Editing Stan Musial (section)

====1950–1954====
Musial began the 1950s by posting a .350 batting average before participating in the 1950 All-Star Game, where in fan balloting he was the NL's number two choice.<ref name="Gig87">[[#Gig01|Giglio 2001]]: 187</ref> He had the longest hitting streak of his career during the [[1950 St. Louis Cardinals season|1950 season]]—a 30-game stretch that ended on July 27.<ref name=Gig87/> With the Cardinals falling 14 games out of first place by September, manager Dyer used him at first base and all three outfield positions.<ref name="Gig87"/><ref>[[#Lan94|Lansche 1994]]: 112–113</ref> New Cardinals manager [[Marty Marion]] led the team to a third-place finish in [[1951 St. Louis Cardinals season|1951]], while Musial led the National League with a .355 batting average, 355 total bases, 124 runs and 12 triples. He finished second in NL MVP voting for the third year in a row and was named ''[[The Sporting News]]'' Major League Player of the Year.<ref>[[#Lan94|Lansche 1994]]: 116</ref>

{{Quote box
|quote="No man has ever been a perfect ballplayer. Stan Musial, however, is the closest to being perfect in the game today.... He plays as hard when his club is away out in front of a game as he does when they're just a run or two behind."
|source=—[[Ty Cobb]], on Musial in a 1952 ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine article<ref name=Lansche118/>
|align=left
|width=27%
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National media attention inadvertently turned to Musial a month before the [[1952 St. Louis Cardinals season|1952 season]] began, after [[Ty Cobb]] wrote an article regarding modern baseball players that was published in [[Life (magazine)|''Life'' magazine]].<ref name="Lansche118">[[#Lan94|Lansche 1994]]: 118</ref> Cobb singled out Musial and [[Phil Rizzuto]] as the only players "who can be mentioned in the same breath with the oldtime greats".<ref name=Lansche118/> Cobb went on to refer to Musial as "a better player than [[Joe DiMaggio]] was in his prime."<ref name=Lansche118/> In response, Musial displayed his characteristic modesty, saying, "Cobb is baseball's greatest. I don't want to contradict him, but I can't say that I was ever as good as Joe DiMaggio."<ref name=Lansche118/>

The only major league pitching appearance of Musial's career occurred as a publicity stunt during the last Cardinals home game of the 1952 season.<ref name="Gig231">[[#Gig01|Giglio 2001]]: 231</ref><ref>[[#Lan94|Lansche 1994]]: 119</ref> Manager [[Eddie Stanky]] had a reluctant Musial pitch to [[Frank Baumholtz]], the runner-up to Musial for the best batting average in the NL that season.<ref name=Gig231/> With Baumholtz batting right-handed for the first time in his career, Musial's first pitch was hit so hard it ricocheted off the shin of third baseman [[Solly Hemus]] and into the left field corner.<ref name=Gig231/> The play was ruled an [[Error (baseball)|error]], and Musial was embarrassed enough by his complicity in the gimmick to avoid pitching again for the remainder of his career.<ref name=Gig231/>

The Cardinals franchise was up for sale in early [[1953 St. Louis Cardinals season|1953]], and Musial and Schoendienst advised their friend and fellow duck-hunter [[Gussie Busch]] to consider buying the team.<ref name="Gig184">[[#Gig01|Giglio 2001]]: 184</ref> Busch used the resources of the [[Anheuser-Busch]] company to purchase the Cardinals, keeping Musial in St. Louis by averting the possibility of a move by the team to another city.<ref name=Gig184/><ref>[[#Lan94|Lansche 1994]]: 121</ref> The 1953 season marked Musial's 10th NL All-Star selection, and the 12th consecutive time he finished a major league season with a batting average above .300.<ref name=stats1/><ref>[[#Gig01|Giglio 2001]]: 194</ref> Musial accomplished another historical feat on May 2, [[1954 St. Louis Cardinals season|1954]], in a doubleheader in St. Louis against the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]]: he hit three home runs in the first contest, then added two more in the second to become the first major leaguer to hit five home runs in a doubleheader.<ref name="Gig195">[[#Gig01|Giglio 2001]]: 195</ref> In addition to his five home runs, he also hit a single in the first game, setting a new record of 21 total bases for a doubleheader.<ref name=Gig195/> The only player besides Musial to hit five home runs in a doubleheader is [[Nate Colbert]], who achieved the feat in 1972. Oddly enough, as a young child, Colbert was in attendance as Musial set his record.<ref>[[#Lan94|Lansche 1994]]: 131</ref>