FanPost

Most Memorable Cardinal Game





I think like a lot of people, one of my most memorable Cardinal games would be my first ever game in Busch as a kid.

I don't remember the exact date but I was 8 or 9 years old so it had to be 1980 or '81 and my Dad drove us the 2+ hours to St. Louis for the first time to see the Cardinals play. Our tickets were along the 1st Base line a few rows off the field, super close! The Atlanta Braves were in town and honestly I don't remember many details of the game itself, but I do remember a few of things about the experience. One, I remember walking inside the corridor and as the field came into view how enormous it all looked, I couldn't get over how big it was. I also remember the first time I saw Kieth Hernandez and how gigantic he looked! Just being that close was blowing my mind, I could literally have played catch with him. Watching the players every half inning jog in and out of the dugout was a big deal, it was awesome seeing Big League players for the very first time and they literally seemed like giants to me. I also remember Dad walking us down to the bullpen, which was just simply an area in foul territory down the right field line. I distinctly remember for the first time in my life hearing a baseball "whiz" and "pop!" It was awesome, whiz-pop! whiz-pop! It was like a firecracker to me, never heard a catcher's mitt "pop" like that before in my life and still haven't forgot how awesome it was. As far as the game itself, I don't remember any specific plays, hits or even who won the game. I suppose in a weird way, the awe of just being there was more memorable than specifics of the game itself.

But the experience didn't end once the game did. As we were leaving, Dad (who had been to many, many games) walked us down to one of the player exits. I remember it was just off the street so I'm guessing it was primarily the visiting team exit, or an alternative exit Dad knew Cardinal players sometimes use to just quickly jump into a waiting car that was picking them up. There was probably 20 or 30 people like us hanging around just for the opportunity for an autograph. It wasn't long and players started rolling out. We were close, so close that as a player came out the door I probably could have sprinted in before the door closed itself. Most players blew right by us, a few stopped, signed a quick signature and took off. But then there was this one player who didn't seem to be in a hurry at all. He came out, stopped right in front of me, looked down and said "Hey, how are you buddy?" I couldn't believe it, had no idea who he was but I couldn't believe it. He said hi to my Dad and then asked to see my duffel bag (which Dad had bought me as a souvenir in the stadium). This was one of those old time duffel bags: vinyl with a hard cardboard bottom and hard plastic handles with hinges, and of course, the round Cardinals logo on the side (you remember those, right). It was still half-scrunched down. He took it and signed it then stood there and proceeded to ask me questions like who my favorite Cardinal player was, he asked me if I play, what position do I like to play, am I left or right handed, etc. I'm sure I knew his name by this point but at the time it probably didn't mean as much as as the fact a Big Leaguer was asking me about real baseball stuff and that was awesome. Then he'd ask my Dad a few questions and Dad would ask him some, people started getting in closer just to listen. It was what seemed about 4 or 5 minutes before he finally said he needed to go and I remember him shaking my hand.

Needless to say, that was the day Dale Murphy became one of my favorite non-Cardinal players of all time. He really didn't have to spend that 4 or 5 minutes with us outside of Busch Stadium, but he did, and it really capped off a wonderful experience at my first ever Cardinal game. What I wouldn't give to still have that old, vinyl duffel bag today... sigh.