Seat Cushion Night 1987

There are nights and days you should never forget like your wedding and graduation. Then there are nights that you will never forget. One of these is the legendary seat cushion night at Busch II in 1987. My wife and I were watching the Cardinals last season and one of the announcers mentioned “seat cushion night 1987”. I told my wife I was there and still may have the cushion in my parent’s basement. Sure enough I spoke to my parents a few days later and my dad went downstairs and found it. Needless to say my wife carefully wrapped up the now 26 years old square plastic cushion and carried it home in her carry on bag this past holiday season.

Seat cushion night is as legendary as the White Sox disco inferno night. You ask what is “seat cushion night”? Well let me say I don’t believe they ever had another one after that, no wait they had another one in 2005? And the same thing happened (imitators)? Who woulda thunk. The Mets were in town for a series against the Cards. At this time in the mid-1980s the Mets were our mortal enemies.

                                                     This may be in a closet at my parent's home

The Cards went to the World Series in 1985 and 1987, and the Mets in 1986. I will never forget watching the ball roll through Buckner's legs, I cried, not really but I wanted to. During these years there was great animosity between the teams. Keeping this in mind I went to a game between the Cards and the Mets on April 18, 1987. There was a potent mixture of hating the Mets, drinking Budweiser, and seat cushions. Only a spark was needed to blow the powder keg. That spark happened when 2nd basemen Tommy Herr, one of my all time favorites, hit a walk off grand slam against the hated Mets. It was on. It began with one, then a couple, then a few more, and then an avalanche of seat cushions raining down from the stands. Of course I didn’t throw mine. There you have it the legendary “seat cushion night”.

                                                            1987 Topps Tommy Herr

I attended another legendary night at Busch II, the famous Kevin Mitchell of the Giants one handed catch off the bat of Ozzie Smith in 1989. Unfortunately I didn’t see it as the seats we had (left hand corner in a blind spot) weren’t the best-but I knew something great happened when the fans erupted with applause for Kevin and his catch.