Sportsman's Park
Encyclopedia
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball
ballpark
structures in St. Louis, Missouri
, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard
and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.
, and the St. Louis Cardinals
of the National League
, after which the Browns departed to become the modern-day Baltimore Orioles
. The physical street address was 2911 North Grand Boulevard. This ballpark (by then known as Busch Stadium, but still commonly called Sportsman's Park) was also the home of the St. Louis Cardinals
of the National Football League
from 1960
until 1965
, after the team's relocation from Chicago
and before Busch Memorial Stadium
opened its doors in 1966. In 1923, the stadium hosted St. Louis's first NFL team, the St. Louis All Stars
.
in the National Association
and the National League
from 1875 to 1877. Originally called the Grand Avenue Ball Grounds, in 1876
it was re-named Sportsman's Park. The first grandstand--one of three on the site--was built in 1881
. At that time, the diamond and the grandstands were on the southeast corner of the block, for the convenience of fans arriving from Grand Avenue. The park was leased by the then-major American Association
entry, the St. Louis "Brown Stockings," or "Browns". The Browns were a very strong team in the mid-1880s, but their success waned. When the National League absorbed the strongest of the old Association teams in 1892
, the Browns were brought along. Soon they went looking for a new ballpark, finding a site just a few blocks northwest of the old one, and calling it New Sportsman's Park, which was later renamed Robison Field
. They also changed team colors from Brown to Cardinal Red, thus acquiring a new nickname, and leaving their previous team colors available, as well as the old ballpark site.
, they built a new version of Sportsman's Park. They initially placed the diamond and the main stand at the northwest corner of the block.
This Sportsman's Park saw football history made. It became both the practice field and home field for Saint Louis University
football team's, coached by the visionary Eddie Cochems
, father of the forward pass
. Although the first legal forward pass was thrown by Saint Louis's Bradbury Robinson
in a road game at Carroll College in September 1906, Sportsman's Park was the scene of memorable displays of what Cochems called his "air attack" that season. These included a 39–0 thrashing of Iowa
before a crowd of 12,000 and a 34–2 trouncing of Kansas
witnessed by some 7,000. Robinson launched an amazingly long pass in the game against the Jayhawks, which was variously reported to have traveled 67 or 87 yards in the air. College Football Hall of Fame
coach David M. Nelson
called the pass extraordinary, "considering the size, shape and weight" of the fat, rugby-style ball used at that time. Sports historian John Sayle Watterson agreed. In his book, College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy, Watterson described Robinson's long pass as "truly a breathtaking achievement". St. Louis finished with an 11–0 record in 1906, outscoring its opponents 407–11.
In 1909
, the Browns moved the diamond to its final location, at the southwest corner, in the shadow of a new steel and concrete grandstand -- the third such stadium in the major leagues, and the second in the American League (after Shibe Park). The previous wooden grandstand was retained as left-field bleachers for a while, but was soon replaced with permanent bleachers. The Cardinals came back to their original home in mid-1920, as tenants of the Browns, after abandoning the outdated, mostly-wooden Robison Field.
After nearly winning the American League Pennant in 1922
, Browns owner Phil Ball
confidently predicted that there would be a World Series in Sportsman's Park by 1926. In anticipation, he increased the capacity of his ballpark from 18,000 to 30,000. There was a World Series in Sportsman's Park in 1926
-- but it was the Cardinals, not the Browns, who took part in it, upsetting the Yankees in a memorable seventh game.
Although the Browns had been the stronger team in the city for the first quarter of the century, they had never been quite good enough to win a pennant. After the previously weak Cardinals had moved in, the two teams' situations had started to reverse, both on and off the field. The Cardinals' 1926 World Series
victory more or less permanently tipped the balance in favor of the Cardinals. From then on, the Cardinals were clearly St. Louis' favorite team, while still tenants of the Browns. The 1944 World Series
between the Cardinals and the Browns, won by the Cardinals 4 games to 2, was perhaps a good metaphor for the two clubs' respective situations.
In addition to its primary use as a baseball stadium, Sportsman's Park also hosted several soccer events. These included several the St. Louis Soccer League
and the 1948 National Challenge Cup
when St. Louis Simpkins-Ford
defeated Brookhattan
for the national soccer championship.
In 1936, Browns owner Phil Ball died. His family sold the Browns to businessman Donald Lee Barnes
, but the Ball estate maintained ownership of Sportsman's Park until 1946, when it was sold to the Browns for an estimated price of over $1 million.
By the early 1950s, it was clear that the city could not support both teams. Bill Veeck
, by then owner of the Browns (who at one point lived with his family in an apartment under the park's stands), fancied that he could drive the Cardinals out of town through his promotional skills. He caught an unlucky break when the Cardinals' owner, Fred Saigh
, pleaded no contest
to tax evasion
. Faced with certain banishment from baseball, Saigh sold the Cardinals to Anheuser-Busch
in 1953
. Veeck soon realized that the Cardinals now had more resources at their disposal than he could hope to match, and decided to move the Browns out of town. As a first step toward moving the Browns, he sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals for $800,000. He would have probably had to sell the park anyway, as the Browns could not afford to make repairs necessary to bring the park up to code. Busch had the money, and the ballpark was soon renovated. Meanwhile, by the next year, the Browns were in Baltimore
.
The brewery originally wanted to name the ballpark Budweiser
Stadium. Ford Frick
, then Commissioner of Baseball
, vetoed the name because of public relations concerns over naming a ballpark after a brand of beer
--an ironic stance, given all baseball clubs' significant revenues from beer sales. However, the Commissioner could not stop Anheuser-Busch president August Busch, Jr. from renaming it after himself, and so he did; however, many fans still called it by the old name. Although the ballpark's final name was Busch Stadium, it was known for most of its history as Sportsman's Park, and that is the term normally used to refer to it most often. The Anheuser Busch "eagle" model that sat atop the left field scoreboard flapped its wings after a Cardinal home run.
Sportsman's Park / Busch Stadium was the site of a number of World Series
contests, first way back in the mid-1880s, and then in the modern era. The 1964
Series was particularly memorable, and was also the park's last Series. The Series featured brother against brother, Ken Boyer
of the Cardinals and Clete Boyer
of the Yankees. The Cardinals' triumph in seven games led to Yankees management replacing Yogi Berra
with the Cardinals' ex-manager Johnny Keane
(he had resigned after winning the Series), an arrangement which lasted only to early 1966. The stadium also hosted Major League Baseball All-Star Game
s in 1940
, 1948
, and 1957
.
Sportsman's Park / Busch Stadium was replaced early in the 1966
season by Busch Memorial Stadium
, during which time much was made of baseball having been played on the old site for more than a century. A helicopter carried home plate to Busch Memorial Stadium after the final Sportsman's Park game on May 8, 1966. The 1966 stadium was in turn replaced by the new Busch Stadium
in 2006
.
The Sportsman's Park site is now home to the Herbert Hoover
Boys and Girls Club. While the grandstand was torn down in late 1966, the diamond was still intact at the time the structures were cleared. The field is now being used for other sports.
The following links provide images of the field's markers.
benefited from playing the home-team half of his entire career here. Other sluggers took advantage, notably Babe Ruth
, who hit 3 homers in a World Series game on two different occasions, both of them here, in 1926 and 1928. When facing the Browns during the regular season, Ruth also hit well here. On one occasion he drove one across Grand Boulevard that shattered the window of a car dealership. The owner had the glass replaced by the next day, just in time for Ruth to shatter it again. On another occasion, Ruth launched one into his straightaway-center power zone that landed behind the center field bleachers, some 500 feet from home plate.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
ballpark
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
structures in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard
Grand Boulevard (St. Louis)
Grand Boulevard is a major, seven to five lane wide, north-south thoroughfare running through the center of St. Louis, Missouri. Grand runs north through Carondolet Park in the south of St. Louis to the Mississippi River north of McKinley Bridge, about midway between Forest Park and the Mississippi...
and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.
History
From 1920–1953, Sportsman's Park was the home field of both the St. Louis Browns of the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, and the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, after which the Browns departed to become the modern-day Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. The physical street address was 2911 North Grand Boulevard. This ballpark (by then known as Busch Stadium, but still commonly called Sportsman's Park) was also the home of the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1960
1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
until 1965
1965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
, after the team's relocation from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and before Busch Memorial Stadium
Busch Memorial Stadium
Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
opened its doors in 1966. In 1923, the stadium hosted St. Louis's first NFL team, the St. Louis All Stars
St. Louis All Stars
St. Louis All-Stars was a professional football team that played in the National Football League during the 1923 season. The team played at St. Louis, Missouri's Sportsman's Park...
.
1881 structure
Baseball was played on the Sportsman's Park site as early as 1867. The tract was acquired in 1866 by August Solari, who began staging games there the following year. It was the home of the St. Louis Brown StockingsSt. Louis Brown Stockings
The St. Louis Brown Stockings were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri from 1875 to 1877.-History:Joining the National Association in the final season of that league, the Brown Stockings were the first team to represent St. Louis in a professional baseball association . The...
in the National Association
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
and the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from 1875 to 1877. Originally called the Grand Avenue Ball Grounds, in 1876
1876 in baseball
After a tumultuous six-year existence, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , folded following the season. The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in Chicago, Illinois by businessman, and owner of the Chicago White Stockings, William Hulbert, for the...
it was re-named Sportsman's Park. The first grandstand--one of three on the site--was built in 1881
1881 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Chicago White StockingsEastern Championship Association: New York MetropolitansInter-league playoff: New York Mets def. Chicago , 2 games to 1.-National League final standings:-Statistical leaders:-January-March:...
. At that time, the diamond and the grandstands were on the southeast corner of the block, for the convenience of fans arriving from Grand Avenue. The park was leased by the then-major American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
entry, the St. Louis "Brown Stockings," or "Browns". The Browns were a very strong team in the mid-1880s, but their success waned. When the National League absorbed the strongest of the old Association teams in 1892
1892 in baseball
-Champions:*National League: Boston Beaneaters defeated Cleveland Spiders, 5 games to 0 - First half of season :-Second half of season:-Overall record:-Events:...
, the Browns were brought along. Soon they went looking for a new ballpark, finding a site just a few blocks northwest of the old one, and calling it New Sportsman's Park, which was later renamed Robison Field
Robison Field
Robison Field is the best-known of several names given to a former Major League Baseball park in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League from April 27, 1893 until June 6, 1920.-History:...
. They also changed team colors from Brown to Cardinal Red, thus acquiring a new nickname, and leaving their previous team colors available, as well as the old ballpark site.
1902 and 1909 structures
When the American League Browns moved from Milwaukee in 19021902 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:* American League: Philadelphia Athletics* National League: Pittsburgh Pirates1902 World Series: Not played due to AL-NL war over player contracts.-American League:*Home Runs: Socks Seybold, Philadelphia Athletics: 16...
, they built a new version of Sportsman's Park. They initially placed the diamond and the main stand at the northwest corner of the block.
This Sportsman's Park saw football history made. It became both the practice field and home field for Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
football team's, coached by the visionary Eddie Cochems
Eddie Cochems
Edward Bulwer "Eddie" Cochems was an American football player and coach. He played football for the University of Wisconsin from 1898 to 1901 and was the head football coach at North Dakota State , Clemson , Saint Louis University , and Maine . During his three years at St...
, father of the forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
. Although the first legal forward pass was thrown by Saint Louis's Bradbury Robinson
Bradbury Robinson
Bradbury Norton Robinson, Jr. was a pioneering American football player, physician, and local politician. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin in 1903 and at Saint Louis University from 1904 to 1907. In 1904, though personal connections to Wisconsin governor Robert M. La...
in a road game at Carroll College in September 1906, Sportsman's Park was the scene of memorable displays of what Cochems called his "air attack" that season. These included a 39–0 thrashing of Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
before a crowd of 12,000 and a 34–2 trouncing of Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
witnessed by some 7,000. Robinson launched an amazingly long pass in the game against the Jayhawks, which was variously reported to have traveled 67 or 87 yards in the air. College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
coach David M. Nelson
David M. Nelson
David Moir Nelson was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, author, and authority on college football playing rules...
called the pass extraordinary, "considering the size, shape and weight" of the fat, rugby-style ball used at that time. Sports historian John Sayle Watterson agreed. In his book, College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy, Watterson described Robinson's long pass as "truly a breathtaking achievement". St. Louis finished with an 11–0 record in 1906, outscoring its opponents 407–11.
In 1909
1909 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers -MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-Events:...
, the Browns moved the diamond to its final location, at the southwest corner, in the shadow of a new steel and concrete grandstand -- the third such stadium in the major leagues, and the second in the American League (after Shibe Park). The previous wooden grandstand was retained as left-field bleachers for a while, but was soon replaced with permanent bleachers. The Cardinals came back to their original home in mid-1920, as tenants of the Browns, after abandoning the outdated, mostly-wooden Robison Field.
After nearly winning the American League Pennant in 1922
1922 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: New York Giants over New York Yankees -Statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-Negro National League final standings:-East final standings:...
, Browns owner Phil Ball
Phil Ball (baseball)
Philip DeCatesby Ball was the owner of the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League from through and the St. Louis Browns of the American League from through . Ball's estate owned the Browns after his death until , when the team was sold to Donald Lee Barnes.- References :...
confidently predicted that there would be a World Series in Sportsman's Park by 1926. In anticipation, he increased the capacity of his ballpark from 18,000 to 30,000. There was a World Series in Sportsman's Park in 1926
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
-- but it was the Cardinals, not the Browns, who took part in it, upsetting the Yankees in a memorable seventh game.
Although the Browns had been the stronger team in the city for the first quarter of the century, they had never been quite good enough to win a pennant. After the previously weak Cardinals had moved in, the two teams' situations had started to reverse, both on and off the field. The Cardinals' 1926 World Series
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
victory more or less permanently tipped the balance in favor of the Cardinals. From then on, the Cardinals were clearly St. Louis' favorite team, while still tenants of the Browns. The 1944 World Series
1944 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1944 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriGeorge McQuinn hit the Brown's only home run of the series to put his team ahead in the fourth inning, while Denny Galehouse outpitched World Series veteran Mort Cooper to hold on for the win.-Game 2:Thursday, October 5,...
between the Cardinals and the Browns, won by the Cardinals 4 games to 2, was perhaps a good metaphor for the two clubs' respective situations.
In addition to its primary use as a baseball stadium, Sportsman's Park also hosted several soccer events. These included several the St. Louis Soccer League
St. Louis Soccer League
The St. Louis Soccer League was a soccer league based in St. Louis, Missouri, that existed from 1907 to 1938. At its founding, it was the only fully professional soccer league in the United States.-History:...
and the 1948 National Challenge Cup
1948 National Challenge Cup
The 1948 National Challenge Cup was the 35th edition of the United States open soccer championship. The tournament had many delays due to weather in the eastern division and by the time Brookhattan had won the eastern final it had to put off playing the national final to entertain touring Liverpool...
when St. Louis Simpkins-Ford
St. Louis Simpkins-Ford
St. Louis Simpkins-Ford was a U.S. amateur soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri from 1947 to 1956. It won three league championships and the 1948 and 1950 U.S. Open Cups, and lost in the finals of the 1954 National Amateur Cup. Five members of the U.S...
defeated Brookhattan
Brookhattan
New York Brookhattan was an American soccer club based in New York, New York that was a member of the professional American Soccer League. The club joined the ASL for its final season....
for the national soccer championship.
In 1936, Browns owner Phil Ball died. His family sold the Browns to businessman Donald Lee Barnes
Donald Lee Barnes
Donald Lee Barnes was the owner of the St. Louis Browns of the American League from through . when The team was sold to Richard Muckerman in 1945....
, but the Ball estate maintained ownership of Sportsman's Park until 1946, when it was sold to the Browns for an estimated price of over $1 million.
By the early 1950s, it was clear that the city could not support both teams. Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
, by then owner of the Browns (who at one point lived with his family in an apartment under the park's stands), fancied that he could drive the Cardinals out of town through his promotional skills. He caught an unlucky break when the Cardinals' owner, Fred Saigh
Fred Saigh
Frederick Michael Saigh Jr. was the part-owner, then sole owner, of the St. Louis Cardinals of American Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1953.- Pre-Cardinals years :...
, pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. Faced with certain banishment from baseball, Saigh sold the Cardinals to Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
in 1953
1953 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 14 at Crosley Field: National League, 5-1-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce *College World Series: Michigan...
. Veeck soon realized that the Cardinals now had more resources at their disposal than he could hope to match, and decided to move the Browns out of town. As a first step toward moving the Browns, he sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals for $800,000. He would have probably had to sell the park anyway, as the Browns could not afford to make repairs necessary to bring the park up to code. Busch had the money, and the ballpark was soon renovated. Meanwhile, by the next year, the Browns were in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
The brewery originally wanted to name the ballpark Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
Stadium. Ford Frick
Ford Frick
Ford Christopher Frick was an American sportswriter and executive who served as president of the National League from to and as the third Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1951 to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, then Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
, vetoed the name because of public relations concerns over naming a ballpark after a brand of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
--an ironic stance, given all baseball clubs' significant revenues from beer sales. However, the Commissioner could not stop Anheuser-Busch president August Busch, Jr. from renaming it after himself, and so he did; however, many fans still called it by the old name. Although the ballpark's final name was Busch Stadium, it was known for most of its history as Sportsman's Park, and that is the term normally used to refer to it most often. The Anheuser Busch "eagle" model that sat atop the left field scoreboard flapped its wings after a Cardinal home run.
Sportsman's Park / Busch Stadium was the site of a number of World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
contests, first way back in the mid-1880s, and then in the modern era. The 1964
1964 World Series
The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with the Cardinals prevailing in seven games. St...
Series was particularly memorable, and was also the park's last Series. The Series featured brother against brother, Ken Boyer
Ken Boyer
Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
of the Cardinals and Clete Boyer
Clete Boyer
Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer was a Major League Baseball player.A third baseman who also played shortstop and second base occasionally, Boyer played for the Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
of the Yankees. The Cardinals' triumph in seven games led to Yankees management replacing Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
with the Cardinals' ex-manager Johnny Keane
Johnny Keane
John Joseph Keane was an American manager in Major League Baseball. Born in St. Louis, Missouri and known as a patient manager of young players, Keane participated in one of the strangest turns of events in baseball history in , his final season at the helm of the St...
(he had resigned after winning the Series), an arrangement which lasted only to early 1966. The stadium also hosted Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
s in 1940
1940 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers *All-Star Game, July 9 at Sportsman's Park: National League, 4-0-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player**Hank Greenberg - OF, Detroit Tigers...
, 1948
1948 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves *All-Star Game, July 13 at Sportsman's Park: American League, 5-2-Other champions:*College World Series: USC*Little League World Series: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania...
, and 1957
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
.
Sportsman's Park / Busch Stadium was replaced early in the 1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
season by Busch Memorial Stadium
Busch Memorial Stadium
Busch Memorial Stadium, also known as Busch Stadium, was a multi-purpose sports facility in St. Louis, Missouri that operated from 1966 to 2005....
, during which time much was made of baseball having been played on the old site for more than a century. A helicopter carried home plate to Busch Memorial Stadium after the final Sportsman's Park game on May 8, 1966. The 1966 stadium was in turn replaced by the new Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in 2006
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
.
The Sportsman's Park site is now home to the Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
Boys and Girls Club. While the grandstand was torn down in late 1966, the diamond was still intact at the time the structures were cleared. The field is now being used for other sports.
Dimensions
For a small park, there were plenty of posted distance markers. The final major remodeling was done in 1926. Distance markers had appeared by the 1940s:- Left Field Line - 351 ft
- Medium Left Center - 358 ft
- True Left Center - 379 ft
- Deep Left Center - 400 ft
- Deep Left Center Field Corner - 426 ft, the distance usually given for center field (sign later painted over)
- Just to right of Deep Left Center Field Corner - 425 ft
- True Center Field - 422 ft, just to left of Deep Right Center Field Corner
- Deep Right Center Field Corner - also 422 ft, almost true center field (sign later painted over)
- Deep Right Center - 405 ft
- True Right Center - 354 ft
- Medium Right Center - 322 ft
- Right Field Line - 310 ft
- Backstop - 68 ft
The following links provide images of the field's markers.
- Photo of left field markers
- Photo of center and right center field markers
- Photo of right field markers
Layout
The left field and right field walls ran toward center, roughly perpendicular to the foul lines or at right angles to each other. The center field area was a short diagonal segment connecting the two longer walls. When distance markers were first posted, there was a 426 marker at the left corner of that segment, and a 422 marker at the right corner of it. There was another 422 marker a few feet to the left of the other one, and that marked "true" center field. For symmetry, a corresponding marker (425) was set a few feet to the right of the 426. The two corner markers were eventually painted over, leaving just the 425 and the true centerfield 422. http://photosbybmw.com/Sport_Park_web_pages/pages/Sport_park72.htmlSuccessful hitters
Left-handed power hitters enjoyed hitting here. Stan MusialStan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
benefited from playing the home-team half of his entire career here. Other sluggers took advantage, notably Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, who hit 3 homers in a World Series game on two different occasions, both of them here, in 1926 and 1928. When facing the Browns during the regular season, Ruth also hit well here. On one occasion he drove one across Grand Boulevard that shattered the window of a car dealership. The owner had the glass replaced by the next day, just in time for Ruth to shatter it again. On another occasion, Ruth launched one into his straightaway-center power zone that landed behind the center field bleachers, some 500 feet from home plate.
Sources
- Green Cathedrals, by Philip J. Lowry
- Ballparks of North America, by Michael Benson
- St. Louis' Big League Ballparks, by Joan M. Thomas
- The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, by Bill Jenkinson
- Dimensions drawn from baseball annuals.
External links
- Aerial image of Sportsman's Park at Google MapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
- Aerial image of Sportsman's Park and Robison Field from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps (also available published via FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
) - YouTube video of Sportsman's Park