Rebuilding Rob

A DISCLAIMER: I don’t know if I can really count this one, as I did a tour of the stadium this past weekend. Obviously, I was not able to attend a game there because baseball season doesn’t start for another 3 1/2 weeks.

This past weekend, I met up with Kid 1 and X1 in Rolla, Missouri. kid 1 was there to attend an “out of state student welcome” and orientation at Missouri University of Science and Technology – and experience I blogged about HERE. On my way home, I made a lot stop in St. Louis to tour Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

A lot of people on the Facebook “ballpark chaser” page don’t count visits where you don’t actually attend a full nine inning baseball game at the facility. As for myself, I do count ballpark tours among “visited ballparks” – because in on tours, you actually get to see parts of the stadium that you would never see while attending a baseball game.

This tour I did of Bush Stadium was a “thumbs in the middle” event. Obviously the stadium was in a little bit of disarray, as they are rearranging things and getting ready for the coming season. I suspect that that’s why there are parts of the stadium that we did not even see.

As for the surface itself, the grass was actually covered, not with the regular rain tarp, but there were several tarps that were actually staked down covering the field, presumably protecting it from the wear and tear of winter.

Having opened in 2006, Busch Stadium share as many attributes of the “retro ballpark” of the late 90s and 2000s: the red brick exterior, the downtown location, the outfield view of the St. Louis skyline. Personally, I love the retro ballparks, but in their own way, they have almost become modern day “cookie cutters”.

Like are the tours I’ve been on, the team takes advantage of this opportunity to show off their premium, high-end seating areas. Busch Stadium’s tour was no exception. I was surprised to learn an individual tickets for some of these premium areas are not all that outrageous. For those who are looking to save some money on a trip to the ballpark, my advice is to go to a game that may not be necessarily a “marquee matchup”. If you go to any state, I’m hoping to see a game with the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Red Sox, or even the Phillies, you’re going to pay more money than you would watching the White Sox, the Rays, or the Athletics. 

The Ballpark offers a impressive view of the St. Louis skyline, as I mentioned earlier. I do remember seeing earlier photos of the stadium and realizing how prominently the gateway arch can be seen from the seating bowl. However, a high-end apartment high-rise, went up in the last few years and blocked most of the view of the famous Gateway Arch.

Another thing that we are typically seeing at the retro ball parks is mementos or even in some cases, museums, dedicated to the teams history. The Cardinals are no exception. Being only second behind the World Series in league championship and World Series victories, the Cardinals have a truly rich history That they beam with pride about. There was some confusion as to whether or not the Cardinals museum was open the day I went. According to their website, it was not. However, employees at the stadium that they told me it was. Unfortunately, as I was just making my way through town, I’d already resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to tour the museum. Maybe next time…

In many baseball circles, St. Louis Cardinals fans are considered to be the most knowledgeable fans in the sport. I’ve personally watched games where a Cardinals pitcher intentionally walked an opposing batter and the hometown Cardinal fans actually cheered – as they understand the strategy behind setting up a double play that more casual baseball fans may not grasp. 

I know that I’m going to sound like the typical skittish, middle-aged white guy when I say this, but I didn’t feel terribly comfortable in the area surrounding bush Stadium. Maybe it was the graffiti I saw on parts of the overpasses around town. When I saw that right off the bat, my first thought was “wow, we don’t have this in Detroit…“

Of course, want to take this assessment with a grain of salt. After all, my idea of a major metropolitan experience is… Detroit. So my discomfort could simply weigh in the fact that I was completely unfamiliar with the area. Having said that, I’m sure that if I were to attend a game at Bush Stadium in the spring, summer, or even early fall, the bright skies the green grass, the leaves on the trees and the general better overall mood of people would’ve painted downtown St. Louis in a much prettier picture

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts

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The article “Rob Reviews: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, Missouri” first appeared in Rebuilding Rob.