Stan ‘The Man’ Musial Passes Away at 92
The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Saturday that legendary left-handed batter Stan “The Man” Musial, a Hall of Famer, passed away at the age of 92. Musial was one of the best hitters to ever play the game. He was a World War II veteran.
Cardinals Chairman William DeWitt Jr. said in a statement that Musial was the “most beloved member of the Cardinals family.”
“We have lost the most beloved member of the Cardinals family,” DeWitt said. “Stan Musial was the greatest player in Cardinals history and one of the best players in the history of baseball.”
His Hall of Fame biography reads:
After 22 years as a Cardinal, Stan Musial ranked at or near the top of baseball’s all-time lists in almost every batting category. The dead-armed Class C pitcher was transformed into a slugging outfielder who topped the .300 mark 17 times and won seven National League batting titles with his famed corkscrew stance and ringing line drives. A three-time MVP, he played in 24 All-Star games. He was nicknamed The Man by Dodgers fans for the havoc he wrought at Ebbets Field and was but one home run shy of capturing the National League Triple Crown in 1948.
This gives me a chance to tell my favorite baseball joke:
Two old baseball players, Abe and Sol, sit on a park bench feeding pigeons and talking about baseball. Abe turns to Sol and asks, “Do you think there’s baseball in Heaven?”
Sol thinks about it for a minute and replies, “I dunno. But let’s make a deal — if I die first, I’ll come back and tell you if there’s baseball in Heaven, and if you die first, you do the same.”
They shake on it and sadly, a few months later, poor Abe passes on. Soon afterward, Sol sits in the park feeding the pigeons by himself and hears a voice whisper, “Sol… Sol… .”
Sol responds, “Abe! Is that you?”
“Yes it is, Sol,” whispers Abe’s ghost.
Sol, still amazed, asks, “So, is there baseball in Heaven?”
“Well,” says Abe, “I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“Gimme the good news first,” says Sol.
Abe says, “Well, there is baseball in Heaven.”
Sol says, “That’s great! What news could be bad enough to ruin that?”
Abe sighs and whispers, “You’re starting tonight.”
Rest in peace, Stan.
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