Cardinals' Visit Is a Homecoming for St. Pete Baseball Fans
For six decades, the St. Louis Cardinals called St. Petersburg home, and made history in the city. For the second time since the Cardinals were forced to leave the Sunshine City, they return to old stomping grounds.
When the Rays begin a three-game series with the Cardinals Friday at Tropicana Field, it's sort of like a homecoming for the visiting club. For some six decades, the Cardinals called St. Petersburg home. Well, at least for parts of the year. But the Cardinals return for only the second time since leaving the city for good in 2007. The Cardinals trained in St. Petersburg each spring, had a Florida State League team that played home games at Al Lang Stadium for 33 years and the team's minor league headquarters were in the Sunshine City. In fact, there are still pockets of St. Petersburg where more Cardinals fans can be found than Rays fans. When the Cardinals won the National League Championship series in 2004, Ferg's Sports Bar was packed …
