For a century-old steel town of only 5,600 that has known lean times in recent years, the Monongahela Valley river burg of Donora has given an embarrassment of riches to Major League Baseball. Specifically, three players and two surnames: Musial and Griffey.

Stan Musial was born in Donora in 1920, Griffey Sr. in 1950. Both attended Donora High School and were also celebrated prep basketball players. Ken Griffey Jr. was born there in 1969 but raised in Cincinnati, which he calls home.

	AP Donora native and St. Louis Cardinals' legend Stan Musial smiles with his bats on his shoulder in this 1952 photo. Click photo for larger image. Return to index

Musial's nickname was "The Man," and it was a fitting title. The three-time league MVP and 24-time All-Star, Musial finished his 22-season career with the St. Louis Cardinals among the all-time leaders in every statistical category. To wit, Musial is:

second in career total bases (6,134)

fourth in career hits (3,630)

third in career doubles (725)

fifth in career RBIs (1,951)

ninth in career runs (1,949)

Musial finished his career with 475 career home runs and a .331 career batting average, won seven NL batting titles, and was a member of three World Series winners. All this, while missing the 1945 season to serve in the United States Navy.

Sportscaster Bob Costas, a St. Louis native who grew up watching Musial, once praised "Stan the Man" at the expense of his contemporaries: "He didn't hit a homer in his last at-bat (like Ted Williams); he hit a single. He didn't hit in 56 straight games. He married his high school sweetheart and stayed married to her, never married a Marilyn Monroe (like Joe DiMaggio). He didn't play with the sheer joy and style that goes alongside Willie Mays' name. None of those easy things are there to associate with Stan Musial. All Musial represents is more than two decades of sustained excellence and complete decency as a human being."

	AP Cincinnati Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. hits a solo home run in a 2001 game in Cincinnati. Griffey and his father were both born in Donora. Click photo for larger image.

Griffey Sr. was a three-time All-Star with the Cincinnati Reds, and was MVP of that game in 1980, but is most known today for being the senior to "Junior." Ken Griffey Jr., a perennial All-Star and certain future Hall-of-Famer for the Cincinnati Reds, is the all-time leading vote getter in All-Star history. The 1997 AL MVP has been one of the most prolific hitters of this generation and is closing in on 10th place all-time in home runs, despite being plagued by injuries in this decade.

Other baseball notables hailing from Southwestern Pennsylvania

Pirate Hall-of-Fame Shortstop Honus Wagner (Carnegie)

Pirate first baseman Sean Casey (Upper St. Clair)

Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement (Butler)

Red Sox manager Terry Francona (New Brighton)

A's manager Ken Macha (Monroeville)

Former Mets and A's manager Art Howe (Shaler)

Former Pirate OF Frank Thomas (Oakland)

Former Pirate utility player and broadcast color man John Wehner (Carrick)