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Two Legendary Baseball Figures Die

Jan 21, 2013  •  Post A Comment

Two of the legends of Major League Baseball died within hours of each other over the weekend, Newsday reports. Longtime Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver and bigger-than-life St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and first baseman Stan Musial both died Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013.

Weaver was 82 and Musial was 92.

Weaver managed the Orioles for 17 years, leading them to four American League pennants — including three in a row from 1969-1971 — and winning the World Series in 1970.

Musial is recognized as one of the greatest hitters of all time, piling up 475 home runs during his 22-year career and being named National League MVP three times. He played his entire career with the Cardinals and was a part of three World Series titles in the 1940s.

The two men — both Hall of Famers — don’t have much else in common, Newsday notes. “Weaver was a 5-foot-6 rabble rouser whose penchant for quarreling with umpires belied a cerebral approach to managing that has stood the test of time,” the piece reports. “Musial was a humble slugger with a funky batting stance who was beloved by Cardinals fans and respected by pretty much everyone else.”

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said of Weaver: "Earl was well known for being one of the game’s most colorful characters with a memorable wit, but he was also amongst its most loyal."

Selig commented on Musial in a statement, saying: "Stan’s life embodies baseball’s unparalleled history and why this game is the national pastime. As remarkable as ‘Stan the Man’ was on the field, he was a true gentleman in life.”

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Stan Musial

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Earl Weaver

 

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