No matter the subject, the persona Bob Costas projects into living rooms across America combines a rapier wit, concise insights, romanticism and leavened gravitas. The only person to win Emmy Awards for news, sports and entertainment, Bob seldom breaks character.

Stan Musial made him do it.

Bob delivered a eulogy at Stan’s funeral, choking up not once, but twice. The first time, he was sharing the story of Stan asking to play cards at an All-Star game with the Black players, gathered in a corner and ignored by the other White players. The second was when he conveyed the admiration that Mickey Mantle held for Stan. He relayed Mickey’s words, “Stan was a better man than me,” but stopped again to collect himself.

“I’ve learned this about myself,” Bob said later. “What sometimes chokes me up involuntarily isn’t stuff that’s sad. Decency chokes me up.”

Decency isn’t readily marketable for a media superstar. It is invaluable – make that essential – for the winner of the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement award, as are other traits that Bob shares with Stan: class, dignity, generosity, integrity and excellence.

Like Stan, Bob embraces humble beginnings. As a kid, he would listen to baseball broadcasts from the car in the driveway of his home on Long Island. The Pirates’ Bob Prince, Detroit’s Ernie Harwell, the Cardinals’ Harry Caray and Jack Buck were his heroes, equal to Mickey Mantle. Second, Stan and Bob share an adopted hometown. Bob’s first job after graduating from Syracuse was at KMOX as the voice of the ABA Spirits of St. Louis, where he proved that his polish was rooted in elbow grease.

From there, Bob blended humor, composure and sophistication to become The Guy for The Big Stuff at NBC: the NBA Finals, the World Series, six Super Bowls and 12 Olympics. He also became the network’s designated sports bon vivant, appearing with Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, even on “Meet the Press” and “Saturday Night Live.” Eventually, he hosted his own long-format interview shows for NBC and HBO.

And he reaped the rewards, including 29 Emmys and induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018. That same year, Bob earned the Ford C. Frick Award and a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Introducing Bob at Cooperstown, broadcast partner Joe Morgan, noted Bob’s “relentless work ethic. Costas has served as one of the game’s great ambassadors, leaving an indelible mark on the national pastime while inspiring a generation of media who saw in him the possibility of achieving a career in sports broadcasting.”

But he’s just as noted for a generous spirit away from the microphone. For more than a quarter century, Bob has supported SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and its pediatric cancer center that bears his name. He has hosted fundraisers and celebrity galas as well as serving on its board of governors.

“When you see how a hospital, which can be a foreboding place for any patient, let alone a small child, is turned into a place of warmth and kindness and humanity, it’s deeply touching,” he says.

Like Stan, Bob makes time for everyone and everything, from hosting a charity benefit to a chat with a fan. His attention to detail in journalism matches Stan’s to baseball. Bob crafts his stories to be fair to all sides, with respect for balance, integrity and the English language. A fitting example comes from his eulogy for Stan: “It’s more important to be appreciated than to be glorified, to be respected than to be celebrated … friendship is more important than fame.”

So, Joe Morgan’s opening words at Cooperstown are especially poignant. Joe looked past the accolades and career highlights, saying simply and directly. “I’m introducing a friend today.” Nothing flashy; just plain decent.