Donora will get plaque honoring baseball’s Musial

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

Donora native Stan “The Man” Musial, already immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame, will be honored with a plaque in his hometown from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

The PHMC announced the approval of 23 new historical markers across the state, including one to be installed in Donora.

“I filled out the application back in September. There were recommendations made and I sent in the official one in December,” said Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum volunteer Mark Pawelec. “People told me not to be surprised if it was rejected. Stan Musial was a slam dunk in my eyes.”

Pawelec said the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on the historical society’s plans to recognize Musial by unveiling a plaque later this summer. It will cost $2,150 just to have the iconic blue and yellow roadside sign cast by the PHMC.

“I wanted to have a really nice community event,” Pawelec said.

Because of the pandemic, the historical society and museum have been mostly inactive for the past year.  

“Probably this summer we will kick off the fundraising campaign,” Pawelec said.

He’s thrilled to be able to honor Musial. The museum set up a display for Musial’s 100th birthday last year, but because of the virus, it never opened to the public.

“He died in 2013. When we looked up the PHMC rules, people had to be dead 10 years before being recognized,” Pawelec said. “Last year, we checked the rules again and they had changed the rules and it was now five years. He was one of the top 10 baseball players of all time.”

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