The spirit of St. Louis was on full display when Charles Lindbergh, a month after his historic flight, came to Sportsman’s Park and helped the Cardinals celebrate their first World Series title.
On June 18, 1927, Lindbergh raised the championship banner at the Cardinals’ ballpark and presented the team with World Series rings.
Lindbergh received thunderous ovations from the overflow crowd of nearly 40,000 before a Saturday afternoon game between the Giants and Cardinals. Lindbergh was making his first visit to St. Louis since piloting his single-engine airplane, The Spirit of St. Louis, from New York to Paris on the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight May 20-21, 1927.
A Detroit native, Lindbergh had been working in St. Louis as a pilot and flight instructor when he began his historic adventure. The plane, custom-built in San Diego, was named in honor of St. Louis residents who provided financial backing for Lindbergh.
Honoring Hornsby
Lindbergh’s appearance was a highlight to an emotion-packed Giants-Cardinals series.
Rogers Hornsby, who as player-manager had led the Cardinals to the 1926 National League pennant and World Series championship, was making his first appearance in St. Louis since being traded to the Giants during the winter. Hornsby, who was dealt after clashing with Cardinals owner Sam Breadon, remained highly popular in St. Louis.
The opener of the four-game series was on Wednesday afternoon, June 15, before about 15,000 spectators, the Cardinals’ largest weekday crowd of the season.
During batting practice, Hornsby was given a “great greeting” by the crowd, the St. Louis Star-Times reported. In a ceremony at home plate before the game, players from both teams gathered around Hornsby as St. Louis mayor Victor Miller presented him a watch engraved, “From the fans of St. Louis.”
The next day, Thursday, June 16, Hornsby was guest of honor of the St. Louis Exchange Club at a noon luncheon at the Chase Hotel. At the game that afternoon, Hornsby was given a floral horseshoe arrangement by civic leaders.
“Everything is going great with me,” Hornsby said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
A look at Lindy
The Cardinals and Giants split the first two games of the series. No game was scheduled for Friday, June 17. The series was scheduled to resume with games on Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, Father’s Day, June 19.
With Hornsby in town, the Cardinals had arranged to raise the World Series championship banner before the Saturday, June 18, game. When it was learned Lindbergh would be in St. Louis then, he was invited to take part in the ceremony.
Lindbergh arrived at the ballpark shortly before 3 p.m. Escorted by a cordon of police, Lindbergh was greeted by Breadon and baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and taken to a seat near the Cardinals’ dugout.
Wearing a dark suit and gray hat, Lindbergh, who had been in constant demand since his aviation achievement, “looked haggard and worn,” according to the Star-Times. “He appeared as though all he wanted to do was to get away some place and rest.”
John Heydler, National League president, gave Lindbergh a gold pass that provided him free entrance to any NL game for life.
Lindbergh was taken onto the field. As he led a group of dignitaries to a flagpole located in center field, “uncurbed cheering threatened to shake the concrete stadium to its very foundation,” the Star-Times reported.
Winning combination
At the flagpole, Lindbergh pulled the ropes, hand over hand, that raised three flags: the American flag, the World Series championship flag and the National League pennant.
Lindbergh and the group paraded around the field and toward the plate. There, the teams gathered and Lindbergh was introduced to Hornsby.
“You’re a great fellow and you did a great thing,” Hornsby said to Lindbergh. “I congratulate you.”
Lindbergh shook the hands of each World Series champion team member as he handed out rings.
Lindbergh returned to his seat and the game began. His mother sat in the seat to his right and the mayor of St. Louis sat to his left.
When Hornsby stepped to the plate in the second inning, he received a tremendous ovation.
After the third inning, Lindbergh departed.
The Cardinals, behind the pitching of Grover Cleveland Alxander, won, 6-4. Boxscore
The next day, the Giants prevailed, splitting the series.
Previously: Bob O’Farrell went from NL MVP to Cards manager
RetroSimba 
I did not know this story about Charles Lindbergh. Always nice to learn something new. Something else, I would have never guessed that it wasn’t until the middle of June before they raised the World Series flag and handed out the rings.
Thanks. The June visit was the Giants’ first to St. Louis in 1927 and thus the first chance for Rogers Hornsby to share in the ring ceremony. That’s why the ceremony was held in June.