January 20, 2013

The Man (1920 – 2013)

stantheman.jpg
"Line drive! Into left field! Hit number three thousand! A run has scored! Musial around first, on his way to second with a double. Holy Cow! He came through!" — Harry Caray's radio play-by-play call of Musial's 3,000th major league hit

Though so illustrious, he was very wise
And bore himself as meekly as a maid.(10)
He never yet had any vileness said,
In all his life, to whatsoever wight.
He was a truly perfect, gentle knight.

-- Chaucer - The Knight

Posted by gerardvanderleun at January 20, 2013 6:18 PM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

goodnight, sweet prince
and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest

Posted by: Fat Man at January 20, 2013 7:20 PM

Thank you, Mr. Musial. Nice guys don't always finish last.

Posted by: mushroom at January 20, 2013 8:43 PM

A night game and Harry Carey on my first transistor radio (playing under the pillow) calling the pitches for Stan the Man. That's my first memory of The Man.

I think it was the same summer we went to St. Louis and sat along the left field line just past third. I got his autograph that day and had dinner at his restaurant that evening. I'll bet he's still signing autographs.

Posted by: I-RIGHT-I at January 21, 2013 2:26 PM

I thought about doing that since I can recite it from memory but then I thought that to do it in Middle English would be too pretentious for Stan.

Posted by: vanderleun at January 21, 2013 6:05 PM

I overheard a conversation between Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra as a lad, which might have qualified as Middle English.

Posted by: james wilson at January 21, 2013 7:27 PM

We'll miss ya, Stan. Baseball is better for you having graced it with your ability, kindness, and love of the sport.

I bet Casey and Yogi could understand each other, even if nobody else could.

Posted by: waltj at January 22, 2013 9:35 AM

Nah, Middle English is what we grew up talkin around St. Louis.

Look it up on a map. Right in the middle.

Posted by: Rob De Witt at January 23, 2013 1:59 PM

Yogi grew up in St. Louis.

Posted by: mushroom at January 23, 2013 8:35 PM