Stan the Man: The Life and Times of Stan Musial
Stan Musial, the favorite son of Donora, Pennsylvania, debuted for the St. Louis Cardinals in September 1941. With a year out for World War II military service, he played continually and excellently through the 1963 season. His accomplishments are mind-boggling: 20 seasons as an All-Star; seven National League batting titles (in 1962, at 41, he finished third); 3,630 hits; three National League Most Valuable Player awards; and a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame in 1969. Beyond all that, Musial has long had a reputation as one of the game’s best ambassadors, approachable as a player and as a retired celebrity. Veteran sports-journalist Stewart—also a native of Donora—relates Musial’s career mostly through anecdotes culled from dozens of interviews with his teammates, opponents, and coaches, as well as current players who’ve been touched in some fashion by him. As related through the interviews, Musial emerges as a fierce competitor, a stellar teammate, and as fine an individual off the field as his public image implied. Informative and enjoyable. --Wes Lukowsky