Say what you want about Chad Johnson, his antics might have been too much for you to be a fan of him in the NFL but his latest move was great.
Good looking out Chad. Buying the homeless dude Jordans was a good thing to do. Now if you can help the man find a place to live that would really be special.
From the blog Ball Don't Lie: Early Saturday morning - early, EARLY Saturday morning - Kobe Bryant took to his Facebook page to vent frustration in the wake of the likely Achilles tear that he suffered in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday ... Continue reading →
(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife) Floyd Mayweather signed a blockbuster six-fight deal with Showtime Networks in February that is expected to be worth more than $200 million if Mayweather fights all six bouts. The agreement sent shock waves through the boxing world, as Mayweather became boxing's pound-for-pound king and highest-paid athlete in the world fighting for 14 years exclusively on HBO and HBO PPV.
video by MamaHope
Just in time for International Woman's Day... it's time to get schooled in the women's art of netball. Mama Hope believes that everyone should have a say in how they're represented. When asked what they would make a film about, the women of the Nyamonge neighborhood of Chiga village in Kisumu, Kenya said, "Netball.
Kirk Cousins was asked to submit a drug test to the NFL while at his grandmother's house.
This a message to the 49ers "Seahawks" are coming for yall! 49ers stay on ya toes and step ya game up!
From the blog Shutdown Corner: According to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer, the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to trade receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks for draft picks. Harvin, the Vikings' first-round pick in 2009, had expressed displeasure about his current contractual situation -- according ... Continue reading →
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- NBA Commissioner David Stern says the counteroffer to keep the Sacramento Kings from moving to Seattle needs to be increased financially before the league's owners can consider it. Stern said Friday night that the Sacramento group's bid has some "very strong financial people behind it but it is not quite there."
SI's 50 Most Powerful People in Sports 1. Roger Goodell NFL commissioner 2. David Stern NBA commissioner 3. Philip Anschutz AEG owner 4. John Skipper ESPN president 5. Bud Selig MLB commissioner 6. Stan Kroenke Kroenke Sports Enterprises owner 7. Mark Lazarus NBC Sports chairman 8. Jacques Rogge IOC president 9.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft flew from Boston to Los Angeles with quarterback Tom Brady about five weeks ago, which was the first time he presented the possibility of a contract extension that would strengthen the possibility of Brady retiring as a member of the franchise.
San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith passes during a practice in New Orleans before the Super Bowl. (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press / ) Alex Smith's career with the San Francisco 49ers appears to be over. A tweet from CBS' Jason La Canfora on Sunday said that a deal that would send the 49ers' former starting quarterback to another team is "effectively complete."
video by TheBeanySports
Tony Thomson sent shockwaves throughout the heavyweight division by stopping David Price in Liverpool. Thompson, 41, was expected to become the 16th victim of Price's impressive march up the rankings. But the unfancied American sent him crashing to the canvas with a right hand in the second round.
Ray Lewis has joined another team: ESPN. SI.com first reported on Jan. 3 that Lewis was close to signing with ESPN and Tuesday at a launch event in New York City for a new ESPN Films documentary series, ESPN president John Skipper confirmed the hire when asked how comfortable he was with the possibility of Lewis as an NFL analyst.
Charles Woodson is on the market.
The Green Bay Packers have informed the 36-year-old defensive back he will be released with two years left on his contract.
NFL.com first reported the move on Friday and it was confirmed by The Associated Press with Carl Poston, Woodson's agent. The team has not commented on reports that it has decided to cut Woodson.
"The Packers told Charles they're going in a different direction," Poston told the AP. "Charles told me he still wants to play — for a Super Bowl contender."
Woodson signed a five-year deal before the 2010 season that was worth as much as $55 million. He missed nine games during the 2012 regular season because of a broken right collarbone and played in two postseason games for the Packers in his seventh year with the franchise.
"We had a good run," Woodson wrote to ESPNWisconsin.com in a text message.
Woodson was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Oakland Raiders, who drafted him out of Michigan with the No. 4 overall pick.
He's the only player in NFL history with touchdowns off interceptions in six straight seasons, a feat he pulled off each year from 2006 to 2011, and leads the league with nine touchdowns off interceptions since 2006.
Woodson was productive for the Packers, but they have some tough decisions to make this offseason to manage the salary cap. Woodson had a year left on his lucrative deal and linebacker A.J. Hawk is under contract next year for a team that probably wants to give long-term deals to receiver James Jones, linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive tackle B.J. Raji because each of the relatively young standouts could potentially be free agents following next season.
The Packers clear about $10 million in cap space by releasing Woodson.
Despite his age and recent injury, Woodson will likely be an in-demand free agent. He was injured last October, bounced back in time to defend two passes in the playoffs.
"Charles has been a stud in this league for 15 years, so whenever he's on the field with us, he's always a huge threat," Hawk said in January. "Not only is he a threat to make huge plays throughout the game, but quarterbacks, I think they know where he's at every single play. He seems to know what receivers are running before they do. And I think he has an intimidation factor as well."
Woodson had a career-high nine interceptions in 2009 and picked off seven passes in 2011 and made one interception in seven games during last year's injury-shortened season.
The 1997 Heisman Trophy winner led Michigan to the 1997 national championship and has donated more than $2 million to the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital, where he supports pediatric clinical research. With the Packers, he was a leader as one of the best players on the team and as a mentor to younger players.
"He's like a big brother to all of us," former Green Bay safety Nick Collins once said.
———
Follow Larry Lage on Twitter: http://twitter.com/larrylage
The saying "The rich get richer," would definitely apply if the San Francisco 49ers could land star WR/kick-returner Percy Harvin this off season. The 49ers, who finished the 2012 season five yards short of a Super Bowl title could strengthen their already potent offense if they landed Harvin.
Ever since the rumors started about the Vikings and Harvin parting ways due to a heated argument between Harvin and head coach Leslie Frazier, several teams have been rumored to be linked to a possible trade with the Vikings to obtain Harvin.
The inquisitr reported on Feb.13 that the 49ers may be interested in Harvin, but is the asking price too high?
“The Vikings are struggling with what to pay Harvin, who is signed only through 2013 and who is due for a contract extension. Any team that acquires him — he’ll likely want a top-wide receiver contract — will have to face the same issue. Meanwhile, Crabtree has two more years left on his rookie contract while Kaepernick is eligible to have his modest rookie deal renegotiated after next season.”
The Niners window of opportunity is open, but for how long? The NFC has sent a different team to the Super Bowl for the last 10 years, so you know the league is very competitive.
Do you think the 49ers will pursue Harvin?
Eagles restructure Michael Vick's contractPosted!
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
Tweeted!
A tweet has been posted to your Twitter account.
Sent!
A link has been sent to your friend's email address.
After essentially losing his job in 2012, Michael Vick could make another run as the Eagles' top quarterback.(Photo: Jim O'Connor, USA TODAY Sports)Story HighlightsQuarterback likely to compete with Nick Foles for starting jobNew deal is essentially for one season with voidable years on back endMichael Vick is not going anywhere. Not yet, anyway.
The Philadelphia Eagles announced Monday they have agreed to terms on a new, "restructured" contract with Vick, who was set to earn $15.5 million in 2013 and was under contract through 2016.
A person informed of the terms of the new deal said it has two voidable years on the back end beyond this upcoming season. But the person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the terms weren't to be discussed publicly, said it'll basically serve as a one-year contract.
FREE AGENTS: Best at each position
NFL Network and ESPN report that Vick could earn approximately $10 million in 2013.
This does not necessarily spell the end of last year's third-round pick, Nick Foles, in Philly. A person informed of the team's thinking regarding its quarterback situation said the plan this spring, should a new deal with Vick be worked out, was to have Vick and Foles compete for the job. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was communicated to Foles that Vick could be brought back at a lower rate, and that it wouldn't mean he was going to be traded.
After two seasons out of the NFL while serving a federal sentence for dogfighting, Vick joined the Eagles in 2009 and became their starter when Kevin Kolb went down with a concussion on opening day in 2010. After leading Philadelphia to the NFC East crown, Vick was franchised following the season but eventually signed a six-year, $100 million contract with $40 million guaranteed. He received a 10-year, $130 million pact from the Atlanta Falcons in 2005, two years before his legal troubles surfaced.
Vick's struggles with turnovers and accuracy have been problematic since that sterling 2010 campaign. He was plagued by a concussion himself in 2012 and essentially watched most of the season's second half while since-fired coach Andy Reid took a long look at Foles. Vick passed for 2,362 yards, 12 TDs and 10 INTs in 10 starts but only rushed for 332 yards and lost five fumbles.
***
Follow Mike Garafolo on Twitter @mikegarafolo
{ "assetid": "1909695", "aws": "sports/football/nfl", "aws_id": "sports_football_nfl", "blogname": "", "contenttype": "story pages ", "seotitle": "Michael-vick-one-year-contract", "seotitletag": "Eagles restructure Michael Vick's contract", "ssts": "sports/nfl/eagles", "taxonomykeywords":"National Football League,Kevin Kolb,Andy Reid,NFC East,Philadelphia,Nick Foles,Atlanta Falcons,Philadelphia Eagles,Michael Vick", "templatename": "stories/default", "topic":"national-football-league,kevin-kolb,andy-reid,nfc-east,philadelphia,nick-foles,atlanta-falcons,philadelphia-eagles,michael-vick", "videoincluded":"no", "basePageType":"story" }
video by mightyfighterdotcom
There's much more revealed...check out our Top 50 Truths About Boxing. http://www.mightyfighter.com/the-top-50-truths-about-boxing/ http://www.mightyfighter.com https://twitter.com/mighty_fighter http://www.facebook.com/mightyfighter
Summary Twitter is a free microblogging and messaging service created by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone in 2006. A developer who helped build the platform, Noah Glass, came up from obscurity in April 2011 to reveal that he... More "
Boxer Omar Henry died Friday at 25 (Photo courtesy of Omar Henry Facebook Fan Page)Boxer Omar Henry craved the spotlight and hoped one day to become the undisputed super welterweight champion.
Sadly, though, Henry only became a star in death, when he died at 25 Friday in a Chicago hospital following a short fight with gall bladder cancer.
Henry, who was 12-0-1, was supposed to fight on Showtime on Nov. 16. But he didn't feel well a few days before the fight, went to see his doctor and was diagnosed with Stage 4 gall bladder cancer.
He posted a series of heart-wrenching messages on his Facebook fan page in which he pleaded for prayers and support. Perhaps the most tragic was his Jan. 9 post, when he said he hoped to live to celebrate his 26th birthday on Feb. 8.
Sadly, he fell a week short of that goal.
I got exactly less than 1 month left until my 26th birthday February 8. Hopefully I live to see it. I really have been getting a lot of support with kind words and prayers from all over the world with this battle with cancer. Thank you and I will continue to fight for us!!!!
Omar Henry (L) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September (Henry Facebook Page)After being diagnosed, Henry also did a series of interviews with reporters from boxing websites in which he expressed optimism that he would survive the deadly diagnosis.
In an interview with FightHype published on Dec. 12, Henry said he felt blessed but was struggling to think of the future.
As of right now, I got a lot of mixed feelings. Overall, I feel blessed. I'm living right now, but I've been taking it one day at a time because it makes my head hurt and body ache thinking too far ahead.
In that same interview, he spoke of the odd twist of fate, of reaching a major career goal and then shortly thereafter learning he had only weeks to live.
I will find out tomorrow if I'm free of cancer or if I won't be here to see 2013. That's what they told me. Life and death has never come so close, especially since I was so close to the top and being close to the top of my career. I was about to headline Showtime at 25 years old, in the prime of my career. Now, I could literally be dead tomorrow, and this is the scariest thing I can think of. God has a purpose and we can't question God.
Henry posted on Facebook on Sunday and vowed to continue to fight for his life and thanked fans for their support during his battle.
To all my friends and loyal fans I want to inform you all that I am fighting the fight of my life against a disease known as gallbladder cancer. While lm in this current state I am fighting with my family by my side and I will not go down for the count. I am a champion who has chosen to fight not just for myself but for those who's faith is believing in what u cant see, and i will continue to fight!!!!!and fight!!!!!and fight!!!!!till I knock this sickness out. Your love and support mean the most to me, your prayers are prayers not only to me but to others like me. Please be advised l am grateful for any and all support in any kind of way please inbox me. My family has continued to be by my side, and its hard for them as well. I want to thank God for unconditional love and unconditional fans.
Henry's passing is a tragic and heart-breaking story that highlights the fragility of life. His family can be proud of the way he handled his fate and became an inspiration to others.
Snowmobile rider Caleb Moore died Thursday morning from injuries suffered in a crash at Winter X Games in Aspen. In a statement, Moore's family said: "He will be truly missed and never forgotten. The family wishes to express their deep gratitude for all the prayers and support they have received from all the fans, friends and family around the world that Caleb has inspired."
Reggie Bush is unlikely to return to the Miami Dolphins after seeing his career revive there. The running back had more than 900 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons, but it now appears unlikely that Bush will return to the Dolphins for another year, reported.
Former 49ers and Raiders offensive lineman Kwame Harris faces felony domestic violence charges in the beating of an ex-boyfriend in the parking lot of a Menlo Park restaurant after an argument sparked by soy sauce, attorneys said Monday.
Wearing a dark suit and crisp white shirt, Harris was in San Mateo County Superior Court on Monday to meet with prosecutors, but has rejected a plea bargain. He's pleaded not guilty to one count each of domestic violence and assault causing great bodily injury and could face up to nine years in prison if convicted.
The 30-year-old former NFL player's defense lawyer said prosecutors have targeted the wrong person.
"This is a case of self-defense," attorney Alin Cintean said.
The trouble started Aug. 21 when Harris-a former first round NFL draft pick who played college football at Stanford-and ex-boyfriend Dimitri Geier of Los Angeles were sharing dinner at Su Hong restaurant in Menlo Park, according to attorneys and a prosecutor. Harris was to drive Geier to San Francisco International Airport for a flight following the meal. But the men began to argue after Geier poured soy sauce on some rice, which upset Harris, according to a lawsuit Geier filed in San Mateo County in October.
The arguing continued and escalated, until finally Harris withdrew his offer to drop Geier off at the airport. Geier agreed to take a cab instead, but as they went to retrieve his bags from Harris' car the dispute turned violent. Harris allegedly tried to pull down Geier's pants and accused him of stealing his underwear, according to the suit. At some point the struggle came to blows.
The punches from Harris broke bones around Geier's eye socket and led to a metal plate being installed in his face and other surgeries, said his attorney Craig Charles. He added Geier, who had been in a four-year, on-and-off relationship with Harris, may require more surgery because the metal plate has shifted.
Cintean alleges Geier threw the first punch, but because his injuries were worse, prosecutors elected to charge Harris over the violence. Geier hasn't been charged in the fight. The self-defense theory left prosecutors dubious.
"The issue is not who hit first," said Albert Serrato, assistant district attorney. "We look to who the primary aggressor is and that is who used more force."
Harris was drafted by the 49ers as the 26th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft. After five mediocre seasons with the 49ers, he finished his career in 2008 with the Raiders.
During his NFL career, Harris did not come out as being gay or bisexual.
He's out of jail on $75,000 bail and on Monday his trial was pushed back from Feb. 25 to April 29.
(Bay Area News Group staff writers Cam Inman and Aaron Kinney contributed to this report.)
Darrelle Revis is "speechless" about trade talk (USA Today Sports Images)New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is reportedly interested in having his team's front office explore trading perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis this offseason.
Revis, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, caught wind of the reports and reacted on Twitter.
"I'm speechless by far but more importantly I feel more upset for the jet nation for having to go through this!!!," Revis tweeted on Thursday afternoon. "I guess we'll see how this plays out."
The Jets introduced newly-hired general manager John Idzik to the media on Thursday. Idzik has full authority on personnel matters and declined to comment on the futures that Revis and quarterback Mark Sanchez have with the franchise.
"I haven't had a chance to sit down and go through the roster, so I think it would be presumptuous to say anything," Idzik said according to Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger. "One of our first steps is to go through our roster in great detail, that includes Darrelle and everybody on the roster."
Johnson was dismissive of the idea that the team would trade Revis, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports.
“I don’t know where it came from,” Johnson said. “I would never say anything about contracts."
As Shutdown Corner noted on Thursday morning, trading Revis in 2013 would exacerbate the Jets' salary cap issues as prorated amounts from an $18 million option bonus in 2011 would accelerate onto the team's cap this season, increasing Revis' cap hit from it's current $9 million to $12 million. A more prudent approach would be to have Revis demonstrate that he has fully recovered from knee surgery before making a decision on whether or not to trade him during the regular season, sign him to an extension or let him walk in free agency and bank on receiving a valuable compensatory draft choice in 2015.
ST. LOUIS -- Stan Musial, one of baseball's greatest hitters and a Hall of Famer with the St. Louis Cardinals for more than two decades, died Saturday. He was 92.
Stan the Man won seven National League batting titles, was a three-time MVP and helped the Cardinals capture three World Series championships in the 1940s.
The Cardinals announced Musial's death in a news release. They said he died Saturday evening at his home in Ladue surrounded by family. The team said Musial's son-in-law, Dave Edmonds, informed the club of Musial's death.
"It is a very sad day for me," Willie Mays told ESPN's Willie Weinbaum of Outside The Lines at the Baseball Writers' Association of America dinner in New York. "I knew Stan very well. He used to take care of me at All-Star games, 24 of them. He was a true gentleman who understood the race thing and did all he could. Again, a true gentleman on and off the field -- I never heard anybody say a bad word about him, ever."
Focus on Sport/Getty Images"Stan the Man" Musial won seven National League batting titles, was a three-time MVP and helped the Cardinals capture three World Series championships in the 1940s.
Musial was so revered in St. Louis, two statues of him stand outside Busch Stadium. He spent his entire 22-year career with the Cardinals and made the All-Star team 24 times -- baseball held two All-Star games each summer for a few seasons.
A pitcher in the low minors until he injured his arm, Musial turned to playing the outfield and first base. It was a stroke of luck for him, as he went on to hit .331 with 475 home runs before retiring in 1963.
Widely considered the greatest Cardinals player ever, the outfielder and first baseman was the first person in team history to have his number retired. Ol' 6 probably was the most popular, too, especially after Albert Pujols skipped town.
At the suggestion of a pal, actor John Wayne, he carried around autographed cards of himself to give away. He enjoyed doing magic tricks for kids and was fond of pulling out a harmonica to entertain crowds with a favorite, "The Wabash Cannonball."
Humble, scandal-free, and eager to play every day, Musial struck a chord with fans throughout the Midwest and beyond. For much of his career, St. Louis was the most western outpost in the majors, and the Cardinals' vast radio network spread word about him in all directions.
Farmers in the field and families on the porch would tune in, as did a future president -- Bill Clinton recalled doing his homework listening to Musial's exploits.
Musial's public appearances dwindled in recent years, though he took part in the pregame festivities at Busch during the 2011 postseason as the Cardinals won the World Series. And he was at the White House in February 2011 when President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor for contributions to society.
He certainly delivered at the plate.
Musial never struck out 50 times in a season. He led the NL in most every hitting category for at least one year, except homers. He hit a career-high 39 home runs in 1948, falling one short of winning the Triple Crown.
In all, Musial held 55 records when he retired in 1963. Fittingly, the accolades on his his bronze Hall plaque start off with this fact, rather than flowery prose: "Holds many National League records ..."
He played nearly until 43rd birthday, adding to his totals. He got a hit with his final swing, sending an RBI single past Cincinnati's rookie second baseman -- that was Pete Rose, who would break Musial's league hit record of 3,630 some 18 years later.
Of those hits, Musial got exactly 1,815 at home and exactly 1,815 on the road. He also finished with 1,951 RBIs and scored 1,949 runs.
All that balance despite a most unorthodox left-handed stance. Legs and knees close together, he would cock the bat near his ear and twist his body away from the pitcher. When the ball came, he uncoiled.
Unusual, that aspect of Musial.
Asked to describe the habits that kept him in baseball for so long, Musial once said: "Get eight hours of sleep regularly. Keep your weight down, run a mile a day. If you must smoke, try light cigars. They cut down on inhaling."
One last thing, he said: "Make it a point to bat .300."
“And, between the slugging and the greeting, To the bank for a directors' meeting. Yet no one grudges success to Stan, Good citizen and family man, Though I would love to have his job One half tycoon, one half Ty Cobb.
” -- Musial's versatility was immortalized in verse, by popular poet of the times Ogden Nash, who in "The Tycoon" wrote of the Cardinals star and entrepreneurAs for how he did that, Musial offered a secret.
"I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider," he said. "Then, I'd pick up the speed of the ball in the first 30 feet of its flight and knew how it would move once it has crossed the plate."
It worked pretty well, considering Musial began his baseball career as a pitcher in the low minors. And by his account, as he said during his induction speech in Cooperstown, an injury had left him as a "dead, left-handed pitcher just out of Class D."
Hoping to still reach the majors, he turned toward another position. It was just what he needed.
Musial made his major league debut late in 1941, the season that Ted Williams batted .406 for the Boston Red Sox and Joe DiMaggio hit in a record 56 straight games for the New York Yankees.
Musial never expressed regret or remorse that he didn't attract more attention than the cool DiMaggio or prickly Williams. Fact is, Musial was plenty familiar in every place he played.
Few could bring themselves to boo baseball's nicest superstar, not even the Brooklyn Dodgers crowds that helped give him his nickname, a sign of weary respect for his .359 batting average at Ebbets Field.
Many, many years before any sports fans yelled "You're the man!" at their favorite athletes, Stan was indeed the Man.
Dodgers pitcher Preacher Roe once joked about how to handle Musial: "I throw him four wide ones and then I try to pick him off first base."
Brooklynites had another reason to think well of Musial: Unlike Enos Slaughter and other Cardinal teammates, he was supportive when the Dodgers' Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947. Bob Gibson, who started out with the Cardinals in the late 1950s, would recall how Musial had helped established a warm atmosphere between blacks and whites on the team.
Like DiMaggio and Williams, Musial embodied a time when the greats stayed with one team. He joined the Cardinals during the last remnants of the Gas House Gang and stayed in St. Louis until Gibson and Curt Flood ushered in a new era of greatness.
The only year Musial missed with the Cardinals was 1945, when he was in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was based in Pearl Harbor, assigned to a unit that helped with ship repair.
Before and after his military service, he was a star hitter.
Musial was the NL MVP in 1943, 1946 and 1948, and was runner-up four other years. He enjoyed a career remarkably free of slumps, controversies or rivalries.
The Cardinals were dominant early in Musial's career. They beat DiMaggio and the Yankees in the 1942 World Series, lost to the Yankees the next year and defeated the St. Louis Browns in 1944. In 1946, the Cardinals beat Williams and the visiting Red Sox in Game 7 at Sportsman's Park.
Musial, mostly a left fielder then, starred with Terry Moore in center and Slaughter, another future Hall of Famer, in right, making up one of baseball's greatest outfields. Later on, Musial would switch between the outfield and first base.
Musial never played on another pennant winner after 1946. Yet even after the likes of Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron came to the majors, Musial remained among baseball's best.
The original Musial statue outside the new Busch Stadium is a popular meeting place before games and carries this inscription: "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight."
"Everybody's a Musial fan," former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog once said.
Elsa/Getty ImagesStan Musial was so revered in St. Louis, two statues of him stand outside Busch Stadium.
Musial gave the press little to write about beyond his grace and greatness on the field. He didn't date movie stars, spike opponents or chew out reporters or umpires.
In 1958, he reached the 3,000-hit level and became the NL's first $100,000-a-year player. Years earlier, he had turned down a huge offer to join the short-lived Mexican League. He never showed resentment over the multimillion dollar salaries of modern players. He thought they had more fun in his days.
"I enjoyed coming to the ballpark every day and I think we enjoyed the game," Musial said in a 1991 Associated Press interview. "We had a lot of train travel, so we had more time together. We socialized quite a bit and we'd go out after ball games."
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969, his first year of eligibility.
"It was, you know, a dream come true," Musial once said. "I always wanted to be a ballplayer."
After retiring as a player, Musial served for years in the Cardinals' front office, including as general manager in 1967, when the Cardinals won the World Series.
In the 1970s, Musial occasionally played in Old-Timers' Day games and could still line the ball to the wall. He was a fixture for decades at the Cooperstown induction ceremonies and also was a member of the Hall's Veterans Committee. Often, after the Vets panel had voted, he'd pull out a harmonica conveniently located in his jacket pocket and lead the other members in a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
Into the 2000s, Musial would spend time with the Cardinals at spring training, thrilling veterans and rookies alike with his stories.
Ever ready, he performed the national anthem on his harmonica at least one opening day at Busch Stadium. Musial learned his music during overnight train trips in the 1940s and in the 1990s was a member of a trio known as "Geriatric Jazz" and collaborated on a harmonica instructional book.
Stanley Frank Musial was born in Donora, Pa., on Nov. 21, 1920, son of a Polish immigrant steelworker. He began his minor league career straight out of high school, in June 1938, and soon after married Musial married high school sweetheart Lillian Labash, with whom he four children.
Musial fell in 1940 while trying to make a tough catch and hurt his left arm, damaging his pitching prospects. Encouraged by minor league manager Dickie Kerr to try playing outfield, he did so well in 1941 that the Cardinals moved him up to the majors in mid-September -- and he racked up a .426 average during the final weeks of the season.
In his best year, 1948, he had four five-hit games, hit 39 home runs and batted .376, best in the National League. He also led his league that year in runs scored (135), hits (230), total bases (429), doubles (46), and triples (18).
In 1954, he set a major league record with five home runs in a doubleheader against the New York Giants. He hit .300 or better in 16 consecutive seasons and hit a record home runs in All-Star play, including a 12th-inning, game-winning shot in 1955.
In 1962, at age 41, he batted .330 and hit 19 home runs. In his final game, on Sept. 29, 1963, he had two hits at Busch Stadium against the Reds and the Cardinals retired his uniform number.
By the time Musial was done in 1963, he earned a total of $1.25 million, an MLB record by a single player at that time.
Musial took a paycut in 1960 after he dropped below .300 for the first time in 1959. He never made more than the $100,000 he made in 1958 and 1959.
He was active in business, too. He served as a director of the St. Louis-based Southwest Bank. He was co-owner of a popular St. Louis steakhouse, "Stan Musial and Biggie's," and a bowling alley with former teammate Joe Garagiola (leading to a bitter fallout that eventually got resolved). He later ran Stan the Man Inc., specializing in merchandise he autographed. Musial was known for handing out folded $1 bills.
Musial's endorsements included Chesterfield's Cigarettes, Wonder Bread, Wheaties, Rawlings, Beech-Nut Gum and Hamm's Beer.
A prominent Polish-American, he was a charter member of the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and was warmly regarded by his ancestral country, which in 2000 dedicated Stan Musial Stadium in Kutno, Poland. Musial also was involved politically, campaigning for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and serving as Lyndon Johnson's director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness.
Musial's versatility was immortalized in verse, by popular poet of the times Ogden Nash, who in "The Tycoon" wrote of the Cardinals star and entrepreneur:
"And, between the slugging and the greeting,
To the bank for a directors' meeting.
Yet no one grudges success to Stan,
Good citizen and family man,
Though I would love to have his job
One half tycoon, one half Ty Cobb."
William Weinbaum is a producer for ESPN's Outside the Lines. Information from ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Mr. Weaver’s winning percentage as the Orioles’ manager was .583 — the ninth best of all time. Three times he was named manager of the year. Five times his teams had 100-win seasons. The in-your-face bantam was thrown out of 98 games for arguing overzealously with umpires. The Orioles retired his No. 4 uniform, and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
As a 5-foot-7 minor-league infielder, Mr. Weaver learned that his dreams of playing in the big leagues were unrealistic.
“It broke my heart, but right then I started becoming a good baseball person,” he told Time magazine in 1979. “When I came to recognize and more important accept my own deficiencies, then I could recognize other players’ inabilities and learn to accept them, not for what they can’t do, but for what they can do.”
He managed the Orioles from 1968 through 1982, when he retired the first time. By 1985, Baltimore’s beloved O’s had fallen upon hard times, and at the behest of the team’s front office, the “Earl of Baltimore” returned in what proved to be a futile effort to right the ship. At the end of the 1986 season, Mr. Weaver retired for good.
‘His teams always won’
After a sixth-place in the American League in 1967, the Orioles came storming back behind Mr. Weaver’s leadership in 1968, finishing second.
The next year, they won the American League East with a record of 109-53, the best in team history. The Orioles swept the Minnesota Twins 3-0 in the AL championship series but lost the World Series to New York’s “Miracle Mets.”
In 1970, Mr. Weaver led the Orioles to 108 victories, paced by the slugging of first baseman Boog Powell, who had 35 home runs and 114 runs batted in and was named the American League’s most valuable player.
After again defeating the Twins in three straight games for the AL pennant, the Orioles advanced to the World Series and beat the Cincinnati Reds, four games to one. Twice more, in 1971 and in 1979, Mr. Weaver took the Orioles to the World Series, only to lose both times to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
As a manager, Mr. Weaver was primarily a motivator who seldom dwelled on the techniques of hitting, fielding or pitching.
“The only thing Weaver knows about a curveball,” Orioles Hall-of-Fame pitcher Jim Palmer once said, “is that he couldn’t hit one.”
Off the field, Mr. Weaver kept his distance from his players, sitting alone on airplanes when the team traveled. He could be harsh and sarcastic, and his verbal clashes with Palmer were well publicized.
“Any difference we ever had was overshadowed by the fact that his teams always won,” Palmer said in 1996, after Mr. Weaver’s election to the Hall of Fame. “I enjoyed our relationship even though there was some tension.”
Oregon coach Chip Kelly will be the new coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources told ESPN. Kelly re-emerged as a candidate recently and an agreement was just reached Thursday. NFL reporter