There's Nothing Like A Long, Slow, Painful Death

From STLtoday.com, I find out that the wrecking ball starts swinging Monday. Which just happens to be my birthday.

Gee. Happy birthday to me. I guess I'll always remember this one. This is worse than the 2000 election fiasco in the history of Scottius Maximus birthdays.

"Busch demolition will take months

By Jake Wagman

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

11/04/2005

ST. LOUIS

That old Redbird roost has one big swing left - from a 10,000-pound hardball.

The Cardinals announced Friday that Busch Stadium would be demolished in phases beginning Monday at 3 p.m., 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 Monday, 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.

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."