ST. LOUIS — The annual Musial Awards live show has been canceled and replaced with a broadcast. Despite the change, the show will still find a way to pay tribute to this year's honorees, including baseball legend Hank Aaron.
Aaron will receive the 2020 Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for sportsmanship, an award that "recognizes an iconic sports figure who exemplifies sportsmanship and the qualities for which Musial was known," according to a press release from the St. Louis Sports Commission.
This year's awards had been scheduled to take place at the Stifel Theatre on Nov. 21 (Musial's 100th birthday), but the live event was canceled due to the pandemic. Instead, a one-hour special will be broadcast on CBS on Dec. 26.
“Our dad had such deep respect and admiration for Hank, and it’s wonderful that their connection continues through this honor,” the Musial family said in the release. “It means so much to us that Hank had been planning to come to St. Louis to personally accept the award. While we are saddened to miss that moment this year because of the pandemic, we do look forward to the opportunity at some point to convey our appreciation to Hank and express how much he meant to Dad.”
Aaron was a 25 time All-Star. He hit .300 or better 14 times, reached 30 home runs 15 times, and won three Gold Glove Awards, the release said. In 1974, he surpassed Babe Ruth’s home run record of 714. “Hammerin’ Hank” would finish with 755.
Aaron was also admired for his character and achievements off the field – in the face of racism and death threats.
“At a time when racial justice and equality are importantly front and center in our national conversation, it is especially meaningful that we have the chance to honor Hank Aaron and all he stood for,” said Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission, which produces the Musial Awards with the National Sportsmanship Foundation. “It’s our hope that in recognizing Hank with the highest award for sportsmanship, we inspire others to strive for the respect, civility and deceny he embodies.”
As this year’s recipient of the Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship, Aaron joins a group of honorees that includes Joe Torre (2014), Arnold Palmer (2015), Cal Ripken Jr. (2016), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (2017), Jim Thome (2018), and Bart Conner & Nadia Comaneci (2019).
Musial Awards is making other plans to mark Musial’s 100th birthday on Nov. 21, including the following:
- The Musial Awards is working with the St. Louis Cardinals to organize an outdoor celebration at Busch Stadium that will adhere to social distancing guidelines.
- A “Stantennial” party box will be available for purchase, giving fans the opportunity to celebrate Stan’s 100th in their own homes.
- The Musial Awards has launched a Musial Moments campaign, encouraging fans to submit their favorite memories of Stan The Man and recount the personal interactions they had with the beloved baseball superstar and civic icon. Fans can share their stories at MusialAwards.com/Moments.
More details on the celebration at Busch Stadium and the “Stantennial” party boxes will be announced in the coming weeks, the release said.
