The Stan Musial that I remember; He always called me “Johnny Pizza”

Stan the Man.

Anyone who had the privilege of meeting "Stan" was really blessed. I actually go back to the early 1930s when France Lauz was the Cardinal's announcer, then Dizzy Dean, then Harry Caray, then Jack Buck and Mike Shannon, spending 30 seasons together-Joe Garagiola for a short while and finally Joe Buck.

I first met Stan when August Busch let me sit in the dugout. A few years later my brother "Mimi" and I and Joe and Mickey Garagiola went to Stan's Restaurant where we ordered steak and a baked potato. Stan joined us. Later the waiter informed us that they were out of potatoes. Joe (teasing Stan) shouted "Out of potatoes!" Stan said that was like the church being "out of Holy water." Like the gentleman he was, Stan took it in stride.

Another time I was attending a meeting in St. Louis and noticed a long line of businessmen (about 50) waiting in front of a suite. Glancing in I noticed why they were waiting. Stan was autographing baseballs and was sweating up a storm. The air conditioner wasn't working. Stan glanced up and spotted me and immediately shouted "Johnny Pizza!" and got up, threw his arms around me and whispered, "Get me out of here. I've been signing baseballs for two hours."

We went to the hotel bar and both ordered a Coke. After about 10 minutes he thanked me and went back to continue signing.

Stan bought the St. Louis Hilton near the airport. Anytime we flew out of St. Louis we stayed at the Hilton and Stan furnished us with free parking and a limo to the airport.

One morning Bill and Jerry Eisenhauer, Betty and I were having breakfast at the Hilton. Stan was hosting a fund-raiser for President Ford. We were heading for Hawaii and I went to the washroom. President Ford barged into the washroom behind the Secret Service and shouted, "This is not the ballroom!" Then the president said, "Young man, do you know where the ballroom is?"

I said, "Yes, Mr. President. Mr. Musial is waiting for you." I led the delegation down the hall, and Stan--looking surprised--said, "Johnny Pizza, what are you doing escorting the president?"

In the late 1950s Stan, Joe Garagiola and I found ourselves in Florida. Stan bought a hotel. Joe bought two townhouses and I bought an empty lot. For years I kept asking Stan if he ever sold the hotel. Stan laughed and said, "Yes, an Arab made me an offer I couldn't refuse." I came back with "you sure they weren't Italian?"

Stan was a big stockholder in Anheuser Busch and a great friend of Anheuser Busch. Stan and his wife Lil were guests during the Du Quoin State Fair and Stan was parade marshal. They spent five days there and Stan kept asking me why we weren't serving Budweiser at the fair. I believe that was the only month in about 50 years that the Budweiser brewery was on strike.

My brother Mimi and I always attended the Baseball Writers Association banquet. Our front table usually had Mike Duvardo, Joe Garagiola and brother Mickey and Bob Gibson. Congressman Poshard once told me he would like to meet Stan the Man. So we invited him to be our guest one year and he met Stan, Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog and Jack Buck, who cracked, "You came with the Alongi Brothers...next time come alone and you'll get a better seat."

In closing, Stan Musial and Jack Buck were two of the nicest men I have ever met.

Thanks for the memories.