Major League Baseball In St. Louis..... Part six of six -

by Joan M. Thomas

Monday, May 9, 1966 St. Louis Globe-Democrat bold-print streamer above the paper s front page title reads Cardinals Trade Sadecki for Cepeda. That news held great interest to avid baseball fans, but the historically significant story in St. Louis that day was contained in the headlines below that read Curtain Rings Down on Old Sportsman s Park. On the previous day, the last Major League baseball game to be played at that venerable old ball grounds on Grand Avenue - by then named Busch Stadium after its owner - took place between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. Immediately following the contest, home plate was flown by helicopter to a majestic new facility downtown. Officially called Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium, it inspired wonderment in the hearts of baseball fans.
In this last installment of six stories chronicling every Major League ballpark constructed in St. Louis, the St. Louis Cardinals domicile since 1966 is the subject recounted.

Busch Stadium
In the late 1950s, Mr. C. L. Farris, executive director of the Land Clearance Authority, brought up the idea of building a sports stadium in downtown St. Louis. He believed that it could aid in a transformation of the city s then-blighted riverfront. Soon, a competition for designing a new stadium commenced. Setting a target date of 1964 for its inauguration - to coincide with the bicentennial of the city s founding - officials estimated the new stadium cost alone at $22 million. The entire project, meant to revitalize the downtown area was calculated at $89 million.
The stadium, intended for use by both the Baseball and Football Cardinals, would be financed by private capital. According to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat s account, the biggest single contribution was made by August A. Busch, head of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., who pledged $5,000,000. Funding for the overall plan, which called for improvements in a 34-block area, was obtained through a public bond issue and other sources.
In 1963, an internationally known architect, Edward Durrell Stone, unveiled his design for the new stadium. Meeting all the criteria set by the project s planners, who wanted something of lasting beauty to compliment the then-not-yet-completed Gateway Arch, it resembled a masterpiece of ancient engineering, the inimitable Roman Colosseum.
The final stage in erecting the world-renown Gateway Arch occurred late in 1965. Following a number of delays in the construction of the new stadium, including a fire and several union disputes, on May 12, 1966, the cry of Play Ball! resounded throughout the spacious concrete enclosure for the first time. Many fans thronging inside to witness the inaugural game, that matched the baseball Cardinals with the Atlanta Braves, got their first inside view of the new amphitheater. Looking upwards in the huge round arena, they could observe a 70-foot canopy, supported by a row of open arches, encircling the top. Starting 130 feet above the playing field, the apertures allowed patrons in part of the upper deck a good view of the city s newly completed majestic arch.
Though ham and cheese sandwiches replaced the traditional hot dogs, because the gas had not yet been connected to the grills at the concession stands, there was little else to complain about on that cool 55-degree evening in May. The $1.5 million electric score-board, featuring a native cardinal bird, designed to flutter and chirp for a home run, thrilled the reported 46,048 fans in attendance. When interviewed by a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, one of those fans described the new facility as the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
That evening s opening ceremonies included a helicopter touching down on center field to deliver the American flag. The Cards finally took to the field shortly after eight. Cardinal pitcher, Ray Washburn, delivered the first pitch, and the redbirds demonstrated their appreciation of their new home by defeating the Braves 4 to 3 in 12 innings.
Thus began the illustrious annals of what we today simply call Busch Stadium. A fairly new concept at the time that used a circular design, as opposed to the traditional rectangular, or oval shape, football as well as baseball games could be held there. Moveable seats could convert the field to accommodate either sport. This was then the vision of the future.
During the first summer Busch hosted the annual All-Star Game on July 12. The thermometer recorded 106 degrees that day, and of the 49,936 people reported in attendance, some 135 fans suffered heat prostration. It s hard to say how many sweltering ticket holders remained at the game s tenth inning conclusion - the Nationals won 2 - 1.
Throughout the rest of the 20th Century, the downtown stadium hosted countless memorable baseball events - not always associated with a heat wave. There, the Cardinals played in five World Series, winning in 1967 and 1982. Faithful fans witnessed future Hall of Fame inductees play in Cardinal uniforms - Orlando Cepada, Steve Carlton, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson. Plus, Red Schoendienst s ability as manager earned him a spot in the National Shrine. Announcers Harry Caray - who left St. Louis in 1970 after a quarter-century as the Cards announcer, and of course, Jack Buck - who shared the booth with Caray from 1954 until the colorful Harry went to Chicago, lasted as the voice of the Cardinals until his death in 2002. And, now Ozzie Smith joins those illustrious names that will forever stand as the greatest in baseball.
Today Busch looks the same on the outside, not counting the statues of former Cardinal players - the first and largest being the familiar representation of Stan Musial, which was unveiled in 1968. Various changes to the interior have occured over the years. When the park first opened, the field s natural grass benefited from a soil-warming system that the Globe-Democrat called the first in the country. The paper also said that the remarkable field waters itself electronically. Then, in 1970, a revolutionary material called Astroturf replaced the grass. After the football Cardinals left town in 1988, the Cardinals long time owner, Gussie Busch, passed away the following year. His giant beer-making corporation, Anheuser-Busch, sold the Cardinals to a group of investers in 1995. A number of changes were made after that, the most notable being the removal of the once-revered Astroturf. Once again ballgames were played on real grass. The new owners made one other significant step backwards when they installed a manually operated scoreboard in center field.
Busch Stadium s rich history holds special recollections for each individual who ever saw a baseball game there. Many of us still tingle at the thought of one or more event we witnessed. The memory of Mark McGwire s spectacular 1998 season when he shattered the record with 70 home runs, remains fresh in our minds. Yet, every significant occasion, and every individual accomplishment, cannot possibly be covered in this brief history.
Not just the ballgames, but the accompanying sidelights, are dear to many. Some insist that the hotdogs served at Busch are the best of any park in the country. Most of us still fondly recall the seventh inning stretch tradition that showed a video of the Clydesdales prancing along to the tune of the buoyant Budweiser song Here comes the King, Here comes the big number one!
What the future holds for the park fashioned after an ancient arena built around 70 or 80 AD that still stands today, now looks ominous. When it opened, fans loved the fact that there were no poles to obstruct their view. If a new stadium replaces it, what wonders it will offer generations to come will be interesting. Whether one favors or opposes a new stadium, there is one thing for certain - we will always cherish those many moments of glee we experienced at Busch.
Which leads to this thought: If, in fact, Busch is demolished and replaced with a new, retro-style park, will today s youngsters in thirty years yearn for the Colosseum style stadium of their youth?