The statue stands down the third base line outside of Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The statue has an inscription that reads, "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight." That was what commissioner Ford Frick’s opinion was about Stan Musial but his opinion was far from the rest of the countries opinion. Musial was not your “ideal” star. He didn’t marry Marilyn Monroe or hit in 56 straight games like Joe DiMaggio. Musial didn’t resemble youth like Willie Mays or tape-measure home runs like Mickey Mantle. Stan the Man instead to be preferred to be known for his coiled, wacky batting stance, his service in the military, never refusing an autograph, and his favorite saying “Whaddya say!” As Bob Costas said, “His excellence was a quiet excellence.” Musial influenced baseball in the 40s through the 60s by being a good citizen to his country, showing humility on and off the field, and being the ideal face of the franchise. (Posnanski, Where Are They Now?, Stan Musial Quotes)
Stan “The Man” Musial embodied the perfect American citizen in every way. Musial has represented the likes of the USO, Boy Scouts, Senior Olympics, President's Council on Physical Fitness, Crippled Children's Society of St. Louis, and many other foundations and charities. Musial was known for treating his fans with the upmost respect. No matter where you were at, you could count on Musial to greet you with his coined phrase, “Whaddya say!”, and if you were lucky you might hear a sweet tune played my Musial himself on his harmonica. No matter whether Musial was out eating dinner with his wife Lil, or just getting out of the ball park Musial was sure to treat you the way you would want to be treated. The Man even...
... middle of paper ...
...ll's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight." Ford Frick saw in The Man what many people in modern times have completely forgotten. Musial truly is baseball’s perfect warrior and baseball’s perfect knight. Musial influenced baseball in the 40s through the 60s by being a good citizen to his country, showing humility on and off the field, and being the ideal face of the franchise. (Posnanski, Remembering The Man?, Baseball Almanac)
Works Cited
Posnanski, Joe. “Where Are They Now?”. Sports Illustrated Vault 2014. Time Inc. A Time Warner Company. August 02, 2010 Web. March 20, 2014
Posnanski, Joe. “Remembering the Man: Stan Musial Just Wanted to Make People Happy”. Sports On Earth. 2014 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. and USA TODAY Sports. January 20, 2013 Web. March 21, 2014
“Stan Musial Quotes”. Baseball Almanac. Baseball Almanac. March 21, 2014
of the greatest knuckleball pitchers in the MLB. His story to never give up, no matter what life throws at
While he was never able to reach his true potential as the greatest baseball player of all time due to injuries, Ken Griffey left an indelible legacy. He revolutionized the game with his rare combo of speed and power, as well as his unbelievable fielding ability. Off the field he was one of the most marketable athletes of all time. He single handedly saved baseball in the city of Seattle, and was one of the few stars to avoid all steroid controversy. While some choose to remember simply for his unrealized promise, most will admire his incredible ability, lofty accomplishments, and clean reputation. He will always be viewed as a sports hero and icon, and for this reason, he is a legendary athlete.
Cal Ripken, Jr., was the perfect baseball player. He would play when he had the flu and even when he had a sprained ankle.
Albert Pujols said, “Baseball was an outlet for him to be able to do that, and he had some special talent to go through what he did and still set an example for others. You cannot replace it.”
Did you know that when Mickey Mantle was growing up he hated the New York Yankees. Yes that is right, even though Mickey Mantle spent his whole career playing for the Yankees he didn't like them; when he was younger he liked the Cardinals. Mickey Mantle's early life was hard his family was poor and he was constantly getting injured playing football. Mickey Mantle's career was very successful but it didn't come without hard work. He spent many late nights with his dad learning how to play baseball. Mickey had many accomplishments in his 18 year career but one of his greatest accomplishment was his wife and four sons. Through hard work and determination Mickey Mantle became a great man and a great baseball player
"A man has to have goals-for a day, for a lifetime-and that was mine, to have people say, 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived'" ("My Turn At Bat" 128).
Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player to play on the professional level, he was fearless, courageous, willful and strong. He was an advocate for civil rights, as well as a great baseball player. He had to try to keep quiet, and keep to himself while playing, but became a stronger and more extreme advocate over time. A leader on and off the fields dealing with much more than just baseball, he also had to deal with the criticism and racial tensions of a prominently white game. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was a showman who knew how to make money and fame in baseball “he had made a fortune for the cardinals as well as himself, and black talent could argument his bottom line by transforming his struggling dodgers into a power house” (Zeiler, 17). He wanted to make his team great by any means possible. He put his eyes on Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson changed the game and the world, and will always be a huge figure in baseball and civil rights.
McMullin will go down in history not a great baseball players, but as conspirators in the greatest
“It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up.” –Dizzy Dean. Dizzy Dean lived up to his famous quote throughout his baseball career. He had a daring character, and never backed down from a challenge. He was known as nonchalant, and boastful man. He did whatever he wanted and did not care about the consequences. Dean was not the most intelligent man, although he was very witty and always had sly remarks. He was an interesting character, and Robert Gregory defines him in great detail in his biography, Diz: The Story of Dizzy Dean and Baseball During the Great Depression.
Derek Jeter, one of the most respected and admired players and leaders in baseball, is driven by the personality trait conscientiousness. Conscientiousness is defined as “ a character in which the individual values and obeys order and duty, performs with competence, and perhaps, values achievement.” (Mayer, 2007 pg. 284). It is also further defined as a “tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement against measures or outside expectations.” (OED, 2014). Jeter’s hard work, tenacity, and demand to get better and better have helped build his strong, inspiring character, which many players, coaches, and fans look up to him for. An example of Jeter’s conscientious personality shines through from a quote he gave to a newspaper in 1999; “I don’t think you’ll ever sit around and say you’re good, until you bat a thousand with no errors.” Derek Jeter is a positive role model for the young and old, and as Michel Jordan said, “reflects a positive image”, making him an iconic athlete in America (Leung, 2010).
If you have ever met me, or know me, you would know that I love sports, and you would know my favorite sport of all time is baseball, and that my favorite sports team is Boston Red Sox. I am what you call a die-hard Red Sox fan; you can compare me as Red Sox fan to actor Jimmy Fallon’s character in the movie, Fever Pitch. My strong love for the Red Sox comes from my step-dad Phil. Phil has always been like a second father to me since he and my mom got together, back in early 2000s. Phil is always trying to teach and help me learn from my mistakes, and I have made my share of them. Nevertheless, I also cherish the moments I spend with him at Red Sox games. The experiences I have at Red Sox games are moments in my life, I will never forget, that I will always remember, One game in particular I most remember is my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park.
For this rhetorical analysis paper I chose one of my favorite, and most famous, sports speeches of all time, Lou Gehrig’s farewell to baseball address. Lou Gehrig was a famous baseball player in the 1920’s and 30’s. Lou didn’t really need to use a attention getting introduction, he was well known and loved by so many that people piled into Yankee Stadium to watch and listen to him give this speech. Although he didn’t need an attention getter, he began his speech with one of the greatest baseball quotes of all time, “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” (Gehrig, 1939) Every single time I hear or read that opening line it sends chills down my spine and stops me for a moment to reflect on everything that is going on in my own life.
Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder. Lou Gehrig, an exceptional baseball player for the New York Yankees from 1923-1939, conveys his positivity and accepting the manner in his farewell speech given at the Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, announcing his retirement. Two weeks prior his farewell speech, Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS disease that eventually destroyed and demolished his muscular structure and his career. Lou Gehrig stood in the field as friends, family, fans and colleagues listened intently to the compelling farewell speech. To further conclude, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, “The Luckiest Man,” revealed not only Lou Gehrig’s accepting and positive manner but also his exceptional use of rhetorical devices.
does have downfalls in his reputation and his actions throughout the long term of his life, but he still changed the game of baseball and gave people hope while doing so. When all the fame, rush of the spotlight, youth, and the wild side of Babe ruth settled down, his great qualities and the good he did really started to shine through. He did fill the stands of baseball by giving people hope and thrill throughout the war time and Great Depression (Family). He set stunning records that would forever be remembered in the baseball community and in the United States in general. It requires a unique and special hero to continue to have the effect that Babe Ruth still has today. Babe Ruth does deserve to be recognized as one of the most influential people in
Throughout the course of American history, there have been copious amounts of famous speeches, spoken by many different people. From political figures to sports players; these people have provided deep thoughts and great insights about who they are and the world we live in today. Being a sports enthusiast, a memorable speech comes to my mind. Lou Gehrig’s “farewell speech”, given on July 4th, 1939, to more than 62,000 fans at New York City’s Yankee Stadium, has become a cornerstone in the history of baseball in America. Lou Gehrig is considered one of the most under-rated sports players of all time. Gehrig played in the same era with greats like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. In Fact, Gehrig played on the same team and actually batted behind Ruth and DiMaggio. Gehrig’s nickname is the “Iron Horse,” which came about with Gehrig’s amazing consecutive games played streak. Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, which stood as the consecutive games record until just recently broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. Gehrig died in 1941, at the age of 37. Though many famous speeches have been spoken throughout time, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech has remained one of the most memorable speeches of all time, due to the way he captivated his fans with the use of rhetoric.