Stan "The Man" Musial

A great man, and an outstanding ballplayer died over the weekend.  Stan Musial was one of the best hitters ever and he was so respected that his nickname "The Man" was bestowed on him, not by his hometown St. Louis Cardinal fans, but by the fans in Brooklyn who, as the story goes, complained that their beloved Dodgers had gone down to defeat, again, at the hands of "the Man".  Fans of the Cardinals honored Stan the Man by naming a disproportionate number of boys throughout the St. Louis area and across the Midwest "Stan."

How honored and respected was Stan Musial?  Here's a true story.  In 1985, I attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans and I was able to attend a pre-game dinner.  Hundreds of athletes were in attendance, but the two who stood out above all others were Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial.  Two baseball players at the biggest football game of the year!  Here is a photo of me talking with a seated Joe DiMaggio and Stan Musial is in the background (white jacket), either signing an autograph or getting out his harmonica.