St. Louis: Busch Stadium I

Overview

Thanks to Robert Baechtold for providing me with a game description, photos and ticket and rain check from a game his father attended at Sportsman's in 1939.

An excerpt from his description:

"Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals August 13, 1939 played at Sportsman's Park, St. Louis before overflow crowd. Reds were leading St. Louis by 4 1/2 games in standing and the trip was organized by Ike Nyama, local Cafe owner, but we lost both games and dropped to 2 1/2 game lead.

"The round trip by special train cost $15.00, of which $1.00 went to St. Mary's Hospital. The cost included reserved seat, and all the food, beer and soft drinks you wanted. The train was about 20 cars long, with two or three baggage cars where the food and beverages could be obtained. The beer was on tap and people used gallon and even larger cans to carry back to their seats. Believe me, the entire train became a sloppy mess. Maybe it was just as well that the Reds lost, because most of us slept on the return trip, which got back at 5 a.m. Monday morning."