[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

"They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.... And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."

--"Field of Dreams"

[in hoc signo vinces]

Go Astros!

[Spaghetti Man]

great quote!

[Cyclopean Squid]

Thanks for the memories, Busch. Many a new one will made made by your heir. Bravo to the St. Louis Cardinals, a classy ball club brimming with heart and talent. Congratulations to Larry Walker as he bids a fond farewell to baseball.

So much will change for the Cards next year. But the spirit of St. Louis will remain as potent as ever.

[stylin19a]

Went to a Cubs-Cardinals game at Busch a few years back.
I was the only Blue cap in a sea of Red caps.

I got up, looked around and turned around and yelled as loud as I could, "What the hell are all you Cardinal fans doing at a Cubs game ?"

It was off to the races after that...never did see much of the game.

[gubamyster]

"When you grow up and you come here and it's so magical and you're running and you're dad's telling you 'slow down, slow down,' but you want to run from the car, run from the garage and get up here and get your free hat or get your free helmet and see the Cardinals. And you want them to win so bad. To me, it's always been my favorite place, my favorite place in the entire world."

[MikefromOhio]

James Earl Jones was AWESOME in that movie....

[alfa6]

As a former resident of St. Louis and one who had attended games at Busch, baseball, Pro football and high school football. Let me say Salute...

For those of you not familar with the St. Louis skyline Busch Stadium in this pic is visible between the legs of the Arch.

And here is an overhead shot of the old and new baseball parks.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Colonel_Flagg]

"One more game, one more game, one more game," came a chant from just behind third base as the lights began to dim.

If and when my Twins ever get out of the Metrodome I expect the fans' chant to be "not one more minute!"

Goodbye to another great park.

[RobFromGa]

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."

Except for 1917.

[RichardW]

I question whether this new stadium was really needed. I thought the one built in 1965 was just fine but that was just me. But for what it is worth, my all-time favorite was the original "Busch Stadium" (AKA "Sportsman's Park") that was the home of the Cardinals until 1966. I loved that old ball park and used to go down there on the "Redbird Express." My first game was with my father in 1957 and we got in the left field bleachers for 75 cents each. An unknown player was in left field for the Pirates. Never heard of him until then. You might have heard of him -- Roberto Clemente. Stan Musial was of course playing then and was in one of his periodic slumps and the Pirates won that night. I watched several games there where Bob Gibson played (when he was an unknown) and watched several balls fly out onto Grand Avenue as I sat in the grandstand just to the right field foul post. Musial had those measurements down pat. Of course we had to park our cars in those makeshift lots in the surrounding neighborhoods.

I guess the new ballpark is what they are trying to get back to. I am no longer living in Missouri but perhaps I'll get a chance to see a game played there sometime in the future when I visit. I still think the current one was beautiful, however. But I guess the day of the "cookie cutter" parks is over. This had to be one of the finest.