Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. WAGNER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of veterans, and one veteran in particular, one of St. Louis' all-time heroes, Stan Musial.

Stan the Man Musial is best known as the greatest player in St. Louis Cardinals history, winner of three World Series as a player and one more as general manager, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and as one of the greatest players to ever play our beloved national pastime.

However, Stan Musial was also a great patriot. He temporarily left the St. Louis Cardinals during the Second World War to serve his country in the Navy. Stan and the Cardinals had just won the 1944 World Series when Stan left to serve during the war. And after the war, he returned to his beloved St. Louis Cardinals to bring home yet another World Series Championship in 1946.

His athleticism and his greatness as a player are self-evident. His 3,630 hits are the fourth-highest in baseball history. Stan is also one of only seven players to hit 400 home runs and have over 3,000 hits.

A model of consistency, Stan Musial could hit a baseball anywhere he was, home or away, finishing his career with 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 hits on the road. A former teammate described Stan's tremendous talent like this: ``He could have hit 300 with a fountain pen.''

Those who had the privilege to see Stan Musial play baseball swear that he was the greatest player they ever saw put on a St. Louis Cardinals uniform. Yet Stan the Man stood for something more than his two decades of sustained excellence in baseball--he was an exemplary human being.

To baseball fans around the country, Stan Musial represented perfection as a ballplayer and as a gentleman. But to those of us from St. Louis, he represented so much more; he was our neighbor and he was our friend.

There has never been a better representative of the Cardinals or baseball--or, for that matter, humanity--than Stan Musial. Carrying himself with dignity, Stan was always willing to sign an autograph and meet fans, or do anything to help a friend in need.

I recently asked constituents to share some of their Stan Musial memories with me. And while many of them remember watching him play baseball, it was his kindness and his humility that set him apart. One constituent told me that as a child he lived in the same neighborhood as Stan Musial. Stan would play baseball with him and other neighborhood kids during the off-season.

Many from St. Louis remember Stan going out of his way to sign autographs for young fans or lend his good name to charitable and civic events. Others remember his visits to St. Louis hospitals and the joy that he brought to both the patients and the staff. But all remember that he was a happy and a joyful person who made you feel better and made you want to be a better person just by being in his presence.

After he retired from baseball, Stan Musial came to nearly every Cardinals Opening Day because he felt it was his duty to be there for the city and the team that gave so much to him. And each year at the induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Stan would play ``Take Me Out to the Ball Game'' on his harmonica. The new inductees would often mention Stan playing the harmonica as one of their favorite moments during the induction weekend.

The best description of Stan was rendered by former baseball commissioner, Ford C. Frick: ``Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight.'' These words adorn the statue of Stan Musial that sits outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis city.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be a part of this bill that names the I-70 bridge after Stan Musial and our veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this bill as a lasting tribute to Stan the Man and all those who have served our country so honorably.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source