It's been just over a decade since Cardinals legend Stan Musial passed away, but his memory is still very much alive for Cardinals fans. He was known for being kind and generous with his time. Now, one local writer wants to make sure his legacy lives on for younger generations.
Stephanie Bearce released her book, "Stan Musial: From Donora, Pennsylvania to St. Louis, Missouri and the Big League," this month. She told KMOX why she wanted to write about Stan.
"He took his skills and perseverance and grit and turned it into an amazing career," she said. "And he was a model citizen. So I want kids to know about him and to emulate him. He's a great role model for them."
Bearce has written quite a few kids books, and she said there was one thing while she was researching for this book that surprised her.
"A lot of times I will research somebody, and then there's something disappointing that I find, and it kind of breaks my heart a little bit," she said. "And the best thing about Stan: nothing broke my heart. He really was that knight in shining armor. And we can hang our hats with Stan and let kids really look up to him. And that's something we don't find very often."
Her project is more than just a book — she's created a program for schools where kids can learn more about his career and his life. Part of her inspiration for all this, she said, was the way Albert Pujols talked about Stan.
"There's a great quote, I don't have it in front of me. But he talks about how he wants his kids to know Stan Musial — not just Stan, the baseball player, but Stan, the actual man," she said. "And I think that's really what spurred me for this book is what Albert had said about wanting kids to know Stan, the man."
Hear more from author Stephanie Bearce on her new book commemorating Stan Musial:
Buy her book here or at your local bookstore.
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