...or at least the ones that I was there for

With all of the feelings of nostalgia going on at Busch this weekend and all of the TV specials that Fox Sports and Channel 11 have put on, it was easy for your mind to wander to all of the great memories at the park. I was excited to see the players from the 80s and 90s that were able to make it to the ceremony today. I loved watching Willie jog to his center field position and looking completely embarrassed that the crowd was cheering for him. Typical Willie. While it was great to see so many come back, there were still quite a few players that I would have loved to have seen. Who wouldn't have loved to see Joaquin Andujar? Lonnie Smith? What about Rex Hudler? Gregg Jeffries or Fernando Tatis? Are you telling me that these guys had something going on today? I have a theory that Frank DiPino didn't show up because Danny Cox actually ATE him.

Anyway, with all of the festivities, I starting think about what were the most memorable moments I had personally seen at Busch. After scouring my memory, I think I came up with a pretty good list. And, of course, I had to go completely overboard and write the whole thing up along with box scores, approximate views from where I was sitting and pictures (if I could find one). Hope you all enjoy this trip down memory lane...

5. Mike Laga Blasts One

September 15, 1986 - My Seats - Box Score

Honestly, I can't remember much of anything about this game. First of all, I was 13. Second, in looking back at the box score, it was scoreless into the 13th inning. Not all that interesting, right? While I don't remember much about the game itself, I can still picture one swing. By Mike Laga. Yes, THE Mike Laga.

Derek and I were sitting in field boxes by ourselves with parents far away in Loge - pretty safe, huh? Anyway...I can still remember us sitting there probably talking about typical 7th and 8th grade stuff when Big Mike fouls one off over our right shoulders. For some reason, we both followed the path of the ball as it kept rising into the night sky. It kept going up and up until finally it disappeared over the edge of the concrete arches of the stadium. Derek and I looked at each other in amazement. "Did that go out?" I said. We just kept looking up thinking that it would eventually fall, but it didn't.

It seemed pretty amazing to us at the time because we both knew that WE had never seen that happen before, but we had no idea that NOBODY had ever seen that happen before. After a couple of minutes, the announcement came on the display board in left field. Mike Laga had just hit the first ball to ever completely leave Busch Stadium. Then everyone cheered. For a foul ball. It was kind of weird when you think about it, but out of the thousands of games played at Busch, it was something that happened only once. And I was there.

4. Oquendo Gets the Decision

May 14, 1988 - My Seats - Box Score

Unfortunately, I didn't even get to see the most memorable part of this game. I was actually in bed 70 miles away from Busch at the time, but I had been there that night.

It had all the makings of a typical game. The Cardinals and the Dale Murphy-led Braves were tied at 5 after the 7th inning. Cris Carpenter (no, not the current one, the FIRST one) had given up all 5 runs in his Major League debut and left after the 6th inning. Being at the mercy of our parents, we ended up leaving in the 8th with the score tied at 5. It's fortunate that we left, because the game ended up going 19 innings.

We listened to the game on KMOX on the ride home and were amazed as the Cardinals pitchers shut out the Braves for the next 9 innings. Once the 16th inning started, things got really weird. Cardinals starter Jose DeLeon came in after the previous pitcher left the game after the 15th with an injury. Only DeLeon didn't go into pitch - he went into left. So, to fill the empty spot on the mound, Jose Oquendo was called in to pitch. Before the game was over, DeLeon would swap positions with right fielder Tom Brunansky 11 times (depending on whether a left or right handed batter was up). Even pitcher John Tudor was called on to pinch hit in the 19th.

But the star of the night had to be Oquendo. Before giving up the eventual winning runs in the 19th inning, Jose pitched 3 scoreless innings, only giving up 3 hits. He ended up taking the loss after Ozzie Smith flied to right to end the game in his 10th trip to the plate. It was the first position player to get a pitching decision in 2 decades. And I was there....earlier.

3. Ankiel Melts Down

October 12, 2000- My Seats - Box Score

In one of the most questioned managerial decisions in the past decade for the Cardinals, Tony LaRussa had decided to start young fireballer Rick Ankiel in Game 1 of the 2000 NLDS against the Braves instead of the expected Darryl Kile. Tony tried to shield the youngster from the media pressure by leading the world to believe that it definitely would be Kile in Game 1. Kile followed suit by never indicating anything different. Once the game started, however, the media spotlight apparently was a little too bright for Ankiel as he was pulled from the game after 2 2/3 innings after walking six and uncorking five wild pitches. The Cardinals went on to sweep the Braves in 3 games which put Ankiel's next start in the friendly confines of Busch Stadium for Game 2 of the NLCS. Would Ankiel bounce back from the adversity or would he implode again in front of the home crowd. I was about to find out.

I settled into my seat in the far left field upper deck with my cardboard sign that I had picked up outside the stadium. "The Mets are Pond Scum" it proclaimed. The crowd was rocking early on to the sounds of "Who Let the Cards Out" blaring out of the stadium speakers. Who knew that in a few short minutes the air would be completely let out of the stadium.

Before Ankiel threw his first pitch to Timo Perez, Emily asked me if this was the same guy that had thrown all of the wild pitches. She seemed concerned that it might happen again. I told her, "No way...he'll be fine." Ankiel proceeded to prove me wrong by sailing his first pitch up near Perez's head and to the backstop. In a moment of denial, I told Emily that it was probably just a ploy to make the Mets uneasy - like Nuke LaLoosh throwing a pitch at the Bull to keep opposing hitters from digging in. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Ankiel threw a number to the backstop but only officially had 2 wild pitches along with 3 walks and 2 earned runs while only retiring 2. LaRussa mercifully pulled him in favor of Britt Reames while the entire stadium collectively flinched - the kind of flinch when you see a guy get hit in the jewels with a whiffle ball bat.

The Cards clawed back to tie the game late, but eventually they would lose both the game and the series. The game was incredibly fun and exciting to watch, but I think most people in the stadium that night will always remember the pain of watching Meltdown II. And I was there.

2. Big Mac Hits #500

August 5, 1999- My Seats - Box Score

In the days before kids, I had much more flexibility to do things on the spur of a moment. That's exactly what happened on the evening of August 5, 1999. Emily was out of town and the night before I thought to my self, "Self, Big Mac is sitting on 499 - wouldn't it be great to see #500?" So, the next day, I took appropriate game clothes with me to work and set out to figure out a way to get a ticket. The game was sold out, so a scalper was the only option. I thought I might have an advantage because I was only looking for one ticket, and I was right. Where most tickets outside were going for between $50 and $100, I found a standing room only ticket for $20!

For the first couple of innings, I stood behind the Loge section and watched the festivities. I met a nice family there and talked with them for a couple of innings before we all decided to try and find some open seats in the upper deck. We were amazed that even though the game was sold out, there were still quite a few upper deck seats that had been left unfilled. We settled in part way down the first base line and kept our fingers crossed that Big Mac would hit one over the fence. We wouln't have to wait long.

Every time McGwire came to the plate during his entire tenure in St. Louis, the hair on the back of my neck would stand up. As soon as the at-bat in front of him would end, the crowd would begin to get charged up. Then "Welcome to the Jungle" would begin with the unmistakable guitar riff while Big Mac would stroll slowly from the on deck circle to the plate with his bat perched on his shoulder. The crowd would almost always stand, and flash bulbs en masse were guaranteed to explode on every swing. Do you have that vision in your head? Remember what that felt like? On this August night, every at bat was that feeling on steroids (pardon the pun). Everyone in the stadium just KNEW something HAD to happen.

In the third inning, Mark sauntered to the plate as he had done hundreds of times before, but this time, he sailed his 500th career home run over the left center field wall. Busch went absolutely bonkers, and I started snapping pictures like a mad man. I wanted to make sure I recorded every image of that moment. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes later, I realized that I had no film in the camera. And, no, it wasn't a digital camera, so I ended up with nothing. I was disappointed, but at least I got to share the moment with...well...a nice family from Illinois.

At the time, only one 500th home run had been hit in Busch (Ken Griffey, Jr. came later). And I was there.

1. "Go Crazy Folks!"

October 14, 1985- My Seats - Box Score

I can't really describe much of this in detail because, frankly, I was only 12. What I DO know is that my uncle called our house on the morning of October 14th to ask my dad if he wanted to go to the Cardinals playoff game that day with him. I'm sure my dad would have loved to be there, but he asked my uncle if he would take me instead (thanks, Dad). So it was set...I was going to my first playoff game.

I also remember that we were in the top row of Busch that day. I could actually peer out the concrete arches and see the city below. Easily the worst seats I have ever had. Most of right field was actually hidden by the terrace section in front of us.

Everyone knows the story. Cardinals and Dodgers all tied up at 2 in the bottom of the ninth. One out. Ozzie comes to the plate and turns around to the left side of the plate to face Tom Niedenfuer. While most people remember what came next with the famous call by Jack Buck, all I can remember was utter confusion. With right field obscured, all we could see was the ball going into the corner. We knew it was hit fairly well, but had no idea it went out. The next thing that we knew, the crowd had come unglued and my uncle looked at me and asked, "Did that go out?" I looked toward the infield in time to watch Ozzie running around second with his fist in the air and Niedenfuer sulking off the mound. That was good enough for me, and without even knowing what Jack Buck was saying on KMOX at that very moment, I went crazy!

Of the 3000 plus games at Busch, this moment was voted as the number 1 moment in the history of Busch Stadium. And I was there.

Here's to many more moments just like this in the new Busch. See y'all at the yard! Feel free to add your own to the list.

From the Peanut Gallery...

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