1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,600 This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history. 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:12,700 Hello again everybody. This is Harry Carrey with Joe Garagiola from Allang Field here in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida, 3 00:00:12,700 --> 00:00:18,700 the training base of the St. Louis Cardinals, where our guest today is the president of Anheuser-Busch and of the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:20,500 Mr. August A. Bush Jr. 5 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:25,500 Mr. Bush, a beautiful camp, beautiful weather, everything now we need is a pennant, huh? 6 00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:30,000 You bet your sweet life, Harry, and we're going to try like the devil to get it this year. 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,200 Joe, you notice that Mr. Bush is getting in shape just like the players. 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,500 Yeah, I see him, Mr. Buford, playing a little pepper down there. 9 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:40,100 Of course, I don't think they're working quite as hard as the athletes that Eddie's got. 10 00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:45,000 You know, we have a challenge out for you and Mr. Buford. You know that Joe and I are going to take you on in a pepper game. 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,800 All right, we're ready for you any time you want to come. 12 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:53,400 Mr. Bush, I know that everybody is optimistic looking ahead to the 1955 season. 13 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,600 Things went a little bit wrong last year and yet it wouldn't have taken too many games, 14 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,700 a few breaks here and there to make the Cardinals perhaps a pennant winner even a year ago. 15 00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:06,600 And looking ahead to 1955 with some of these youngsters, why there's good reason to be optimistic, don't you think? 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,500 I certainly do, Harry, and I'd like to say this. 17 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:18,500 I think I know a little bit more about baseball and I'm happier this year with our Cardinals than I've been since we've owned them. 18 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:25,000 Did you have any idea, Mr. Bush, that a ball club would involve such time as it does? 19 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:30,700 Well, frankly, Harry, it does involve a lot of time and it is not only the greatest sport in the world, 20 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:34,000 but it's a pretty big business to be frank with you. 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:41,300 You know, I've had the privilege of knowing other businessmen who've got connected with baseball that were relative strangers to it before. 22 00:01:41,300 --> 00:01:44,800 It seems like there's something contagious about that baseball bug, isn't there? 23 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:51,600 It certainly is. It really is the most fascinating game in the United States and I'd put it in the world. 24 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,800 Do you find it difficult to distinguish between being a fan and the owner of the club? 25 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:05,900 No, I think bygones that every fan has got to be a manager and part owner of the club to be a real, honest-to-goodness fan, 26 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:08,700 and I don't think there's such a great deal of difference. 27 00:02:08,700 --> 00:02:11,800 Mr. Bush, with all the change in the young fellows that you've had, 28 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:17,700 now Mr. Rickey had a youth movement over at Pittsburgh, yet I think ours with the Cardinals is greater. 29 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:21,200 Would you say it's ahead of schedule or right on schedule? 30 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:29,400 I would say it's right on schedule and we made the policy when we took over the Cardinals and things are coming just up to my liking. 31 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:37,200 I believe in the next few years, maybe this year, that we're going to be one of the toughest teams to beat in either league. 32 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:45,400 Mr. Bush, your purpose as announced then was to build a young ball team, a team that would win not only one season but for perhaps a decade, 33 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:53,400 and it certainly looks like things are coming out that way with boys like Moon and Boyer and Verdon and young fellows like that, Jones and Lawrence, 34 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:59,700 who not only are showing their ability now but being so young, they should be around here for a long time to come. 35 00:02:59,700 --> 00:03:01,800 There's no question in my mind about that. 36 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:07,400 I think our fine fans in St. Louis will see a lot of these youngsters for a great many years. 37 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:12,000 Mr. Bush, just to get away from the youth movement a minute, now you signed Mewsville and Shandings. 38 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:19,000 Tell me something, is that a tougher job than, say, building a brewery in Newark to sign Mewsville and Shandings? 39 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,200 Well, both of them are such grand sports. 40 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:27,700 As a matter of fact, it didn't take very long for us to get all signed up with them again this year and both of them are wonderful players 41 00:03:27,700 --> 00:03:29,800 and we're delighted to have them on our club, I'll tell you that. 42 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,800 Same investment though, huh? 43 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,100 That's not right. 44 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:40,600 Mr. Bush, would you say the vicissitudes of baseball as compared to other business are just about the same? 45 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:46,400 No, I think our friend Eddie Stanky tells the greatest story about baseball. 46 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:53,900 We fellows in business can make a mistake in our own offices and our secretaries might know about it and we might feel bad about it, 47 00:03:53,900 --> 00:04:00,000 but if a ballplayer or manager makes a mistake before 30,000 people, it's a different story. 48 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:05,200 Mr. Bush, I think that the one thing we should touch on, we only have a few seconds left, 49 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:11,000 I think it was wonderful the response and the reaction of the fans last year even though the ball club was down in the second division 50 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,600 and I believe that's a real tribute to you and your efforts and your associates. 51 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,100 The fans, I think, realize that you're trying to give them the very best possible 52 00:04:18,100 --> 00:04:22,800 and trying to make the ballpark and everything else about it just as comfortable as it is possible to make it. 53 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:29,200 Well, that's awfully nice, Harry, and my goodness gracious, nobody in the world appreciates the fan support that we got last year, 54 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:37,500 even finishing sixth more than I do and I want to salute all of our fine fans again and thank them a million for their support 55 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:41,700 and I hope 1955 will bring us way up on top. 56 00:04:41,700 --> 00:04:44,900 We all hope so, sir, and thank you so much for taking time to be with us. 57 00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:46,800 Okay, Harry and Joe, grand seeing you. 58 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:47,700 Thank you, sir. 59 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:51,300 That was August A. Bush, Jr., president of the St. Louis Cardinals and of Anheuser-Busch. 60 00:04:51,300 --> 00:04:55,800 Now, this is Harry Carrey with Joe Garagiola saying so long from St. Petersburg, Florida.