Musial is one of six players to have twelve walk-offs with the others being Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Jim Thome. All are in the Hall of Fame. Stan did it from age 21 to 41 and had three seasons when he hit multi walk-offs (46, 48, 59). He went about seven years without one but finished strong in his career.
Here they are:
#1- July 14, 1942
21-yr old Stan Musial was batting third as the Cardinals were playing on Tuesday, July 14, 1942, at Sportsman’s Park III facing the Boston Braves. The Braves were in 7th place in the National League with a 36-51 and 24.5 games back of first place. The Cardinals were in 2nd place battling for a chance to take the National League as they were 8 games back with a 48-30 record under manager Billy Southworth.
The starters are Al Javery for the Braves and Mort Copper for the Cardinals. 1399 is the stated attendance for this historic event.
The scoring started with the Braves getting one in the 4th after Eddie Miller doubled and Skippy Roberge singled him home. The Braves chased Cooper with four more in the fifth to lead 5-0. The Cardinals come back with 3 of their own in the 6th and two more in the 8th with doubles from Musial, Hopp and Marion.
The game winner came in the 11th inning off of Dick Errickson. He allowed a single to Enos Slaughter and faced a tough lefty in Stan Musial. It was a 1-1 count that Stan Musial took over the right-center field wall for his FIRST EVER walk-off home run. Howie Krist became the winning pitcher of record.
The game took 2 hrs and 48 minutes to play.
#2- July 14, 1946
Stan Musial was 25 years old and it was exactly four years from the date of his first walk-off home run in his career. This game was the second part of a doubleheader in St. Louis facing the Brooklyn Dodgers. Brooklyn was in first place before the start of the game by 4.5 games ahead of the Cardinals. In the first contest, Stan went 2-for-3 in the game as it was won in the 8th by the Cardinals on a home run by Enos Slaughter after Musial singled. Now the Cardinals were 3.5 games back.
Game two featured Dodgers righty Victor Lombardi on the hill facing Tracy, Missouri boy Murry Dickson and his 5-2 record. In the first inning the Dodgers drew first blood as they loaded the bases with two outs and scored one tally. The game stayed this way throughout most of the game until the bottom of the 8th inning and Stan Musial stepped to the plate and was 0-for-3 on the day. Musial tripled a triple with nobody out in the inning. The next batter, Whitey Kurowski, hits a sacrifice fly to the outfield to score Musial and the game is tied.
Both starting pitchers are still in the game as it goes to extra innings. In fact, both will complete the game for their team. The game remains knotted up until the bottom of the 12th inning and Stan Musial is to lead it off for the Cardinals. Still facing Lombardi, Stan sends the face home happy in St. Louis as he cranks a walk-off home run to win it and move the Cardinals to 2.5 games back of first place Brooklyn. It is worth noting that the Cardinals won the National League pennant in 1946 by 2 games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Box Score
#3- August 22, 1946
Stan Musial had hit the 2nd career walk-off home run of his career in July of 1946 and was primed for another exciting ending.
More to Come:
#2- 7-14-46…….Dodgers 2-1 in 12
#3- 8-22-46…….Phillies 7-6 in 12
#4- 8-26-48…….Giants 7-5 in 9
#5- 8-28-48……..Giants 5-4 in 12
#6- 9-6-50……….Cubs .5-4 in 10
#7- 6-17-51………Phillies 5-4 in 10
#8- 7-6-52………..Pirates 6-5 in 9
#9- 5-7-59………..Cubs 4-3 in 9
#10- 8-7-59………..Phillies 3-1 in 9
#11- 8-27-60………Pirates 5-4 in 9
#12- 6-5-62…………Reds 10-9 in 11