ST. LOUIS, Missouri – It was a gloomy morning at Busch Stadium, when the early summer sun was not enough to dispel the choking feeling from the heartbreaking announcement: Ozzie Smith, the immortal legend of the Cardinals who once took the breath away of MLB with his magical flying shortstop, is now critically ill and in intensive care with his family.
His family shared the news in an emotional handwritten letter to fans and the media. In the letter, his wife, Denise Smith, choked up:
“Ozzie always said that if he had to leave this world, he wanted to do it like a backflip – with a smile, faith, and a heart for baseball. But this time, he can’t do it himself. We are here, holding his hands, reciting the Busch chants as he dreamed every night.”
A Legend, a Father, an Icon
For more than two decades, Ozzie was more than just “The Wizard of Oz” on the field. He was an inspiration, a laugh in the middle of a tight game, an open arm to the next generation.
In 1982, he helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series and has been an irreplaceable figure ever since. But perhaps his greatest legacy isn’t in the statistics – it’s in his pure love of baseball and community.
The crowd fell silent at Busch Stadium
Today, when the Cardinals took the field, the atmosphere was different. The players wore black armbands with the number 1 on them. The honor bench was empty, save for an old glove and a black-and-white photo of him diving for a save.
The crowd stood and applauded for a long time. No one spoke. They were saying a prayer for a man whose heart St. Louis will always hold – even though his body may soon be gone.