Friday, November 3, 2006 11:15 PM CST
Several from area see World Series clincher
By MIKE MONAHAN, Staff Writer
mmonahan@jg-tc.com
For the countless St. Louis Cardinal fans, Oct. 27 is a day they will remember as the Cardinals captured their 10th World Series title with a 4-2 victory over Detroit in the 102nd World Series in the first year of the new Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are now 10-7 in World Series appearances, and the 10 wins are the most in the National League.
The Cardinals won the series four games to one, and their final regular season record of 83-78 became the worst team (record wise) to win the Fall Classic. It is the first time a team has won the World Series in a new stadium since the 1923 New York Yankees beat the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium.
St. Louis first disposed of San Diego in the National League Divisional Series three games to one and advanced to the World Series with a four games to three victory over the New York Mets.
Among the area people in attendance for game five and the first St. Louis World Series title since 1982 were Kevin Ross, Shelbyville High School principal and former Shelbyville and Neoga boys’ basketball coach, as well as Mattoon baseball coach and drivers’ education teacher Mark Jackley. Charleston baseball coach, cross country coach and physical education teacher Derrick Landrus went to the celebration a week ago.
Being a lifelong Cub fan, I was not for San Diego (because of 1984 when Steve Garvey and the Padres knocked out the Cubs in the NLCS three games to two) and I was not for the Mets (because of 1969 and 1986 with the Red Sox). I could not cheer for St. Louis in the World Series of course.
However, at least two Cub fans did. The first one, Brian Nielsen, JG/T-C sports editor, did so because of his intense hatred for the American League and the designated hitter rule. The second one is Jackley.
Mark Jackley
“We play one high school baseball game there a year in St. Louis,” said Jackley. “The people that work for the Cardinals are really good to me. I am a baseball fan. I am not really upset they won it. You have got to like players such as Scott Rolen, Albert Pujols, and David Eckstein. Those guys are great players. You have to like what they bring to the ballpark every day.”
Jackley went to the 3-1 game three loss to San Diego in the NLDS and saw the Cardinals dominate the Mets 5-0 behind the pitching of Jeff Suppan. Jackley had tickets for game four, which was rained out.
“I was fearful with the rainout they would move the game to Thursday,” said Jackley, who was in one of the luxury boxes. “My ticket would have to be used Thursday and I would not be able to go as I had to officiate a regional volleyball championship. It worked out perfectly. I got to enjoy everything that goes with the room (luxury box) Wednesday during the rain and go back and do it again Friday. Just to be a part of it was pretty neat. The clinching game was one I won’t ever forget. The atmosphere was electric. I left at 1 a.m. and people were still coming in just to join the party in the street. I had never been a part of that.”
Game four tickets were good for Friday, which was actually game five. Game five tickets were used for game four. The theory behind the move was that it would inconvenience the fewest fans. This way the people who had tickets for Thursday (or game four) would not have to change their plans to Friday.
Lifelong Cardinal fan Chris Slack, owner of the Arcola Record-Herald, and I went to the rainout(first one at St. Louis in history and first postponement since 1996, first game four since 1976 and 23rd overall), but couldn’t go back Friday. I am glad about that because it would have been difficult for a Cub fan to see the Cardinals celebrate, but it was too bad for Slack. During the rain delay I visited with my sister Kate and her three kids, Sean, Megan and Molly, who were underneath the upper deck down the left field line. The rest of the time was spent either sitting in the seat or in the concourse area getting food and drinks.
Among the others who were also in attendance for the final game were Mark Maninfior and his son Derek of Mattoon, as well as Tim Lodes, also of Mattoon, and Barry King of Arcola.
“It was fortunate the game was moved to Friday,” said Jackley. “I told a lot of people Friday that I must get to see just the clinchers. I was there in 2004 for game four when Boston won it all.”
Mattoon’s baseball team is in the process of getting a date scheduled to play in the new Busch Stadium.
“I am fired up already talking about the high school game,” said Jackley, who went to three regular season games at the new stadium. “Right now we are looking at it being the first week of the season against the New York Mets. I am hoping the World Series win will help. It is going to be a lot of fun for the players and community.”
Jackley went with Newton’s Dave Wolf, who coached with Jackley the last three years on their girls’ traveling summer softball team. Wolf’s nephew Ross Wolf, who was a member of the 2000 Class A state baseball champion Newton, is a pitcher in the Florida Marlins organization.
Kevin Ross
Kevin Ross is a prime example of how baseball involves generations. He attended his first baseball game in 1982, the last time the Cardinals won the World Series (four games to three over the Milwaukee Brewers) in a regular season game against the Mets. His father, Russell, and his grandfather, Kenny, went to the game.
“It was my first experience at Bush Stadium, so I have a lot of good memories of that,” said Ross. “It was the last game my grandfather, who was the 1964 World Series (St. Louis won four games to three over the New York Yankees), attended.”
Russell and Kenny Ross were both at the World Series clincher (a 7-5 Cardinal win with Bob Gibson breaking the World Series strikeout record and earning victory on his third start in two days as Lou Brock and Ken Boyer hit home runs) in 1964. This year Kevin and his father first attended the game called by rain and went back Friday for the clincher.
“It was a neat experience to be down there with him (Russell),” said Kevin Ross. “He said this time the celebration was a lot bigger and better, but equally exciting.”
Ross goes to 10-12 games a year and also saw Suppan’s victory in game three as the Cardinals won 5-0 against the Mets.
“I didn’t know how they would manage the rain out,” said Ross. “I was lucky to be in that position. I felt a little bit sorry for the people at game four (which was the game five tickets), but not too much. We were down the right field line. It was quite a scene Friday night. We hung around the stadium and a lot of people that were watching outside the gates were let in for the post game. It was a pretty wild scene. I high-fived more people than I ever have.”
Despite the fact the Cardinals struggled down the final stretch of the regular season, barely making the playoffs, Ross said, “I felt confident going into the playoffs. Yes, we kind of backed into the playoffs, but once we got there we had our pitching and the guys on the field performed incredibly. I taped the game and have watched it. It was neat to watch the game and watch it unfold. It is hard to believe how calm Adam Wainwright was. The bullpen made you feel uneasy, but with him you were the most comfortable. Because of the playoff setup, if you get to the playoffs, anything can happen. I never imagined them having a chance to win, but I am not going to argue with it.”
As for the new stadium, Ross said, “My knock on it all year was that there wasn’t any history in it, so the environment wasn’t the same. Now this changes my perspective of the place.”
Derrick Landrus
Landrus, a 1991 Charleston graduate and former basketball standout who went on to play at Eastern Illinois University, said he talked with his cousin Seth Dixon from Mattoon about going to the celebration Friday.
“I got up Sunday morning and called him about 10:45 a.m. and we left around 11 a.m and got there at 1:30 p.m.,” said Landrus. “It was unbelievable, all the red. I thought maybe it would be three or four rows deep (for the parade), but it was 15 people deep. There were people standing on trash cans and in trees. During the ceremony the team went around the stadium and Jeff Weaver (game five winner, who has filed for free agency) really took his time. It was a great experience and something I won’t forget. I waited in line 45 minutes to get into the team store to buy some things. It was a madhouse.”
Landrus scalped a ticket for the celebration in the new Busch Stadium for $20, but couldn’t find another one. Landrus went in and 15 minutes later Dixon walked in after also getting a ticket for $20.
“It was a lucky day,” said Landrus. “The tickets were going for as much as $200 on e-bay. The stadium was full and there were people looking in from the gates outside. It was just unbelievable. I had been to game three in 2004 (Boston won 4-1) and left there thinking I might never be back. My dad and sister pushed me out the door to go to the celebration. It was well worth the trip. You never know when it is going to happen again. It could be 98 years until the Cardinals get back, you never know.”
Landrus said he has been a Cardinal fan his entire life.
“I can remember my grandfather starting me out on KMOX when I was young,” said Landrus. “I went to six Cardinal games this year, including one at Milwaukee. I only saw the Cardinals win one game, so maybe it is a good thing I didn’t go to any World Series games. I missed just a handful of games on the radio or television. It is pretty much my life from April through October.”
Contact Mike Monahan at mmonahan@jg-tc.com or 238-6854.
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Angie Miley wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:05 PM: