ST. LOUIS - Fans young and old gathered outside of the Cathedral Basilica swapping stories about a man they loved so much, Red Schoendienst.
He passed away June 6 at the age of 95. For a Cardinal like Red, his legacy outstretches his time here.
“As good of a ball player as Red was, and he was outstanding, he was a much better man,” said Ron Rice.
Rice is a unique fan who had the rare opportunity of knowing Red. His father Del Rice played with Red for the Cardinals in 1945 going to the World Series in 1946. Both were later traded to the then Milwaukee Braves where they were roommates.
“If my father was here today, he’d say he was a great ball player and a great friend and I wish I was still around to see him,” said Rice.
For most fans though, Red Schoendienst was a man many admired and only dreamed about meeting.
“I’m just thinking about the man, not the ballplayer because I’ve never seen him play but I’ve seen him in St. Louis and he is St. Louis,” said Jim Fetch.
Red’s legacy spanned more than seven decades with the Cardinals inspiring generations of fans.
John Buckley, 20, came to the funeral with his two younger brothers. “My brothers and I are over there talking to two guys we’ve never met before but we all share the love of loving the St. Louis Cardinals,” Buckley said.
Some fans began gathering here two and a half hours early just to get a chance to say goodbye.
Theresa Brewer, who was the fourth fan in line, said, “He was a good guy, a good baseball player and he helped a lot of people, charities, the Cardinals a lot. All around just a good guy.”
While Red may be number 2, fans said he’ll always be number one in their hearts.
“For Cardinals fans, they should appreciate him not just as a player but as a person. He was special,” said Rice.