My Dad was a Cardinal fan, having grown up just outside of St. Louis. He was drafted and went through basic training the year that the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Browns met in the World Series, 1944. He told the story that they had training on "booby traps" and what to watch out for. The drill sergeant asked if anyone was from St. Louis, and my Dad was the only one that was. Since St. Louis was the only city in the World Series that year he made him go through all the booby traps and set them off! They would shoot powder and that sort of thing to simulate explosions. He laughed about it but wasn't so happy to be selected at the time. I always heard stories about how great Stan Musial was, but also about Satchel Paige who played with the St. Louis Browns from 1951 to 1953. He would tell how "Satch" would sit in a rocking chair in the bullpen to emphasize his age and then come in and still be great.
|