ST. LOUIS • Lou Brock smacked a Phil Niekro knuckleball up the middle in the 12th inning to score Curt Flood and beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3. It was a good way to inaugurate the new Busch Memorial Stadium downtown.
More than 46,000 Cardinals fans attended that first game in the $24 million stadium on May 12, 1966. It was round in shape to accommodate baseball and football, and its partial roof complimented the new Gateway Arch three blocks away. Fans appreciated its spaciousness and unobstructed view of the field.
In the bigger view, the stadium was the marquee attraction for a major rebuilding of the sagging south half of downtown.