I never realized before that Busch the stadium came before Busch the beer. Here’s the timeline:
- 1953: The Cardinals are sold to Anheuser-Busch, brewers of Budweiser since 1876. Anheuser-Busch buys Sportsman’s Park from Bill Veeck, who moves the Browns to Baltimore.
- 1953: NL President Ford Frick denies August Busch’s request to name the stadium after Budweiser. Instead, Busch names the stadium after himself.
- 1955: Anheuser-Busch debuts “Busch Bavarian Beer.” Coincidence?
- 1966: The Cardinals move into the new Busch Stadium II, formally titled “Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium.”
- 1979: Busch Bavarian Beer is renamed simply “Busch.”
- 1982: Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium is officially renamed simply “Busch Stadium.”
- 2006: The Cardinals move into the new Busch Stadium III.
- 2008: Anheuser-Busch is acquired by Belgian-Brazilian brewing company InBev.
- 2026: The current naming-rights deal for the stadium is set to expire.