This Day in Missouri History: Busch Stadium III Opens

On April 4th, 2006, Busch Stadium held its first game

The first game in the new stadium in downtown St. Louis showcased the Cardinals’ minor league affiliates in an exhibition game. The Memphis Redbirds took on the Springfield Cardinals. Even though it was a pair of minor league teams, the game sold out in a matter of minutes when tickets went on sale.

The “Exhibition” Crowd: The Triple-A vs. Double-A matchup had an official attendance was 43,123.

A Missouri Connection: Mike Parisi earned that first win for Springfield, then eventually made his MLB debut in 2008 with the Cardinals.

Future Stars: Sidney Ponson pitched for Memphis as a final tune-up for the regular season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Future MLB players John Gall and Chris Duncan also played in the game.

The Duncan Record: Chris Duncan got the first hit in the new stadium while also having the final home run in Busch Stadium II the prior year.

The Verdict: Springfield won the game 5-3 with Mike Parisi getting the victory.

Key Stats

First Pitch: 6:12 pm by Sidney Ponson
First Batter: Shaun Boyd
First Hit: Chris Duncan (single)
First Win: Mike Parisi

Starting Line Ups and Batting Order

Memphis	Springfield
CF – Shaun Boyd	SS – Mike McCoy
LF – Chris Duncan	CF – Reid Gorecki
DH – Juan Diaz	RF – Nick Stavinoha
3B – Travis Hanson	3B – Rico Washington
1B – Gabe Johnson	DH – Brian Martin
1B – Gabe Johnson	LF – Cody Haerther
C – Michael Hernandez	1B – Juan Richardson
SS – John Nelson	2B – Jarrett Hoffpair
2B – Kevin Estrada	C – Iker Franco
P – Dennis Tankersley	P – Sidney Ponson

The Broadcast of the First Game on Fox Sports

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The First MLB Game: April 10, 2006

The St. Louis Cardinals took the field a week later. On April 10, 2006, the Cardinals took on the Milwaukee Brewers and won 6-4. Little did Cardinals’ fans know that the MLB team would go on to win the World Series the very first year the new stadium was in existence.

The weather was perfect with the Clydesdales, a flyover, and Cardinals’ royalty a part of the pre-game festivities. The game turned into the Mark Mulder show in a game that he and fans in attendance will never forget.

The First Hit: David Eckstein got the first hit for the Cardinals with a bunt single in the 2nd inning.

The First Home Run: Albert Pujols got the first home run for the Cardinals with a solo shot in the 3rd inning. But in the 7th, pitcher Mark Mulder hit his first and only home run with a 2 run blast to give the Cardinals a 6-2 lead.

The First Win: Mark Mulder notched the first victory in the historic new stadium

Starting Lineups and Batting Order

The First Day Stats

First Pitch: Mark Mulder
First Batter: Brady Clark (Brewers)
First Cardinal Batter: David Eckstein
First Hit: Carlos Lee (Brewers)
First Cardinal Hit: David Eckstein
First Win: Mark Mulder
First Home Run: Bill Hall (Brewers)
First Cardinal Home Run: Albert Pujols
First Save: Jason Isringhausen

Broadcast of First MLB Game At Busch Stadium III

“What a day for the Cardinal lefty. It’s 6-2. First career Major League home run for Mark Mulder.”
“A one-man wrecking crew here on April 10.”

Joe Buck

The Postseason Magic: That 2006 World Series run was one of the most improbable in history. The Cardinals finished the regular season with only 83 wins, the fewest ever for a World Series champion, proving that a new stadium can definitely come with some “home-field” luck.