 10/27/2004 1:33 AM ET
Game 3 brings out Cards greats
Musial, Gibson among ex-players on hand at Busch
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By Alyson Footer / MLB.com |
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| Former Cardinals great Stan Musial tosses the first pitch prior to Game 3. (Al Behrman/AP)
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ST. LOUIS -- Undeterred by their team's 2-0 deficit to the Red Sox, 50,000-plus Cardinals fans packed Busch Stadium on Tuesday in loud anticipation of Game 3 of the World Series.
As is always the case when a team hosts a World Series, plenty of Cardinals legends were on hand to ring in Game 3, the first World Series game played at Busch Stadium since 1987. When it comes to historical sports figures, St. Louis, and especially the Cardinals, will never have a shortage of legends to choose from.
The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Hall of Famer Stan Musial, who patrolled the Cardinals outfield for 22 years, from 1941-63. Musial, who turns 84 in November, compiled a .331 career batting average, while knocking 475 home runs and driving in 1,951 runs. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
Catching Musial's pitch was one of the most dominant right-handers in the game's history, Bob Gibson, who pitched all 17 of his Major League seasons for the Cardinals, from 1959-1975. Gibson was inducted into the Hall in 1981.
Tuesday's musical guests were both from the field of country music. Martina McBride sang the national anthem, and five-time Grammy Award winner Amy Grant sang "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch.
Hanging just above the visitors' bullpen, in the Homer's Landing section of Busch Stadium, was a Taco Bell "Free Taco Here!" sign. No player, though, hit that target during Game 3, which would have meant a free crunchy beef taco to everyone in the United States.Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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