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Hello again everybody. This is Harry Carrey with Joe Garagiola from Allang Field here in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida,
the training base of the St. Louis Cardinals, where our guest today is the president of Anheuser-Busch and of the St. Louis Cardinals,
Mr. August A. Bush Jr.
Mr. Bush, a beautiful camp, beautiful weather, everything now we need is a pennant, huh?
You bet your sweet life, Harry, and we're going to try like the devil to get it this year.
Joe, you notice that Mr. Bush is getting in shape just like the players.
Yeah, I see him, Mr. Buford, playing a little pepper down there.
Of course, I don't think they're working quite as hard as the athletes that Eddie's got.
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.
All right, we're ready for you any time you want to come.
Mr. Bush, I know that everybody is optimistic looking ahead to the 1955 season.
Things went a little bit wrong last year and yet it wouldn't have taken too many games,
a few breaks here and there to make the Cardinals perhaps a pennant winner even a year ago.
And looking ahead to 1955 with some of these youngsters, why there's good reason to be optimistic, don't you think?
I certainly do, Harry, and I'd like to say this.
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.
Did you have any idea, Mr. Bush, that a ball club would involve such time as it does?
Well, frankly, Harry, it does involve a lot of time and it is not only the greatest sport in the world,
but it's a pretty big business to be frank with you.
You know, I've had the privilege of knowing other businessmen who've got connected with baseball that were relative strangers to it before.
It seems like there's something contagious about that baseball bug, isn't there?
It certainly is. It really is the most fascinating game in the United States and I'd put it in the world.
Do you find it difficult to distinguish between being a fan and the owner of the club?
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,
and I don't think there's such a great deal of difference.
Mr. Bush, with all the change in the young fellows that you've had,
now Mr. Rickey had a youth movement over at Pittsburgh, yet I think ours with the Cardinals is greater.
Would you say it's ahead of schedule or right on schedule?
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.
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.
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,
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,
who not only are showing their ability now but being so young, they should be around here for a long time to come.
There's no question in my mind about that.
I think our fine fans in St. Louis will see a lot of these youngsters for a great many years.
Mr. Bush, just to get away from the youth movement a minute, now you signed Mewsville and Shandings.
Tell me something, is that a tougher job than, say, building a brewery in Newark to sign Mewsville and Shandings?
Well, both of them are such grand sports.
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
and we're delighted to have them on our club, I'll tell you that.
Same investment though, huh?
That's not right.
Mr. Bush, would you say the vicissitudes of baseball as compared to other business are just about the same?
No, I think our friend Eddie Stanky tells the greatest story about baseball.
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,
but if a ballplayer or manager makes a mistake before 30,000 people, it's a different story.
Mr. Bush, I think that the one thing we should touch on, we only have a few seconds left,
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
and I believe that's a real tribute to you and your efforts and your associates.
The fans, I think, realize that you're trying to give them the very best possible
and trying to make the ballpark and everything else about it just as comfortable as it is possible to make it.
Well, that's awfully nice, Harry, and my goodness gracious, nobody in the world appreciates the fan support that we got last year,
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
and I hope 1955 will bring us way up on top.
We all hope so, sir, and thank you so much for taking time to be with us.
Okay, Harry and Joe, grand seeing you.
Thank you, sir.
That was August A. Bush, Jr., president of the St. Louis Cardinals and of Anheuser-Busch.
Now, this is Harry Carrey with Joe Garagiola saying so long from St. Petersburg, Florida.