The Cardinal Raffle Prize

by Al Yellon on Nov 22, 2005 9:17 AM CST in Chicago Cubs News

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I was one of the 250 finalists in the Busch Stadium Demolition Raffle. I didn't get chosen as the one to cue the wrecking ball for the first time (darnitall, how great would it have been to show up for that in a Cub jacket?), but as a finalist, I was the winner of a 24x34 limited-edition print (originally one of a series of 400 commissioned for a Cardinals Care fundraiser.)

I don't often mention the Cardinals on this site unless they are playing the Cubs -- OK, I did so last June, but that was my son Mark's baseball team -- but I wanted you all to see what my print looked like. There's a photo of it on the above link from the Cardinals website, but here's a better look:

(as always, click on image to view full-size in new browser window; if you are using IE, you may have to click the lower-right corner of the image to expand it to its full size; in Firefox click anywhere on the image.)

The signatures belong to Baseball Hall of Famers Enos Slaughter, Red Schoendienst, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial and Lou Brock, and Football Hall of Famers Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith and Larry Wilson.

No, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Note what the original cost was. Pretty good prize for a $10 raffle ticket.

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Comments

What stadium

is that in the background of the print?

Languishing in Card Country.

by evillecubman on Nov 22, 2005 9:53 AM CST reply actions

I'm pretty sure...

... that's the old Busch Stadium, originally known as Sportsman's Park.

by Al Yellon on Nov 22, 2005 10:00 AM CST up reply actions

Which is bizarre............

........since that's not the stadium they'll be blowing up! Only in Misseery..........

By the way, Al, how does your son become part of the "Dark Side"? My 7-year old daughter wanted to become a sux fan after all the kids at school jumped on the bandwagon last month, but she was quickly "adjusted". Inquiring minds want to know because a Cards fan in the house if far worse than a Sout Side supporter.

by tville on Nov 22, 2005 11:02 AM CST up reply actions

My son...

... is a Cub fan. He was on the Cardinals for his Park District team, only because that was where he was assigned.

by Al Yellon on Nov 22, 2005 12:51 PM CST up reply actions

Sorry, Al,...........

.......I should have know such heinous crimes could not have come from your home. Forgive me for the gross accusation.

by tville on Nov 22, 2005 5:39 PM CST up reply actions

No problem...

... but next year, I'm definitely going to lobby for him to be on the Cubs, or at least a team that's not a huge rival!

by Al Yellon on Nov 22, 2005 7:26 PM CST up reply actions

Frankly...............

.........I find it annoying they actually allow a Cardinals team in these leagues. Can't we cover the squads by using the other 29 names?

If Sox fans want to dump the Twins or Indians, I've got no problem with that either.

by tville on Nov 22, 2005 9:59 PM CST up reply actions

Remember...

The Cardinals are a Chicago thing too... I do believe it's the Illinois State Bird... and there was a football team called the Chicago Cardinals at one time. I don't see a problem with it.

by jameslcrockett on Nov 23, 2005 3:09 AM CST up reply actions

Well...

... I've expressed this myself, too. The league is run by the Chicago Park District -- you'd think that they'd avoid team names who are huge rivals of the Chicago teams.

As I said, next summer I'll be lobbying for him to be on the Cubs!

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2005 9:08 AM CST up reply actions

If the logo...........

..........of the old Chicago Cardinals was used on these Little League uniforms, or if some reference to the IL bird was mentioned, I could accept. Unfortunately, many of these uniforms are mirror copies of the big league stuff, and Chicago kids are forced to parade around in a St. Loser jersey. That's absurd!

by tville on Nov 23, 2005 10:06 AM CST up reply actions

right

the worst part is the affect it can have on impressionable youths. One of my cousins was probably 6 or so in in 98 and was on the Cardinals. That combined with the home run race and all of the sudden he was a McGwire and the Cardinals fan. Luckily it wore off but for a couple years he was convinced he was a cardinals fan.

by mike bornemann @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Nov 23, 2005 10:42 AM CST up reply actions

Exactly!

It's tough enough to keep youngsters interested in a team that never wins, so additional factors such as these should be minimized/eliminated whenever possible.

by tville on Nov 23, 2005 11:24 AM CST up reply actions

Fortunately...

... my son knows exactly in what sort of home he resides... a CUB fan's home.

by Al Yellon on Nov 23, 2005 1:45 PM CST up reply actions

As a sports fan

I have to admit, pretty cool lith.

Just goes to show that it is the memories made inside the stadium, not the stadium itself, that matter.

Busch Stadium was not an inviting place to see a game but it was never meant to be.

Once again Al, I have to live vicariously through you LOL!

Beckett trade HUGE! Thank goodness he's in the AL and not in Houston or St. Louis.

"I love winning, you know it's like, better than losing" -- Nuke Lalouche

by AlabamaCubFan on Nov 22, 2005 10:39 AM CST reply actions

Art

That is Sportsman's Park. The scoreboard was in left and you can see the big light standards rising in the outfield. Also that little job of the bleachers in cneter.

All that said, why is all sports art along these lines? (i.e. about the quality of a decent magazine illustrator) Has an painting with a basaeball theme ever been done with the quality of Bellows' great painting of the Dempsey/Firpo fight? I can't think of one. (And no, Norman Rockwell is not great art - good illustrator, not artist) All baseball art seems like this sentimental nostalgic stuff. Or worse, Leroy Neiman.

by TR on Nov 22, 2005 2:30 PM CST reply actions