142-430: [REDACTED] KPLC (channel 7) is a television station in Lake Charles, Louisiana , United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW Plus . It is owned by Gray Television , which provides certain services to dual Fox / ABC affiliate KVHP (channel 29) under a shared services agreement (SSA) with American Spirit Media . Both stations share studios on Division Street in downtown Lake Charles, while KPLC's transmitter
284-466: A grid pattern . Interstate 10 passes through Lake Charles, connecting the city with Houston to the west and New Orleans to the east. The Calcasieu River Bridge crosses the Calcasieu River and part of lake . Featuring decorative flintlock pistols on the railing, it is 135 feet (41 m) high. About 50,000 vehicles pass over it daily. Despite its age of over 60 years, it is considered safe by
426-595: A three-game playoff for the pennant. Musial's Game 1 triple and Game 2 double contributed to the Cardinals' two-games-to-none series victory. Facing the Boston Red Sox , the Cardinals won the 1946 World Series four games to three, as Musial had six hits and four RBI. He batted .365 for the season and won his second NL MVP Award, receiving 22 out of a possible 24 first-place votes, finishing ahead of Brooklyn's Dixie Walker (.319 batting average). Musial began
568-421: A .237 batting average. He set a new major league record for career extra-base hits on May 8 and improved his batting average to .277 by the end of the month. Making his 20th All-Star appearance and 24th All-Star Game appearance on July 9, 1963, he pinch-hit in the fifth inning. Asked by general manager Bing Devine on July 26 what his plans were, Musial said that he would retire at season's end. He waited until
710-423: A .330 batting average, good for third in the batting race, with 19 homers and 82 RBI. As a pinch-hitter, he had 14 base hits in 19 at-bats (.737). Along the way, he established new NL career marks for hits and RBI. That same year on July 8, the 41-year-old Musial became the oldest player ever to hit three home runs in one game. The Cardinals began 1963 by winning 10 of their first 15 games, as Musial posted
852-508: A .388 batting average by the middle of May 1946. He also became close friends with new teammate Red Schoendienst , who had joined the Cardinals during Musial's absence in 1945. During the season, Musial (who was under contract to the Cardinals for $ 13,500 in 1946) was offered a five-year, $ 125,000 contract, plus a $ 50,000 bonus, to join the Mexican League. He declined the offer, and after manager Dyer spoke to club owner Sam Breadon , Musial
994-494: A 121-acre (0.49 km ) campus lined with oak trees in the heart of Lake Charles, is a four-year public university in the University of Louisiana System . Contraband Bayou flows through it. McNeese was founded in 1939 and named after educator John McNeese . It offers over 80 majors, and includes the colleges of Business , Education , Engineering and Engineering Technology, Liberal Arts , Nursing , Science , Honors College, and
1136-603: A 9–2 record, a 4.30 ERA, and a .352 batting average. Musial spent the 1940 season with the Cardinals' other Class D team, the Daytona Beach Islanders , where he developed a lifelong friendship with manager Dickie Kerr . His pitching skills improved under the guidance of Kerr, who also recognized his hitting talent, playing him in the outfield between pitching starts . On May 25, 1940, Musial married fellow Donora resident, Lillian "Lil" Labash, in Daytona Beach, and
1278-496: A May 7 St. Louis Globe-Democrat article criticized baseball players for appearing in cigarette advertisements , he made a personal decision to never again appear in such ads. By June 24, his batting average was .408, prompting Brooklyn pitcher Preacher Roe to comically announce his new method for retiring Musial: "Walk him on four pitches and pick him off first ." Given a mid-season pay raise by new Cardinals owner Robert E. Hannegan for his outstanding performance, Musial hit
1420-500: A black guy a bunch of names", Newcombe said, "because he was trying to change the game and make it what it should have been in the first place, a game for all people." Musial began the 1950s by posting a .350 batting average before participating in the 1950 All-Star Game, where in fan balloting he was the NL's number two choice. He had the longest hitting streak of his career during the 1950 season —a 30-game stretch that ended on July 27. With
1562-672: A casino, golf course, meeting space, retail corridor and a private beach and marina. While Horseshoe Lake Charles is technically in one of the city's suburbs known as Westlake, Louisiana , it forms part of the city's gambling market along with Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana and Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, Louisiana . Lake Charles has a Creole and Cajun culture because of its location in Southwest Louisiana —an extension of Acadiana . The city has its own symphony orchestra ,
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#17328482118621704-524: A consistent and productive hitter. In his first full season, 1942, the Cardinals won the World Series . The following year, he led the NL in six different offensive categories and earned his first MVP award. He was also named to the NL All-Star squad for the first time; he appeared in every All-Star game in every subsequent season he played. Musial won his second World Series championship in 1944 , then missed
1846-525: A crouch in which his back was seemingly square to the pitcher. This stance was later described by pitcher Ted Lyons as "a kid peeking around the corner to see if the cops were coming". According to a 1950 description by author Tom Meany , "The bent knees and the crouch give him the appearance of a coiled spring, although most pitchers think of him as a coiled rattlesnake." Musial continued to play well in Rochester—in one three-game stretch, he had 11 hits. He
1988-506: A doubleheader in St. Louis against the New York Giants : he hit three home runs in the first contest, then added two more in the second to become the first major leaguer to hit five home runs in a doubleheader. In addition to his five home runs, he also hit a single in the first game, setting a new record of 21 total bases for a doubleheader. The only player besides Musial to hit five home runs in
2130-427: A doubleheader is Nate Colbert , who achieved the feat in 1972. Oddly enough, as a young child, Colbert was in attendance as Musial set his record. Musial made his 12th NL All-Star appearance in 1955 as a reserve player, when Cincinnati's Ted Kluszewski outpolled him by 150,000 votes to get on the starting lineup at first base. Musial entered the game as a pinch hitter in the fourth inning, and played left field as
2272-541: A dozen small businesses. Lake Charles has Louisiana's biggest casino market. The L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort is a 242 acres (98 ha), 26-story hotel in Lake Charles. It has nearly 1000 guest rooms, a casino, golf course, spa, and meeting center. A second casino, the Golden Nugget Lake Charles , opened in 2014 next to L'Auberge du Lac. The 18-story casino resort hotel has more than 740 guest rooms,
2414-475: A fly ball to end the first game of a doubleheader on September 27 they clinched the pennant with their 105th win. He finished the season with a .315 batting average and 72 runs batted in (RBI) in 140 games. Musial received national publicity when he was named by St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports editor J. Roy Stockton as his choice for Rookie of the Year in a Saturday Evening Post article. The Cardinals played
2556-461: A former minor league pitcher. When he enrolled in school, his name was formally changed to Stanley Frank Musial . At age 15, Musial joined the Donora Zincs, a semi-professional team managed by Barbao. In his Zincs debut, he pitched six innings and struck out 13 batters, all of them adults. He played one season on the newly revived Donora High School baseball team, where one of his teammates
2698-546: A home run in the All-Star Game. On September 22, he registered five hits in a game for the fourth time in the season, tying a mark set by Ty Cobb in 1922. "He missed tying for the top in homers by one rained out home run. If it had counted, he would have won the Triple Crown that year...and in addition have been the only player of this century to lead the league in runs, hits, double, triples, and slugging percentage. What
2840-561: A household in the city was $ 36,001. The per capita income for the city was $ 22,855. 20.9% of the population was below the poverty line ; in 2020, the median income for a household in the city was $ 37,894. 26.7% of the population was below the poverty line. The average commute time was 22.4 minutes. The 2010 census determined that the racial and ethnic makeup for the city was 47% African American , 46% White <1% Native American , 2% Asian , 1% from other races , 2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3% of
2982-460: A level plain about 30 miles (48 km) from the Gulf of Mexico , has an elevation of approximately 13 feet (4.0 m) above sea level, and is located on the banks of the Calcasieu River in southwestern Louisiana . It borders both Lake Charles and Prien Lake . Contraband Bayou , Henderson Bayou, and English Bayou flow through the city. Oak trees and pine trees dot the landscape; the lumber industry
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#17328482118623124-491: A manufacturing facility which manufactures and exports parts for nuclear power plants. With small businesses, big box stores, and a regional mall, Lake Charles serves as the shopping and retail hub of the five-parish area . Prien Lake Mall , which serves nearly 300,000 people is anchored by three department stores. The Lake Charles Power Center is a shopping area that has 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) of shopping space. The Cottage Shop District supports approximately
3266-447: A new station, "SWLA ABC" on that day over KVHP-DT2, carrying ABC and syndicated programming. Grit , which formerly occupied DT2, was subsequently moved to a new fourth subchannel. By September 2017, the over-the-air signal of KPLC-DT2 had been upgraded into 720p 16:9 HD . On June 25, 2018, Gray Television announced its intent to acquire Raycom for $ 3.65 billion. Coincidentally, in 1983, Gray attempted to purchase KPLC from Chambers at
3408-536: A physical examination in prelude to possible service in the armed forces. He ultimately remained with the Cardinals for the entire season, posting a .347 batting average with 197 hits. The Cardinals claimed the NL pennant for the third consecutive season, and faced St. Louis's other major league team, the Browns , in the 1944 World Series . The Browns took a 2–1 lead, while Musial hit .250 with no RBI. He broke out in Game 4 with
3550-426: A pinch-hit, sixth inning RBI double at Chicago's Wrigley Field on May 13. The eighth major league player to reach 3,000 hits, and the first to reach the milestone with an extra-base hit, Musial was greeted at St. Louis Union Station that evening by roughly 1,000 fans. Finishing the season in sixth place, the Cardinals embarked on an exhibition tour of Japan, winning 14 of 16 games against top players from
3692-413: A population of 276,909. The 2020 population of the five-parish region of Southwest Louisiana was 313,951. For the city proper of Lake Charles at the 2020 census , it had a population of 84,872, with a population density of 1,890 people per square mile among 38,434 housing units. In 2010, the population was 71,993, reflecting a rebound from its 1990 population of 70,580. In 2010, the median income for
3834-399: A professional contract after a workout with their Class D Penn State League affiliate. Musial's father initially resisted the idea of his son pursuing a baseball career, but he reluctantly gave consent after lobbying by his son and his wife. Musial also credited his school librarian Helen Kloz for pointing out that baseball was his dream and advising him to pursue it professionally. In what
3976-583: A purchase agreement to sell the station's facilities and broadcast license to respondent NASCO, Inc., for a purchase price of $ 18 million. The agreement was not recorded in the parishes in which the two properties housing the station's facilities were located. Consummation of the agreement was subject to the approval of the FCC; both parties were obligated to file the necessary documents with the FCC no later than September 23, 1983. By late August, however, Chambers had changed his mind and tried to talk NASCO out of consummating
4118-545: A quality signal for the NBC affiliate as far north as Leesville , as far east as Lafayette and to the Gulf of Mexico . FCC regulations required that the radio stations be sold. Perry Sanders purchased the AM/FM combo and changed its call letters to KLCL. Chambers established a company, Calcasieu Television & Radio, Inc., to operate KPLC. On August 9, 1983, Chambers, acting both in his individual capacity and on behalf of CTR, entered into
4260-599: A return on the investment by sharing with Willie Mays the inaugural (and for the only time in Musial's career) NL Player of the Month in May (no such award was given in April until 1969) batting .374, with 4 HR, and 16 RBI. Also that month, as he was approaching the 3,000-hit milestone in his major league career, he expressed a desire to record the hit in St. Louis. He ultimately reached the mark with
4402-468: A service disruption lasting about two weeks to over-the-air viewers in Southwest Louisiana. Service to cable customers was not interrupted due to the station's signal being delivered by fiber lines. A lower-power temporary tower was erected on top of the station's broadcast studios a couple of days after the tower fell, allowing viewers within a few miles of the station to again receive the signal over
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4544-554: A state-of-the-art park, was also built by volunteers, and is specifically designed for handicapped children. Hunting and fishing are popular with both residents and visitors to the Lake Area. An All-American Road , the Creole Nature Trail – "Louisiana's Outback" – brings tourists to Lake Charles and throughout Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas . Lake Charles has a mayor-council government. The elected officials include
4686-650: A two-run home run , single, double, and a walk as part of a 5–1 Cardinals win. The Cardinals went on to defeat the Browns in six games, and Musial posted a .304 batting average for the Series. Musial enlisted in the United States Navy on January 23, 1945, during World War II. He was initially assigned to non-combat duty at the United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge . In June 1945, he
4828-399: A year!" —Sportswriter Bob Broeg, on Musial's 1948 season Musial finished the 1948 season leading the major leagues in batting average (.376), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18), total bases (429), and slugging percentage (.702). Winning the NL batting title by a 43-point margin, with an on-base percentage lead of 27 points and a 138-point slugging percentage margin—the latter being
4970-1163: Is McNeese State University 's student newspaper. Major television network affiliates include KPLC 7, an NBC affiliate also operating the area's CW affiliate on its DT2 subchannel, KSWL-LD 17, a CBS affiliate, KLTL 18, a PBS member station, KWWE-LD 19, a MyNetworkTV / MeTV affiliate, and KVHP 29, a Fox affiliate also operating the area's ABC affiliate on its DT2 subchannel. KBYS 88.3 Oldies , KRVS 88.7 Npr , KRLR 89.1 K-Love , KYLC 90.3, KOJO (FM) 91.1, KBAN 91.5, KTSR 92.1 Classic Rock , KHLA 92.9 Classic Hits , KPPM-LP 93.5 Black Gospel , KSMB 94.5 Top40(Chr) , KYKZ 96.1 Country , KQLK 97.9 Country , W252AQ 98.3, KNGT 99.5 Country , KELB-LP 100.5, KKGB 101.3 Mainstream Rock , KYBG 102.1 Classic Hits , KAJN-FM 102.9 Contemporary Christian , KBIU 103.3 Chr , KLCJ 104.1 Oldies , KKMY 104.5 Rhythmic Top 40 , KZWA 104.9 Urban Adult Contemporary , KIOC 106.1 Active Rock , KJMH 107.5 Urban , KLVI 560 News/Talk , KAOK 1400 Talk , KLCL 1470 Urban Adult Contemporary , KHB42 162.400 NOAA Weather Radio The city's streets are laid out primarily in
5112-677: Is Frazar Memorial Library, on the McNeese State University campus. The first library, Carnegie Memorial Library, was financed by Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1904. It also houses the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library. It, Central Library and Epps Memorial Library are part of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library , which has 13 locations in Calcasieu Parish . Lake Charles
5254-426: Is a different story and it is highly unlikely he would have reached 500. He did not hit more than 13 home runs in any season before he entered the navy and did not hit as many as 25 (the number he would have needed to become a 500 career homer club member) until 1948, 3 years after returning to baseball from World War II. Amazingly, his career hit total was exactly evenly split between 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 hits on
5396-438: Is also high among U.S. cities, at 57.49 inches (1,460 mm) per year. Hurricane Laura devastated the city in 2020. The National Weather Service called the storm surge "unsurvivable" with one-minute sustained wind speeds of 150 mph (240 km/h). Numerous trees were blown down. The Lake Charles Regional Airport saw a gust of 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) as well as multiple hangars destroyed. Another gust in
5538-628: Is appointed to a six-year term, and the fire chief is also appointed. The Lake Charles Fire Department has eight stations and 15 companies. McNeese State University also has its own police department, the McNeese State University Police Department. The Lake Charles City Court's jurisdiction covers the city and Ward 3 in Calcasieu Parish . The Fourteenth Judicial District Court, in downtown Lake Charles, covers Calcasieu Parish and includes nine judges who preside over family, juvenile, civil, and criminal trials. Lake Charles
5680-412: Is considered a regionally significant center of petrochemical refining, gambling, tourism, and education, being home to McNeese State University and Sowela Technical Community College . Because of the lakes and waterways throughout the city, metropolitan Lake Charles is often called the Lake Area . On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was incorporated as the town of Charleston, Louisiana. Lake Charles
5822-572: Is home to a United States District Court , also downtown. The Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals is headquartered in the city. Lake Charles is represented by Clay Higgins of Louisiana's 3rd congressional district . Most of the city is represented by Senator Jeremy Stine of District 27 in the Louisiana State Senate , though Mark Abraham's District 25 includes some neighborhoods of south Lake Charles. The city has one university and one community college. McNeese State University , on
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5964-672: Is home to the McNeese Cowboys , whose football team hosts games at Cowboy Stadium which has a seating capacity of 17,410. Burton Coliseum hosts the McNeese basketball teams. Lake Charles has been home to the Lake Charles Lakers and other minor-league baseball teams, indoor football teams, a minor-league ice hockey team and soccer teams. Golf is popular at the city's Mallard Cove Golf Course. Other golf courses include Gray Plantation Golf Course, Lake Charles Country Club Golf Course,
6106-411: Is land and 2.7 square miles (7.1 km ), or 6.12%, is water. Lake Charles is tied with Port Arthur, Texas , and Astoria, Oregon , as the most humid city in the contiguous United States , and the second-most humid measured location behind unincorporated Quillayute, Washington. The average relative humidity in Lake Charles is 90% in the morning, and 72% in the afternoon. Average annual precipitation
6248-506: Is located near Fenton, Louisiana . KPLC-TV signed on September 29, 1954, with NBC's airing of the 1954 World Series . Owner T. B. Lanford of Shreveport had previously signed on KPLC radio (1470 AM, now KLCL , and 99.5 FM, now KNGT ) and was eager to expand into television, giving the new station the same callsign as their radio sisters. On the same day, Lanford helped sign on then- and current sister station KALB-TV in Alexandria . KPLC
6390-505: Is named after him. There are also urban tales he had planned to name the settlement Nouveau Cadix (New Cádiz )", after the city in Spain , but this is uncertain. The town was first incorporated in 1857 as Charleston, after an early settler, Charles Sallier . Ten years later, on March 16, 1867, Charleston was reincorporated as the City of Lake Charles. The Great Fire of April 1910 devastated much of
6532-484: Is one of the United States' few liquified natural gas terminals. It has facilities for LNG receipt, storage, and re-gasification. Other industrial companies include PPG Industries , Phillips 66 , Sasol , and W. R. Grace . Local industry also includes a number of manufacturing companies. Chennault International Airport hosts AAR Corp , which services airplanes, and a Northrop Grumman facility. The Shaw Group has
6674-658: Is owned by the city. Charpentier is French for "carpenter", a reference to the carpenter-architects who built the mixed-style homes in the district. Central School features the Black Heritage Art Gallery, which is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail , as well as the Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu, which features extravagant costumes and an interactive float. It has the largest collection of Mardi Gras memorabilia in
6816-482: Is regularly attended by more than 200,000 people, making it one of the largest celebrations in Louisiana. In a reference to the legends of piracy on the lake and Contraband Bayou, the festival begins when the pirate Jean Lafitte and his crew capture the city and force the mayor to walk the plank. Mardi Gras in Lake Charles has a long history dating back to 1882, when Momus, King of Mardi Gras, landed his royal yacht at
6958-495: Is the fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana , and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish , located on Lake Charles , Prien Lake , and the Calcasieu River . Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the southwest region of the state. As of the 2020 U.S. census , Lake Charles's population was 84,872. The city and metropolitan area of Lake Charles
7100-516: The 1947 season by hitting .146 in April. On May 9, team doctor Dr. Robert Hyland confirmed a previous diagnosis of appendicitis , while discovering that Musial was concurrently suffering from tonsillitis . He received treatment, but did not have either his appendix or tonsils surgically removed until after the season ended. Despite his health woes, he finished the year with a batting average of .312. Fully recovered from his ailments, Musial recorded his 1,000th career hit on April 25, 1948 . After
7242-478: The 1949 season with the intent to try to hit more home runs, stating he had hit 39 the previous season "without trying". His new focus on hitting for power backfired, as pitchers began using the outside part of the plate to induce him to ground out to the first or second baseman . Musial soon stopped focusing on hitting home runs and resumed his consistent offensive production by the end of May. He received his sixth consecutive All-Star player selection and finished
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#17328482118627384-456: The American League champion New York Yankees in the 1942 World Series . Representing the winning run at home plate in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 at Sportsman's Park, Musial grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game . Musial's first hit of the Series was an RBI single that provided the margin of victory in Game 2, allowing the Cardinals to tie the Series. Over
7526-504: The Calcasieu Parish Public School System . There are two charter schools and several private schools. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles operates and/or is affiliated with private Roman Catholic schools. The most widely distributed, daily newspaper is The American Press . Other popular periodicals include Lagniappe Magazine , The Jambalaya News , Gumbeaux Magazine , and Thrive Magazine . The Contraband
7668-536: The Central and Pacific Japanese Leagues. Taking a new approach to preparation for the 1959 season , Musial was given permission to report late to spring training so that he might conserve his energy for the duration of the year. Musial, at 6 feet (180 cm) tall, had maintained a weight of around 175 pounds (79 kg) throughout his career. He reported to spring training approximately 10 pounds (4.5 kg) overweight and in substandard physical condition. He began
7810-678: The Louisiana DOTD . Interstate 210 is an interstate highway bypass that loops through the southern portion of the city. The curving Israel LaFleur Bridge goes over the Calcasieu Ship Channel . This bridge has a 96% rating even after withstanding recent hurricanes. The loop has served Lake Charles commuters for 40 years, and carries about 40,000 vehicles per day. Stan Musial Stanley Frank Musial ( / ˈ m juː z i ə l , - ʒ əl / ; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial ; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed " Stan
7952-572: The United Methodist Church , National Baptist Convention, USA , Churches of Christ , Church of God in Christ , and the Assemblies of God USA . Additionally, outside of Christianity, there were an estimated 354 adherents of Islam in the city and metropolitan area. According to Dwellics and Sperling's BestPlaces , there is also a small Jewish population. In 2018, the violent crime rate in
8094-522: The 100-game-winning Dodgers. Cardinals manager Billy Southworth used Musial as a left fielder to begin 1942 , sometimes lifting him for a pinch-hitter against left-handed pitching. Musial was hitting .315 by late June, as the Cardinals resumed battling the Dodgers for first place in the National League (NL). The Cardinals took sole possession of first place on September 13, and when Musial caught
8236-526: The 1945 season while serving in the Navy . After completing his military service, Musial returned to baseball in 1946 and resumed his consistent hitting. That year he earned his second MVP award and third World Series title. His third MVP award came in 1948, when he finished one home run short of winning baseball's Triple Crown . After struggling offensively in 1959, Musial used a personal trainer to help maintain his productivity until he decided to retire in 1963. Over
8378-495: The 1959 season, John F. Kennedy approached Musial about supporting Kennedy's campaign for President , citing their close ages. Musial campaigned for Kennedy later that year and became a supporter of the Democratic Party. On June 30, 1959, Musial was the batter in one of the oddest plays in baseball history. In a game between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs , he was at the plate with a count of 3–1. Bob Anderson's next pitch
8520-434: The 1990s. In 2004, KPLC began broadcasting in digital as well as analog with the launch of KPLC-DT. Later in the year, the station launched its first local 24-hour weather channel, "KPLC WeatherPlus". Simultaneously, the station launched a service specifically for cellphones and PDAs, "7 On Your Cell". In March 2004, while workers were installing a new transmission tower in high winds, the old transmission tower fell, causing
8662-705: The Artists Civic Theatre and Studio (ACTS), and the Children's Theatre. Many festivals are held at the Civic Center. The most popular, the Louisiana Pirate Festival (formerly Contraband Days), is hosted on the Civic Center grounds and lakefront. The festival is a twelve-day annual festival held during the first two weeks of May. The celebrations are filled with savory Cajun food, family fun, and live entertainment, including several national acts. The festival
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#17328482118628804-502: The Calcasieu Parish School System, employs approximately 5,000 workers. The second-largest employer is L'Auberge Casino Resort, which has 2,400 workers. Several petrochemical plants and an oil refinery are located nearby along the Calcasieu Ship Channel . Turner Industries, Westlake Chemical Corporation , and Citgo each employ over a thousand people. The Trunkline LNG terminal, immediately southwest of Lake Charles,
8946-604: The Cardinals again faced the Yankees in the 1943 World Series . Musial had a single in the Cardinals' Game 1 loss, and scored a run in a Game 2 win. The Cardinals did not win another game in the Series, but the loser's bonus share paid to each Cardinals player ($ 4,321.99, equivalent to $ 76,100 in 2023) still amounted to nearly two-thirds of Musial's regular season salary. United States involvement in World War II began to impinge on Musial's baseball career in 1944 , as he underwent
9088-558: The Cardinals falling 14 games out of first place by September, manager Dyer used him at first base and all three outfield positions. New Cardinals manager Marty Marion led the team to a third-place finish in 1951 , while Musial led the National League with a .355 batting average, 355 total bases, 124 runs and 12 triples. He finished second in NL MVP voting for the third year in a row and was named The Sporting News Major League Player of
9230-414: The Cardinals in a three-game series in St. Louis and clinched the NL pennant on September 25. Musial's last game, on September 29, 1963, was preceded by an hour-long retirement ceremony. Speakers at the event included baseball commissioner Ford Frick , Cardinals broadcaster Harry Caray , and Cardinals owner Gussie Busch, who announced that Musial's uniform number "6" would be retired by the team. During
9372-490: The Cardinals team picnic on August 12 to publicly announce his decision, hopeful he could retire on a winning note. Musial became a grandfather for the first time in the early hours of September 10; later that day, he hit a home run in his first at-bat. After sweeping a doubleheader on September 15, the Cardinals had won 19 of their last 20 games, and were one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers then swept
9514-708: The Cardinals' general manager in 1967, winning the pennant and World Series , then resigning that position. Musial was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. In February 2011, President Barack Obama presented Musial with the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the highest civilian award that can be bestowed on a person by the United States government . Musial was born in Donora, Pennsylvania , as Stanislaw Franciszek Musial,
9656-578: The Contraband Bayou Golf Club, and the Country Club at Golden Nugget. Gray Plantation Golf Course is featured on Louisiana's Audubon Golf Trail. South Lake Charles Little League has had nationally winning teams televised on ESPN. The city has 31 parks, many of which include playground equipment, athletic facilities, and walking paths. Shiver-Me-Timbers Millennium Park, located downtown, was built entirely by volunteers in 2000. Adventure Cove,
9798-467: The Dodger fans had been chanting. Ward said, "Every time Stan came up they chanted, 'Here comes the man!'" "'That man,' you mean", Broeg said. "No, the man", replied Ward. Broeg mentioned this story in his Post-Dispatch column, and Musial was thereafter known as Stan "The Man". In June 1946, Dyer began to use Musial as a first baseman . The Cardinals finished the season tied with the Dodgers, prompting
9940-1042: The Doré School of Graduate Studies. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . Other properties include a 65-acre (260,000 m ) athletic plant and student apartment complex, the Louisiana Environmental Research Center, Burton Coliseum , the 503-acre (2.04 km ) MSU Farm, and nearly 1,600 acres (6.5 km ) of donated farm property used for research, farming, and ranching. Over 8,500 students attend McNeese. SOWELA Technical Community College offers associate degrees, technical diplomas, certificate programs, and general education courses that can transfer to four-year universities. Delta School of Business and Technology specializes in vocational courses. Lake Charles's public schools are operated by
10082-611: The Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, which will broadcast nearly all 2024–25 Pelicans games on Gray's stations in the Gulf South , including KPLC. KPLC and KVHP began 24-hour continuous coverage of Hurricane Laura on August 25, 2020, from their shared studio building, a few days after it provided some coverage of Hurricane Marco , which had affected Louisiana earlier that week; KPLC and KVHP were forced to relocate their operations to that of Baton Rouge sister station WAFB in
10224-522: The Lake Area. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, the Roman Catholic Church is the area's largest individual Christian denomination, with 51,161 adherents in Calcasieu Parish alone. The Southern Baptist Convention was the city and area's second largest denomination, followed by non-denominational Protestant churches. Other prominent Christian denominations have included
10366-645: The Lake Charles Symphony. It was founded in 1938 and hosts concerts at the Rosa Hart Theatre, which has a capacity of over 2,000. The Lake Charles Little Theatre was founded in 1927 and is the second oldest community theater in Louisiana. Lake Charles is home to a number of museums and art galleries. The largest, the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, features a permanent historical exhibit with artifacts and an art gallery. Its grounds are home to
10508-488: The Lake Charles area was of the highest in the United States, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent offenses tracked include rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. Lake Charles is safer than 13% of cities in the United States. For every 100,000 people, 13.11 daily crimes occur in Lake Charles. Year over year, crime in Lake Charles has decreased by 25%. The top employer,
10650-613: The Man ", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman . Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history, Musial spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), playing for the St. Louis Cardinals , from 1941 to 1944 and from 1946 to 1963. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 in his first year of eligibility. Musial
10792-610: The Musials into his own home to relieve the financial burden. To repay the debt, Musial bought Kerr a $ 20,000 (equivalent to $ 210,000 in 2023) home in Houston in 1958. In 113 games in 1940 he hit .311, while compiling an 18–5 pitching record that included 176 strikeouts and 145 walks . Musial was assigned to the Class AA Columbus Red Birds to begin 1941, though manager Burt Shotton and Musial himself quickly realized that
10934-449: The NL in the category. Jerry Lansche speculates Musial would likely have become the second player, after Babe Ruth , with 2,000 RBI, and would have exceeded 500 career home runs had he not served in the military. His lowest full season RBI output before the war was 72 (in 1942) and as he needed only 49 RBI to reach 2,000 for his full career, he certainly would have exceeded 2,000 RBI by playing without injury in 1945. His home run production
11076-582: The Navy as a Seaman Second Class in March 1946. In 2007, Musial received the Navy Memorial 's Lone Sailor Award , which honors Navy veterans who have excelled in civilian life. "Every time Stan came up they chanted, 'Here comes the man!'" —Cardinals traveling secretary Leo Ward relates Dodger fans' nickname for Musial to sportswriter Bob Broeg Rejoining the Cardinals under new manager Eddie Dyer , Musial posted
11218-531: The Sallier oak tree, which is around 400 years old. The Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is used as exhibition space; moving art exhibits are displayed at this public art gallery each month. It also hosts the Charlestown Farmers' Market, which provides a venue for local farmers and merchants to sell goods. The Central School Arts and Humanities Center, located in the historical Charpentier District,
11360-672: The South. Other studios and cultural activities include the Art Associates Gallery, Studio 347 Gallery, the Lake Charles Symphony, and the Lake Charles Community Band. McNeese State University produces the annual Banners Series of various musical and theatrical performances. Banners also hosts lectures and presentations from notable persons and academics. Local theaters include the Lake Charles Little Theatre,
11502-458: The Year ". "Line drive! Into left field! Hit number three thousand! A run has scored! Musial around first, on his way to second with a double. Holy Cow! He came through!" — Harry Caray 's radio play-by-play call of Musial's 3,000th major league hit Musial signed one of the first $ 100,000 contracts in NL history on January 29, 1958. (According to Baseball Almanac, Hank Greenberg was the first with Pittsburgh in 1947.) He quickly demonstrated
11644-480: The Year. "No man has ever been a perfect ballplayer. Stan Musial, however, is the closest to being perfect in the game today.... He plays as hard when his club is away out in front of a game as he does when they're just a run or two behind." — Ty Cobb , on Musial in a 1952 Life magazine article National media attention inadvertently turned to Musial a month before the 1952 season began, after Ty Cobb wrote an article regarding modern baseball players that
11786-613: The air due to being on the UHF frequency (before all-channel tuning was made mandatory on TVs in 1962 ) and unable to compete with KPLC in 1961. This changed in the early 1980s when LPB outlet KLTL (channel 18) signed on in 1981, and independent-turned-Fox affiliate KVHP (channel 29) signed on a year later. In 1964, Lanford sold KPLC to a St. Louis group headed by investor Elliot Stien. He visited KPLC frequently along with his friend, St. Louis Cardinals baseball legend Stan Musial . Shortly after this sale, ABC programming began to disappear from
11928-766: The air. KPLC was also simulcast on KJEF-CA in Jennings . In January 2006, Liberty and KPLC were purchased by Raycom Media, which also owned two other Louisiana television stations, KSLA in Shreveport and WAFB in Baton Rouge. In August 2012, KPLC started broadcasting in HD with a new HD studio. Until 2015, KPLC doubled as the default NBC affiliate for the Lafayette market, since that market did not have an NBC affiliate of its own. Before its purchase by Raycom, it even included Lafayette as one of
12070-437: The all-time National League hits record and second to only Ty Cobb on the all-time Major League list. Musial's last career hit was out of reach of Cincinnati Reds second baseman Pete Rose , who would go on to break Cobb's record to become baseball's all-time hit king. "All Musial represents is more than two decades of sustained excellence and complete decency as a human being." —Broadcaster Bob Costas , on Musial At
12212-412: The backstop to retrieve the ball. The ball wound up in the hands of field announcer Pat Pieper , but Dark ended up getting it back anyway. Absentmindedly, however, Delmore pulled out a new ball and gave it to Taylor. Anderson finally noticed that Musial was trying for second, took the new ball, and threw it to second baseman Tony Taylor . Anderson's throw flew over Taylor's head into the outfield. Dark, at
12354-519: The cities it served in station identifications. It operated a "virtual station" for Acadiana cable systems and sold advertising in the area. On July 1, 2015, KLAF-LD became Lafayette's first local NBC affiliate since KLNI's shutdown in 1975, and local cable providers removed KPLC and Baton Rouge NBC affiliate WVLA from channel lineups. On August 31, 2017, KPLC-DT2 became the market's CW affiliate. Virtual sister KVHP, which formerly operated as an affiliate of The CW Plus on its DT2 subchannel, launched
12496-575: The city reached 137 miles per hour (220 km/h). Many windows were blown out of Capital One Tower downtown. A communications tower collapsed onto the KPLC studio building (which had been evacuated) and part of a sky bridge was blown out. The radar at the NWS Lake Charles forecast office (whose staff evacuated, with the office's operations transferred to the Brownsville, Texas office) was destroyed around
12638-556: The city's NWS radar was also destroyed in the storm. Staff returned to the KPLC building on September 26; the anchor desk was moved to the station's newsroom. While KPLC was able to resume operations following the hurricane, KVHP remained silent due to a lack of an alternate transmitter; as a result, Fox provided a Foxnet -like feed to cable companies in Southwestern Louisiana for a temporary period until KVHP resumed full operations at
12780-406: The city. Lake Charles soon rebuilt, grew and expanded in the twentieth century. The Charleston Hotel was completed in 1929, during the administration of Mayor Henry J. Geary. During and after World War II , Lake Charles experienced industrial growth with the arrival of petrochemical refineries. The city grew to a high of some 75,000 people in the early 1980s, but with local economic recession,
12922-452: The couple's first child followed in August. During late August, Musial suffered a shoulder injury while playing in the outfield, and later made an early exit as the starting pitcher in a 12–5 playoff game loss. For a while Musial considered leaving baseball entirely, complaining that he could not afford to support himself and his wife on the $ 16 a week pay. Kerr talked him out of it, and even took
13064-472: The course of his career, Musial batted .331 and set National League (NL) records for career hits (3,630), (1815 at home, and 1815 on the road), runs batted in (1,951), games played (3,026), at bats (10,972), runs scored (1,949) and doubles (725). His 475 career home runs then ranked second in NL history behind Mel Ott 's total of 511. A seven-time batting champion, he was named the National League 's (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and
13206-423: The east, and Alexandria (channel 5), Shreveport (channels 3 , 6 , and 12 ) and Monroe (channels 8 , 10 , and 13 ) to the north. This created a large "doughnut" in southwestern Louisiana where there could only be one VHF license. KPLC-TV was fortunate to gain that license and eventually became the only station to be based in Lake Charles when the market's original TV station, KTAG-TV (channel 25), went off
13348-479: The end of 2020. KPLC presently broadcasts 27 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with five hours each weekday and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). During Hurricane Rita , which struck in September 2005, the station delivered around-the-clock news from a temporary, makeshift studio in a safer location than its normal studios in downtown Lake Charles. Similarly, during Hurricane Laura in August 2020,
13490-574: The fifth of the six children (four girls and two boys) of Lukasz Musial (originally Musiał; / ˈ m uː ʃ aʊ / ) and Mary Lancos. His mother was of Carpatho-Rusyn descent, and his father was a Polish immigrant who always referred to his son by the Polish nickname Stasiu, pronounced "Stashu". Young Stan frequently played baseball with his brother Ed and other friends during his childhood, and considered Lefty Grove his favorite ballplayer. Musial also learned about baseball from his neighbor Joe Barbao,
13632-414: The foot of Pujo Street downtown. Throughout the two World Wars, Mardi Gras was downsized which led to a lack of participation by the area's youth. However, an interest in redeveloping the festivities arose, and the first Mardi Gras Ball in Lake Charles was staged in 1964. The full revival of Mardi Gras in Lake Charles was not realized until 1979, when several Krewe captains formed the "Krewe of Krewes", with
13774-484: The game entered extra innings. Leading off the bottom of the 12th, he hit a home run to give the NL a 6–5 victory. The 1956 season marked another milestone for Musial, when he broke Mel Ott 's NL record for extra-base hits on August 12. Earlier that season, Cardinals general manager "Trader Frank" Lane began negotiations to trade him for Philadelphia pitcher Robin Roberts . When Cardinals owner Gussie Busch learned of
13916-461: The game, Musial recorded a single in the fourth inning, then hit a single to right field that scored teammate Curt Flood in the sixth. Cardinals manager Johnny Keane brought in Gary Kolb as a pinch-runner for Musial, bringing his major league career to an end. Just as he had recorded two base hits in his major league debut, Musial finished his last game with two hits, as well. Musial finished with
14058-627: The largest gap since Rogers Hornsby 's 1925 season—Musial became the first player to win three NL MVP awards. If a home run he hit during a rained out game had been counted in his season totals, he would have won the Triple Crown by leading the NL in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Anticipating life after his baseball career, Musial began the first of several business partnerships with Julius "Biggie" Garagnani in January 1949, opening "Stan Musial & Biggie's" restaurant. He approached
14200-407: The late afternoon hours of August 26, as mandatory evacuation orders had been issued for the city of Lake Charles ahead of the hurricane's landfall. When the hurricane made landfall in the early morning hours of August 27, both stations were forced off the air after their studio-to-transmitter-link tower collapsed onto the roof of their shared studio building and punctured a hole in the building's roof;
14342-413: The mayor, the clerk of court, and seven city council members. Each council member represents a district within the city limits. One is elected president and presides over each meeting. The mayor serves a four-year term. The current mayor is Nic Hunter . The mayor appoints the city attorney . The Lake Charles Police Department (LCPD) provides law enforcement and protection for the city. The police chief
14484-561: The next three games at Yankee Stadium , Musial had three more hits as the Cardinals defeated the Yankees in the Series four games to one. Musial batted .222 for the Series, with two runs scored . Musial's 1943 season started with a brief contract holdout in spring training . He made the National League All-Star team for the first time as a starting left fielder and got a double in the All-Star Game on July 13. He finished
14626-461: The players' pension fund, Major League Baseball held two All-Star games in a season for the first time through 1962. Musial made his 16th All-Star appearance (16th season) and pinch-hit in both contests, flying out in the July 7 game and drawing a walk in the August 3 game. He finished the season with 115 regular game appearances, a .255 batting average, 37 runs, and a slugging percentage of .428. During
14768-455: The population declined and stagnated. In 1985, the city was identified as a potential Strategic Homeport to support Navy Secretary John Lehman 's desire for a 600-ship Navy . Support ships were to be operated from the new Naval Station Lake Charles; but with the tailing-off of the Cold War , the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended it be closed. By 1991, the incomplete base
14910-466: The population. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the racial and ethnic makeup for Lake Charles was 46.2% Black or African American, 42.5% non-Hispanic white, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% Asian, 2.6% some other race, 5.6% two or more races, and 5.6% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. In common with most of the American South , Christianity is the predominant religion in
15052-479: The possible move, he made it clear that Musial was not available for any trade. Instead, Lane dealt Musial's close friend Schoendienst to the New York Giants; an upset Musial made no immediate comment to the press. On June 11, 1957 , Musial tied the NL record for consecutive games played with his 822nd, a streak that began on the last day of the 1951 season. Despite ballot stuffing by Cincinnati Reds fans, he
15194-606: The previous year's injury had considerably weakened his arm. He was reassigned to the Class C Springfield Cardinals as a full-time outfielder, and he later credited manager Ollie Vanek for displaying confidence in his hitting ability. During 87 games with Springfield, Musial hit a league-leading .379 before being promoted to the Rochester Red Wings of the International League . He was noted for his unique batting stance,
15336-901: The primary purpose of parading and promoting Mardi Gras for local residents. In 1985, Mardi Gras of Imperial Calcasieu, Inc. was formed by a group of civic-minded volunteers to further aid in the preservation of this festival. Mardi Gras in Lake Charles regularly draws in crowds of 150,000. Some of the city's cultural events include Chuck Fest, Martin Luther King Festival, Livestock Show & Rodeo, Black Heritage Festival, Garden Festival, Palm Sunday Tour of Homes, Downtown at Sundown, Memorial Day Avenue of Flags, Crawfish Festival, Asian/American Culturefest, Cajun French, Creole, Zydeco Music & Zydeco Trail Rides, Food Festivals, Marshland Festival, Gatorman Triathlon, Music & Food Festival, Arts Fest, and Riverside Fall Festival. Lake Charles has four libraries. The largest, with over 400,000 volumes,
15478-432: The road. Steven R. Bullock speculates that it is possible that without military service Musial might have continued playing to attempt to exceed Ty Cobb 's career hit record of 4,191. Musial recorded 8 five-hit games and 59 four-hit games in his 22-year MLB career. He had two 3-home run games, on May 2, 1954 and July 8, 1962. As a pinch-hitter, he recorded a .276 batting average (37-for-134) in that role in his career. He
15620-407: The sale. NASCO refused. On September 23, Chambers, through counsel, informed NASCO that he would not file the necessary papers with the FCC. In 1986, the U.S. District Court ordered Chambers to sell the station to NASCO, and the deal was consummated on August 26, 1986. Less than two months after the sale of KPLC to NASCO, Cosmos Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Liberty Life Insurance Company , purchased
15762-529: The same time NASCO considered purchasing the station. The sale was approved by the FCC on December 20. The sale was completed on January 2, 2019. On December 30, 2023, KPLC parent company Gray Television announced it had reached an agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans to air 10 games on the station during the 2023–24 season . On September 17, 2024, Gray and the Pelicans announced a broader deal to form
15904-431: The same time that Anderson threw the new ball, threw the original ball to shortstop Ernie Banks . Musial did not see Dark's throw and only noticed Anderson's ball fly over the second baseman's head, so he tried to go to third base. On his way there, he was tagged by Banks, and after a delay he was ruled out. Based on his 1959 performance, Musial accepted a pay cut in 1960 from his previous $ 100,000 salary to $ 80,000. He
16046-410: The season leading the NL in hits (207) while playing in every game. However, the Cardinals, with 96 wins, finished one game behind the Dodgers. In the late 1940s, when baseball was slowly becoming integrated , Musial—along with his roommate Red Schoendienst—would be lauded by newcomers such as Dodgers' pitcher Don Newcombe for their tolerance. "They never...had the need to sit in the dugout and call
16188-413: The season leading the major leagues in hitting with a .357 batting average and led the NL in hits (220), doubles (48), triples (20), total bases (347), on-base percentage (.425), and slugging percentage (.562). This performance earned him his first NL Most Valuable Player Award , ahead of teammate and catcher Walker Cooper (.318 batting average). After romping to another NL pennant by 18 games,
16330-434: The season with one hit in 15 at-bats. Despite his early offensive struggles, he single-handedly spoiled potential no-hitters on April 16 and 19. A game-winning home run on May 7 made him the first major league player ever with 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. As he continued to hit at a relatively low pace, his playing time was limited by Cardinals manager Solly Hemus at various points during the season. Seeking more revenue for
16472-411: The station and KAIT of Jonesboro, Arkansas , from NASCO. This resulted in KPLC becoming a sister station to New Orleans NBC affiliate and first Louisiana TV station WDSU until that station was sold in 1989. Within the next two years, the station adopted a circle 7 logo and its current slogan "7 at your service". KPLC was one of the first television stations in the U.S. to launch its own website in
16614-874: The station evacuated to the studios of sister station WAFB in Baton Rouge. At the time, KPLC's tower ripped and partially collapsed during the storm. The station's signal is multiplexed : KPLC shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition VHF channel 8 to channel 7 for post-transition operations. In 2021, KPLC launched two UHF translators, K36QM in Iowa and K32PB (now KGCH-LD) in western Calcasieu Parish between Starks and Vinton to help strengthen its signal along Interstate 10 and Lake Charles' southwestern suburbs. Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles
16756-512: The station's lineup, as then-recently launched stations KBMT in Beaumont provided a grade A signal to Lake Charles and Lafayette's KATC a grade B signal. Lanford continued to own fellow NBC affiliate KALB in Alexandria until 1993. In 1970, G. Russell Chambers purchased KPLC-TV from the St. Louis group and dramatically increased the station's coverage by adding a 1,500-foot (460 m) tower, providing
16898-617: The stations could be spaced. After the FCC's Sixth Report and Order ended the license freeze and opened the UHF band in 1952, it devised a plan for allocating VHF licenses. Under this plan, almost all of the country would be able to receive two commercial VHF channels plus one noncommercial channel. Most of the rest of the country ("1/2") would be able to receive a third VHF channel. Other areas would be designated as "UHF islands" since they were too close to larger cities for VHF service. The "2" networks became CBS and NBC, "+1" represented non-commercial educational stations, and "1/2" became ABC (which
17040-473: The team. Busch used the resources of the Anheuser-Busch company to purchase the Cardinals, keeping Musial in St. Louis by averting the possibility of a move by the team to another city. The 1953 season marked Musial's 10th NL All-Star selection, and the 12th consecutive time he finished a major league season with a batting average above .300. Musial accomplished another historical feat on May 2, 1954 , in
17182-437: The time of his retirement, Musial held or shared 17 major league records, 29 NL records, and nine All-Star Game records. Among those records, he ranked as the major league career leader in extra-base hits (1,377) and total bases (6,134). He also held NL career marks in categories such as hits (3,630) , games played (3,026), doubles (725) , and RBI (1,951) . He finished his career with 475 home runs despite never having led
17324-516: The time of landfall, with its dome and much of its internal equipment sheared from the radar tower's base. A few weeks later, Hurricane Delta also hit Lake Charles. Lake Charles is the principal city of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area , which had a population of 240,082 as of 2023. It is the larger principal city of the Lake Charles-DeRidder combined statistical area , with
17466-466: Was Buddy Griffey, father of MLB player Ken Griffey Sr. and grandfather to Ken Griffey Jr. His exploits as a rising player in Pennsylvania earned him the nickname "The Donora Greyhound". Musial also played basketball and was offered an athletic scholarship in that sport by the University of Pittsburgh . Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals had scouted Musial as a pitcher and, in 1937, offered him
17608-492: Was a major beneficiary of a quirk in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s plan for allocating stations. In the early days of broadcast television, there were twelve VHF channels available and 69 UHF channels (later reduced to 55 in 1983). The VHF bands were more desirable because they carried longer distances. Since there were only twelve VHF channels available, there were limitations as to how closely
17750-413: Was a member of three World Series championship teams. At the time of his retirement, he held or shared 17 major league records and 29 National League records. He also shares the major league record for the most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays . In addition to overseeing personal businesses, including a restaurant, both during and after his playing career, Musial served as
17892-540: Was a period of adjustment both on and off the field. He began gaining more in-depth knowledge about baseball strategy while posting a 6–6 win–loss record and a 4.66 earned run average (ERA), to go along with a .258 batting average . Off the field, he experienced feelings of homesickness while learning to live comfortably and independently on his $ 65-per-month salary (equivalent to $ 1,150 in 2023). Musial finished his high school education before returning to Williamson in spring 1939. That season his numbers improved to
18034-515: Was assigned to Special Services in Hawaii , and was assigned to a ferry launch unit to bring back damaged ship crews entering Pearl Harbor where he was able to play baseball every afternoon in the naval base's eight-team league. After being granted emergency leave to see his ailing father in January 1946, he was briefly assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard before his honorable discharge from
18176-413: Was born in Donora, Pennsylvania , where he frequently played baseball informally or in organized settings, and eventually played on the baseball team at Donora High School . Signed to a professional contract by the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher in 1938, Musial was converted into an outfielder and made his major league debut in 1941. Noted for his unique batting stance, he quickly established himself as
18318-549: Was called up to the Cardinals for the last two weeks of the 1941 season. Musial made his major league debut during the second game of a doubleheader at Sportsman's Park on September 17, 1941. The Cardinals were in the midst of a pennant race with the Brooklyn Dodgers ; in 12 games, Musial collected 20 hits for a .426 batting average. Despite Musial's late contributions, the Cardinals finished two and one-half games behind
18460-530: Was dropped from the program and shuttered. In 2005, the city was heavily damaged by Hurricane Rita . In 2020, it was battered by two hurricanes, Category 4 Hurricane Laura on August 26–27, and Hurricane Delta on October 9, 2020. Lake Charles after the hurricane was described as if “20 tornadoes came in and wiped the city”. The southern portion of the city was damaged by an EF2 tornado on October 27, 2021, and an EF1 tornado caused minor damage to downtown Lake Charles on May 13, 2024. Lake Charles, located on
18602-521: Was eager to prove that his mediocre performance was the result of improper physical conditioning, and he enlisted the help of Walter Eberhardt, Saint Louis University 's director of physical education. In June 1960, newspaper articles began speculating that Musial would soon retire, yet he finished the season with a .275 batting average. He addressed the speculation in September, confirming that he would play again in 1961 . His .288 batting average that season reaffirmed his decision. In 1962, Musial posted
18744-467: Was errant, evading catcher Sammy Taylor and rolling all the way to the backstop. Umpire Vic Delmore called ball four, even as Anderson and Taylor contended that Musial had foul tipped the ball. Because the ball was still in play and Delmore was embroiled in an argument with the catcher and pitcher, Musial kept running in attempt to make second base. Seeing that Musial was trying for second, Alvin Dark ran to
18886-428: Was ever as good as Joe DiMaggio." The only major league pitching appearance of Musial's career occurred as a publicity stunt during the last Cardinals home game of the 1952 season. Manager Eddie Stanky had a reluctant Musial pitch to Frank Baumholtz , the runner-up to Musial for the best batting average in the NL that season. With Baumholtz batting right-handed for the first time in his career, Musial's first pitch
19028-807: Was founded by merchant and tradesman Marco Eliche (or Marco de Élitxe) as an outpost. He was a Sephardic Jewish trader of either Basque-Spanish or Venetian-Italian origins. He had arrived in Louisiana after hitchhiking and was invited onto a Spanish vessel due to his determination and loyalty to volunteer and work freely for the Spanish Empire. Long before incorporation and even before the Louisiana Purchase , other names for Lake Charles were Porte du Lafitte (Port of Jean Lafitte ) or Rivière Lafitte (River Lafitte/Lafitte's River), among many other names now lost. Eliche had also founded other outposts and towns in Louisiana prior, most notably Marksville , which
19170-491: Was given a $ 5,000 raise later in 1946. It was also during the 1946 season that Musial acquired his nickname of Stan the Man . During the June 23 game against the Dodgers at Ebbets Field , St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Bob Broeg heard Dodger fans chanting whenever Musial came to bat, but could not understand the words. Later that day over dinner, Broeg asked Cardinals traveling secretary Leo Ward if he had understood what
19312-427: Was hit so hard it ricocheted off the shin of third baseman Solly Hemus and into the left field corner. The play was ruled an error , and Musial was embarrassed enough by his complicity in the gimmick to avoid pitching again for the remainder of his career. The Cardinals franchise was up for sale in early 1953 , and Musial and Schoendienst advised their friend and fellow duck-hunter Gussie Busch to consider buying
19454-587: Was once the main economic engine of the area. The Calcasieu Ship Channel , which allows large ocean-going vessels to sail up from the Gulf, also borders the city. The 2010 census recorded Lake Charles total land size was 48.6 sq miles was to 2023 census records Lake Charles being 61.35 sq miles in total size. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 44.8 square miles (116.0 km ), of which 42.0 square miles (108.9 km )
19596-455: Was published in Life magazine . Cobb singled out Musial and Phil Rizzuto as the only players "who can be mentioned in the same breath with the oldtime greats". Cobb went on to refer to Musial as "a better player than Joe DiMaggio was in his prime." In response, Musial displayed his characteristic modesty, saying, "Cobb is baseball's greatest. I don't want to contradict him, but I can't say that I
19738-404: Was selected and played in the All-Star Game held at Sportsman's Park. When he overextended his swing while batting during a game on August 23, Musial fractured a bone in his left shoulder socket and tore muscles over his collarbone . He was unable to play again until September 8, ending his consecutive games-played streak at 895. He finished 1957 as Sports Illustrated ' s " Sportsman of
19880-430: Was the first major league player to appear in more than 1,000 games at two different positions, registering 1,896 games in the outfield and 1,016 at first base. Since Musial's retirement in 1963, Tony Gwynn has been the only player to finish his career with a higher lifetime batting average . Hank Aaron has been the only player to surpass his record of 6,134 total bases . In Musial's 3,026 major league appearances, he
20022-444: Was the weakest network usually winding up with the UHF allocation where no VHF was available). However, what would become of the Lake Charles market was sandwiched between Houston (channels 2 , 8 , 11 and 13 ), Beaumont – Port Arthur (channels 4 , 6 , and 12 ) and Lufkin ( channel 9 ) to the west, Lafayette (channels 3 and 10 ), Baton Rouge (channels 2 and 9 ) and New Orleans (channels 4 , 6 , 8 and 12 ) to
20164-569: Was then a common practice, the Cardinals did not file the contract with the baseball commissioner 's office until June 1938. This preserved Musial's amateur eligibility, and he was still able to participate in high school sports, leading Donora High School's basketball team to a playoff appearance. He then reported to the Cardinals' Class D affiliate in West Virginia , the Williamson Red Birds . Musial's rookie year with Williamson in 1938
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