BUSCH STADIUM MEMORIES III
One night I watched the CARDINALS game with Curt Flood. I don't know the date, but it's written on a baseball in Scott's trophy case of balls in the memoribila museum, read basement in Mt. Vernon.
Courtney and I knew Dr. Ted Savage who played with the Cardinals and cubs in his less than illustrous career. He has some office/staff job with the Cardinals now. Anyway, he introduced us to Curt Flood, Jr at a ball game one night and we sat with them in the good seats behind home plate. Two weeks later, I'm walking by the Kosher Dog stand close to behind home plate and Curt Jr. yells, "Hey Ted, " at me. I was stunned that he remembered me at all. And Courtney wasn't even with me at the time to give him a clue.
He was with Robin Smith from Channel 4 News and he introduced us. "Hey, my dad's here tonight," he tells me. "We're in our seats, so come see us later."
I gathered up Courtney who was hawking some autographs near the dugout. We went and bought a baseball and headed to the good seats. Curt was so cordial. I tried on his World Series ring. Just after the '82 Series I had tried on Mike Ramsey's at a baseball card show in Carbondale, I believe. This was cooler. This was Curt Flood's!
His was the first autograph I ever got when he signed outside Sportsmen's Park when I went with the Little League. I had it displayed on a bulletin board in my bedroom till I left for college. And here I was sitting with him, and his son, and Robin Smith whom I had watched on tv since I was in high school.
We laughed, especially Curt Jr. when Lankford lined a foul ball back at me. I stood up and jumped for it, but it hit hard off the facade and down to the screen. "That nearly knocked your head off," he teased.
What a fun night. I'm not sure what Courtney thought about it, but it was great for me to hobnob with the celebs. I never saw Curt Jr after that night. I asked Bob Gibson about him at a St. Louis card show and he said he was still in California. And, of course, Curt passed away. What a pioneer, when he refused the trade. But who wouldn't want to remain a Cardinal?
One night I watched the CARDINALS game with Curt Flood. I don't know the date, but it's written on a baseball in Scott's trophy case of balls in the memoribila museum, read basement in Mt. Vernon.
Courtney and I knew Dr. Ted Savage who played with the Cardinals and cubs in his less than illustrous career. He has some office/staff job with the Cardinals now. Anyway, he introduced us to Curt Flood, Jr at a ball game one night and we sat with them in the good seats behind home plate. Two weeks later, I'm walking by the Kosher Dog stand close to behind home plate and Curt Jr. yells, "Hey Ted, " at me. I was stunned that he remembered me at all. And Courtney wasn't even with me at the time to give him a clue.
He was with Robin Smith from Channel 4 News and he introduced us. "Hey, my dad's here tonight," he tells me. "We're in our seats, so come see us later."
I gathered up Courtney who was hawking some autographs near the dugout. We went and bought a baseball and headed to the good seats. Curt was so cordial. I tried on his World Series ring. Just after the '82 Series I had tried on Mike Ramsey's at a baseball card show in Carbondale, I believe. This was cooler. This was Curt Flood's!
His was the first autograph I ever got when he signed outside Sportsmen's Park when I went with the Little League. I had it displayed on a bulletin board in my bedroom till I left for college. And here I was sitting with him, and his son, and Robin Smith whom I had watched on tv since I was in high school.
We laughed, especially Curt Jr. when Lankford lined a foul ball back at me. I stood up and jumped for it, but it hit hard off the facade and down to the screen. "That nearly knocked your head off," he teased.
What a fun night. I'm not sure what Courtney thought about it, but it was great for me to hobnob with the celebs. I never saw Curt Jr after that night. I asked Bob Gibson about him at a St. Louis card show and he said he was still in California. And, of course, Curt passed away. What a pioneer, when he refused the trade. But who wouldn't want to remain a Cardinal?
posted by TQ @ 3:34 PM
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