For the Love of Stan Musial: Four Boys Take a Road Trip in Search of the St. Louis Cardinals' "Stan the Man" (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798350725506)

FOR THE LOVE OF STAN MUSIAL

Set in a small Southern town during the summer of 1963, this fictional tale reflects the love affair that millions of youngsters had with the great American pastime as they played the game in the full bloom of boyhood and dreamed of one day making it to the Big Leagues.

The plot centers on a quartet of youths whose friendship blossomed while playing their favorite sport. After starting a small club with its headquarters in a treehouse, the 12-year-olds make an oath and pledge to make the three-hundred-plus-mile journey on a Trailways Bus to Sportsman's Park to see their beloved Cardinals in action before they enter junior high school. They also have high hopes of meeting their favorite diamond star, legendary slugger Stan Musial, who is in his final season with the Redbirds.

The tale oozes nostalgia, specifically connected to the baseball stars of the 1950s and 1960s, and serves up pure Americana as it reflects the popular culture of the era. Along the way the boys deal with bullies, poison ivy, a haunted cemetery, an ornery farmer and baseball cards. After their bus strands them halfway to St. Louis, the boys have to figure out how they are going to get there.

Baseball Hall of Famer Stanley Frank Musial was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938 and joined the big league club in late 1941 as an outfielder. Playing his entire career with the Cardinals, the slugger won seven National League batting titles, played in 24 All-Star games and was three times Most Valuable Player.