St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame legend Stan Musial dead at 92

Stan "The Man" Musial passed away Saturday at the age of 92 from natural causes. Musial has been called "The Greatest Cardinal player" and is certainly one of the most underrated players of his ear (playing in the Major Leagues with the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams). Stan played in 24 All-Star Games, batted a career .331 batting average, amassed 3,630 base hits and 475 home runs along with seven batting titles and three World Series championships. Musial's career was temporarily halted during World War II (he served in the US Navy from 1945 to 1946 missing one season). When his long career ended in 1963 he was named Vice President of the Cardinals' franchise. In 1967 he was the team's General Manager but resigned after the season (the Cardinals won the World Series that years as well).

Out on the playing field, Stan Musial was one of the best. Born Stanislaw Franciszek Musialon November 21, 1920 in Donora Pennsylvania the son of Polish immigrant father and a Czech mother. He began his baseball career at the age of 15 when he played for the Donora Zincs (a local semi-pro team) as a pitcher. In 1937, The St. Louis Cardinals scouted him and offered him a contract. After finishing high school, Musial started at Class D and worked his way up the minor leagues (he switched from pitcher to outfielder after an injury weakened his pitching arm) to finally turn pro in 1941 and the rest his history. He ended his career in 1963 at the age of 43 playing his entire 22 years with the Cardinals. In 1968 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Away from the St. Louis Cardinals, Musial served as President Lyndon Johnson physical fitness adviser. He also was an accomplished harmonica player and business man. Musial was married to wife Lillian for almost 72 years. The couple had four children. His wife predeceased him when she died on May 3, 2012. Stan "The Man" Musial, one of the legends of the game and perhaps the best to ever lace up a pair of cleats.