In the days before free agency, the reserve clause gave baseball teams all the leverage in determining each player’s salary. Even the greatest Cardinal of them all, Stan Musial, wasn’t immune. On March 4, 1948, Musial ended a brief spring training holdout in which the two-time National League MVP sought a $5,000 raise from his […]
March 4, 1948: Stan Musial ends brief spring training holdout Read More »
Just a few days away from his 90th birthday, Stan Musial picked up the phone at his office at Stan the Man Inc. On the other end of the line was a White House representative, calling to tell him that he was being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award.
How Stan Musial received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Read More »
When Stan Musial was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1969, the question wasn’t whether the three-time National League MVP Award winner would earn his place in Cooperstown. The real question was what the 23 voters who didn’t mark Musial’s name on their ballots were thinking. In his
January 21, 1969: Stan Musial is elected to the Hall of Fame Read More »
Just how incredible was Stan Musial during the 1948 season? The 27-year-old from Donora, Pennsylvania, led the league in batting average (.376), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18), RBIs (131), on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.702), OPS (1.152), and total bases (429). With 39 home runs, Musial was one homer shy of tying the Pirates’ Ralph
How Stan Musial won his third MVP Award in 1948 Read More »
On September 17, 1941, the greatest Cardinal of all time, Stan Musial, made his major-league debut. Sandwiched between center fielder Johnny Hopp and first baseman Johnny Mize in the No. 3 spot in the Cardinals’ lineup, 20-year-old Musial had two hits, including a two-run double, in the Cardinals’ 3-2 win over the Boston Braves. The
September 17, 1941: Stan Musial makes his debut Read More »
On June 23, 1961, Stan Musial hopped off the trainer’s table, took the field at Busch Stadium I and proceeded to hit two homers and drive in seven runs to lead the Cardinals to a 10-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. Just imagine what he could have accomplished if he had been fully healthy.
40-year-old Stan Musial homers twice, drives in seven: June 23, 1961 Read More »
Over the course of his 12-year career, Wally Moon was better known for his “Moon shot” home runs than his base-stealing ability. Nonetheless, on May 25, 1954, the rookie center fielder came one stolen base shy of breaking a 50-year-old National League record as he swiped four bags in a 9-4 Cardinals win over the
May 25, 1954: Wally Moon steals four bases, nearly ties 50-year-old NL record Read More »
This is Part 1 of a three-part series chronicling Keith Hernandez’s career, which includes Part 2: Champions in ’82, Traded in ’83 and Part 3: Post-Cardinals Career and Legacy. Even before Keith Hernandez was born, the St. Louis Cardinals figured prominently in his life. Hernandez’s father, John, had been a left-handed hitting first baseman in
Keith Hernandez Part 1: Road to the MVP Read More »
Stan Musial and the Cardinals had planned for his 3,000th career hit to take place in St. Louis. Then baseball, as it so often does, got in the way. Musial entered the 1958 season with 2,957 hits and quickly closed in on the milestone, opening the season with a 17-game hit streak. That season-opening tear
May 13, 1958: Stan Musial reaches 3,000 hits Read More »
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Red Schoendienst was never quite sure what came over himself. The native of Germantown, Illinois, had never been one for boasting, but as he shagged fly balls in the Comiskey Park outfield alongside his fellow 1950 National League All-Stars, something came over him and he pointed to the right-field bleachers.
July 11, 1950: Red Schoendienst calls his shot at the 1950 all-star game Read More »