ST. LOUIS — If you've ever lived in the St. Louis area for any amount of time, there's about a 0% chance you don't know who Stan Musial is.
Our most celebrated citizen was not just a baseball player. He was the perfect baseball player, and you could argue, just as good of a man.
Stan's kindness and ability on the diamond made him universally beloved around the sport, even now, seven years after his death in 2013.
Musial would have turned 100 on Nov. 21, 2020, so for his centennial birthday - make that his "Stantennial" birthday - let's take a look at 10 things to know about baseball's perfect warrior and St. Louis' all-time icon.
1: He was a model of consistency
Of his 3630 career hits, 1815 came on the road, and 1815 came at home.
Regardless of the year or ballpark, you could count on Stan to produce. At the time of his retirement he held a remarkable 55 major league records.
2: He once asked for a decrease in salary
In 1957, Musial became the first player in the majors to earn over $100,000.
But after a sub-par season by his standards in 1959 where he batted only .255, Musial asked that his salary be decreased to $80,000.
3. Musial's nickname came from an opposing crowd
Stan became "The Man" in Brooklyn.
In 1946, Dodger fans at Ebbets field began to chant "Here comes the man", every time Musial came to the plate. The rest is history.
4: Stan was always an entertainer
Stan always had his trademark harmonica at the ready and would often strike up a tune whenever the mood would strike him.
No matter the company, Stan was always happy to put a smile on someone's face.
5: Stan was a veteran and also received the highest civilian honor one can receive
Stan chose to give up his entire 1945 season to serve in the United States military during World War II.
He served in the Navy and returned to the Majors in 1946.
In 2011 President Barack Obama awarded Stan the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor he United States can bestow on a civilian.
6: His statue outside of Busch Stadium has become legendary
"Meet me at Musial" has been a common phrase for Cardinals fans over the years.
Stan's statue has become the de facto gathering place for Cardinals fans coming to a game. The description on the statue saying "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior, baseball's perfect knight," has also become standard nomenclature among Cardinals fans.
7: His autograph isn't as valuable as you might think
Stan was known for his generosity, and that applied to his signature as well.
His autograph is so prevalent throughout the baseball memorabilia industry, it probably isn't as valuable as you'd think for a Hall of Famer of his magnitude.
Stan was known to even hand out pre-signed cards himself to fans.
8: He almost never struck out
Musial only struck out 696 times in 10,972 at-bats in his legendary career. In contrast, he walked 1,599 times. That means he walked twice as much as he struck out in his career.
That's not a stat you'll see much, if at all, from players in this current generation.
9: His hometown also produced another all-time baseball great, who was born on the same day as Stan
The small town of Donora, Pennsylvania had a population of fewer than 5,000 as of 2018. But it's produced two of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport.
Stan was born there on Nov. 21, 1920. Ken Griffey Jr. was born there on Nov. 21, 1969. That's 49 years to the date.
Griffey Jr. hit 630 career home runs, the seventh most all-time, and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
10: The annual Musial Awards honor the best sportsmanship around the country
Every year, the aptly named "Musial Awards" honor the best displays of sportsmanship each year.
The ceremony is aired on television and award recipients receive special "6" trophies.