is the only member of the 3,000-Hit Club to reach the mark with a pinch
hit. On May 13, 1958, with Musial at hit #2,999, the Cardinals decided to sit "The
Man" from the final game of a series in Chicago so that he could make history at
Busch Stadium (formerly Sportsman's Park). But with the Cards trailing 3-1 in the sixth,
St. Louis manager Fred Hutchinson opted to bat Musial for weak-hitting Redbird pitcher Sam
Jones. Musial came through with a double to left, sparking a rally that would push the
Cardinals to victory. The 37-year-old Musial finished the 1958 season with a .337 batting averagethird best in the National League and "sandwiched" between the next two members of the Club: Willie Mays (.347) and Hank Aaron (.326).
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Boxscore from The Sporting News | ||||||||||||
© National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. |