Bud Selig was nervous.
In 1999, Major League Baseball conducted a poll to name the 25 greatest players of the century. Commissioner Selig, who approved of the poll, was worried the pollsters wouldn’t select Musial, according to George Vecsey’s book on the St. Louis outfielder. The committee who made the list didn’t select Musial, nor many other great players, so an additional five spots were added. This next one indeed included “Stan the Man.”
It’s possible, even probable – if a person, group of experts or fans were asked to name the top 10 players of all-time, Musial would be omitted. Yet, how do you ignore seven batting titles, a lifetime batting average of .331 or being the all-time leader in hits for the National League when he retired in 1963? He was the all-time NL leader in 16 different offensive categories.
This answer to why his reputation isn’t as grand as it should be is this: 475.
