Opening Day

[dbarham]

2 Vicodin, 3 Somas and 1 Anti-Inflammatory plus 2 Heinekens will do it for me tonight... I drove 8 hours yesterday and my back is extremely PO'd at me. Spasms are quite fun!

mine too you need any help cmon coach! the cardinals?

[coachlaw]

It's a long and oft told story.

I'm a 4th generation Cardinals fan. My great grandfather grew up in Madisonville, TX. He used to come to Houston to watch the Houston Buffalos. Branch Rickey was the first to affiliate a major league team with a farm system and the Buffs were the first minor league team to affiliate with a major league team. The Buffs were the main Cardinal farm club until the Houston Colts organization was founded and joined the National League. Of course y'all know they became the Colt .45's and later the Astros. Many old timers in this area grew up as Cards fans, indeed as the southernmost major league team for decades, until the Colt .45's in '62 and the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 most southerners grew up rooting for the Cards. Indeed, the Houston Buffalos ball park was named what else? Busch Stadium.

After he moved to Freeport for a job with the Freeport Sulphur company, he would take the train to games and was a big fan his entire life. My grandfather grew up in Freeport and when he was old enough, he would accompany his dad to the games. One of their greatest memories passed down to me was seeing Dizzy Dean play for the Buffs in 1931. Neither ever got to go to St. Louis to see the Cards play. But they were lifelong fans as they had seen the Cardinal greats cutting their teeth in the minors.

My grandfather graduated from Freeport High School (Now Brazosport) in 1931. He secured a job with the Freeport Sulphur Company and was transferred to Port Sulphur, La. in 1935. Port Sulphur was a small company town on the west bank of the Mississippi below New Orleans. He mailed a letter home one day at the post office and there behind the counter was my grandmother. They were married within a year and had my dad, an only child in 1938.

Port Sulphur was an idyllic setting for a boy to grow up at that time, especially when it was discovered that you could hear KMOX St. Louis on the radio. He and his father spent many hours listening to the Cardinals play ball. Stan "The Man" Musial was everyone's hero. My dad still remembers going to the hardware store with his dad to buy his first glove, a Rawlings Stan Musial model 3 finger glove. He would ride his bike to the news stand each morning and pore over the box scores until it was time to go to school.

Dad followed the birds on the bat through college and then he got a summer job in St. Louis with the Monsanto company in 1962. He was finally going to get to see the Cards play. And see them play he did. He says he cried the first time he walked throught the tunnel and saw the field at Sportsman's Park. He felt like a kid as he rushed to field level and scanned the field for his baseball hero, number 6, Stan "The Man" Musial. He explained that is was the fulfillment of so many of his childhood dreams just to see "The Man" in person. If you don't know much about "The Man". Take a look at these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Musial

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/6AD48536BBE63E6E8625758A000D7C7F?OpenDocument

For many years he summered in St. Louis, enjoying watching the likes of Bob Gibson, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda, Curt Flood, and Lou Brock. He was there for the summers of 3 of the Card's world series seasons. When the new Busch Stadium opened in 1966, Dad went for to a game on his birthday. He caught a foul ball on the fly off the bat of Mike Shannon. An usher asked him his name and where he was from. Then during the next inning he was presented with an honoray contract with the Cardinals for "demonstrating great fielding prowess in the stands." That contract hangs in his office above all the diplomas and career accolades. It is without doubt his prized possession.

I never saw a major league game until the Summer of 1991. Dad and I made a special trip to Houston to see a 3 game set with the Cards. I caught my foul ball off the bat of Casey Candaele. I keep my contract in my classroom above everything else. He hugged me so hard after I caught that ball. He was so proud, it was like God meant for that event to be a shared experience between father and son. My contract is with the 'Stros and I'll honor it whenever they aren't playing the Cards. I even told the Astros official that when I got the contract. His response, "Nobody's perfect son." LOL!

When I came around in 1973, Dad was no longer going to St. Louis, but he still listened all the time. KMOX was still going strong and I grew up listening to the Cards on the radio in New Orleans. In 1982 they beat the Brewers for their first world series win during my lifetime. Dad and I used to sit down at the kitchen table after dinner and do the book as we listened. It was great father/son time. In '85 and '87 we watched the NLCS and world series out at the old fishing camp on an old 12 volt black and white tv. Talk about great times. I still remember Jack Buck screaming, "GO CRAZY FOLKS! GO CRAZY!" when Ozzie Smith hit his first left handed homer ever to win game 5 of the 1985 NLCS. Dad and I were jumping up and down and making some noise on Bayou Cook that night.

Even today though I live far from home, Dad and I spend hours on the phone watching games together. Fishing and baseball were always our special connectors. Sometimes I'll just call dad after I watch a game and he'll pick up the phone and we'll quote Jack Buck in unison and say, "That's a winner!"

So you see, I have a good many reasons for being a Cards fan. As I close this very long post, my Cards have lost on opening day. I wish the 'Stros the best on this day, unless Chad Gaudin takes the hill for the Cubbies. It's a shame that kid I coached in high school has to play for the team I hate the most. - Sandy

[007]

I probably went to 25 Cards games when I lived up there,(New & Old Busch Stadium) the ex was a Card fan and we'd usually go when the Stros were in town. I too used to listen to them on KMOX. Mike Shannon usually sounded drunk during the broadcast but, that was ok because I usually was too. I only listened to get updates on the Astros games but, I would root for them when they were'nt playing us.

[coachlaw]

I just found out Chad was released yesterday. Hopefully the 'Stros could use a pitcher. I'd sure be going to a lot more games if they pick him up. Poor guy had a rough spring though.

[bountyhunter]

Oh I can tell you that Sandy is a diehard Cards fan. We were out at Blockade Runners last summer (my first visit) and I was trying to catch some fish from the dock. The only problem was everytime those reds started moving down the bank towards the camp, there would be an eruption of noise from inside, sometimes it was cheerin', and sometimes it was cussin'. Either way it was keepin' those reds away. Thankfully the Cards pulled it out in the 9th and Sandy came bouncing outside very happy and took me to his secret redfish hole. So I guess it ain't too bad when the Cards win one........

GO STROS!!!!!!!!

[Gilbert]

didn't go so well last night

[WestEndAngler]

It's a long and oft told story.

I'm a 4th generation Cardinals fan. My great grandfather grew up in Madisonville, TX. He used to come to Houston to watch the Houston Buffalos. Branch Rickey was the first to affiliate a major league team with a farm system and the Buffs were the first minor league team to affiliate with a major league team. The Buffs were the main Cardinal farm club until the Houston Colts organization was founded and joined the National League. Of course y'all know they became the Colt .45's and later the Astros. Many old timers in this area grew up as Cards fans, indeed as the southernmost major league team for decades, until the Colt .45's in '62 and the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 most southerners grew up rooting for the Cards. Indeed, the Houston Buffalos ball park was named what else? Busch Stadium.

After he moved to Freeport for a job with the Freeport Sulphur company, he would take the train to games and was a big fan his entire life. My grandfather grew up in Freeport and when he was old enough, he would accompany his dad to the games. One of their greatest memories passed down to me was seeing Dizzy Dean play for the Buffs in 1931. Neither ever got to go to St. Louis to see the Cards play. But they were lifelong fans as they had seen the Cardinal greats cutting their teeth in the minors.

My grandfather graduated from Freeport High School (Now Brazosport) in 1931. He secured a job with the Freeport Sulphur Company and was transferred to Port Sulphur, La. in 1935. Port Sulphur was a small company town on the west bank of the Mississippi below New Orleans. He mailed a letter home one day at the post office and there behind the counter was my grandmother. They were married within a year and had my dad, an only child in 1938.

Port Sulphur was an idyllic setting for a boy to grow up at that time, especially when it was discovered that you could hear KMOX St. Louis on the radio. He and his father spent many hours listening to the Cardinals play ball. Stan "The Man" Musial was everyone's hero. My dad still remembers going to the hardware store with his dad to buy his first glove, a Rawlings Stan Musial model 3 finger glove. He would ride his bike to the news stand each morning and pore over the box scores until it was time to go to school.

Dad followed the birds on the bat through college and then he got a summer job in St. Louis with the Monsanto company in 1962. He was finally going to get to see the Cards play. And see them play he did. He says he cried the first time he walked throught the tunnel and saw the field at Sportsman's Park. He felt like a kid as he rushed to field level and scanned the field for his baseball hero, number 6, Stan "The Man" Musial. He explained that is was the fulfillment of so many of his childhood dreams just to see "The Man" in person. If you don't know much about "The Man". Take a look at these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Musial

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/6AD48536BBE63E6E8625758A000D7C7F?OpenDocument

For many years he summered in St. Louis, enjoying watching the likes of Bob Gibson, Tim McCarver, Orlando Cepeda, Curt Flood, and Lou Brock. He was there for the summers of 3 of the Card's world series seasons. When the new Busch Stadium opened in 1966, Dad went for to a game on his birthday. He caught a foul ball on the fly off the bat of Mike Shannon. An usher asked him his name and where he was from. Then during the next inning he was presented with an honoray contract with the Cardinals for "demonstrating great fielding prowess in the stands." That contract hangs in his office above all the diplomas and career accolades. It is without doubt his prized possession.

I never saw a major league game until the Summer of 1991. Dad and I made a special trip to Houston to see a 3 game set with the Cards. I caught my foul ball off the bat of Casey Candaele. I keep my contract in my classroom above everything else. He hugged me so hard after I caught that ball. He was so proud, it was like God meant for that event to be a shared experience between father and son. My contract is with the 'Stros and I'll honor it whenever they aren't playing the Cards. I even told the Astros official that when I got the contract. His response, "Nobody's perfect son." LOL!

When I came around in 1973, Dad was no longer going to St. Louis, but he still listened all the time. KMOX was still going strong and I grew up listening to the Cards on the radio in New Orleans. In 1982 they beat the Brewers for their first world series win during my lifetime. Dad and I used to sit down at the kitchen table after dinner and do the book as we listened. It was great father/son time. In '85 and '87 we watched the NLCS and world series out at the old fishing camp on an old 12 volt black and white tv. Talk about great times. I still remember Jack Buck screaming, "GO CRAZY FOLKS! GO CRAZY!" when Ozzie Smith hit his first left handed homer ever to win game 5 of the 1985 NLCS. Dad and I were jumping up and down and making some noise on Bayou Cook that night.

Even today though I live far from home, Dad and I spend hours on the phone watching games together. Fishing and baseball were always our special connectors. Sometimes I'll just call dad after I watch a game and he'll pick up the phone and we'll quote Jack Buck in unison and say, "That's a winner!"

So you see, I have a good many reasons for being a Cards fan. As I close this very long post, my Cards have lost on opening day. I wish the 'Stros the best on this day, unless Chad Gaudin takes the hill for the Cubbies. It's a shame that kid I coached in high school has to play for the team I hate the most. - Sandy

This post by Coach was so long I almost thought about deleting it... I couldn't get past line 1 and the very mention of Cardinal makes me mad!

[coachlaw]

Put it this way Coe, the 'Stros and Cards are still tied. And we do have a common enemy. Those small bears done got them a real manager now.

[WestEndAngler]

Your just sucking up b/c its my birthday

[lurefisher]

You go coach great story,but im the dizzy Dean.

[Unclehandy]

Bad back? Yea I know a thing or two also. 3 herniated discs and a double microlaminectomy later!

[coachlaw]

I hope you read the whole thing Coe. It was published in part in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch when KMOX was about to lose the Card's contract to broadcast games. They made a big deal about how KMOX made Cards fans all over the country from the foothills of the rockies to the Appalachians and asked people to write in and support the theory.

[Blackbeard]

Go Stros

[Gilbert]

2nd day is better.

[WestEndAngler]

I'm not much of a reader, but will give it a once over later on Coach... this hangover from my birthday night is killing me...