Stan the Man: Forever Living in History

Earlier this year, on Jan. 19, the sports world said goodbye to a legend. “Stan the Man” Musial was one of the greatest players in baseball history. Born in their great–grandparents time, most students have no idea who this man was. Here is his standout career in a nutshell.

The left–handed outfielder and first baseman sported the number six jersey for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1941–1963. During his 22–year career, Musial won three World Series as well as three MVP awards. When he retired, he held the National League record for hits (3,630) and was second in home runs (475). He batted .331 and earned 17 major league records. He played in 24 All-Star games (baseball held two All-Star games for several summers) and was a record setter in nine of those games.

Musial was a great athlete. He will forever live in the history books. But he was an even greater man. Teammates respected him for the person he was on —and off— the field. Of his 3,026 regular-season games, Musial was ejected zero times. He stood up for the African American players in a time of tense integration and discrimination. He was married for almost 72 years until his wife, Lillian, passed away last year.

“It seems that all Stan had going for him was more than two decades of sustained excellence as a ballplayer and more than nine decades as a thoroughly decent human being,” sportscaster Bob Costas said. “Where is the single person to truthfully say a bad word about him?”

Musial hung up his jersey in September of 1963. Corky Withrow replaced Musial as left–fielder in the fifth inning of his last game at Wrigley Field.

“Stan Musial was the class of all baseball players,” Withrow said. “He was a personal fellow that signed autographs for kids and always had time for his fans.”

A former Cardinals first baseman himself, Albert Pujols personally felt the loss of Musial and tweeted his respect.

“I will cherish my friendship with Stan for as long as I live. Rest in Peace,” Pujols said.

To all who watched the slugger play, he was an MVP. But even more than that, he was a friend. He was the man every boy wanted to become. He was the husband for which every girl was looking. He was the player every athlete aspired to be. He was the hero every human being could admire. He will be truly missed. His legend must continue.

History-maker Stan Musial (left) stands beside fellow Cardinal slugger Corky Withrow (right).

Photo courtesy of Withrow.

More Hero Than Human

Athletes are imitated every day. On game day, millions of eyes watch to see what their hero will accomplish. The day after, those same eyes see how that hero’s alter-ego lives his everyday life, without the cape.

Sometimes the news headlines are not as pristine as the home run or touchdown, because no one is perfect, but everyone stands for something. Professionals are given a platform with which to influence and impact lives. Each individual has a chance to be more hero than human.

Many competitors openly share their Christian beliefs through interviews, social media and even their actions on the field: Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Drew Brees in the NFL, Jeremy Lin in the NBA, Albert Pujols in MLB.

Los Angeles Angels’s outfielder Josh Hamilton understands that the world is waiting for him to fail, but he is prepared to beat the odds. His life has been changed, and even through relapses and struggles, his faith and God’s faithfulness remains.

“I have been given a platform to tell my story. I pray every night I am a good messenger,” Hamilton said.

There are so many Christians in sports that don’t receive a spotlight, but if their goal is glorifying God, they will fulfill that mission even when they are not patted on the back.

Houston Texans’s defensive end J.J Watt seems to remain humble even through his tremendous success in his career. He is constantly finding ways to brighten days and change lives through the JJ Watt Foundation, which raised $194,000 in 2012 alone.

On the flip side, New England Patriots’s tight end Rob Gronkowski has made his stand quite clear- he likes to have fun. Forget the consequences; the organization has dismissed every bad choice in the past. He has the opportunity to live however he wants, because he is the best in the nation. “Nothing” and “no one” can stop him.

Athletes are the real-life storybook heroes. They are the living, breathing supermen. Contenders have the opportunity to be champions both on and off the field. Competitors have a great responsibility- on whatever level: from t-ball to MLB. How will they use their platform? How will you use yours? Because whether or not a player speaks about what he stands for, it is evident. Just watch how he lives.

Los Angeles Angels’ outfielder Josh Hamilton poses for ESPN magazine, showing his tattoo that reads,

Priorities:
1. God
2. Humility
3. Family
4. Sobriety
5. Baseball*

*Impossible without nos. 1-4

Work Hard and Keep Your Head Down

Sweat is dripping from your forehead onto the cold, hard floor as you strain to finish one last sprint. You've been here for hours, always striving to become better than the man beside you. No one sees today's exhaustion. Instead, they see yesterday's healine; the one that says you're on steroids and party too much.

The Texas A&M Aggies have forgotten the success of last season. They're still booing their stud quarterback, Johhny Manziel, the one who gave the University of Alabama their only loss in 2012. The acheivement- Heisman Trophy as a freshman- doesn't seem to matter anymore, not after party mishaps and autograph allegations. Although the fans are beginning to move past Manziel's decisions, he will always live under a shadow of scandal.

It doesn't matter if an athlete is a better quarterback than Joe Montana or hits more home runs than Babe Ruth, he or she will be judged by his or her character and what he or she does on a Friday night.

Fans' favorite athletes are those who fly under the radar, the ones that focus on the game instead of the headlines. Sometimes, the most hated players are fantastic on the field, but their stories are in People Magazine intead of ESPN, and sportscasters don't like that.

There is a problem when your name off the field overshadows your work on the field. If you open the door for off-field criticism, you set yourself up for on-field scrutiny.

In order to prevent that scrutiny: don't make decisions that would ruin your career, don't sacrifice your reputation for one night of fun, keep your head down, don't seek out the spotlight, and, "Johnny Football," don't post pictures of you partying; rumors may spread. All of these decisions can lead to the downfall of your sports career.

Over the past few months, Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel has been involved in autograph allegations.

photo courtesy of newsfixnow.com