Sportsman's Park
From BR Bullpen
This page is for the 20th Century Sportsman's Park. For the other ballparks in St. Louis called Sportsman's Park, see Sportsman's Park I and Sportsman's Park II
Home of the St. Louis Browns , 1902 to 1953 and of the St. Louis Cardinals, 1920 to 1966.
First night game: May 24, 1940
Demolished: 1966
Capacity: 8,000 (1902); 18,000 (1909); 34,000 (1926); 30,500 (1953).
Sportsman's Park was originally built for the St. Louis Browns when the American League's Milwaukee Brewers relocated to St. Louis, MO following the 1901 season. In 1909, the park was rebuilt on the same site, but with a different orientation and dimensions, and a double-deck grandstand behind home plate. It was gradually improved over the years, with concrete bleachers added in 1925-1926.
The St. Louis Cardinals moved in as joint tenants on July 1, 1920, abandoning Robison Field, and remained there as sole occupant after the Browns left for Baltimore, MD following the 1953 season. The entire 1944 World Series, pitting the Browns and Cardinals, was played here. The Cardinals played their last game here on May 8, 1966, when they moved to Busch Stadium. To complicate matters, Sportsman's Park was officially called Busch Stadium from 1954 to 1966. Home plate was moved by helicopter from one Busch Stadium to the other after the last game played here, to indicate continuity with the Cardinals' history of success in the park. The stadium was demolished shortly thereafter and the site now serves the Herbert Hoover Boys' Club, with a baseball field still in the same spot.
