Musial still popular as ever in St. Louis

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Wearing his Cardinal red sports jacket and flashing an ever-present smile, Stan Musial is still "The Man" in St. Louis.

These days, Musial walks a little slower. He's slightly bent over. His hearing isn't as keen. He had successful surgery for prostate cancer in 1989 and has had no recurrence.

"Well, I'm hanging in there," Musial said. "You know, when you get to be 81, every day is a blessing and every year is a blessing. I'm feeling pretty good."

But it has been a melancholy time for Musial, who has seen three close friends die in recent months: Longtime Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck in June, Ted Williams in July and former teammate Enos "Country" Slaughter last week.

Musial and Williams were contemporaries, arguably the best players in their respective leagues through much of the 1940s and '50s. Later, they worked together on the Hall of Fame veterans committee.

"Ted was a great student of baseball," Musial said. "He was the greatest hitter of our era."

Better than Musial himself?

"When I get asked about Ted Williams, I always say, 'He was good, too,"' Musial joked.Death spurred debate

Williams' death spurred debate about who is the greatest living hitter. Some say Willie Mays or Henry Aaron. In St. Louis, the debate begins and ends with Stan The Man, a nickname coined by longtime Post-Dispatch writer Bob Broeg who heard Brooklyn Dodgers fans lamenting "Here comes that man," when Musial would stride to the plate.

In 22 seasons, all with the Cardinals, Musial hit .331 with 475 homers and 3,630 total hits. He won five batting titles and led the league in hits six times, doubles eight times, triples five times, runs five times. He retired in 1963, and was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Musial served as the Cardinals' general manager in 1967, the year they beat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. He co-owned a restaurant here for many years and has been involved in other ventures. Now, he owns Stan the Man Inc., which specializes in merchandise autographed by Musial. He still goes to the office a couple of times a week.

And he's still a fixture at Busch Stadium, always wearing one of three bright red sports jackets he keeps just for the ballpark. Often, he'll pull a harmonica from the pocket, sometimes to play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for the crowd.

He's still an important presence. He spoke eloquently at a memorial service for Buck at the stadium, and was there in Cooperstown, N.Y., when Ozzie Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame last month.Musial at White House

Musial, a Polish-American originally from the steel mill town Donora, Pa., recently attended a state dinner at the White House at the behest of President Bush. Musial's friend, Poland president Aleksander Kwasniewski, was in the country on a state visit.

"Bush is a great baseball fan," Musial said.

Recently, Musial was at the unveiling of Smith's statue at Busch Stadium. In typical fashion, as Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. recited Smith's many accomplishments, Musial reached over and grabbed Smith's knee.

"Did you really do all of that?" Musial teased.

Musial's own statue, the oldest and largest among a dozen now outside of Busch, is posed in his famed batting crouching. Engraved on it are these words: "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight."

"What I enjoyed was being a big-league ballplayer and putting on a Cardinals uniform every day and having fun," Musial said.

That sort of attitude still endears him to baseball-loving St. Louis, and people associated with the Cardinals.

"Everybody's a Musial fan," said former manager Whitey Herzog.

Even other Cardinals Hall-of-Famers look up to Musial. Lou Brock called him "my idol." Red Schoendienst, Musial's longtime teammate and roommate, said, "They don't call him Stan 'The Man' for nothing."

Before a recent game, Musial meandered around the team's clubhouse. He spied newcomer Scott Rolen, acquired at the trade deadline from Philadelphia.

"Look at today," Cardinals manager La Russa said. "Rolen met Stan Musial for the first time today and they talked about what its like in spring training. Just two ballplayers talking."

Doesn't expect strike

Musial keeps close tabs on the game. Ever optimistic, he believes a strike will be avoided.

"I have a good feeling a strike isn't going to happen," Musial said. "I think both sides know a strike doesn't help anybody out."

He appreciates Barry Bonds, whose 73 homers last season topped the record of 70 set just four years ago by Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire. Bonds recently hit his 600th homer and has a legitimate shot at Aaron's career record of 755.

"Barry's gotten better as the years have gone on," Musial said. "He's got a good, level swing. He's a credit to the game hitting all those home runs."

Even on the golf course, Musial still thinks like a hitter.

"The thing about golf with me is this: I wish that ball was about foot higher and moving," Musial said. "I'd tell you about what to do with it."