The Man

Stan Musial is finally to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, after a long campaign by St. Louis Cardinals fans.   When your nickname is "The Man," you know what kind of player and person you have to be.   My dad got me a Stan Musial autographed picture when I was little; my son has it now.  A great American and the greatest Cardinal.   So great, in fact, that the second greatest Cardinal (at least for now), Albert Pujols, has asked not to be called "El Hombre" (Spanish for "The Man") because there's only one The Man in St. Louis.   Sports Illustrated had an article earlier this year on Musial that brought tears to my eyes.   "Stan Musial," his teammate Bob Gibson says, "is the nicest man I ever met in baseball."