Who actually saw Musial, Brock or Gibson play?

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I remember seeing Brock many times in person. And it was always spine-tingling in the bottom of the 1st when the public address announcer bellowed, "Now batting for the Cardinals, number 20, left fielder Lou Brock." The anticipation was palpable.

I especially remember one particular game involving Brock from 1966. He led off the game with a triple off Marichal off the CF wall and scored on a SAC fly in a game that ended up 2-1 Cardinals with Cepeda and McCovey each hitting tape measure solo HRs and Nelson Briles getting the win backed by 5 double plays.

I believe my younger brother and I were at that game, a noon, Thursday "Businessman's Special" at Busch II. McCovey's blast cleared the 414-foot sign in dead centerfield. That sound right to you? It was a fast game, too.

Yep, a weekday afternoon game. Took the Redbird Express. Yeah, McCovey hit the snot out of that one, and Cepeda's HR found the upper deck in LF.

[Ordinary Man]

I remember seeing Brock many times in person. And it was always spine-tingling in the bottom of the 1st when the public address announcer bellowed, "Now batting for the Cardinals, number 20, left fielder Lou Brock." The anticipation was palpable.

I especially remember one particular game involving Brock from 1966. He led off the game with a triple off Marichal off the CF wall and scored on a SAC fly in a game that ended up 2-1 Cardinals with Cepeda and McCovey each hitting tape measure solo HRs and Nelson Briles getting the win backed by 5 double plays.

I believe my younger brother and I were at that game, a noon, Thursday "Businessman's Special" at Busch II. McCovey's blast cleared the 414-foot sign in dead centerfield. That sound right to you? It was a fast game, too.

Yep, a weekday afternoon game. Took the Redbird Express. Yeah, McCovey hit the snot out of that one, and Cepeda's HR found the upper deck in LF.

I believe I was at that game too with my Dad. I had just finished 8th grade and had Straight A tickets. Our first time at the "new" stadium. I remember Cepeda's HR bouncing off the glass of the Stadium Club.

[ICCFIM2]

I was born in 1964, the year after Musial retired. I watched some Gibson games in the early 1970s as my dad was a big fan and wanted to see Gibson pitch live. So probably saw Bob start 7-8 games over a couple year period from 1971 - 1974. Brock I watched regularly. I also played little league baseball with his kid Lou Brock Jr. I met him several times. The best time was at a St. Louis Cardinal football game, where he and Jr. had seats next to my dad (purely coincidence). Since Jr. and I knew each other form little league baseball, I got to spend 3 hours talking to them. Great guy and a huge loss that he passed a few years ago.

[spfldan]

Some many posters, myself included, seemed to have inherited our love of baseball from our dads.
The best gift they could have given. A passion that they cultaved in our youth, shared with us in the best times,
and has remained with us into our senior years. So to all the fathers who were responsible for us getting to see in person
the likes Musial, Brock and Gibby, and all the cardinal greats, thanks dad, we have enjoyed it.

[Absolut]

Gibson but was too young to remember. Brock but he was a shell of himself when I saw him.

[Kelledr]

I worked in the Cardinals training area from 1967 through 1982. I saw all of them play and knew them personally. Their personalities were all different, but they were all class individuals especially Stan. Stan was always part of the team even after he retired and spent a lot of time at the stadium usually playing his harmonica, lol. Those times were very different from the point of view of how the game was played, drastically different from today. I’m sorry they are all gone, but I have great memories of that time in my life.

[45s]

Brock and Gibson and most of the NL players of that era. I'm 70 yo and just missed seeing Musual. I remember, as a kid in Central Illinois, trying to find the right spot in the house to pick up KMOX broadcasts on my transistor radio.

KMOX in Central Illinois?
Are you sure it wasn't a local station in Springfield, Decatur, Peoria, Bloomington, or Champaign?

KMOX broadcasted “100,000 clear channel watts” I believe.

We used to pick up Cardinal home games while driving through Georgia.

“50,000 red-hot watts.”

I was living in H and became a follower of the Blues and Hawks through KMOX

could only hear the later innings of cards games because it got dark so late...

[nighthawk]

I remember seeing Rube Waddell play... ...when there was no "Cardinal tradition." But who could forget the riveting "Cardinal tradition" of the 1950s and 1970s!

[sikeston bulldog2]

Just curious. Or ever met these three.

In person or on TV. Many times on TV. Never in person.

[eljibaro]

Saw Don Newcomb Beat Harry "The Cat" Brecheen at Sportmans Park in June 1950. We lost 9 to 0 as I recall.

[moose-and-squirrel]

Brocks company had an office in the same building as the one I work for in Westport. think I saw him once.. big smile.. bigger rug lol

[Bomber1]

Some many posters, myself included, seemed to have inherited our love of baseball from our dads.
The best gift they could have given. A passion that they cultaved in our youth, shared with us in the best times,
and has remained with us into our senior years. So to all the fathers who were responsible for us getting to see in person
the likes Musial, Brock and Gibby, and all the cardinal greats, thanks dad, we have enjoyed it.

Great post, really resonates with me!

[rockondlouie]

Brock & Gibby when I was a kid

Meet Stan the Man, nice as he could be to me!

Also meet Brock, same.

Meet Gibby too, mean as a snake.

[82birds]

I saw Stan The Man play at Busch Stadium in 1962 and 1963 and first saw Gibson and Brock at brand-new Busch Memorial Stadium in 1966. I met Brock in 1979, his last year as a player, the day after he’d taken over the league lead in hitting (.382), and met with him again in 1980. I met Gibson in 1981 while he was coaching the Mets for Joe Torre. I have yet to see their like.

no kidding Boiler Bird !

thanks, Old Red for fun thread.

of course I'm waaaay old enough to have seen them, if only I didn't live no where near a major league ballpark.

[Hazelwood72]

I was a 9 year old kid in 1963 attending my first Cardinal game and got to see Stan play that game against the Reds. I do remember he hit a ground rule double off the screen in right field. I was in awe of just being at old Sportsman Park thought it was unbelievable place to see a game. I was born and raised in Monette Arkansas and listened to Jack and Harry do those games felt like I was there! I saw Lou and Bob play numerous times over the year and was there the night Gibson took the line drive off his leg breaking it. Still live in Arkansas and attend several games every year! Have lived thru some great years and also some not so great years with the Cardinals. We probably will never see the likes of Stan, Lou and Bob again. Great players and even better people.

Interesting that you used the phrase, “never see the likes of Stan…again” because that’s exactly what Harry Caray said during Stan’s last at-bat!!

[bgwinn01]

I did. Saw all of them play. To this day, the greatest Cardinals I ever saw were Stan and Albert. I used to work with Richie Bry, who was the agent for many players. We had lunch with Stan one day ( years after his retirement )in the St. Louis Club. True to form he ordered a braunschweiger sandwich and was as low key and nice as they come. I had interesting memories about Daryl Strawberry and Rickie Henderson, who were Richie's clients. The good old days! Regardless of BDW Jr I will always be a Cardinals fan. ( btw he's a decent guy just not a risk taker by any means. )