KETC | Living St. Louis | Sportsman's Park

From KETC, Living St. Louis Producer Jim Kirchherr takes a look back at Sportsman's Park—the first baseball field for the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns. Located in North St. Louis, Sportsman's Park was a unique venue that gave baseball fans the opportunity to watch the game up-close and interact with the players. Jim also shows rare archival footage of baseball games and an interview with hall-of-fame Cardinal, Stan Musial.

• Category

  Sports

[laceydays1]

my dad used to go to sportsman's parkwhen he was a boy and met babe ruth there on several occasions. ruth would toussle my dad's hair on his way out to the field, saying 'hiya, red!'...great memories my dad relayed to me....

[David Globe]

Because Busch bought the stadium, refurbished it, and re-named it "Busch Stadium" in 1954, I never heard it called "Sportsman's Park" in my childhood.

[loveyouall66]

bob broeg stated that the first time he went to sportsman's park, the grass seemed greener than most, and the sky was a special blue. the park had the same effect on me when i went for the first time in 1963. us kids had been playing ball on vacant lots full of rocks and glass. so when i saw sportman;s for the first time, i thought i had died and gone to heaven.

[Mark Schmitz]

I am jealous that I never got to experience Sportsman Park.

[George Arnold]

@THEPHILADELPHIAPHART Stan The Man is still alive, @ the age of 91.

[Hal Bass]

What a thrill it was for the 109-cm dwarf Eddie Gaedel to make his one appearance at bat for the Browns in August 1951.

[bob stimler]

The biggest thrill I had as a youngster was playing in a Khoury League All Star Game in the old Sportsmans Park. It was 1950. The second biggest thrill was seeing Babe Ruth at the park a few months before he passed on. I was a serious Brownie fan because you could knothole every game for free.

[harshaare]

i dont know baseball..but i know cardinals..they are all time great..

[eold2412]

I was fortunate to see both the Cards and the Browns play ball here. I was 12 years old and my friend and i would take the bus and then the street car to the game by ourselves. Those were the good old days when a kid could go anywhere without fear.