Stan
Musial’s best seasons came in the 1940’s and 1950’s. He had earned his nickname as “The Man” long
before his retirement in 1963, and 24 years later, I was born. Any baseball player who exists only in
retellings of greatness and grainy old footage of a swing that was as unique as
it was perfect should be little more than statistics on a page to me. And yet, I find myself mourning with everyone
else during this past week as The Man is no longer with us. How does someone who I have never met, and I
have never even seen play could have such an effect on me?
Maybe, in
the answer to this question, lies Stan Musial’s legacy, at least to those of us
who were not privileged enough to have admired him during our childhoods. There was something about Stan that was
different from any of the other players who came around Busch Stadium wearing
their Cardinal red blazers and waiving to the crowd, and it was much more than the
simple fact that he was the eldest of this group. Stan was and will continue to be the symbol
of a team and its fans more so than any other player could be for his former
team.
Just
think about it, St. Louis is known around baseball as a city that loves its
baseball above all else, and as a group of fans, we are known for standing
ovations for great plays by home and visiting players. We are known for cheering as loud for players
like So Taguchi after a well- placed bunt and nice catch in the outfield as
superstars like Albert Pujols after doubling off the wall. It is not difficult to see how this attitude
of polite recognition of excellence could come from a player who was well
regarded as the kindest and most appreciative player in baseball during his
career. To be a fan base like New York
or Boston with insanity and rage ready to spill out with every error, Stan
Musial just wouldn’t have fit as nicely as he did here in St. Louis. Who knows, maybe Yankee fans have a tendency
to be so nuts because they didn’t have the privilege of calling Stan Musial
their own.
The Stan
Musial that I know is not the same guy who terrorized pitchers through a long
and ridiculously productive career. To
me, Stan Musial is the guy that my Grandmother would tell stories about because
he was not only the best player in the Major Leagues but also a frequent attendee
of local PTA meetings who could never find his hat. I will remember him as the man that my father
got an autograph from as a kid even though The Man looked exhausted in the
parking lot after a long hot day on the baseball diamond. I will remember him as the man for whom
Opening Day seemed made for in St. Louis.
My children will never see Stan Musial play just as I never did, but no
one’s life needs to be deprived of the kindness that he stood for. In a way, Stan Musial will live on in the
standing ovations at Busch Stadium for great plays or great players. For my generation and those still to come,
this legacy can live forever.
