| Stan Musial and the Medal of Freedom | for everyone |
I am pleased that Stan Musial received this long-overdue honor while he was still alive, but I confess that watching the ceremony was more bitter than sweet.
I grew up watching Stan Musial play baseball, wanting to BE Stan Musial, despite no clear evidence of any talent or ability in that arena. He was my first hero, and a worthy choice to serve that function, more worthy than I even knew at the time. So I confess I was close to tears this afternoon watching him being half carried into the room, unable to stand on his own. I'm sure he was gratified to be there, to have earned the honor, but that visual I could have lived without.
My first thought was that President Obama (and/or his speechwriters) missed the boat in the introduction. Musial's courage in facilitating the integration of not only baseball (his support for Jackie Robinson when his teammates were threatening to boycott -- a threat that carried no teeth when he refused to join the mob) but his team, when, at the peak of his career when he could have stayed wherever he wanted, he chose to stay at the team motel (the Bil-Mar in St. Pete Beach) when the Cardinals insisted that it was housing all the team or none of it. Ignoring his important contributions in this part of baseball struck me as discounting an important part of his true legacy.
But upon reflection, had the president have added this reference, the haters would have instantly cried, "Everything's about race with Obama." A no-win situation, so confining Musial's contributions to the game he graced for over two decades makes sense.
For those who never had the privilege to meet "The Man" or watch him play in person, you missed someone special. Thanks, Stan and congratulations on a career and life well-played. You're still my hero.
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