Marty "The Sign Man" Prather, a St. Louis Cardinals superfan, passed away in September at the age of 67. Over the course of four decades, beginning with the 1985 World Series, Prather could be spotted at Busch Stadium holding up signs with original artwork and witty text.
Prather, who owned Domino's Pizza franchises throughout the Ozarks region, spent his adult life in Springfield, Mo. On Friday the hometown Springfield Cardinals paid tribute to "The Sign Man" with a Marty Prather bobblehead giveaway. Fans throughout Springfield's newly-renamed Route 66 Stadium held up their own homemade signs during the game, an 18-3 romp over the Amarillo Sod Poodles (in which Springfield played as their new Ozarks Snipe Hunters alternate identity).
"People here saw him at St. Louis Cardinals games on TV all the time. They saw him at Missouri State games and Springfield Cardinals games," said Springfield general manager Dan Reiter. "He was a local sports celebrity, but he would genuinely connect with anyone he met. He was full of energy, vigor and a childlike enthusiasm all his life. ... He would say that at his funeral he wanted there to be peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and have it be a ticketed event so they could turn away Cubs fans. He joked about that for years."
In 1985, Prather and a friend wore tuxedos to a World Series game at Busch Stadium, holding up a sign that read "The Fat Lady is Singing." The sign, featured on the TV broadcast as the Cardinals went on to defeat the Kansas City Royals, became the first of many hundred that would follow. While he had a special affinity for Ozzie Smith, Prather cast a wide net and celebrated players throughout the region. Reiter notes that, at Springfield games, he would come with signs in honor of prospects and rehabbing Major Leaguers alike.
"He was the first fan ever inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He wanted to talk baseball, basketball and football with anyone he could," said Reiter.
"When he passed away the sports community was so grieved by it. His friends at the Loren Cook [air moving] Company, they've done other bobbleheads with us. They said 'What about a Sign Man bobblehead?' It was a wonderful idea."
For Friday's game the Cardinals set up a sign-making station on the concourse, encouraging fans to channel their inner Marty Prather. The sixth inning became "The Sign Inning" as fans showed off their homemade creations. Prather's friends and family came with more elaborate signs, some of them from Prather's own collection.
"The evening was very meaningful for a lot of people, including Marty's family. His son-in-law and grandson combined for a first pitch," said Reiter. "It was part of the healing process, to see him honored in a really cool way. I heard that repeated throughout the evening. 'This is exactly what Marty would have wanted.'"