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How Times Have Changed!
Stan Musial Insists the Cardinals Cut His Salary From $100,000 to $80,000!
“Stan Musial is a better player than Joe DiMaggio was in his prime.” -Ty Cobb speaking of Stan Musial in 1952.
“Cobb is baseball’s greatest. I don’t want to contradict him, but I can’t say that I was ever as good as Joe DiMaggio.” – Stan Musial replying to Ty Cobb’s compliment, with his usual modesty.
Here’s one I could categorize a couple different ways. It could go into “It’ll Never Happen Again,” or even “My…How the Game Has Changed!”
I discovered yesterday that back on January 21, 1960, 63 years ago, in the era before high-powered agents, the great Stan Musial actually voluntarily requested that the Cardinals cut his salary for the upcoming season from $100,000 to $80,000! After all, the 39-year-old Redbird star hit only .255 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs in 1959, admittedly an off-year for him, and he felt he hadn’t lived up to his end of the bargain. But requesting a pay cut? Unheard of! Stan was undoubtedly at the tail end of his great career, but he was far from done. After a couple more mediocre (for him) seasons, he bounced back with a .330/19/82 season in 1962.
Can you even imagine any of today’s multi-millionaire prima donnas doing something similar? Don’t forget we’re in an era where the Cubs recently offered a $17 million contract to a player who hit .210 last year! (OK…admittedly he was injured).
Of course, this gives me a chance to say a few words about one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
Stan Highly Underrated!
Some think Frank Robinson was the most underrated player in baseball history. That may be true, but if so, then Stan Musial must be a close second. His career stats are staggering. A couple years ago I featured Stan Musial’s 1946 season as one of the best ever. Thanks to one of our readers for pointing out that his 1948 season may have even been better. Both were “off the charts,” but I’ll let you decide for yourself which was the best.
(In the featured photo above, we see Stan at the plate in a beautiful colorization by our resident baseball artist, Don Stokes)
Stan Musial played 22 seasons for the Cardinals (1941-’45) and (1946–’63) Over his career, he hit .331, currently twenty-fifth all-time. At the time of his retirement, Stan held National League records for career hits (3,630, currently fourth all-time, with 1815 at home and 1815 on the road); RBIs (1,951, sixth all-time); runs (1,949, ninth all-time); doubles (725, third all-time), total bases (6,134, second all-time), and extra-base hits (1,277, third all-time). His 475 career home runs at retirement ranked second in National League history behind Mel Ott (511). Had his career not been interrupted by military service, he probably would be a member of the 500 Home Run club.
Stan won seven National League batting titles and two RBI titles. He had a .417 career on-base percentage, and a .599 slugging average. His 159 OPS+ mark places him among the all-time greats. He won three National League MVP awards and led the Cardinals to three World Series championships (1942, ’44, and ’46). He shares the major league record for the most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Stan’s Great 1946 Season…
In 1946, Musial led the National League in most offensive categories, including batting average (.365) runs (124), hits (228), doubles (50), triples (20), total bases (366), OBP (.434), and slugging (.587), to go with 16 home runs and 103 RBIs, winning his second National League MVP award. He led the Cardinals to their third pennant in five years and the 1946 World Series championship. It would be hard to top a season like this. However…
…Could 1948 Have Been Even Better?
In 1948, Musial again led the National League in virtually every offensive category. But what made this season so historically significant was that his lead in most of the categories was by huge margins: Batting average (.376, 43 points higher than second-place finisher), hits (230, 40 higher), runs (135, 18 higher), doubles (46, six higher), triples (18, six higher), RBIs (131, six higher), OBP (.450, 27 points higher), slugging average (.702, 138 points higher), extra-base hits (103, 28 higher), and total bases (429, 113 higher). In 611 at-bats, Musial struck out only 34 times. His 39 home runs, a career-high, left him just one short of league-leaders Johnny Mize and Ralph Kiner, and thus one home run short of the Triple Crown.
Stan Musial was a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He was also selected for the Major League All-Century team, and to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. His #6 has been retired by the Cardinals.
So today we gladly shine our baseball spotlight on the great Stan Musial, who reminds us in no uncertain terms that…yes…the game has definitely changed!
Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: Featured photo colorized by Don Stokes “Sports Illustrated The Baseball Book”; others from google search
Information: The National Pastime website; Excerpts edited from the Stan Musial Wikipedia page
Statistics from www.Baseball-Reference.com
I’ve always had a lot of respect for “Stan The Man”. No surprise that he didn’t want to be “over-paid”. Now-a-days, a player who hits .220 makes $80K in a week. That says it all. Great story, Gary.
I remember that Stan Musial was one of only two players to ever hit 5 HR’s in a doubleheader. And (this is the kind of stuff that I always find amazing about baseball) the only other player that did that (Nate Colbert) was actually at the Cardinal’s game the day that Musial hit his 5 HR’s… as an 8 year old fan!
Hi Gary,
Your essay reminds me of an article 20 years ago in Sports Illustrated, featuring the most over- and under-rated of all players in the history of the big leagues. Mark McGwire ranked as most overrated, and Stan the Man was — well, we all know.
You’re right, too, that he was about as modest as they come. The filthy rich superstars of today’s game could learn a thing or two from his exemplary lifestyle.
Best regards,
Michael
Hi Gary:
Thanks for a reminder on how good “Stan the Man” really was. Because Brooklyn and St. Louis were both in the National League, we Dodger fans had plenty of chances to see him in action. My Jewish friends have a word for a person who insists on living his life with integrity. That word is Mensch. Stan Musial fits that definition right down to the ground.
Kind regards,
Joan
Thanks Joan, Stan definitely was a Mensch. And have you notice a couple of athoer ladies posting here lately? They’re always welcome!
Hey Gary,
With that coiled spring stance deep in he batter’s box, it seemed Musial perfectly covered every inch of the strike zone. And when he connected, the crack of the bat made a special ringing sound.
You’re right, the year in the service cost him 500 homers. And also he played nearly the first two months of the ’47 season with appendicitis, batting .198. Then the doctors froze his appendix and Stan hit around .342 the rest of the way. He probably lost four or five career homers and a few points on his career batting average because of the illness.
Great feature picture. Thanks for another illuminating piece!
Best, Bill
I looked at that photo of him in his batting stance, and I wondered how he could have hit the ball consistently and well. But then I noticed the key things he did properly:
— He kept his shoulder tucked in.
— He looked directly at the pitcher with both eyes.
— He had his weight on his back foot, so that he could shift forward during the swing.
— He kept his feet close together, also to aid weight shift. And,
— He kept his bat back in the “launching position,” where he needed only to bring it forward with his swing nearly level.
Hey Gary:
I posted a word of welcome to Christine when she commented on a previous subject.
Hi David:
Your remarks are so astute. Have you ever been a hitting coach?
Regards to you both,
Joan
I appreciate your kind words, ma’am.
I’ve never been a coach of any kind, even of Little League. I even failed to make my high school team. But I have loved baseball since age 9, and that love has helped me to pay close attention as I watch games and read about players and techniques and situations. [I started collecting baseball cards at age 9, and they were a great source of information when I was young.] In this case, I read Charley Lau’s book on the art of hitting .300, and used it to help my 10-year-old son hit Little League pitching. He’s 35 now, so it has been 25 years since I read the book. I recommend it.
Hi David:
Thanks for your swift reply. You prove something I’ve always believed. There is no place you can’t go and there’s nothing you can’t know if you read.
I’m sure your son appreciated your efforts on his behalf.
Sincerely,
Joan
Thanks, Joan!
🙂
You must pay attention, though.
Absolutely, David.