When I was a kid and first started to listen to Cardinal games on the radio (~1951-1952), Gus Mancuso, standing at the right end of the back row in the picture, a catcher, was the color man for Harry Carry on the broadcast. These were pre-KMOX, pre-Anheuser Busch days. It was on KXOK or KWK radio, and the sponsor was Griesedieck (sp?) Brothers beer. I remember Harry saying on the radio "G B, good beer, good baseball". Ken
If you haven't heard, Cardinal great Stan Musial passed away this afternoon at age 92. TRULY the end of an era. TG
There was a very nice--and very long--obit in Yahoo Sports today. I remember standing in line after a Cardinal-Dodger game during, I think, Musial's last season, waiting for an autograph. He sat in his car (a Cadillac) and signed for every single kid in that line. There have been so many creepy guys in sports, especially lately, that it makes his passing that much sadder. He was the best. GS
Stan the Man was absolutely the best Cardinal to ever play the game, IMHO. If you figure in his character with his stats as a player, he is the best ballplayer ever, period. I read a little article on SI.com about him tonight where he said that baseball players probably had more fun back in his day, due in part to the comraderie that they shared while traveling on trains. Much better guy than that sell-out you-know-Poo. Pat Moreland, Union, MO
I am saddened by Musial's passing. He was still playing with the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park in his last season, when my eldest uncle took me to my first Major League Baseball game. My uncle told me to watch for his unique derriere-wiggle while at the plate and I will never forget it. For me, he was the embodiment of the Cardinals.
Stan Musial retired after the final Cardinal game in 1963. His last at-bat was a base hit against the Cincinnati Reds that the Reds' SS couldn't reach. The name of that shortstop ..... A Reds rookie, Pete Rose. I was there. Stan Musial was my boyhood idol. I played baseball and even adopted his batting stance even though I batted RH. He was the single best baseball player I ever saw, and I saw most of them from 1952 on.
Dad always said that Stan was one of the only "Gentlemen" he ever had as a customer. As a manager for Stanley Photo in the 60's, he served numerous Cardinal members that were camera buffs, and he said Stan and Bill White were the friendliest guys he ever served. Dan