Judge Roy Hofheinz at the Astrodome during the pre-1965 infrastructure completion phase of construction. I’m guessing that the place was a lot closer to completion when Stan Musial saw it for the first time at the December 1964 Houston baseball meetings.
Musial’s Take on Hofheinz’s Dome Humility. ~
To Darrell Pittman: Thanks for this clip from 1964 on Stan Musial’s first tourist visit to the site of the forthcoming 1965 first season of the Astrodome’s place in new indoor, air-conditioned baseball history ~ or as, we are reasonably sure the Judge must have proclaimed it ~ even that early ~ as the new “Eighth Wonder of the World!”
Nothing like inviting an ego buzz-cut from one of the most humble down-to-earth great ones that ever played his way into the Hall of Fame with no need for boastful help from prideful speech.
Enjoy!
Thank You, Stan the Man! ~ On this day that we buried the nation’s most humble and accomplished college first basemen whoever later rose to the office of President (as in POTUS), any reminder of you from any source ~ or any cranny of the mind of your own laid back character is easy to come by. ~ If such things happen wherever you and George now find yourselves, maybe you can invite the guy over for a game of catch sometime.
******************************
Bill McCurdy
Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle
The Pecan Park Eagle 
December 7, 2018 at 8:45 pm |
Musial was special to me. When I was a reporter on the Daytona Beach News-Journal I had heard about Musial’s feats as a pitcher and then outfielder during an earlier Spring training there in Florida.
When Judge Hofheinz invited me in 1964 to come from Daytona Beach to witness a game in Colt Stdium, the Colt 45s were hosting the Cardinals.
Musial left the game in the sixth inniing and Judge Hofeinz invited Musial to join us in the restaurant to chat with friends. Musial autographed the only baeball that I got personally for myself in all my time in Houston.
When the game was over, Musial noted that he’d better get to the airport because the team was leaving that night. Judge Hofheinz drove us all at breakneck speed to Hobby, geting Musial to the terminal just in time to board the plane to St. Louis.
Musial was as humble and gracious as anyone I’ve ever met.