Posted on 01/19/2013 6:01:28 PM PST by bd476
When I was 5-6-7 years old, one of our few recreational activities was watching the Panama City Fliers play at Lion’s Park.
It was the class D Alabama/Florida League. I still have an official Alabama/Florida League Spalding baseball autographed by the entire team. Probably 1953. My older sister got the groundskeeper to give her the gall and she got all the players to sign it.
One of the players for Pensacola was Cal Ripkin Sr. One of the Panama City players was Chase Riddle who I think set some minor league records before being a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. After he retired he led Troy University to a couple of national championships.
Joe, thanks for posting those photos of Stan Musial.
Hat tip to one of the greats.
A piece of my youth is now gone. May he join the others in the field of dreams, to play his game forever.
One couldn't help but admire him. His dear wife passed away last year. I didn't know he served in the US Navy, that's his character though. He was a real legend but those who met him said he was very humble and down to earth.
Musial was 92. Earl Weaver also died today; he was 82.
I *was* a baseball fan — Kansas City A’s, Washington Senators, San Diego Padres. Got it from my Mom, who loved the game.
In elementary school, the teacher would bring a radio so we could listen to Opening Day.
Drugs, bad behavior, and exorbitant prices ruined if for me.
Alfa6, thank you for sharing the link to that very interesting article about Stan the Man.
He set good standards for baseball and for life.
OK ... thanks.
This is what Bill James wrote about Musial in his first edition of THe Historical Baseball Abstract:
“The image of Musial seems to be fading quickly . It doesnt seem that the image is very sharp, that anybody really knows what made him different
“What he was was a ballplayer. He didnt spit at fans, he didnt get into fights in nightclubs, he didnt marry anybody famous. He hustled. You look at his career totals of doubles and triples, and theyll remind you of something that was accepted while he was active, and has been largely forgotten since: Stan Musial was one player who always left the batters box on a dead run.”
In that book he rated Musial ahead of Williams as the best left-fielder of all time, although he did reverse that decision in the second edition without much explanation. I would rather have had Musial on my team than Williams.
I was too, couldn't help but be a fan of the greats, that is if you lived in my neighborhood with a nearby baseball diamond and a radio.
Thanks Brown Deer. More sad news. May Earl rest in peace.
I refinanced my house back in the late 90's. The loan officer and I ended up talking baseball. He had seen Stan as a player. We got into a fascinating discussion about batting and batting stances. Being a young guy, I of course talked about Joe Morgan and the chicken arm flap, and the Pete Rose crouch. He showed me the Stan Musial "peekaboo" stance. I had never seen it.
It was cool. The loan guy was in his 70's at the time and knew every big time 1940s and 50s player's batting technique.
I had the honor of meeting him many times. A true gentleman, loved his fans.
RIP Sir.
We will all see you soon. Maybe you can show us a few things. I so look forward to playing some ball!
I wonder......are there any umpires in heaven?
If there are, how will Earl respond?
I saw him
First thing I asked my dad was why was his stance so funny. I got one of his bats cracked in a foul.
I used it for a rock bat.
Yeah
I know
'The image of Musial seems to be fading quickly . It doesn't seem that the image is very sharp, that anybody really knows what made him different
What he was was a ballplayer. He didn't spit at fans, he didn't get into fights in nightclubs, he didn't marry anybody famous. He hustled. You look at his career totals of doubles and triples, and they'll remind you of something that was accepted while he was active, and has been largely forgotten since: Stan Musial was one player who always left the batter's box on a dead run.'
Thank you, Gil4. Stan Musial was one of a kind. I sure hope God sends us another Musial with similar decent, mature, down to earth qualities soon.
Coincidentally "The Natural" just began on a local station.
My husband saw him many times in person. And when my husband was still a uni student in the late 1960’s, Musial had a restaurant in St. Louis and would be there most of the time. Once my husband met Musial at the restaurant, and, as usual for anyone who asked, Musial signed a photo of himself for my husband.
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