What was your first ballpark experience

[DwaininAztec]

Sometime around '56 we started going down to St. Lou a couple of times a year to see the games. Mom was as big a fan as Dad. We usually took a friend of ours whose father had abandoned the family. He asked Dad to take care of his boy which we did in terms of baseball plus other stuff. Going down 40 to Grand took at least 2 hours going through every town along the way. It was usually a night game at Sportsman Park/Busch Stadium. I don't remember who we played or how the games ended, but I can tell you that was the brightest green I had ever seen.

Dad told me to watch Julian Javier on every play. I also played 2B from PeeWee League on.

Later the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts went down, and I believe it was with them that I saw that young guy, Frank Howard, hit an extra inning home run over the Eagle on top of the scoreboard behind the bleachers in left field.

The Bank sponsored the Little League team I played on and got us tickets all 3 years I played Little League baseball.

[DwaininAztec]

Some of the posters are incorrectly saying their first Cardinal game was at Sportsman's Park but list years in the earl 1960's etc. That is incorrect.
The stadium was orginally Sportsman's Park until August Busch bought the team in 1953 renaming it Busch Stadium that same year .
So if your first Cardinal game was on Grand Ave. in 1953 or later , you went to Busch Stadium NOT Sportsman's Park.

My first game was at Busch Stadium on Grand Ave. when I was 8 years old .. which was 1956 . BTW My dad and uncles did often refer to it as Sportsman's Park as it was called that for so many years.

I do remember a game seeing Stan Musial hit a game winning HR vs Pirates in the bottom of 9th .. 2 outs , 2 strikes on 'The Man' trailing by a run.
Stan hit if over the right field pavillion high screen . In those days, the term 'walk off HR ' was not part of baseball lingo. Fans just called it a game winner back then.

Our parents still called it Sportsman Park.

[ramfandan]

Some of the posters are incorrectly saying their first Cardinal game was at Sportsman's Park but list years in the earl 1960's etc. That is incorrect.
The stadium was orginally Sportsman's Park until August Busch bought the team in 1953 renaming it Busch Stadium that same year .
So if your first Cardinal game was on Grand Ave. in 1953 or later , you went to Busch Stadium NOT Sportsman's Park.

My first game was at Busch Stadium on Grand Ave. when I was 8 years old .. which was 1956 . BTW My dad and uncles did often refer to it as Sportsman's Park as it was called that for so many years.

I do remember a game seeing Stan Musial hit a game winning HR vs Pirates in the bottom of 9th .. 2 outs , 2 strikes on 'The Man' trailing by a run.
Stan hit if over the right field pavillion high screen . In those days, the term 'walk off HR ' was not part of baseball lingo. Fans just called it a game winner back then.

Our parents still called it Sportsman Park.

Same as my Dad and uncles... old habits are hard to change especially after calling it Sportsmans Park . However, I always used the Busch Stadium name as that was the big sign on the stadium when I first attended .
Kinda reminds me of Green Bay. The Packers orginally played at City Stadium (later the Green Bay East HS stadium ). Then the current stadium opened in 1957 using the informal name 'New City Stadium in 1957. It remained that for 8 years til Curly Lambeau old player /coach passed away and the City Council renamed it after him Lambeau Field in 1965. Some of the old timers in 1965 and a few years beyond would still call it New City Stadium .

[Colotiger]

1956. Yankees vs. White Sox. Night game at Comiskey with my grandpa. I fell asleep.

[Cranny]

Watching Harry "The Cat" Brecheen pitch at Sportsman's Park in 1949.

[AZGOLF]

Wrigley Field, I was probably 7 or 8 so it must have been 63 or 64. Don't remember a whole lot. Tracy Stallard was Cards pitcher. Bob Skinner hit a HR. Stallard pitched a shut out, 4-0.

First game at Busch ll was late in 66 season. Played the Braves. Aaron hit a solo shot.

[sp25]

August 1972, I was 11. My dad took me and my two brothers to a 3-game series against the last place Phillies at Busch Stadium II.

Game one, rookie Cardinals pitcher Don Durham hit a 3-run homer and led most of the game before the Phillies rallied with 6 runs in the 8th to win. I think this was the game when we received souvenir plastic batting helmets (I still have mine!).

Game two, Cardinals cast off Steve Carlton pitched a shoutout to win his 17th game of the season on his way to 27 wins.

Finally, the great Al Santorini salvaged a Cardinals victory in game 3 with a complete game shutout, 6-0.

Our favorite player, Lou Brock, had only one hit over the weekend, a Texas League double against Carlton. No stolen bases.

Baseball footnote: Ted Sizemore hit a triple in the third game but was thrown out at home trying for an inside the park home run. Before we left town we learned that Bob Gibson would be pitching against Tom Seaver the next night. Dad! Can we please stay for one more night and see these two greats pitch? Nope, gotta go home and get back to the office. So Monday night, Gibson was leading 2-1 in the 9th inning when doubles by Ken Boswell and Duffy Dyer tied the game. The Cardinals eventually would win in the 13th inning - on an inside the park home run by Ted Sizemore! (Lou had a hit and a stolen base in the game as well. Missed seeing it!)

Other highlights of the weekend included:
-a trip up in the Arch, of course
-a fun afternoon at Grant's farm to see the Clydesdales
-a memorable trip on the SS Admiral, loved it!

Overall, a lifetime of memories!

[Sheepdawg]

1962, My dad had a big customer in St. Louis who had seats behind the Cardinal's dugout. We got there early and I got Ken Boyer to sign my glove.

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

The old man was never much a drinker, but boy he loved him some women, especially in the early days. I was about 8 in the 80s and I remember Busty Hart dropping her knocks on this guys head and taking pictures. My dad took a long stare and said lucky guy my mom pushed him to keep walking.

Hey you asked.

[Bomber1]

1967 we lived in northern New Jersey. My Dad took me and my younger brother to Yankee Stadium for a Yankees-Senators game.
Saw Mickey Mantle and Frank Howard homer, Senators won.

Just a great experience and memory.

[sikeston bulldog2]

This thread was cleverly disguised as an age poll. There are some old dudes here. Seeing another WS for you dudes will be a challenge.

[The Nard]

My dad may have brought me to ballgames at old Comiskey earlier, but my earliest remembrances there were during their 1959 pennant race. The whole city of Chicago was enthralled. Box scores and game summaries were printed on the front pages!

[sikeston bulldog2]

My dad may have brought me to ballgames at old Comiskey earlier, but my earliest remembrances there were during their 1959 pennant race. The whole city of Chicago was enthralled. Box scores and game summaries were printed on the front pages!

I’d say filling out a box score was an act of growing up. Question to the board- who here can fill out a box score to standard. It’s an art.

[The Nard]

Most old-timers here did it every game. It’s a lost art, today.

[Bomber1]

My dad may have brought me to ballgames at old Comiskey earlier, but my earliest remembrances there were during their 1959 pennant race. The whole city of Chicago was enthralled. Box scores and game summaries were printed on the front pages!

I’d say filling out a box score was an act of growing up. Question to the board- who here can fill out a box score to standard. It’s an art.

In the early ‘70’s my buddy and I would make scorecards from loose leaf paper and keep score while listening to Cardinal games (we moved from NJ to STL in 1970). Once we were old enough to attend games regularly we always bought a scorecard and pencil immediately after entering Busch II.

[sikeston bulldog2]

My dad may have brought me to ballgames at old Comiskey earlier, but my earliest remembrances there were during their 1959 pennant race. The whole city of Chicago was enthralled. Box scores and game summaries were printed on the front pages!

I’d say filling out a box score was an act of growing up. Question to the board- who here can fill out a box score to standard. It’s an art.

In the early ‘70’s my buddy and I would make scorecards from loose leaf paper and keep score while listening to Cardinal games (we moved from NJ to STL in 1970). Once we were old enough to attend games regularly we always bought a scorecard and pencil immediately after entering Busch II.

For some reason keeping a box score was empowering. You had to be able to paint the perfect picture thru symbols lines and numbers.