BUSCH STADIUM MEMORIES PART X

Okay, you're right. It's Yosemite Park instead of Busch Stadium, But back in the day, Big Mac coulda hit it outta here, too.

As much as I dislike or have a distaste for him now, back then I liked him a ton. I welcomed him to St. Louis his first game in town He looked at me funny when I said "I'd like to be one of the first to welcome you to St. Louis." What a dumb thing to say. Alex Wellmaker and Clint Turner were with me hawking autographs down the first base line. Alex simply said, "Mark McGwire," as his grin was that of a kid in wonder. Turner's equally syrupy line was, "Sir, I'd like your autograph on this ball." I don't know where Michael Hicks, Derek Harlan, and Sam Hicks were at the time. Maybe trying to get on TV. Gould interviewed Derek, Sam, and me. Sam had the best response saying, " it looks like he's hitting a golf ball as far as it goes and as easy as he swings."
We missed his first Cardinal homer though. We'd watched him bat once and then walked up the street to watch the Rams pre-season football game. We came back in the seventh or eight inning and caught one more uneventful at bat of McGwire's before heading back home. With our autographs.

September 8, 1998, would be the date that Roger Maris' home run record would fall. And Derek and I would be there. We didn't have tickets like the day before when Scott, Courtney, Caroline and I celebrated my 50th birthday watching Big Mac tie the record. But we weren't worried. We had Derek's coaching passes.

We arrived early and as soon as the gates were opened, we presented the pass and were told rather gruffly,"these aren't any good for today." We were crushed. We had been so excited all day, and then turned away.

We hit the streets. With almost no money nor hope for tickets. Near where the Gussie Busch statue is a guy approached and asked if we needed tickets. He led us through the players entrance. In fact we walked in next to Ozzie Smith and his buds, so we weren't noticed too much by anybody.

Then we had to pay up. We had agreed on a price of , I believe $75 each. By the time I've gone through my rathole money hidden behind pictures in my wallet, and by the time Derek has ponied up all his wad, I think we spent $110 total. That was fine with the guy who just wanted to get away from us.

There we were with no money, no ticket, no seat. But we were there. We sat by Coach Law for awhile. He offered us some money, but it was more adventuresome to go it alone. Amy, an usher I knew got us to stand about 30 rows behind home plate for the historic blast. The way the ball hooked and all the people standing in front of me, I couldn't see where it landed. Derek and 55,000 or so others told me. It was gone. Not out of Yosemite. Just barely out of Busch. And we were there.

My family and I also witnessed homers 69 and 70 the last day of the season. Electric! And it lasted all of what two seasons? Seventy-three's the number now. And that should last. Even with Crawford boxes.