This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
Hello again everybody. This is Harry Carey speaking for American Legion Junior Baseball.
Today we're all set to bring you a dugout interview with a former Legion player who's now one of the brightest stars in the major leagues.
We're talking to you from the dugout of the St. Louis Cardinals in Sportsman's Park where three World Championship pennants have flown in the last seven years.
The Cardinals have made baseball history time and time again because of their dash and fire and their willingness to take that extra base.
But speaking of extra bases, there's a young man standing here beside me who in 1948 led all other major league players in extra base hits.
In fact, he led both leagues in total hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and his.376 batting average was also tops.
And you fans know by now that I'm talking about Stan Musial, who many experts regard as the greatest hitter in the game today.
Stan, give us a word. What are the Cardinals going to do about taking this 1949 National League pennant?
Well, I know it's going to be awful tough. We have some great competition from the other clubs this year and Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, all is trance, along with Chicago and Philadelphia.
It's going to be a good race. But our club is well fortified and well conditioned this year for this coming season.
I know that we're going to give a good count of ourselves and we'll be right up in there all the season, I'm sure.
In fact, for the Cardinals, they're always up in there no matter what, Stan. Year in, year out, the Cardinals are always that contender.
Yes, we've been very fortunate in the last eight or ten years. We've always been one, two.
Stan, you know everybody knows of you as a great hitter, but some of the people might have forgotten the fact that you first came into organized baseball as a pitcher.
That's right. I pitched for three years in organized baseball. Although I was a wild pitcher, I didn't have much confidence on a mod and I always could hit fairly well.
I thought someday I would turn into becoming an outfielder, which happened.
Was it an accident that happened, you becoming an outfielder instead of a pitcher, Stan?
That's right. I had plenty of outfield one day down in Daytona Beach, Florida and I came in on the shoestring catch and fell on my arm and my arm has never been the same since.
Well then they made an outfielder out of you and it didn't take you long to get up to the big league, did it?
That's right. In 1941, I switched to the outfielder and Ollie Vanick at Springfield, Missouri took me as a right fielder.
I was hitting very well there for two months this season. I was sent to Rochester for two more months and then finally brought up with the Cardinals the last two weeks of the season in 1941.
I suppose when you were pitching and you hurt your shoulder there for a moment you must have been a little bit disappointed and discouraged thinking possibly that your career might be ended, Stan.
Yes, that's right. You know, Harry, if you don't have a good arm in baseball, they don't give you much of a chance, especially if you're a youngster.
So I was pretty well discouraged but I had a good friend and manager, Dicky Carey, who convinced me that I could become an outfielder because of my hitting along with Bert Schotton of the Brooklyn Club who thought the same way.
In other words, Stan, even the game's greatest stars have had some tough hurdles to overcome on their way to their success.
That's right, Harry. You must work hard and take a lot of interest in the game early and you must work hard and practice to get ahead.
Speaking of taking an interest in the game early, I understand you started in as a Legion ballplayer, Stan.
That's right, Harry. When I was 14 years old I played American Legion ball back in my hometown of DeNore, Pennsylvania and we had a fairly good team and played a lot of games for a Legion team, Harry.
What do you think of this Legion baseball program, Stan?
Well, Harry, American Legion baseball program is very good because it gives a boy a chance to play ball and it takes him to other cities and other terms and he competes against boys of his own age and it's a very good program, Harry.
And I know, I'm glad to hear that you're all for it and of course the major leagues have so many of the American Legion junior baseball program graduates playing in the big leagues today.
That's right, Harry. It's a fine program and I'm sure that the professional baseball is for the American Legion program.
Well, Stan, thank you so much and may your magnificent career continue for many more years and may you lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a National League pennant in 1949.
Thank you, Harry.
Well, friends, this is Harry Kelly reminding you now that we'll be back from time to time with more Diamond interviews with baseball's brightest stars presented in the interest of the 22nd season of American Legion junior baseball. So long.