When I worked for KMOX in 1970 I had access to the Cardinal games and I could go sit in the press area. It was a treat to be able to do this because Jim White’s show would come on after the night games and I could go to the game and leave around the eighth inning and walk over to the radio station to prepare for Jim White’s show. Having free access to things like ball games and concerts is a real treat because it allows you to “drop in”. I can go to a concert that I may only be marginally interested in and stay for as many songs as I want and then leave. It was nice to go to work, walk over to Busch Stadium for some free food and a few innings of baseball.
The press box was behind home plate in the tier of luxury boxes that circled the upper level. You entered the stadium through the Cardinal offices and went up on an elevator. There was a person at the door that would check your credentials.
The first thing that you came to, was a little cafeteria that served food for the working press. There was always the usual array of burgers, dogs and beer. There were one or two different entrees each game for those that wanted something else. It was all free.
It was great to sit in there and listen to people like Jack Buck, and the visiting team announcers talk shop. Many times there were notable ex ball players and they would always be talking about interesting things.
The burgers there were really good and I was always happy to eat there, more on this later.
The sports writers sat in this white multi tiered area that reminded me of the phone bank at a telethon. In those days no one had computers and each guy had a telephone at their seat. There were a few typewriters.
At the other end of this area were the various booths for the TV and radio announcers and the scouts and executives for the teams. The last booth was for the field announcer. 15 years later I would occupy that booth on a number of occasions. But back then, I didn’t go back there much because I was merely enjoying a perk and not there as working press.
When you left the press box to go out to the elevator at the end of the games, you usually saw a crowd of 15 or 20 people who would congregate in hopes of seeing someone famous and maybe even get an autograph. Many times the famous ones would wait just out of sight by the door and the usher would signal them just as the elevator arrived. This allowed them to make a quick walk out of the press box, into the public view and right into the elevator without getting snagged. They did this because they knew that if they went out there and talked and signed autographs, it could be a long time before they would get away. The crowds coming down the ramps after the game would see what was going on and the crowd only got larger. Famous people understand that sometimes it is better to just not get started.
One day Bob Hardy, the news director, called me into his office and said; “The Cardinals wanted to know who was the big guy from KMOX that was eating them out of house and home!” He reminded me that I was not working press and should be a little more discreet. Thereafter, I confined myself to popcorn and Coke.