Busch Stadium gets the wrecking ball today...

By Jake Wagman
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH​

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Busch Stadium and the new Busch Stadium under construction.
(David Carson/P-D)
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That old Redbird roost has one big swing left -- from a 10,000-pound hardball.

The Cardinals announced that Busch Stadium would be demolished in phases beginning at 3 p.m. today, when a five-ton wrecking ball crashes into the southwest corner of the stadium. Its first victim will be a section of the ring of arches, the signature crown that made Busch instantly recognizable.

Fans are welcome to come downtown to witness the impact, team President Mark Lamping said, so long as they stand behind a chain-link fence perimeter.

The team also announced the winner of the contest to cast the first swing of the wrecking ball - Glenda Postin from Lewistown, Ill. After today, demolition will continue for months, taking 60 days to level the south side. That will create enough room to finish the new stadium, which the team announced earlier this week will open for regular season play April 10.<SCRIPT language=javascript><!-- // beginDisplayAds("Frame1","","");// --></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://OAS-Central.RealMedia.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.stltoday.com/sports/cards/1459411037@Frame1" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>

Dismantling the rest of the stadium will continue until the 2006 baseball season, wrapping up at the end of June, a week and half before the all-star game break.

The Busch demolition will be the final farewell in what has been a season of goodbyes for the storied stadium. But that doesn't mean Cardinals fans can't still get a piece of the stadium.

There are two opportunities left to get stadium relics. Cardinal fans willing to pay top dollar can do so at an online auction, where bidding for Albert Pujols' locker begins at $1,000. Dozens of other items - used bases, balls and rosin bags - are available. Bids can be placed at www.lelands.com.

Bargain hunters will want to mark Nov. 26-27 on their calendars. That's "Fredbird's Garage Sale" at America's Center. It will be a chance to purchase goodies that are more "stuff" than memorabilia, such as turnstiles and containers of field dirt.

Team officials have also begun to release more details about how the new stadium will look. The scoreboard in centerfield at the old Busch could be placed along a concourse in the new ballpark, in part as a buffer to the adjacent highway.

The bust of legendary broadcaster Jack Buck will have a new home in a "nook near the ticket window," team Senior Vice President Bill DeWitt III said. The likeness of Gussie Busch, too, will move south, although it hasn't been decided exactly where yet.

The Busch Stadium tradition of meeting at the Stan Musial statue will also persevere. DeWitt said "The Man" will move near Spruce Street - front and center at the new Busch Stadium.
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By Jake Wagman and Todd C. Frankel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH​

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A wrecking ball strikes the top of Busch Stadium in St. Louis, signaling the official start of the demolition of the facility.
(Robert Cohen/P-D)
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It began on May 12, 1966, with a toss from Cardinal righty Ray Washburn to leadoff man Felipe Alou of the Atlanta Braves.

It ended at exactly 3:08 today, with a five-ton wrecking ball hitting the storied ballpark squarely in its crown of arches. There wasn't much damage to the building, but it hurt the memories of a lot of spectators.

Rest in peace, Busch Stadium.

In a season of farewells, the final good-bye to Busch sounded like a thud, right into the top of the stadium.<SCRIPT language=javascript><!-- // beginDisplayAds("Frame1","","");// --></SCRIPT>

Initially, the Cardinals were planning to level the stadium in one spectacular 35-second blast sequence. But as the day drew nearer, the team opted instead to use the wrecking ball, a much longer and safer process.

After today, the wrecking ball will continue to swing for months, taking 60 days to level the south side. That will create enough room to finish the new stadium, which the team has announced will open for regular season play April 10.

Dismantling the rest of the stadium will continue until the 2006 baseball season, wrapping up at the end of June, a week and half before the all-star game break.

Though the wrecking ball was not as breathtaking as an implosion would have been, crowds of people were downtown to watch to the event. Spectators were gathered in the streets, in hotels rooms overlooking the stadiums and on the roofs of near-by office buildings.

Cardinal President Mark Lamping said: "This is a huge day. It is the beginning of the end."

At times, the atmosphere rivaled game day. The peanut guy was there, and so was the soda guy. The T-shirt guy was selling demolition T-shirts for 10 dollars. People walked by the stadium wearing Cardinal red and baseball caps. Everyone was taking photos.

Howard Baker sat watching the stadium as he cradled a heavy chuck of concrete that was given to him by a construction worker. "It's a piece of history. There are a lot of memories for a lot of people," said Baker, a Metro bus driver.

Nearby, Terry Goins bought four T-shirts before heading back to work. She would miss the initial demolition, but she had set her VCR to start taping at 3 p.m.

The T-shirt man, Brad Gleeson, was curious to see how people would react when the wrecking ball finally swung. "Will people clap? Will people boo? Will people cry?" he said. "It should be interesting. I don't know what to expect."​