Walking the Plank: In memory

Saturday, 19 January 2013 23:19

Written by Michael Sanserino

It was a sad day around the league Saturday as two baseball legends died. And both of them had ties to Western Pennsylvania. 

Late Friday night, former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver died while on a cruise. He was 82, and the family did not release a cause. The Baltimore Sun wrote a compelling obituary, which starts like this: "Earl Weaver penned his own epitaph. “On my tombstone just write, ‘The sorest loser that ever lived,’ “ he once said."

The Hall of Fame manager compiled an outstanding .583 career winning percentage and famously shunned small ball. He was quite the character, as Pirate fans should remember well from the 1971 and 1979 World Series. He won his only World Series in 1970. 

Late Saturday night, news broke that Mr. Cardinal, Stan Musial, died surrounded by his family in St. Louis. He was 92. 

Musial, who had been ill for months, died in hospice care. He was born in Denora, Pa., and attended Denora High School (which later merged with Ringgold High School, home of another all-time great athlete Joe Montana -- what's in the water?). He was a career .331 batter and finished his career with 3,630 hits. He was a first-ballot hall-of-famer, earning 93.2 percent of the vote in 1969. 

He led the Cardinals to World Series wins in 1942, '44 and '46. He won three National League MVP awards. 

I know I said it was a sad day. But we can celebrate the lives of these two extraordinary men who lived long and full lives and left a great mark on the game.