Welcome to our collection of quotes by Stan Musial. We hope you enjoy pondering them and please share widely.
Wikipedia Summary for Stan Musial
Stanley Frank Musial (born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed Stan the Man, was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. He spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1941 to 1944 and from 1946 to 1963. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history, Musial was a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He batted .331 over the course of his career and set National League (NL) records for career hits (3,630), runs batted in (1,951), games played (3,026), at bats (10,972), runs scored (1,949) and doubles (725). His 475 career home runs then ranked second in NL history behind Mel Ott's total of 511. A seven-time batting champion, he was named the National League's (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and was a member of three World Series championship teams. He also shares the major league record for the most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Musial was born in Donora, Pennsylvania, where he frequently played baseball informally or in organized settings, and eventually played on the baseball team at Donora High School. Signed to a professional contract by the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher in 1938, Musial was converted into an outfielder and made his major league debut in 1941. Noted for his unique batting stance, he quickly established himself as a consistent and productive hitter. In his first full season, 1942, the Cardinals won the World Series. The following year, he led the NL in six different offensive categories and earned his first MVP award. He was also named to the NL All-Star squad for the first time; he appeared in every All-Star game in every subsequent season he played.
Musial won his second World Series championship in 1944, then missed the entire 1945 season while serving in the Navy. After completing his military service during the war, Musial returned to baseball in 1946 and resumed his consistent hitting. That year he earned his second MVP award and third World Series title. His third MVP award came in 1948, when he finished one home run short of winning baseball's Triple Crown. After struggling offensively in 1959, Musial used a personal trainer to help maintain his productivity until he decided to retire in 1963. At the time of his retirement, he held or shared 17 major league records, 29 National League records, and nine All-Star Game records.
In addition to overseeing personal businesses, including a restaurant, both before and after his playing career, Musial served as the Cardinals' general manager in 1967, winning the pennant and World Series, then resigning that position. Musial was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. In February 2011, President Barack Obama presented Musial with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award that can be bestowed on a person by the United States government.
There is no one correct way to bat, and so of course there is no one correct stance for it.
I learned to hit with a broomstick and a ball of tape and I could always get that bat on the ball.
The key to hitting for high average is to relax, concentrate, and don't hit the fly ball to center field.
I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider; then, I'd pick up the speed of the ball in the first thirty feet of its flight and knew how it would move once it had crossed the plate.
The one unbreakable rule about hitting is this: if a batter hits well with his own particular stance and swing, think twice -- or more -- before suggesting a change.
I never realized that batting a little ball around could cause so much commotion. I now know how (Charles) Lindbergh must have felt when he returned from St. Louis.
I started to crouch because that way I could guard the plate better, and I always wanted to hit .300 in the big leagues.
What made me sign with the Cardinals? Because they used salesmanship, the personal touch.
There was never a day when I was as good as Joe DiMaggio at his best. Joe was the best, the very best I ever saw.
What I try to do is never to hurt anybody else and figure if I don't, then I'm not likely to get hurt myself.
Get eight hours of sleep regularly. Keep your weight down, run a mile a day.
Used to be bats had thick handles and a big barrel. Then they found it's not the size of the bat that gets home runs -- it's the speed with which you can swing it.
It seemed like I always did some great hitting in Brooklyn. The field there was close to the stands. Every time I started walking to the plate, I could hear the fans say, 'Here comes that man again. Here comes that man.'
I have no hesitation to say that St. Louis is a great place in which to live and work.
I'm proud to be a Cardinal.
I'm a musician. I play harmonica for relaxation. A good way to relax and entertain people. An excellent way to have fun.
Hitting is like swimming. Once you learn the stroke, you never forget it.
I could always hit. I learned to hit with a broomstick and a ball of tape and I could always get that bat on the ball.
The first principle of contract negotiations is don't remind them of what you did in the past -- tell them what you're going to do in the future.
A lot of hitters stay away from the plate, some are close up, some are forward, some are back. The thing about hitting is this: You have to know the strike zone. That's the most important thing. Hit strikes and put the bat on the ball.
I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider. Then, I'd pick up the speed of the ball in the first 30 feet of its flight and knew how it would move once it has crossed the plate.
Back in my day, we didn't think about money as much. We enjoyed playing the game. We loved baseball. I didn't think about anybody else but the Cardinals.
When a pitcher's throwing a spitball, don't worry and don't complain, just hit the dry side like I do.
Always wanted to be a Major League player. Loved baseball. Followed it. Loved to play. Plus, I could always hit.