page_title: History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1920–1952)
section_title: Stan "The Man" Musial (1941–1952)
hierarchical_section_title: History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1920–1952) / Stan "The Man" Musial (1941–1952)
caption_attribution_description: English: St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial as he was depicted on his 1953 Bowman baseball trading card.
context_page_description: The St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball franchise based in St. Louis, Missouri, compete in the National League of Major League Baseball. After decades of early futility in the National League, St. Louis baseball encountered a renaissance with 11 World Series titles and 18 National League pennants since 1926. Sam Breadon's purchase of the majority stake in the club in 1920 spurred this revival; he then assumed the role as team president and assigned the young, enterprising Branch Rickey as his business manager, functioning as a prototype of today's general manager. In his tenure as owner until 1947, Breadon's Cardinals won nine NL pennants and six World Series titles. During this era in Cardinals franchise history, they also totaled 2,898 wins and 2,171 losses in the regular season for a .572 winning percentage.
context_section_description: The Cardinals found their way back onto the World Series stage in the 1940s thanks in part to the promotion of their minor leaguers, including outfielder Stan Musial, who joined the Cardinals late in 1941.  Perhaps the most accomplished player in franchise history, Stan The Man spent all his 22 seasons in a Cardinal uniform and won three NL MVP Awards, followed by a surfeit of team records, 17 National League and 29 Major League hitting records.  However, his reputation as a fan favorite far surpassed his on-field performance many years after retiring: "Probably the most popular [Cardinals] player", he was remembered "as scandal-free", congenial in every instance, "eager to play", and "enjoyed doing magic tricks for kids and was fond of pulling a harmonica out to entertain crowds. ... Musial struck a chord with fans throughout America's heartland and beyond."    With Musial as one of the Cardinals' many young stars, the club embarked on one of the finest three-year stretches of all time, equalling or surpassing the 105-win mark each year from 1942 to 1944.  The 1940s was one of the most successful decades in franchise history, as they finished with 960 wins 580 losses for a winning percentage higher than any other Major League team at .623.  The New York Yankees were second at .604 and the Brooklyn Dodgers third at .581.  Except for their 1940 third-place finish, the Cardinals did not finish lower than second any season in the decade and claimed four NL pennants.
caption: Stan Musial has become the most recognized name for the St. Louis Cardinals and is also considered to be the most consistent hitter of his era.
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