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   

It was my first day game experience and i was sitting in the upper deck taking in the hot sun and the beautiful view of San Francisco Bay while watching the game.  In an unlikley result the recently recalled Brad Hennessey outduelled the hot to trot Matt Morris of the Cardinals in a 2-0 victory.

Hennessey settled down after a shaky first inning where he threw 29 pitches to complete seven shutout frames with only 94 pitches thrown.  Morris also pitched well but came undone in the 5th innning after giving up 3 consecutive base hits to score one run and conceding another run on Pedro Feliz’s Double play ball.

The real highlights of the game were mostly in the field with Jim Edmonds makeing a spectacular catch witch his back to the infield (to rob Ray Durham of 2 or 3 bases) and Scott Rolen living up to his reputation as a brilliant defensive 3rd baseman with several spectacular robberries down the line. 

The game ended on a very long fly ball to the left centre alley – that was tracked down by Moises Alou as he crashed into the wall – leaving the ever present Albert Pujols on deck stranded.

The rubber game tonight will see Noah Lowry face off agianst Jeff Suppan – as the gaints try to be the first team in MLB history with 10,000 franchise victories.  I have a feeling they are going to do it – and the game has extra spice for me because Jeff Suppan is threatening my ever so perilous lead in fantasy head to head competition week 14.  I will definitely be cheering for a giants victory.  Its Sunday night baseball – so you guys will get to see it in Australia on ESPN – i will be in the bleachers – which will complete my San Francisco experience – having sat all around the stadium.

I go to Vegas tomorrow for the WSOP – hoping to see some good action – and also hoping to find some cheap business centre internet access.  I will write up my impressions of SF as a whole and a few tips if your planning to visit.

Photos are coming – i had them put to CD and i still couldn’t get them onto the Web because of "Security reasons".

Hope everyone is well.

Cheers

Alex

Well i have arrived safely in San Francisco.  As i write this i am very annoyed because i just deleted a big post updating all my news (so this is in effect a rewrite).  Suffice to say i will be making my first big league baseball game tomorrow night (a very unnoteworthy pitching matchup – 2 guys i have never even heard of – but that probably means lots of home runs and scoring generally). Highlights would have to be Dunn, Griffey and Alou – and maybe some Will Mo Magic.

Lets talk Astros – winners of 3 games on the trot – and now just 2 games under .500 – and if the cubs games stays as is then they will be tied for 2nd place in the NL central.  They are certainly making a charge – I am not pretending they can catch the Cardinals (Scotty Rolen is starting to rake) but they are now definitely Wild Card contenders.  They are winning at home and on the road.  Lets hope the All star Break doesn’t break their strong momentum and that winning feeling.

Roy Oswalt tossed his 3rd complete game of the season (only the 8th of his career – so something is definitely going on with his pitching approach this season) – its no coincidence that his last 7 starts (or thereabouts) have been with battery mate Brad Ausmus – and his pitching has been absolutely superb.  With 11 wins he is well on his way to back to back 20 win seasons.  He is also on the NL final man ballot for the All star Ballot.  And at last update was leading – so get on the site and vote him in.  Roy’s start was the 53rd Quality start of the season for the Stros – not sure if this leads the MLB, or NL but its bloody high – if only they had managed to keep a few more offensive pieces – then they could be right up there with the cards.

I will post something more about Tony "Morgan Who" La Russa later on – not sure how Aramis Ramirez got selected ahead of Morgan – but its not the be all and end all.

The latest word on lidge is he is good to go after a 9 day layoff with a lower biceps strain.  Thats great news as it pushes wheeler back to the 8th inning meaning astros starters only need to go 7 innings and they are going to have a great chance of a W.

Thanks to those people who have posted comments – its always interesting to know that people are reading. 

Another update on Thursday morning after my first MLB game at SBC park in San Francisco – and hopefully some photos if i can work it all out.

Ciao.

Alex

P.S 1 thing i have learned so far – at LAX a complimentary shoe shine in not complimentary – ins actually rather expensive – tomorrow i am going to buy sneakers and make sure i wear them on all future flights.

SYDNEY – - I am sitting here at 5:45am Monday the 4th of July making Final Preparations for my flight out in only a few hours.  Its a 15 hour flight to L.A (just brutal) but thanks to magic of the International Dateline i will arrive in L.A 4 hours before i leave – where i check into an airport hotel for one night and then on to San Francisco for my first live game of Baseball. 

It didn’t hit me how close my deaprture was until i set my weekly fantasy lineup and was deciding between Sean Casey and Todd Helton for the upcoming week and i realised i was going to see Sean Casey play in his series in S.F.  I still went with an improving Helton who is riding a 12 game hitting streak (0-3 as we speak – unlucky 13???).  But that was pretty cool to realise in 2 days i will be watching baseball.

So to my legions of adoring fans (all 2 of you) i bid your farwell and goodluck and look forward to sharing many (but not quite all) of my experiences over the next 3 months.

Cheers

Alex

By the way since this is an Astros Blog – they Astros have just won again (taking 5 of 7 games on the Road Trip – and it oh so should have been 6 of 7).  Clemens pitched 7 Shutout Innings – lowering his season ERA to a league leading 1.41 – what this guy has done is just simply astonishing – this start now takes his road innings to 45 and in that time he has allowed ONE ER.  A solo shot to Preston Wilson in the mile high altitude of coors. 

Hes definitely an All-Star, and he should definitely start the game – dontrelle will ave plenty of time to start in the next 20 years. 

Ensberg sent his 22nd Home Run crashing out of the field – however it was fairly incidental to the result – a 9th inning shot to produce the 9-0 final.  Ensberg is another All Star – and by rights deserves to start over the probable starter Scott Rolen – but as always its about fan popularity – and houston just isn’t a place where you get noticed – unless your consistently good for a number of years (Ala bagwell and biggio)

I will touch on the Biggio HBP record in a few days – its been a little hectic getting ready.

San Francisco or Bust

For those of you keeping track here are the cities i am visiting and the teams i am seeing:-

San Francisco, San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago (Both North and South side), Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Baltimore and Washington

Giants, Reds, Cardinals, Padres, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Yankees, Astros, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, White Sox, Cubs, Braves, Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals, A’s and Blue Jays.

I think apart from Minute Maid (From hereon in known as the JuiceBox) i am most looking forward to the Cardinals vs Cubs games in late July – if everything i read about a game in St Louis is right – i better get something RED.  And maybe it better not be my Red Roger Clemens Jersey.

I still can’t believe the astros blew it tonight

Dear Fellow Bloggers and Fans,

First of i will say i am new to the world of "blog" – but am very eager to share my opinions – as many of my friends will attest.  I am keeping this blog as i begin on what will be a 3 month Odyssey from the West Coast to the East Coast of America – seeing as many games, teams, cities and ballparks as i possibly can.  I am going to take heaps of photos beginning with what will be my first ever MLB game on the 6th of July in San Francisco (vs Cincinnatti Reds) to a game at RFK stadium the home of the "new" Nationals franchise in late September.

A little background on myself.  I am a diehard Astros fan – well as diehard as you can be living in Australia (a place where 3 live games a week on TV is considered comprehensive coverage of the MLB).  How did i come to be an Astros fan you may ask?  The first game i ever saw (apart from the 1992 World Series as an 11yr old insomniac) was a game in which Jeff Bagwell hit 3 Home Runs.  Being a first baseman (and i use the phrase lightly) i thought this was pretty cool and the rest as they say is history.

Since that day i have transformed from a baseball novice to a person who plays, manages both real and fantasy teams, watches, listens and reads as much baseball content as i can get my hands on – and by the way i still consider myself a novice.  More on my background as the tour progresses.

So i hope you will enjoy reading my thoughts and looking at my photos as i enjoy the "Summer of Alex"

Cheers

Alex