Senators Propose Stan Musial Bridge

Stan Musial already has a statue in St. Louis named after him.

If federal and state lawmakers get their way, a new Mississippi River bridge will also carry the name of the St. Louis Cardinals great.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois were proposing legislation Wednesday that would dub the new bridge the Stan Musial Memorial Bridge.

The bridge carrying Interstate 70 traffic opens in 2014.

During a conference call Wednesday before taking to the floor to propose the legislation, McCaskill reminisced about meeting Musial, and told reporters that she can already hear the bridge being nicknamed “The Stan Span,” or simply “The Stan.”

“I’m not sure that there’s anyone in St. Louis, or there will ever be anyone in St. Louis, that has the kind of love and affection that Stan Musial has and had," she said.  "Stan Musial was loved by Cardinal Nation for all the right reasons. It was never about him, it was never about the money. He was always kind."

Musial is considered one of baseball's greatest players, but he was beloved in St. Louis as much for his kind spirit and approachability. He died Saturday at age 92.

Two Missouri state senators introduced legislation Tuesday to name the bridge for Musial. Illinois lawmakers would need to do the same.