Stan Musial

An American Life

De: George Vecsey

Narrado por: Scott Brick

When baseball fans voted on the top twenty-five players of the twentieth century in 1999, Stan Musial didn’t make the cut. This glaring omission—later rectified by a panel of experts—raised an important question: How could a first-ballot Hall of Famer, widely considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, still rank as the most underrated athlete of all time?

In Stan Musial, veteran sports journalist George Vecsey finally gives this twenty-time All-Star and St. Louis Cardinals icon the kind of prestigious biographical treatment previously afforded to his more celebrated contemporaries Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. More than just a chronological recounting of the events of Musial’s life, this is the definitive portrait of one of the game’s best-loved but most unappreciated legends, told through the remembrances of those who played beside, worked with, and covered “Stan the Man” over the course of his nearly seventy years in the national spotlight.

Stan Musial never married a starlet. He didn’t die young, live too hard, or squander his talent. There were no legendary displays of temper or moodiness. He was merely the most consistent superstar of his era, a scarily gifted batsman who compiled 3,630 career hits (1,815 at home and 1,815 on the road), won three World Series titles, and retired in 1963 in possession of seventeen major-league records. Away from the diamond, he proved a savvy businessman and a model of humility and graciousness toward his many fans in St. Louis and around the world. From Keith Hernandez’s boyhood memories of Musial leaving tickets for him when the Cardinals were in San Francisco to the little-known story of Musial’s friendship with novelist James Michener—and their mutual association with Pope John Paul II—Vecsey weaves an intimate oral history around one of the great gentlemen of baseball’s Greatest Generation. There may never be another Stan the Man, a fact that future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols—reluctantly nicknamed “El Hombre” in Musial’s honor—is quick to acknowledge. But thanks to this long-overdue reappraisal, even those who took his greatness for granted will learn to appreciate him all over again.

©2011 Random House Audio (P)2011 George Vecsey

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Although Stan Musial is universally regarded as one of baseball's greatest players, he is nevertheless underrated. He played far from the national media spotlight, in America's best baseball city, St. Louis. (One reason it is the best: Musial played there.) And his amazing consistency - he got 1,815 hits on the road and 1,815 at home - made him unspectacularly spectacular. Happily, and at long last, George Vecsey has taken Musial's measure in this delightful biography of a man and a baseball era.” (George Will)

“A fascinating and profound look at the most underrated great player of all time, and one of the true gentlemen of the game, Stan Musial. No one researches a book like George Vecsey. I learned something on every page.”(Tim Kurkjian, Senior Writer for ESPN the Magazine and analyst for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter)

Ugh - Stan deserved better

1. Mawkish, annoying, breathy narration
2. Mediocre and banal book
3. Spectacular and iconic player

Vecsey is great... narrator, not so much

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I knew very little about Stan Musial before reading this book and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him through Vecsey's writing. Details that may have seemed mundane early in the book, created "ah, that's why he wrote about that moments" later on.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Stan the Man!

What didn’t you like about Scott Brick’s performance?

I've listened to a couple other books that Brick was OK with. Apparently biographies are not his strong suit as he over dramatizes the reading to the point that I had to set down my iPod and walk away. Listening to this book you would think Bricks, breathy, emotionally laden description of the best cuts of meat in Stanley's restaurant was akin to the death of a Pope! I will think twice before ever getting a book read by this narrator.

A life from afar.

I wish Stan could have taken part in the book's composition. His motivations are more speculative than illuminated.

STAN

Where does Stan Musial rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

An absolutely great book, and inside into the man they called "STAN the MAN"

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

GREAT INSIDE

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO

Any additional comments?

GREAT BOOK AND STORY

Overly detailed on what you don't care about

This is a book about Stan's life, and a little about the baseball he played. Stan was a hard guy to really know, 100% midwestern- don't talk about yourself, don't over think it, and mind yer business. And the author never cracks that image. After reading this book I know what food Stan liked and that he and long time friend Joe Garagiola had a falling out but never "Why?". And the book never answers that question of "Why?" on any question it decides to bring up. "Why is Stan still overlooked in baseball history when he is one of the top 5 hitters to play the game? " No answer. "Why didn't Stan speak out more about the overt racism in the game and in St. Louis". No reason. But I know everywhere Stan went on his visit to the Pope.
After reading this book, I know Stan the Man was a great hitter, devout Christian, faithful husband, and a decent guy all around, who for some reason continues to be over-looked when Baseball lists the greatest to play the game. But if you're reading this book you already knew that.

An overlooked great baseball player.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I learned an awfull lot about an American baseball great that is hardly mentioned when great hitters, great players, and great men of baseball are brought up. I'm sort of glad that Musial was in the Midwest. Who's to say that he'd have put up the same great numbers that he had with the Cards? A great man in the right place, at the right time. This is someone all of today's players should strive to be like. A bit more humble, gracious, and a bit more honest.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about a great ball player that is worthy of much more recognition and someone who deserves to have his name in brought up in every conversation with regards to being a memorable person and ball player.

Good story about a great man

The tone and pace of the author at first seem a little slow. As you get into the story you recognize that it matches perfectly. A thorough history of Stan Musial.

Argh.

This book, between the author and the narrator, is an ordeal to finish. I wanted to know about Stan Musial as a ball player. This book reads like a 12 hour People magazine article. It's about a celebrity, not about baseball. The narrator adds a sing-song reading to the book, which makes it seem as if it's going to go on for ever. I am so disappointed. If Stan Musial was alive, he wouldn't say to the author, "What do you say? What do you say? What do you say?" He'd say, "Enough. Enough. Enough!"

disappointing

I was looking forward to learning more about Stan the Man. instead the book turned out to be the rumblings of a gripey old author. Too many words on race, politics and steroids and not enough about Musials exploits during his playing career.