http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...E675AE0219AD0E17862570B20067354E?OpenDocument
Busch Stadium demolition begins
By Jake Wagman and Todd C. Frankel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/07/2005
The St. Louis Skyline with the Busch Stadium and the new Busch Stadium under construction.
(David Carson/P-D)
It began on May 12, 1966, with a toss from Cardinal righty Ray Washburn to leadoff man Felipe Alou of the Atlanta Braves.
It ended at exactly 3:08 today, with a five-ton wrecking ball hitting the storied ballpark squarely in its crown of arches. There wasn't much damage to the building, but it hurt the memories of a lot of spectators.
Rest in peace, Busch Stadium.
In a season of farewells, the final good-bye to Busch sounded like a thud, right into the top of the stadium.
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Initially, the Cardinals were planning to level the stadium in one spectacular 35-second blast sequence. But as the day drew nearer, the team opted instead to use the wrecking ball, a much longer and safer process.
After today, the wrecking ball will continue to swing for months, taking 60 days to level the south side. That will create enough room to finish the new stadium, which the team has announced will open for regular season play April 10.
Dismantling the rest of the stadium will continue until the 2006 baseball season, wrapping up at the end of June, a week and half before the all-star game break.
Though the wrecking ball was not as breathtaking as an implosion would have been, crowds of people were downtown to watch to the event. Spectators were gathered in the streets, in hotels rooms overlooking the stadiums and on the roofs of near-by office buildings.
Cardinal President Mark Lamping said: "This is a huge day. It is the beginning of the end."
At times, the atmosphere rivaled game day. The peanut guy was there, and so was the soda guy. The T-shirt guy was selling demolition T-shirts for 10 dollars. People walked by the stadium wearing Cardinal red and baseball caps. Everyone was taking photos.
Howard Baker sat watching the stadium as he cradled a heavy chuck of concrete that was given to him by a construction worker. "It's a piece of history. There are a lot of memories for a lot of people," said Baker, a Metro bus driver.
Nearby, Terry Goins bought four T-shirts before heading back to work. She would miss the initial demolition, but she had set her VCR to start taping at 3 p.m.
The T-shirt man, Brad Gleeson, was curious to see how people would react when the wrecking ball finally swung. "Will people clap? Will people boo? Will people cry?" he said. "It should be interesting. I don't know what to expect."
I saw my first major league game at busch stadium. i've been to many cards games. lots of memories at that place. i use to work a block away from there. this is a sad day for me
i cant wait to get back one day and check out their new stadium when it gets built
Busch Stadium demolition begins
By Jake Wagman and Todd C. Frankel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/07/2005
The St. Louis Skyline with the Busch Stadium and the new Busch Stadium under construction.
(David Carson/P-D)
It began on May 12, 1966, with a toss from Cardinal righty Ray Washburn to leadoff man Felipe Alou of the Atlanta Braves.
It ended at exactly 3:08 today, with a five-ton wrecking ball hitting the storied ballpark squarely in its crown of arches. There wasn't much damage to the building, but it hurt the memories of a lot of spectators.
Rest in peace, Busch Stadium.
In a season of farewells, the final good-bye to Busch sounded like a thud, right into the top of the stadium.
Advertisement
Initially, the Cardinals were planning to level the stadium in one spectacular 35-second blast sequence. But as the day drew nearer, the team opted instead to use the wrecking ball, a much longer and safer process.
After today, the wrecking ball will continue to swing for months, taking 60 days to level the south side. That will create enough room to finish the new stadium, which the team has announced will open for regular season play April 10.
Dismantling the rest of the stadium will continue until the 2006 baseball season, wrapping up at the end of June, a week and half before the all-star game break.
Though the wrecking ball was not as breathtaking as an implosion would have been, crowds of people were downtown to watch to the event. Spectators were gathered in the streets, in hotels rooms overlooking the stadiums and on the roofs of near-by office buildings.
Cardinal President Mark Lamping said: "This is a huge day. It is the beginning of the end."
At times, the atmosphere rivaled game day. The peanut guy was there, and so was the soda guy. The T-shirt guy was selling demolition T-shirts for 10 dollars. People walked by the stadium wearing Cardinal red and baseball caps. Everyone was taking photos.
Howard Baker sat watching the stadium as he cradled a heavy chuck of concrete that was given to him by a construction worker. "It's a piece of history. There are a lot of memories for a lot of people," said Baker, a Metro bus driver.
Nearby, Terry Goins bought four T-shirts before heading back to work. She would miss the initial demolition, but she had set her VCR to start taping at 3 p.m.
The T-shirt man, Brad Gleeson, was curious to see how people would react when the wrecking ball finally swung. "Will people clap? Will people boo? Will people cry?" he said. "It should be interesting. I don't know what to expect."
I saw my first major league game at busch stadium. i've been to many cards games. lots of memories at that place. i use to work a block away from there. this is a sad day for me
i cant wait to get back one day and check out their new stadium when it gets built
