The Grand Avenue Grounds
Games were first played at Grand Avenue and Dodier by ametuer teams as early as 1866, when
several ameteur teams (the Cyclones, Empires, and Morning Stars) played their games on the
site. August Solari built an enclosed park on the site in 1871 which became known as the Grand
Avenue Grounds, and in 1875 it was the home of the St. Louis Brown Stockings during the final
season of the National Association. The following year, the Brown Stockings were charter
members of the National League, and the Grand Avenue Grounds hosted League games for two
years before the Brown Stockings dropped out. The reported capacity for the park during
this period was about 9000 spectators.
The original Sportsman's Park
In 1880, Al Spink persuaded Chris Von der Ahe to invest in the Sportsman's Park and Club
Association with the goal of refurbishing the park at Grand and Dodier. Von der Ahe owned
the Golden Lion, a beer garden one block from the former ballpark. The Grand Avenue Grounds
was rebuilt with a new covered grandstand and renamed Sportsman's Park. In addition to the
grandstand, which extended from behind homeplate partway down both the first and third base
lines, the park had uncovered bleachers and a beer garden in the rightfield corner located
in the former house of August Solari. Von der Ahe renovated the home to include lawn bowling
and handball courts. Balls hit into the garden were still in play until 1888, when the rule
was changed to make such a hit a home run. The first game at the new park was played May 21,
1881 with Von der Ahe's Browns hosting the Cincinnati Red Stockings in an exhibition match
between the two unaffiliated clubs. The Browns and Red Stockings united to form the American
Association for the 1882 season, and Sportsman's Park (formerly the Grand Avenue Grounds)
was back in the majors.
Sportsman's Park housed between 6,000 and 12,000 during its early years with the Browns. Home plate was located to the northwest, at the corner of Sullivan and Spring, with Grand and Dodier behind center field. A telegraph connection established in 1883 between the park and downtown St. Louis allowed the Browns to report on other games in progress on a giant "bulletin board". In November of 1887, a fire burned down the dressing rooms and handball courts and damaged the players clubhouse and the saloon. Another fire in 1891 seriously damaged the park, and after the 1892 season the Browns moved out into a new park built by Von der Ahe. (The new park was also call Sportsman's Park for a short while before it was renamed League Park, and then later Robison Field.)
Sportsman's Park rebuilt
The original Sportsman's Park remained empty until 1902, when the American League moved a
franchise from Milwaukee to St. Louis to put pressure on the National League in its battle
for recognition. This club took up the name discarded by the National League franchise a
few years earlier, and the St. Louis Browns were again playing ball at Sportsman's Park.
The park at the time was single-decked, with a covered pavilion from first base around
behind home plate to third base, and uncovered pavilion along the right-field line, and
bleachers along the left-field line and around the corner towards left-center. The capacity
during this period was between 12,000 and 18,000.
Extensive remodelling before the 1909 season resulted in home plate moving to the corner of Dodier and Spring (southwest) with center field located towards Grand and Sullivan. A new double-decked concrete and steel grandstand was errected behind the new home plate from first base to third base and the original grandstand was left along the left-field line as a covered pavilion. From the end of the grandstand on the first base line to the belachers was uncovered seating. Bleachers ran the length of outfield in fair territory. The capacity of the new configuration was 18,000. The dimesions of the park were 353 feet down the left field line, 430 feet to centerfield, and 320 feet down the right field line. In 1912, a covered pavilion was added along the first base line to the foul pole, increasing the park's capacity to 25,000.
The final major renovations on Sportsman's Park were done after the 1925 season. The pavilions along the outfield down both lines were double-decked and covered, and the bleachers in right field were converted to a single-deck covered pavilion. The remaining bleachers were rebuilt in concrete. The total capacity of the park was increased to about 34,000. The dimensions of the park shrunk slightly after this renovation (351 feet in left, 422 feet to center, and 310 to right), and fluctuated about those values for the remainder of the park's existance. By this time, both St. Louis clubs played their home games at Sportsman's Park. The Cardinals had become tenants of the Browns in 1920. Both clubs would continue to share Sportsman's Park until after the 1953 season, the longest period of joint tenure for two major league clubs in baseball.
The original Busch Stadium
In the spring of 1953, Brown's owner Bill Veeck sold Sportsman's Park to August Busch Jr.,
owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Browns became tenants of the Cardinals. The Browns
moved to Baltimore following the 1953 season, but the Cardinals remained at Sportsman's Park
for another 13 seasons. The park underwent minor renovations in 1953, dropping the capacity
to 30,500. It was also renamed Busch Stadium. (The National League refused to allow the name
to be changed to Budweiser Stadium after the brand of beer sold by Busch's company,
Anheuser -Busch.) The Cardinals continued to play home games at Busch Stadium until 1966. On
May, 8, 1966, the Cards played the final game at the old park, a 10-5 loss to the Giants.
Following the game, home plate was taken from the park to the new Busch Memorial Stadium,
and Sportsman's Park was closed for good. It was torn down shortly after. However, the site
is still used for ball games; a baseball field belonging to the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls
Club is now located where the park used to stand.