Recently, while I was in St. Louis with my son, Jake, and friend, Wayne, for another event, we managed to find our way into Busch Stadium for a Sunday afternoon Reds-Cardinals’ matchup. We hoped to experience a little late-season Albert Pujols magic in person and check out the stadium.
That it was a typically humid Missouri afternoon with temperatures reaching the upper-80s only added to the experience.
Here are a few observations off the top of my head:
St. Louis is a Baseball Town
Sure, we arrived tardy to the game (it was the second inning by the time we got there), but the ticket windows had long since been shuttered because all seats were sold. And, why not? The team’s leading its division, has a Triple Crown candidates in Paul Goldschmidt, and Pujols is trying to reach the even more rarified air of the 700 HR club in the season’s waning weeks.
It was a tough ticket to get and once inside with our Standing Room Only purchase, it was a tough game to see because the fans clogged those viewing areas, especially when the aforementioned Pujols came to bat (Goldschmidt sat this one out).
It’s status as a baseball town was also noted in the repeated messaging of its 11 World Series Championships but, perhaps more telling, the generations of fans attending. While I realize the baseball demographic skews older, there was an abundance of what I’d consider septuagenarians in attendance on a day that was more suitable for a refreshing lemonade, listening to the game on the radio in the air conditioned comfort of one’s home. Further, the number of generations spotted together was remarkable; that is, grandparent, parent, and grandchild. Clearly Cardinals’ fanaticism is passed on.
Viewing and Cooling
Two things I noticed right off the top as a SRO patron: First, there weren’t many spots to stake out your claim. Mainly in left and left center field and in the upper deck’s stairwell/elevator landing areas. If there were other natural spots we sure didn’t see them. Second, and this one’s related to the first, because the majority of SRO spots are in the outfield there is little chance of a reprieve from the brutal heat index during summer day games.
Unlike our home ballpark in Detroit, Comerica Park, there really are not any viewing options on the concourse which would provide some natural relief from the heat in the form of shade. Sure, the Cardinals’ have provided giant fans every 50 yards or so, but the ability to seek relief and still keep an eye on the field of play are few and far between.
One final note about the heat: I have a newfound respect for the Ozzie Smith-led teams of the 1980s for doing what they did on a synthetic turf field that no doubt absorbed heat like a sponge. The stories of Cardinals’ outfielders putting on the bottom of their spikes to repel the heat suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched to me.
Pujols Peters Out
We only witnessed two of his four plate appearances, and while he can create a fervor in the stands, he did not do the same on the field on this day. We saw a ground out and a pop up. Then again, his teammates didn’t fare much better, collecting only two hits all day.
Which leads us back to our initial observation: St. Louis is a baseball town. As we were making our way to the exits we heard a huge roar from the crowd. We figured a homer, maybe? An extra-base hit, perhaps? Runners in scoring position, even? Nope, it was only a single, albeit by fan-favorite Yadier Molina.
(Look later this week for our regular contributor, Tim Russell’s deeper dive into Busch Stadium in his next installment of The Great Ballpark Chase.)
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