The Splendid Splinter baffled pitchers with his unprecedented ability to place a batted ball seemingly anywhere he wanted. Ted Williams inspired a generation's worth of fans while setting the foundation for one of the greatest eras in baseball history. Williams was an obsessive student of hitting. He famously used a lighter bat than most sluggers, because it generated a faster swing. The hitting prowess of Williams allowed him to amass over 500 home runs, win 2 MVPs, become the last player to hit over .400 in a season, and be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Williams holds the highest career batting average of anyone with 500 or more home runs. His best year was 1941, when he hit .406 with 37 HR, 120 RBI, and 135 runs scored. His .553 on base percentage set a record that stood for 61 years. Williams ended his career dramatically, hitting a home run in his very last at-bat on September 28, 1960. Ted Williams is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades. "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection (tied with Willie Mays), and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. He compiled 3,630 hits (ranking fourth all-time and most in a career spent with only one team). With 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 on the road, he is also considered to be the most consistent hitter of his era. He also compiled 475 home runs during his career, was named the National League's (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times, and won three World Series championship titles. At the time of his retirement, Stan Musial held or shared 17 major league records, 29 National League records, and 9 All-Star Game records. In addition to overseeing businesses such as a restaurant both before and after his playing career, Musial served as the Cardinals' general manager in 1967, winning both the pennant and World Series that year. Musial was a first-ballot inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 and is currently the longest tenured living Hall of Famer. Known for his modesty and sportsmanship, Musial was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. President Barack Obama presented Musial with Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a civilian, at the White House on Feb 15, 2011.

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