Yes, Opening Day was yesterday, but let me share a few of my favorite Opening Day stories from my many years following the Cardinals.
From the early 1980s through the early '90s when my newspaper career had me stationed in Danville, Ill.; Lansing, Mich.; and then Washington, D.C., I would often either drive or fly back to St. Louis to catch the first game of the season at Busch Stadium.
I’m a lifelong Cardinals’ fan and probably cherish the fact that I have been granted a media credential more than any guy or gal who ever walked the earth. I’m as big a sucker for the Clydesdales as anyone in America, and I had to hide a tear when I saw that Super Bowl commercial about the Clydesdale running around the corner to embrace his former trainer.
By my own count, I’ve been to 21 Cards’ opening days—and I’m 52 years old. I didn’t go yesterday, though. It’s the first I’ve missed in several years. Here are my favorites.
April 10, 1968: I don’t remember much of this game, but I kept the scorecard for many years. The Cardinals won 2-1 behind Ray Washburn over the Atlanta Braves and Hank Aaron. I think we went to see Aaron play as much as the Cardinals. By the way, there were just more than 34,000 people there in Busch Stadium II, which could hold up to about 50,000.
April 10, 1970: During the offseason, the Cardinals had acquired the man who would become my all-time favorite player. Richie Allen played his first home game in Busch Stadium after two games on the road in Montreal. The Cards won 7-3 over the New York Mets and Allen received a standing ovation from the crowd. It brought a tear to my dad’s eye.
April 5, 1974: My family has been a part of Fulton, Mo., since my great-grandparents moved there in the 1930s to run the segregated section of what would become the Missouri School for the Death. My grandparents lived there and my father and aunt were born there. Thus, the Reids were out in full force when Fulton’s own Bake McBride opened the season with the Cardinals. The “Calloway Kid” had three hits including a double and drove in two runs in the Cards’ 6-5, 10-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 10, 1978: This is the first time I ever drove to a Cards’ game myself. The Cardinals won 11-2 over Pittsburgh in what would be a dreadful season. I can say that I saw Vern Rapp manage before he was quickly fired.
April 8, 1986: After the crushing defeat in the World Series against the Kansas City Royals the previous October, I had to be at Opening Day. I drove down from Danville, Ill., to the game, and the Cards beat the Cubs 1-0. Ozzie Smith didn’t do his flip that day—his son “Nikko” did.
April 8, 1997: After playing six games on the road (like this year) the Cards finally opened at home. Willie McGee had returned to St. Louis the previous year after being traded several seasons earlier to the Oakland A’s. It was a bitterly cold evening and McGee was called on to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. McGee belted a home run to win the game over the Montreal Expos 2-1. It was the first and only time I ever cheered in a press box as a member of the working media.
