Greg Fulton: Remembering Stan Musial, one of Pa.'s finest ballplayers

It was 60 years ago this month when Stan “the Man” Musial appeared in his final game for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the end of a career that found him chosen as league MVP three times, winning seven batting titles, being selected to the All-Star team more than 20 times and helping the Cardinals win three World Series.

Musial was special to me because he was a blue-collar guy who had grown up in a small town, Donora. Donora was similar to my hometown. It was a working-class community made up of people with a strong work ethic and close family ties. Musial reflected those values in his game and in his life on and off the field.

Sept. 26, 1963, would be the last time the fans would have an opportunity to see Musial as a player in a Cardinals uniform.

The Cardinals had a good season but fell short of having a chance to play in another World Series. While the game was meaningless in regard to the playoffs, Busch Park was packed to honor Stan the Man.

Musial would be ending his career as he had started it, playing against the Cincinnati Reds. Ironically, while it was Musial’s last season, it was the first for a Reds rookie, Pete Rose. Rose was similar to Musial in his passion for the game, his preparation and his commitment to improving his play. Rose would similarly have a long and storied career, and 18 years later he would break Musial’s record for hits.

For one last game, Musial sought to turn back the hands of time. For fans in the stands, he wanted to display the skills that made him a future Hall of Famer. He had slowed down and didn’t have the same bat speed or eye for hitting as he once had, but on this day, he did not disappoint. Musial had two singles in his three times at bat, which was the same record at the plate as his first game in the major leagues.

The fans hated to see Stan the Man leave. The moniker was given to Musial by a St. Louis sportswriter when he was covering an away game and heard the opposing team’s fans murmuring, out of respect for Musial, “here comes the man.”

The name stuck as much in recognition of his skill as a player as his character as a man. He was an icon and a throwback to a previous age when players spent their entire careers with one team and became synonymous with it. Musial played the game more out of love for the sport than money.

As a hitter, Musial was better known for his consistency than his power. He hit a respectable number of home runs in his career (475) but wasn’t as feared as Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron. He was a clutch player who could be counted on when the game was on the line.

Musial had a unique batting stance, like a corkscrew. Many kids like me sought to emulate his batting style in hopes that we could become a hitter like him. We soon found out that there was far more to Stan’s success than his crouching batting stance. It was his constant effort to stay current with the game and improve himself. He was one of the first players to hire a personal trainer when he saw his batting average dip as he got older.

Being a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, I always had mixed feelings when they played the Cardinals. I wanted the Pirates to win but also found myself rooting for Musial to have a good game. The truth was, if Musial knocked in the winning run and the Pirates lost, the pain was not as great.

You couldn’t help but like and respect Stan the Man. He loved and appreciated the game throughout his career. He played every game as if it was Game 7 of the World Series.

Musial was the ultimate team player who put the interests of the team and his fellow players above his own. In interviews after a game where he had starred or hit home the winning run, Musial usually gave credit and complimented the efforts of his teammates. He did not trash talk other teams or players. In his eyes, that was below the dignity of a major league ball player.

Musial recognized that he was a role model for many young fans and ballplayers. He sought to live up to that image. You never heard of him carousing at night before games or getting into trouble. He had a deep respect for the St. Louis Cardinals and the city and was an ambassador who never wished to sully the name of the team or the city.

For many like me, Stan Musial’s last game was not only the end of a career for one of baseball’s best players but also the end of an era in which players played more out of love of the game than money or fame.

Greg Fulton is a New Castle native living in Denver.