29
2013
Stan Musial And Frank Thomas Recall A Cleaner Time
An article by 
This morning, I’d like to comment a little on two stories from the weekend, neither of them Mets related because, well, they haven’t done anything.
The first is Stan Musial’s funeral and the second Frank Thomas’ comments from the White Sox’s annual fan convention.
In different ways, both speak to baseball’s history in a profound light. Both return us to a cleaner, simpler time.
Let’s look at Musial first. Here was a three-time MVP and seven-time NL batting champion with 3,630 hits of which 475 were home runs. But, numbers never gave us the true appreciation of this man.
I once saw him in the dining room at old Busch Stadium and thought of introducing myself and shaking his hand, but there was a crowd around him and I didn’t want to intrude. I told one of the Cardinals writers and he said, “You should have, Stan wouldn’t have mind.’’
Reading of his graciousness this week and the thoughtful eulogy from Bob Costas, I have little regret. I’ll always wish I saw him play. Even more, I wish I approached him that day.
One point Costas made was Musial didn’t have a singular achievement, such as Ted Williams hitting .406 and Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. Musial also didn’t have the advantage of playing in a large media market like New York such as Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and DiMaggio, or chasing a record like Hank Aaron. Timing and location mean a lot, but not everything.
I’ve read much of Musial’s humility and accessibility to his adoring fans, of his lack of celebrity and long-time identity with St. Louis. Had there been free-agency during Musial’s era, it would have been incomprehensible to me of him leaving St. Louis, even if it had meant more money and notoriety.
Other stars craved attention. Barry Bonds – it was reported – turned to steroids because he was jealous of the spotlight that shone on Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Musial never would have thought to do so.
DiMaggio, if you read the book by Richard Ben Cramer, revealed a tortured, conflicted and selfish soul, who desperately sought attention and adulation only to respond with aloofness.
DiMaggio would not appear at Mickey Mantle Appreciation Day without being honored himself. There are stories about how DiMaggio responded to autograph requests by saying he would if he was written a check, with his signature being the endorsement on the check.
I saw DiMaggio at Yankee Stadium several times, but not in a good light. I saw him refuse to get on elevators unless it was vacated. How dare the common folk rub elbows with DiMaggio.
The thing I found most detestable about DiMaggio was his insistence of being introduced at public functions as “Baseball’s Greatest Living Player,’’ a slap in the face to Musial, Williams, Aaron and Mays.
Statistically, each of these players surpassed DiMaggio in some categories, yet he insisted on that label? Such gall. It would have been incomprehensible to imagine of Musial insisting.
This isn’t about tearing down DiMaggio to build up Musial, but to illustrate the differences in their personalities and how they interacted with the public.
Musial, by all accounts, was a tremendous player and and even better person. He’s what we want our heroes to be.
Damn, I wish I shook his hand.
As for Thomas, I shook his hand, spoke with him and watched him play. I never hesitated to pick him when the baseball writers chose their teams for our home run derby pools.
Thomas is on next year’s Hall of Fame ballot and worthy of being a first-year inductee. Thomas, who noticed the backlash against steroid users, made it a point to say he took pride playing the game cleanly.
Indeed, he never failed a drug test, didn’t appear on the Mitchell Report list and didn’t hesitate to say he’d take a test at any time.
Sosa once said the same thing, but balked when challenged. Thomas would have said, “bring me the cup.’’
Musial would have said the same.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 41 | 28 | .594 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 34 | .500 | 6.5 |
| Phillies | 33 | 37 | .471 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 39 | .391 | 13.5 |
| Marlins | 21 | 47 | .309 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/16/2013
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Stan Musial was a great man. Joe DiMaggio was only a great ballplayer. A little known fact is that Joe carried a lifetime envy of the Little Professor, his brother Dominic, to his grave. Like Dom, Stan did life well — Joe only did baseball well.
Nice article, John. I didn’t know DiMaggio was such a prick. Wish I could have seen some of the greats like Musial play.
When it comes to steroids, I give every player the benefit of the doubt, unless there is substantive evidence or allegations of first-hand knowledge to the contrary. So Thomas in my book is clean. Hopefully he and others like Piazza will get a fair shake from the HOF voters next winter.
I spoke to my father about stan musial when he died, he told me, that stan the man was one of the best baseball player he ever saw, had it not been for dimaggio and ted, this man would’ve probably been the best player of that era, not only that, but he was a good man. good citizen and not once heard bad things about the man.
Regarding frank thomas, one will never know, but i think that him and Ken Griffey JR were about the only 2 players in baseball who didn’t do anything to cheat the game they loved. I could be wrong of course, but those 2 were the only 2 players i’d put my hands on fire for.
You think Piazza was dirty or are you just saying you wouldnt bet against it?
Wouldn’t bet against it. I love piazza, and i think he’s the greatest hitting catcher of all time, however, all these guys benefitted from PED’s, because remember, not only they made tou stronger, but also kept you from injury or in some cases, help you healed quickly.
I read they also helped greatly with reflex time which cannot hurt in a game like baseball.
Yes. It’s supposed to do the things you do but at even better range and proportion, that is why a guy like barry bonds who was a great quick swing type of guy, fast with his hands and great reflex, became invinsible, you cound’t pitch to him at any point in the game, once i saw he could turn an inside 99 MPH Fastball into a HR i gave into him being the best of all time.. then the PED’s allegations came out and i knew something was up.
I am with you on this one Alex. I feel that almost all players who were in the majors in the 90s and early 2000s were on something. Not all were into the steroids but I believe that HGH was commonplace. And really, I do not fault the players at all on that part. Steroids were illegal, HGH was not. Neither was banned by baseball so they didnt cross the line there. But how can a player really be faulted for taking a substance that was legal in the US and not banned by baseball. To them, it is no different than vitamins.
And isnt it ironic, that now, over a decade after much of this came out, is baseball only implementing testing for HGH.
taskmaster, steroids were banned by baseball in 1971, as they were covered by a general rule banning all illegal use of drugs. And they were specifically banned by name since at least 1991 when Fay Vincent wrote a memo outlawing them in baseball. The bans were specifically written into the CBA.
As for HGH, the biggest problem testing for it has been the lack of a viable test. Even today, the test they have can only detect HGH taken within a few days the HGH was used.
And those early bans covered HGH too, btw.
I believe only Andro was at one point not banned by either federal law or baseball — at the time a can of it was seen in McGwire’s locker. Only later did federal law regulate andro.
Exactly, which is my point when you see some of these guys gained muscles like nothing over the winter was very strange to me, HGH is huge in baseball because it helps you grow quicker than expected, Like i said, many players took it not only to gain strenght, but to avoid getting hurt as well, making their career last even longer
I have wondered about all the late 30s and 40 year old players on the Yankees still performing at a high level.
Sosa once said the same thing, but balked when challenged. Thomas would have said, “bring me the cup.’’
It was also revealed later on that Sosa was on the list of 104 players who came up dirty in the survey testing MLB did for steroids in 2003.
“Had there been free-agency during Musial’s era, it would have been incomprehensible to me of him leaving St. Louis, even if it had meant more money and notoriety.”
This could be taken as a slap against Pujols.
Apparently the two had quite a relationship. After he signed with the Angels Musial (or his people) sent AP a tweet wishing him the best.
As well as AP took offense to billboards being posted calling him El Hombre
“While spending 11 seasons in St. Louis, Pujols developed a friendship with Cardinal legend Stan “The Man” Musial. Pujols often pleaded St. Louis fans and media to stop referring to him as “El Hombre” to respect Stan Musial’s nickname and it appears Pujols demands the same in Los Angeles.”
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1077515-los-angeles-angels-albert-pujols-is-not-the-man
And just minutes ago you have a story that links not only Alex Rodriguez to PED which everybody will focus on – but Gio Gonzalez as well
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2013-01-31/news/a-rod-and-doping-a-miami-clinic-supplies-drugs-to-sports-biggest-names/
Gio’s name being on the list could have huge ramifications because players can be suspended if allegations check out. You do not need a test to suspend.
Maybe the Nats will sign Pavano to take his place!
Well poor Pavano just lost an organ.
Oh come on. It’s just a spleen. Rub some dirt on it and suck it up, Nancy.
Yes, I am becoming my father.
“There’s no crying in baseball!”
Hi John,
Stan Musial was indeed a gentleman by all accounts. When one has to look hard to find a bad word about him in today’s age of the internet – and come up empty – it says an awful lot about the individual.
I am also glad you brought up the subject of Joe DiMaggio because he is so opposite the persona that the fans made of him. One could say neither was the Mick, however, with Mantle he did not go out of his way to foster a false image about himself – DiMaggio, on the other hand, did that with a passion. I too heard that story about the fan being told that a cancelled check was the only way he would give him an autograph. DiMaggio did everything he could to make Mantle uncomfortable. In fact, I’ve been told that when Mantle injured his knee in the ’51 world series and lying down in pain, DiMaggio was nowhere to be seen. What leadership.
But getting back to the “man”, as much as a gentleman he truly was, I would hesitate to conclude how any one player in the past would conduct himself in today’s time. I don’t mean by not being any less the gentleman but that things being different in today’s business world where there is less room for sentimentality on either side. Today, general managers like Sandy Alderson say they have to keep away from developing personal relationships with the players. Cordial ones, yes, but not personal. They separate the employee from the employer with the front office not having the same interaction with the players like they did then when baseball was run more as a mom and pop business and the reserve clause did bind many closer together.
So I’m glad Stan was from a different era because he deserved to be a part of “when it was a game” instead of today when everything is seen in terms of business. For myself, I wouldn’t want to be a part of that era for many reasons, one because those times created the need to honor one today with a rotunda in tribute for the courage he displayed – I’m sure the late Jackie Robinson would have traded all the honors bestowed on him for just having the simple opportunity of having been allowed to be judged as a man in his younger days.