Who Was Better: Joe DiMaggio or Stan Musial?

"Stan Musial is a better player than Joe DiMaggio was in his prime." – Ty Cobb, 1952

For casual baseball fans, the name Ty Cobb may be unfamiliar. However, to true students of the game, the “Georgia Peach” is one of the best players to ever engage in our National Pastime. His .366 lifetime batting average is the highest ever and his 4,189 hits are second behind Pete Rose. When he retired after the 1928 season at age 41, Cobb held dozens of other records including most runs scored (2,245) and stolen bases for a season (96) and a career (897).

So, when someone of Ty Cobb’s stature offered his opinion of who was better, Stan Musial or Joe DiMaggio, people listened… and with good reason. Everyone, that is, except for Stan “the Man” Musial.

"Cobb is baseball's greatest,” Stan said in response to Ty’s compliment. “I don't want to contradict him, but I can't say that I was ever as good as Joe DiMaggio."

GULP! Did I just hear a professional athlete say that someone else was better than he was?

For the record, Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio batted .325 and clubbed 361 with only 369 strikeouts, an almost unheard of 1-to-1 ratio. Despite missing three full seasons in his prime due to military service during World War II, DiMaggio won three MVP awards and finished in the Top 10 seven other times. Nicknamed the “Yankee Clipper” for the effortless way he patrolled the cavernous center field in Yankee Stadium, Joe was also an outstanding baserunner and clutch hitter… and who can forget his still-record 56-game hitting streak?

As for Musial, he was certainly no slouch at the plate either. Stan averaged .331 over his 22-year career, missing one season due to WWII. Like DiMaggio, Musial was also a 3-time MVP, finishing in the Top 10 an incredible 11 years in a row! His 3,630 hits (1,815 at home and 1,815 on the road) were a National League record at the time he retired as were his 1,951 RBIs and 1,949 runs scored.

I would be thrilled to have either man in my all-time starting outfield. However, unlike DiMaggio, who insisted on being introduced as “the Greatest Living Ballplayer” in his retirement, Musial remained the same humble, class act until the day he died in 2013 at age 92.

It is debatable as to who was the better all-around player, Musial or DiMaggio. But when it comes to pure humility, Stan the Man wins in a landslide.

“Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time…” I Peter 5:5 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President