.
Musial joined the Navy following the 1944 season and spent a portion of his service working at the Philadelphia Navy Yard as a ship repairman. He was honorably discharged in March 1946.
Musial retired following the 1963 season having played in 24 All-Star Games, a mark shared only by Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. In 417 games against the Phillies he hit .337 with 54 home runs and 261 RBIs.
Perhaps the only thing that surpassed Musial's talent was his zest for the game and the city of St. Louis.
“Maybe one reason I’m so cheerful is that for more than 20 years I’ve
had an unbeatable combination going for me — getting paid, often a lot,
to do the thing I love the most,” he told Sports Illustrated in 1963.
Musial was elected to the Hall of Fame in in his first year of eligibility in 1969.
- Patrick Gordon is the editor of the Philadelphia Baseball Review. Contact him at pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com or @Philabaseball on Twitter.
- Patrick Gordon is the editor of the Philadelphia Baseball Review. Contact him at pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com or @Philabaseball on Twitter.
