Cards take wrecking ball to Busch
11/07/2005
ST. LOUIS -- Glenda Postin, a lifelong Cardinals fan from Lewistown, Ill., knew full well the significance of her task on Monday afternoon. She just wasn't so sure she liked it.
Postin, 46, drove the 180 miles from her Central Illinois hometown so that she could signal the beginning of the demolition of old Busch Stadium. When Postin waved a pair of red flags at 3:07 p.m. CT, the first wrecking ball was dropped on the old facility and there was truly no turning back. New Busch Stadium opens April 10, 2006, and the old park has to be partially destroyed in order for construction on the new one to keep steaming ahead.
"I know," Postin said when she was reminded of the unique place she will occupy in franchise history. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm excited right now. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm excited about the new one."
Crowds gathered on rooftops throughout downtown St. Louis, with Cardinals fans eager to get a look at the beginning of the months-long wrecking process. But the biggest gathering by far was on top of the Stadium West parking garage, just across the street from both ballparks.
That's where the Cardinals held a demolition party, hosting not only reporters but 250 winners of a raffle. Postin was the winner from among the winners, the one chosen to kick off the wrecking. All 250 finalists watched from the top of the parking garage, and all of them received a prize package, including a print commissioned by the late Jack Buck.
Most were avid Cardinals fans, though one man wore a Cubs T-shirt -- perhaps he was celebrating the destruction of a facility that has been unfriendly to his favorite team. But it's unlikely that many were bigger die-hards than Postin.
"People at work know how big of a fan I am," she said. "I didn't even have to ask for a day off."
At 2:55 p.m. CT, a construction worker drove a cart to the top floor of the garage, and handed over the signal flags, as the ceremony began. Cardinals president Mark Lamping introduced Postin, and at 3:07, she gave the signal to the construction crew.
The ball was dropped, and though the fans at Stadium West couldn't actually see the ball hit the stadium, they saw it fall -- and there was no mistaking the sound. And so one of the last steps got under way. The demolition of the south half of old Busch is slated to be finished within 60 days.
"This is a huge day," Lamping said. "It's the beginning of the end. It's an emotional day for many. It's an exciting day for those that are fortunate enough to understand how important this day is for the franchise and the opening of the new ballpark. This is the beginning of the sprint to the end -- and we couldn't be happier for the weather."
Lamping was right on all counts. Monday was a remarkably pleasant day for the Midwest in November, with temperatures around 70. And the event was certainly an important step.
Unfortunately for fans, the beginning of the demolition had to take place at the southern tip of the old park, rather than more to the southwest -- which would have afforded better views. That's because it's the southern section where the new stadium construction is starting to encroach on the old grounds.
The Cardinals originally planned to implode the old ballpark, with the raffle winner actually getting to push the button and blow it up. But rapid construction progress allowed for a conventional demolition.
"I thought that was going to be a special thing, to be here and take part in," Postin said. "I was originally just going to be satisfied to be one of the 250 finalists and get the print. When I found out Friday ... I got phone calls from news stations. It was kind of a numb feeling for a while. It's been too busy to think about anything so far."
Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/
ST. LOUIS -- Glenda Postin, a lifelong Cardinals fan from Lewistown, Ill., knew full well the significance of her task on Monday afternoon. She just wasn't so sure she liked it.
Postin, 46, drove the 180 miles from her Central Illinois hometown so that she could signal the beginning of the demolition of old Busch Stadium. When Postin waved a pair of red flags at 3:07 p.m. CT, the first wrecking ball was dropped on the old facility and there was truly no turning back. New Busch Stadium opens April 10, 2006, and the old park has to be partially destroyed in order for construction on the new one to keep steaming ahead.
"I know," Postin said when she was reminded of the unique place she will occupy in franchise history. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm excited right now. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm excited about the new one."
Crowds gathered on rooftops throughout downtown St. Louis, with Cardinals fans eager to get a look at the beginning of the months-long wrecking process. But the biggest gathering by far was on top of the Stadium West parking garage, just across the street from both ballparks.
That's where the Cardinals held a demolition party, hosting not only reporters but 250 winners of a raffle. Postin was the winner from among the winners, the one chosen to kick off the wrecking. All 250 finalists watched from the top of the parking garage, and all of them received a prize package, including a print commissioned by the late Jack Buck.
Most were avid Cardinals fans, though one man wore a Cubs T-shirt -- perhaps he was celebrating the destruction of a facility that has been unfriendly to his favorite team. But it's unlikely that many were bigger die-hards than Postin.
"People at work know how big of a fan I am," she said. "I didn't even have to ask for a day off."
At 2:55 p.m. CT, a construction worker drove a cart to the top floor of the garage, and handed over the signal flags, as the ceremony began. Cardinals president Mark Lamping introduced Postin, and at 3:07, she gave the signal to the construction crew.
The ball was dropped, and though the fans at Stadium West couldn't actually see the ball hit the stadium, they saw it fall -- and there was no mistaking the sound. And so one of the last steps got under way. The demolition of the south half of old Busch is slated to be finished within 60 days.
"This is a huge day," Lamping said. "It's the beginning of the end. It's an emotional day for many. It's an exciting day for those that are fortunate enough to understand how important this day is for the franchise and the opening of the new ballpark. This is the beginning of the sprint to the end -- and we couldn't be happier for the weather."
Lamping was right on all counts. Monday was a remarkably pleasant day for the Midwest in November, with temperatures around 70. And the event was certainly an important step.
Unfortunately for fans, the beginning of the demolition had to take place at the southern tip of the old park, rather than more to the southwest -- which would have afforded better views. That's because it's the southern section where the new stadium construction is starting to encroach on the old grounds.
The Cardinals originally planned to implode the old ballpark, with the raffle winner actually getting to push the button and blow it up. But rapid construction progress allowed for a conventional demolition.
"I thought that was going to be a special thing, to be here and take part in," Postin said. "I was originally just going to be satisfied to be one of the 250 finalists and get the print. When I found out Friday ... I got phone calls from news stations. It was kind of a numb feeling for a while. It's been too busy to think about anything so far."
Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/
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