Musial, Stanley Frank

Musial, Stanley Frank (my`zēəl), 1920–, American baseball player, b. Donora, Pa. At 17 he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and after three years in the minor leagues joined (1941) the Cardinals. One of the game's great hitters, "Stan the Man" won the National League batting championship seven times (1943, 1946, 1948, 1950–52, 1957) and the league's Most Valuable Player award three times (1943, 1946, 1948). In 1963 he retired with a lifetime batting average of .331. He hit 475 home runs and for many years held the National League record for base hits (3,630). He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.