Major demolition phase begins at Busch Stadium

~ Fans watch as the wrecking ball takes its toll.

ST. LOUIS -- With a resounding thud, a wrecking ball smashed into the southwest side of Busch Stadium on Monday afternoon to make room for a new ballpark, while St. Louis Cardinals fans reminisced about slugger Mark McGwire knocking home runs out of the park or left fielder Lou Brock stealing bases.

Hundreds of observers lined nearby streets or dotted rooftops to watch the first swings of the 5-ton wrecking ball.

"It was sickening," said longtime fan Mary Ann Budrovich, 41, of O'Fallon. "No turning back now."

Budrovich and her husband, Mike, 40, recalled how daughter Kate already knew the Cardinals line up by age 2 and questioned them if players batted out of order.

Glenda Postin of Lewistown, Ill., won a charity raffle allowing her to count down and wave an orange flag from the rooftop of a nearby parking garage, signaling a crane to release the wrecking ball.

Postin, 46, had fond memories from Busch Stadium: watching Hall of Famer shortstop Ozzie Smith turn back flips to rev up the crowd and seeing President Bush throw out the first pitch of the Cardinals' 2004 season.

She had mixed feelings Monday about being "the woman who started the takedown of Busch Stadium."

"I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I'm excited about the new stadium and looking forward to being there next year," she said.

Crews began working toward the stadium's demolition on Oct. 20 -- the day after the last game at Busch Stadium, in which St. Louis lost the National League Championship Series to their Central Division rivals, the Houston Astros, in a 5-1 game.

The southern half of Busch Stadium will be knocked down over the next months to allow for completion of the new, roughly $400 million ballpark. The new park is slated to be done by April 1, for the Cardinals' home opener April 10 against Milwaukee. The rest of the old stadium will be demolished by June 30.

A charity raffle benefiting the Cardinals' community foundation, Cardinals Care, the United Way of Greater St. Louis and Gulf Coast hurricane victims raised more than $66,000 in ticket sales. The 250 raffle finalists will receive a commemorative print.

Busch, one of the multipurpose stadiums built in the 1960s, was easily recognizable with its archways along the top that are a tribute to St. Louis' silvery Gateway Arch monument.

Construction of the new stadium also includes plans to develop a "Ballpark Village" of housing, retail and office space in the neighborhood.

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