GREAT column on Stan Musial (1 Viewer)

[Ed Wood]

They just don't make 'em like this anymore:

"Harry Caray, who of course first gained his fame calling Cardinals games on KMOX, would tell the story of a beaten down Musial going hitless in a Sunday doubleheader. The heat was unbearable that day — hell could not be much hotter than a St. Louis summer day — and after the game Musial walked gingerly to his car. He looked beaten down. He looked beat up. Musial never seemed to think of baseball as a job, but a daytime doubleheader in St. Louis might be the closest thing.

"'Watch this,” Caray said to a friend as they watched the scene, and sure enough when Musial got to the car, there were a hundred kids waiting for him and an autograph. Stan leaned against his hot car and signed every one."

Preacher Roe (on how to pitch Musial): “I throw him four wide ones and try to pick him off first base.”

Carl Erskine (on how to pitch Musial): “I’ve had pretty good success with Stan by throwing him my best pitch and backing up third.”

Warren Spahn: “Once he timed your fastball, your infielders were in jeopardy.”

Don Newcombe: “I could have rolled the ball up there to Musial, and he would have pulled out a golf club and hit it out.”

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2008/07/19/musial/

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Joe Posnanski is a great baseball writer

Read his blog every day

 

[Anthony Borbely]

What a great player and often overlooked when talking about the all-time greats. Heaven only knows what people would think about him had he played in New York or another big media city.

 

[Ed Wood]

Joe Posnanski is a great baseball writerRead his blog every day

Just found him on the web a couple months ago. Really great stuff...

 

[The_Man]

I went to college with Stan's grandson. I didn't get to go, but another one of my friends went with the grandson to the 85 World Series.

As they were getting ready to leave their hotel to go to the game, Stan started heading down to the main lobby. His wife said they should take the back exit to avoid all the fans in the lobby. But Stan said something like, "Those people have been waiting for hours to see some players; don't you think they should see some?"

So he went down into the lobby and signed autographs for an hour before they went to the ballpark.

 

[SofaKings]

One of only 3 signed beisbols that I have. Wished I could have seen him play.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Joe Posnanski is a great baseball writerRead his blog every day

Me too, now. Thanks.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Good tidbit on Musial:

His last ML hit came on a sharp grounder that Reds rookie 2Bman Pete Rose dove for, and just missed.

I agree he was underrated, I think I even still underrate him a little. I think only Hornsby and maybe Wagner are more overlooked when people are throwing names around talking about the 10 greatest players ever.

 

[Tom Servo]

Great read, Ed. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Musial was still playing when he became a grandfather.

I wonder if he is the only pro athlete to accomplish such a feat.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Musial was still playing when he became a grandfather.I wonder if he is the only pro athlete to accomplish such a feat.

Julio Franco is probably a great grandfather. It's highly highly unlikely though considering how pro athletes spread their seed and also considering when baseball was young it was not uncommon for 15 year old girls to be married and having kids.

 

[Tom Servo]

Musial was still playing when he became a grandfather.

I wonder if he is the only pro athlete to accomplish such a feat.

Julio Franco is probably a great grandfather. It's highly highly unlikely though considering how pro athletes spread their seed and also considering when baseball was young it was not uncommon for 15 year old girls to be married and having kids.

C'mon, Julio's only 48...allegedly...