Busch Stadium Memories: #9-My First Game

This summer I faced a very difficult decision. Do I take my son Brooks to his first baseball game so he can someday say that he saw his first game the last season at Busch? Or do I wait until he's old enough to remember it? This decision was pretty easy once I started thinking about my first trip to Busch...May 29, 1982.

I had just completed first grade and had been playing baseball for two years. I knew about the Cardinals, but wasn't exactly a fan yet. Nonetheless, I was very excited to be going to a game in a big league stadium. I went with my parents (they weren't divored then) for my dad's birthday. We arrived in St. Louis on Saturday, checked in at the hotel (it's now the Millenium, but then I believe it was Stofer's or something like that), and got ready to head to the game. The Cardinals played the Padres and I remember my parents talking to people about what the crowd had been like the night before. I now know that they were talking about the reception for Garry Templeton's return, but at the time I had no clue. Anyhoo, I was amazed at the sight of the field. Astroturf or not, it was huge! And the white uniforms were so much whiter than I had ever imagined. Since home games used to not be televised, I didn't get to see them in their whites very often. That was special. Our seats were in Loge Box just to the fair side of the right field foulpole. I don't think I went to the concession stand or restroom once-I was afraid I'd miss something.

The game itself was pretty uneventful. I recently checked out the box score from it to see that the winning pitcher was the immortal John Curtis. Joaquin Andujar was the loser and to put it in perspective, Tony Gwynn was in AA or AAA. No homers, either, which to me at age 7 was very disappointing. Just a 4-2 Padres victory. But I do remember some important things from the game:

-It was batting glove night sponsored by Steak N Shake. I got a white Cardinal batting glove and if i took my ticket stub and batting glove to a local Steak N Shake the next day, I'd get the same glove for the other hand. We went the next day and they were out. Needless to say, I wasn't real happy about that.

-I couldn't believe how far past first base guys ran on groundouts. I distinctly remember Ken Oberkfell running to, what seemed like to me, the warning track on a groundout to short.

-I thought the arches at the top of the stadium had to be there. I thought it was like a St. Louis law or something since there was a big Arch down by the water.


I realize those things may seem silly now, but to a 7-year-old they are important pieces of information. When I thought about my first game, I realized that part of what makes Busch Stadium special to me is the fact that I can remember my first game. Therefore, I decided to not take Brooks to a game there. I want him to experience his first game at the new Busch and make his own memories there with his family and friends just as I have with mine. He may someday be mad at me for not taking him, but I know he'll appreciate having his own memories in the new stadium. At least I hope he does.