Stan Musial
Stanley Frank Musial
Stanislaw Franciszek Musial
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Position: Outfielder / First Baseman
Born: November 21, 1920 in Donora, Pennsylvania, United States.
Died: January 19, 2013 (aged 92) in Ladue, Missouri, Uunited States
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut: September 17, 1941, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance: September 29, 1963, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics: Batting average:.331
Hits: 3,630
Home runs: 475
Runs batted in: 1,951
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1941 - 1944, 1946 - 1963)
Career highlights and awards: 24× All Star (1943, 1944, 1946 – 1963), 3× World Series champion (1942, 1944, 1946), 3× NL MVP (1943, 1946, 1948), 7× NL batting champion (1943, 1946, 1948, 1950 - 1952, 1957), 2× NL RBI leader (1948, 1956), St. Louis Cardinals No. 6 retired, St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball All Century Team, Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame: Induction: 1969 Vote 93.2% (first ballot).

Stanley Frank Musial (/ˈmjuːziəl, -ʒəl/; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 - January 19, 2013), nicknamed “Stan the Man”, was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history, Musial spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, from 1941 to 1944 and from 1946 to 1963, before becoming a first ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

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 1945 season while serving in the Navy. After completing his military service, 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.

Over the course of his career, Musial batted .331 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. At the time of his retirement, he held or shared 17 major league records and 29 National League records. He also shares the major league record for the most All Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

In addition to overseeing personal businesses, including a restaurant, both during 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.