St Louis Review

I have to Admit that i was expecting big things from Busch Stadium - after all it is the most hyped baseball experience in the majors.  I went to two games between the cardinals and the cubs - which I expected to be top notch after the Cardinals won in extra innings on David Ecksteins Suicide squeeze bunt the night before.  The two games were totally different experiences.

The first game was played during the day in sweltering 112 degree heat which is not fun for anyone - and my initial disappointment was that Pujols, Rolen, Walker and Sanders were all injured or just benching. But it was a very tense game which resulted in a 6-5 win for the cardinals after Dempster got lucky enough that Pujols line drive was hit right at the shortstop and they doubled up to end the game.  For this game i was sitting in the second deck in the middle of the first base line in the front row - excellent seats (it cost me a fortune on Stub Hub but it was worth it).  I was sitting with knowledgable fans (one who used to be a ball boy down the right field line when busch first opened in 1966).  All in all despite the heat it was a great game and a great experience.

The second game was a great game of baseball.  It was Mark Prior vs Jeff Suppan and the game started with a bang when Nunez, Edmonds and Mabry all went deep in the first inning - leaving prior rather shell-shocked. However he setttled down for the next 6 innnings as the cubs chipped away to make it a 3-2 game.  In the 8th innning after about the 50th call to the bullpen by La Russa - out trots Julian Tavarez to face Aramis Ramirez - who had homered the day before.  Low and behold a rocket shot into the cubs bullpen gave them the lead 4-3.  In trots dempster again but this time he blows the save after some tense action including a stolen base - David Eckstein ties the game with an RBI single.  Pujols then grounds out with 2 men on to end the ninth and off to extra innings we go.

In the top of the 10th i got to see something i had not seen before when Neifi Perez lined a Grand Slam down the right field line to puts the cubs up 8-4 which would be the final score.

My overall impressions of busch were reasonably positive however i still wouldn't put it in the number 1 position - it ranks 3rd so far after San Francisco and Arlington (Rangers) on an overall sense.  I think the new stadium is going to be very nice and interestingly it actually will overlay old Busch stadium (they have this miniature foul pole in the middle of the right field stands which is going to be the new right field foul pole in new busch). 

I would recommend shelling out the extra cash and sitting in the lower seating areas if your doing a visit - the terrace areas (where i sat for the 2nd game) is also the designated smoking area (on the outer rim) which is just awful if your waiting to lineup for food or merchandise.  Obviously if you smoke your probably going to want to sit there i guess.  Also the fans are so pumped full of Bud (Any type - oh and by the way don't ask for a miller - even as a joke) that they can't even follow the game - one guy even spewed right next to my feet (i was wearing sandals) bad times. 

One final note - that was of considerable amusement to me as an Astros fan.  All the people i talked to agreed with me that Last years NLCS was a fantastic 7 game series.  But everyone also mentioned how that it wouldn't have mattered who won the NLCS - both teams would have lost to the Red Sox.  WHAT A LOAD OF ****.  The Cardinals choked in the World Series.  I am not saying the stros would have won - but they definitely wouldn't have been swept.  But if this is what they need to tell themselves in order to cope then so be it.

Overall rating 7.5 out of 10 

Next Stop - Minute Maid for the Astros