Busch Stadium is one of the anchors of my childhood. My family was never able to be a part of any playoff or World Series games, but there are still several moments that have stuck with me for decades.
When you talk about Busch Stadium, you have to be specific about which one you’re talking about. Many refer to Busch Stadium I which really was Sportsman’s Park that was renamed in 1953 when Anheuser-Busch bought the park. Busch Stadium II opened in 1966 and was a multi-purpose stadium until it was demolished for the stadium the St. Louis Cardinals have now which is Busch Stadium III.
I’ll kick this off with the first game I ever attended which was in the early 1970’s in Busch Stadium II. The Cardinals were playing the Montreal Expos and the team had a signing session before the game with Al Hrabosky who was the Cardinals closer at the time. I was blown away when I walked up to the table where Al was sitting and he called me “Jeff” (my real first name) and then signed an autograph for me. I wondered how Al could have known my name and didn’t remember I was wearing my St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt at the time that had my name on it. Duh.
My other major Busch Stadium II memory was in 1998 when my friends and I were sitting on the first base side of the field seats when Mark McGwire was kicked out of the game during an August game against the Braves. That was the game when fans littered the field with food and anything not tied down in protest. Thanks again for that moment, rookie umpire Sam Holbrook. I was also in the left field stands a day before McGwire hit home run number 60 with a glove on my hand, but nothing to show for it.
The last St. Louis Cardinals game I attended was on Nolan Arenado Bobblehead Day in April of 2022 which was ironic since that was the game when Nolan chose to serve his suspension for his role in a bench-clearing brawl against the Mets. I don’t have any great memories of that day as we got smoked by the Arizona Diamondbacks although Miles Mikolas pitched a great game. The player that subbed for Nolan at third base that game was a guy I had never heard of previously – Brendan Donovan. I remember Donovan made an error that day, but Harrison Bader made an epic sliding catch in center.
What are your most memorable days at Busch Stadium? I can’t wait to hear your stories.