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6:31 pm: 33°F / 24°F » 5-Day Forecast

Have you had part of your day hijacked by Wikipedia lately?  It may be the single greatest site on Earth, and a little bit dangerous if you go on one of the encyclopedia's always interesting, never scheduled trips through the universe.

My visit began with my interest in an event coming up Monday:  the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition.  The date is a big one here in St. Louis, because if the 13 year ban on booze had not been lifted by President Roosevelt, our good friends over at Anheuser-Busch would likely have gone belly up.
 Can you imagine St. Louis without A-B?  It would be like Detroit without car companies.  The identities are intertwined. 

Wikipedia tells me when prohibition ended, Gussie Busch (August, Jr.) came up with a great way to celebrate.  He put together a team of horses called Clydesdales to pull a beer wagon up to his father's door in commemoration of the brewery's rebirth.  Not a bad idea!

Wikipedia side note:  Gussie Busch was a big backer of the Democratic party.  His son, August, III:  a big Republican who's particularly tight with Joh McCain.  August, IV, the brewery's current big cheese:  a big Democrat like his Grandpa.  The Obama-McCain chats around that dinner table must be a hoot!
Anyway, back to Gussie Busch.  In 1953, he purchased a little baseball team called the St. Louis Cardinals.  According to Wikipedia, we nearly lost the Cards back in the '50's. The previous owner owner was in financial trouble, and had discussions with Houston and Milwaukee about moving the team.

 Meanwhile, the legendary Bill Veeck, owner of the Browns, was trying to run the Cards off and keep St. Louis for himself. 

Just think!  We could be sitting here today gnashing our teeth over the Brown's home game tonight against Tampa Bay. 

Instead, Gussie bought the club, and the Browns packed up for Baltimore.  In the meantime, Wikipedia tells me, Gussie also bought Sportsman's park. 
There are a bunch of interesting things about that.  First, I didn't know that, until that purchase, the Browns were the Cardinals landlord.  Also, I didn't know that once A-B bought the place, it was officially called Busch Stadium.  Yes, the current park downtown is Busch 3, not just new Busch. 

And here's another one!  It almost wasn't Busch at all.
Gussie Busch wanted to call the place Budweiser Stadium.  That was vetoed by baseball's commissioner at the time, Ford Frick.  He was afraid people would balk at the park being named after an alcoholic beverage.  (Boy, has the world of naming rights changed!)

By 1966, when new Bud...I mean new Busch...I mean old, new Busch had opened, Wikipedia tells me a great piece of our town's history went away.  Sportsman's park was located at Grand Boulevard and Dodier on the city's north side.  No other plot of land on Earth had hosted baseball as long as that one. 

The Grand Avenue Ball Grounds had opened there in 1867, and St. Louis's teams had been playing there ever since.

I guess, technically, it's still being played there.  Wikipedia tells me the site is now home to the Herbert Hoover Boys' and Girls' club.  The field from Sportsman's Park is still a field, so the kids could be choosing up sides right now.  Of course, with the rain, they might be inside on Wikipedia looking up Herbert Hoover.  He was the 31st president and the last U.S. president to preside over prohibition.  

Tags: Prohibition Anheuser-Busch Gussie Busch St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Browns Budweiser Herbert Hoover