St. Louis Cardinals' Stan Musial Breaks National League Hit Record

On May 19, 1962, St. Louis Cardinals great and Hall of Famer Stan Musial breaks Honus Wagner's National League hit record with hit number 3,431.

Stan "The Man" Musial in the 1966 season.

Musial would finish his career with a .331 batting average with 3,630 hits, 475 home runs and 1,951 RBIs in 22 MLB seasons. One amazing feat that Musial accomplished was that he had just as many hits at-home as he did on the road, with 1,815 at home, and 1,815 on the road.

Musial played all 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and was named an All-Star 24 times, including twice in 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962 when the All-Star game was played twice, at the beginning of the season and at the traditional time half way through the season.

Musial was a three time World Series Champion with the Cardinals, 1942, 1944 and 1946. Musial missed out on the entire 1945 season after serving with the United States Navy.

Musial was also a three time National League MVP, winning the award in 1943, in 1946 he won the MVP after returning from Naval Duty and in 1948, when he won the MVP he finished just one home run shy of winning baseball's Triple Crown.

He was also a seven-time National League batting champion, including three consecutive years from 1950-1952.

In 1957 Musial received the Lou Gherig Memorial Award, which is given to the player who best exhibits the character and integrity of Lou Gehrig, both on the field and off it.

The St. Louis Cardinals retired Musial’s number six-jersey in 1963, after his retirement.

At the time of his retirement, Musial held or shared 17 major league records, 29 National League records, and 9 All-Star Game records.

In addition to overseeing businesses, such as a restaurant both before and after his playing career, Musial served as the Cardinals' general manager in 1967, winning the pennant and World Series, then quitting that position.

On August 4, 1968, a statue of Musial was erected outside of Busch Memorial Stadium on the northeast grounds of the St. Louis stadium.

The statue was moved from its original location to the west side of the new Busch Stadium for its first season in 2006, where it became a popular meeting place for generations of Cardinals fans.

Musial's statue is inscribed with a quote attributed to former baseball commissioner Ford Frick: "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight."

Stan Musial at Busch Stadium in St. Louis for Stan Musial Day in 2010.

He was elected the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 with 93.2 percent of the vote on the first ballot in which he appeared.

Musial was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

 In 2007, Musial received the Navy Memorial’s Lone Sailor Award, which honors Navy veterans who’ve excelled in civilian life.

In February 2011 President Barack Obama presented Musial with Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a civilian in the United States.

President William Taft Throws Out First Pitch

On April 14, 1910, William Howard Taft, the 27th United States president, throws the "first ball" to Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson. Traditionally, the commissioner of the District of Columbia would throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Senators' first game of the season.

But with Taft in the audience, the ball was handed to him instead. Taft was unaware that would be throwing the pitch, as he had been sitting in the stands. Rather than throwing it to the catcher, as norm, Taft threw the ball in to Johnson -- reasoning that he would need the ball anyway.

And just that like, a Major League Baseball tradition was born.

From 1910 to 1972, every acting president threw out the first pitch of the year at least once at the Senators' home stadium.

There were a few instances, including four straight years during World War II, when national issues prevented the president from attending. In 1912 for instance, Vice President James Sherman attended in place of Taft, who was the mourning the loss of Archibald Butt, who died on the Titanic.



In 1973, the Senators moved out west and became the Texas Rangers. Washington eventually regained a baseball team at around the turn of the century, but the tradition of presidential opening day pitches persisted nonetheless.

In 1973, Richard Nixon threw out the first pitch at Anaheim Stadium. A year later, Gerald Ford threw out the first pitch in Texas.

The presidential streak came to an end with Jimmy Carter, who threw out the first ball prior to Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, but never to begin the season.

Ronald Reagen started a new streak by throwing out the first pitch in 1984.

President Barrack Obama has held up the streak started by Reagan by throwing at the first pitch at both Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals' games.