An All-Star meeting: Musial and Pujols

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | July 12, 2009 | Rick Hummel

[Charles Henrickson]

Stan Musial, the greatest Cardinal of them all, met up with Albert Pujols, the greatest Cardinal of now and perhaps of a very long time, for an All-Star photo session one day recently.

Between the photo clicks, the picture that emerged was one of two St. Louis baseball icons from different eras with an admiration for each other. They traded tips on hitting, joked about their salaries and golf games and showed appreciation for a baseball bat as only two sluggers of their stature could.

Musial, who appeared in 24 All-Star Games and is expected to play a key role in Tuesday's pre-game ceremony, was asked point-blank if Pujols was the greatest Cardinal since himself.

"Sure," he said.

Musial, a few months shy of 89 years old now. . . .

[Charles Henrickson]

Stan the Man and Prince Albert

[Charles Henrickson]

This is a nice article. I had to excerpt it, but read the whole thing.

This needs a baseball ping!

[freebilly]

Pujols is awesome (as was Stan). Just hope Pujols is clean....

[chae]

Two athletes, and in the case of Pujols (not sure about Musial)a real stand-up Christian man. His testimony is incredible!

[refreshed]

Thanks for posting this. I would have missed it otherwise. My son is a Cardinals fan, I am a Cardinals fan, my mom was a Cardinals fan, my grandmother was a Cardinals fan, and my great-grandmother was a Cardinals fan. We go back a ways.

Great picture. I hope Albert stays a Cardinal for his entire career. He looks good in red.

refreshed

[BGHater]

Pujols = Triple Crown this year

[Dr. Ursus]

I give credit if Pujols he’s not on the list of 103.

[EyeGuy]

We are lucky to have both of these exemplary ballplayers and human beings here in St. Louis.

The Man.

The Mang.

[stboz]

I remember a story that Joe Garagiola told about Musial. It was when Garagiola was catching for the Pirates (I think.)

Every sign Garagiola gave the pitcher was shaken off. To the mound he went. "What's the problem? You've shaken off every thing I've shown."

"It's Musial. He can hit everything I can throw. I just want to hold on to ball."

The pitcher finally gave in and threw a pitch. Musial hit it out of the park on the first swing.

[cripplecreek]

My son is a Cardinals fan, I am a Cardinals fan, my mom was a Cardinals fan, my grandmother was a Cardinals fan, and my great-grandmother was a Cardinals fan. We go back a ways.

Tiger fan myself but I really like the sentiment. Tiger games were the only thing that came before "soaps" at my great grandmother's house.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The list of 103?

Is that what I think it is? I certainly hope so. It sure would be a refreshing change to see a ballplayer who is a legitimate great baseball player.

[LeavingNewYork]

Great article. It’s good to see a modern day superstar so cognizant and respectful of a former great player. I’m a Yankee fan, and Jeter is the same way when it came to Rizzuto, Berra and Ford.

[Desdemona]

Two athletes, and in the case of Pujols (not sure about Musial)a real stand-up Christian man.

Yes, Musial is a parishioner out at Annunziata in Ladue. In his playing days, they lived in St. Raphael's where his kids went to school.

[chae]

I did not know that, thanks for the info.

[Desdemona]

I give credit if Pujols he’s not on the list of 103.

List of 103? You mean using? He's been that size since he's been here and he was 20 his rookie season. If you look at the bod, it's not bulky enough to be built be andro.

[Artemis Webb]

BASEBALL PING LIST

If you would like to be on the ping list let me know.

This will be a medium volume ping list during the baseball season and a low volume ping list when all life stops in late October.

[Desdemona]

It’s good to see a modern day superstar so cognizant and respectful of a former great player.

Around here, it's very hard not to cognizant of Stan - and Bob Gibson and Lou Brock and Red Schoendienst and Ozzie Smith and ... well, you get the picture. Every opening day, every special event - they're there. Opening day this year, there was a picture both on STLTODAY and in the paper of Albert sitting in the front seat of a golf cart with Stan helping him into a jacket. That's just the way he is.

[chae]

Correct. Unlike Barry Bonds, for example he didn’t go from avarage size to bulky all at once.

[Artemis Webb]

"Pujols is awesome (as was Stan). Just hope Pujols is clean..."

My brother in law saw Pujols play at the high school level. He was a big kid even then. My personal belief is that he is both steroid and HGH free. If there were any doubts I have about Albert it would be his age as Dominican born baseball players are notorious for lying about their age. Still here is a photo of Pujols taken in high school:

and another

[steelyourfaith]

Stan grew up in Donora, PA, just down the River from my hometown. I recently learned that Stan along with Red Schoendienst (and Frank Pizzica, a local friend of Stan's) visited at my home when the Cardinals were in Pittsburgh playing the Pirates and met my older brother who had played in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, earlier that summer. I slept through it. I was apparently about 2 y.o.at the time.