Stan Musial spent his entire 22-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals. (Photo: AP) Stan Musial was the perfect fit for the city that became his home and the era in which he played. That's not to say the Hall of Famer known as "The Man,'' who died Saturday at 92, could not have thrived in a different place and time. A career batting average of .331, with 3,630 hits – the second-most ever in the National League – and 475 home runs will play anywhere. Musial even fares well in a modern-day statistic like wins above replacement (WAR), where his 123.4 mark ranks ninth all-time, a notch ahead of Ted Williams. But what set him apart from some of the game's greats was the unabashed kindness he displayed during and after his playing days, a quality fully embraced in St. Louis, where he spent his entire 22-year career. Musial went on to co-own a St. Louis steakhouse, "Stan Musial and Biggie's,'' an ideal setting for a beloved figure who enjoyed the public part of celebrity. Such a role would not have suited the reclusive Joe DiMaggio, but it was right in Musial's wheelhouse. "In his business life, in his family life, he was the perfect man for his adopted home of St. Louis, in that when he ran the restaurant, he not only was a good restaurant man – he knew the steaks and he knew the menu – but he was there for people,'' author George Vecsey, who wrote the biography "Stan Musial: An American Life,'' said in an ESPN interview. "He was also that way with fans. He'd sign autographs until the last person has gone home. Perfect guy for St. Louis, for mid-America, and really for the country.'' MORE: Musial passes at 92 Few baseball stars have formed a better marriage with the city in which they played than Musial and St. Louis. Ernie Banks and Chicago come to mind. In more recent years, so do Cal Ripken and Baltimore, as well as Tony Gwynn and San Diego. The common thread, of course, is not only did all three Hall of Famers play their whole careers with the same team, but they gave back to their cities. "I never heard anybody say a bad word about him, ever,'' Willie Mays said of Musial in a statement issued by the Hall of Fame. Story Highlights
