Busch Stadium – Baseball Travels

St Louis MO, Saturday August 7th 2004

Busch Stadium, St Louis MO. Note the cranes in the background, aiding in the construction of the “new” Busch Stadium. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

1 Newark NJ to St Louis MO

Our first baseball trip of 2004 took us to Missouri, the Show Me state, to see games in St Louis and Kansas City. Since this was planned as a weekend trip, there was insufficient time to drive from NJ to MO, and we chose to fly instead. In order to catch the first pitch in St Louis at 1220 pm CDT, we needed to fly out of Newark NJ early Saturday morning.

A cold front had just passed Newark as our flight to St Louis started, so we experienced short bursts of intense turbulence as we climbed toward 10,000 feet. Once we reached cruising altitude, the turbulence subsided, but not before my stomach informed me that breakfast during the flight was probably not a good idea.

We chose to fly Midwest Airlines, a now defunct airline that featured spacious leather seats and complimentary chocolate chip cookies. Though the cost of the flight was a bit higher than other airlines serving St Louis, the roomy cabin was worth the extra money. Other than the bumpy climb out of Newark, the two hour flight was uneventful, bringing us into St Louis less than two hours before game time. After picking up our rental car, we headed for the stadium.

2. Busch Stadium

Busch Stadium with the Gateway Arch and the buildings of downtown St Louis in the background. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We arrived at Busch Memorial Stadium less than an hour before the first pitch, leaving us little time to explore the environment around the park. Instead, we headed inside upon arrival, wandering the concourses before heading to our seats. Busch Stadium was one of the cadre of multi purpose stadiums constructed from the mid 1960s into the early 1970s, housing both MLB and NFL teams playing on the then-new AstroTurf.

AstroTurf was developed as an alternative to natural grass playing surfaces, starting with the Astrodome in Houston Texas, since grass could not be grown under the dome. Laid out on a field of concrete (which provided a stable surface), the AstroTurf was an unforgiving inch thick “carpet” which often heated to 130 F during the summer. Eventually, AstroTurf was eschewed in favor of grass surfaces, which is what we found in Busch Stadium early that afternoon.

Busch Stadium shortly before game time. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Crystal clear skies and rapidly warming temperatures greeted us as we found our seats shortly before the first pitch. Per usual, Busch Stadium was filled to near capacity, as St Louis fans are generally considered to be some of the best in the game. The opponents for the hometown Cardinals this afternoon was the New York Mets. St Louis was enjoying a strong 2004 season, with a commanding 10 1/2 game lead over the second place Houston Astros in the NL Central Division. By contrast, the Mets were battling their way through another sub .500 season, occupying the fourth spot in the NL East.

Starting for the visiting Mets was right hander Kris Benson. Making his first start for the Mets after being traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Benson was in the midst of a fairly average season, with a .500 record and an ERA over 4.00. The hometown Cardinals sent right hander Woody Williams to the mound. Williams was an 18 game winner for the Cardinals in 2003, and was still an important piece of the starting rotation for a formidable St Louis team. With the afternoon warming quickly, we were wondering if the ball would carry well at Busch Stadium this afternoon, resulting in an offensive display.

The view from our seats. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

From the very start, the Cardinals fans were a force, with a loud din discernible for much of the game. Being from the Northeast, I would posit that the best fans in baseball were from the part of the USA, but the boisterous St Louis fans were slowly changing my mind. Despite the building heat, starting pitching dominated the early portion of the matinee. Each team scored a single run through six innings, and with both starters showing their best stuff, the game quickly became an old fashioned pitchers duel

As part of their playoff push, the Cardinals had acquired slugger Larry Walker from the Colorado Rockies at the trade deadline on July 31st. Walker’s first at-bat in a St Louis uniform came in the bottom of the 7th as a pinch-hitter. Looking to quench my thirst, I approached a vendor to purchase a soft drink as Walker came to the plate. Both the vendor and I paused the transaction to watch the at-bat. Walker received a standing ovation as he strode to the plate, which was understandable, as the Cardinals fans though they were welcoming a presence that would propel them through the playoff run. However, when Walker struck out, the Cardinals fans gave him another standing ovation, a highly unusual response to a strikeout. In fact, it was so unusual that the vendor pointedly asked me “have you ever seen anything like that?”.

Larry Walker in his first at-bat with the St Louis Cardinals. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Both starting pitchers exited that game by the end of the seventh inning, leaving the tight contest in the hands of the respective bullpens. Quite unexpectedly, a game that I thought might be one-sided because of the Mets recent struggles had become one of the best games I’d seen in person in years. The score remained tied at 1-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Cardinals one last chance to end the game before extra innings.

Having experienced the devoted and vocal Cardinal fans first hand, I was very surprised to see them execute “the wave” during a critical portion of a tightly contested ballgame. It was almost as though the fans were not fully aware of the game situation, instead becoming lost in the moment of being at the ballpark. The Cardinal pushed across the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, securing a well-fought 2-1 victory.

A tribute to the venerable St Louis Cardinals franchise at Busch Memorial Stadium. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We’d just witnessed one of the best ballgames I’d seen in a long time at the home of an iconic MLB franchise. Though Busch Stadium itself was a typical multi-purpose facility, a product of its time, the crowd made it feel like a great place to see a ballgame (despite their curious wave display in the bottom of the ninth). Having seen the stadium, there was no reason to return until the new ballpark was ready, which was a couple of years away. Still, it WAS fun to see a baseball game in the heartland of America.

A ticket from the game. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Our destination after the game was a hotel room in eastern Kansas, before we visited Kaufman Stadium in nearby Kansas City the following afternoon. Before heading out onto Interstate 70 west, we briefly visited the Gateway Arch, the longtime symbol of the opening of the western USA. It was also my first visit to the Mississippi River, an iconic symbol of the heartland of the USA. We would see the river at several points along its journey in the coming years.

The Gateway Arch in St Louis. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We didn’t linger long in the Gateway Arch National Park, as we had a 300 mile drive ahead of us. Light traffic heading west on Interstate 70 allowed us to reach the hotel just outside of Kansas City in less than four hours.

Indianapolis/St Louis, August 12 2017

Our next game on this mini baseball tour was St Louis, where the Cardinals hosted the Braves at 600 pm on Saturday, August 12th. Google Maps indicated that the trip from Indianapolis to St Louis would take about three and one-half hours (not counting time to be built into the trip to explore the new ballpark and surroundings).

1. Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Google Maps showing our trip from Indianapolis to St Louis.

With the time we had before leaving for St Louis, we decided to go find the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Located on the northwest side of town, it took about 15 minutes to get from the hotel to the speedway. When we arrived, the parking lot was empty, which was not surprising. We were content to take pictures of the outside of the Speedway before heading out.

Outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo credit
Jeff Hayes)

However, we saw cars going into the the Speedway, one at a time. After some debate, we decided to follow the next car into the complex. After passing through the dark, narrow entrance, we emerged to see a building ahead of us, with cars in the parking lot. This was unexpected, as the Speedway did indeed appear to be open to the public, but that was far from obvious.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway welcomes you. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We parked outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. After paying the $12 entrance fee, we set out to explore the museum. Not being a “car guy” (though my brother Jeff is), I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the experience. Much to my surprise, I found the museum to be informative and well designed. Though there were knowledgeable museum employees ready and willing to help, they were fairly unobtrusive, which I found refreshing.

Inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. There were cars from virtually every era of the track. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The collection of cars inside the museum was impressive, to say the least. It seemed as though virtually every era was represented, from the earliest machines to some of the more recent vehicles. There were also engines on display, generally grouped with the vehicles they powered. Finally, there were some NASCAR vehicles there as well, representing Brickyard 400.

One of the earliest cars to race at the Speedway. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

After about an hour or so wandering among the cars and engines, we stepped outside. From the museum, we could see that there were cars on the track, but it wasn’t clear who was racing. From the appearance, it seemed as though people brought their personal vehicles to the track. It was fun standing near the fence, watching the cars race around the track. Not all of the drivers were either professional or experienced. One driver consistently missed the shift as he came around the corner closest to us, and it was obvious each time the missed shift occurred.

Cars on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

More than two hours had passed since we entered the Speedway grounds, and it was time to get on the road for St Louis. It was fun to visit an American icon of racing world, especially since it was so unexpected.

A good shot from inside the Museum, showing both cars and engines. The Museum was very impressive. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

2. St Louis/Busch Stadium

We stopped at our hotel in Illinois before crossing the Mississippi River to St Louis Missouri. This was not our first baseball trip to St Louis; we saw the Mets play the Cardinals in 2004 on a hot Saturday afternoon in July. The old Busch Stadium was a cookie cutter multi purpose monolith, much like Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

The Gateway Arch, St Louis. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Much had changed in the vicinity since we’d been here last. On our prior trip, we left little time to investigate the portion of St Louis near the river (as our travel schedule was tight). Our first stop was the Gateway Arch. Unfortunately for us, the arch elevators were under repair, so there was no ride to top for us. Instead, we strolled the grounds to the river, affording a view of the river traffic. Being a nice late afternoon weather wise, the arch area was a popular destination.

The Old State House, St Louis, MO. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Walking back up the steps from the river, the Old State Court House caught our attention. Being a history buff, I was intrigued by its appearance, a fine example of 19th century architecture. The Court House has deep roots in the history, with two landmark cases decided here. Visiting late on a Saturday afternoon was fortuitous, as we had the place mostly to ourselves. The court house reminded me of the court room scene in old movies, complete with creaking wooden floors and chairs.

Inside the Basilica of Saint Louis. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

With time running short, there was one final place to visit. The Basilica of Saint Louis (affectionately known as the Old Cathedral) is one of the oldest buildings in St Louis, with its roots dating back to the 18th century. Like the old State House, it was nearly empty when we arrived. Seeing this old building fed my fascination with churches. The ornate architecture was especially appealing, with careful attention to detail.

3. Busch Stadium

Stan Musial immortalized outside Busch Stadium, St Louis. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

With the stadium just down the road for the Old State House, we were there is a matter of minutes. There are a number of parking lots in the vicinity of the ballpark, and we parked in the Cardinal Lot (which was reasonably priced) just across the street from the stadium. A good crowd was expected for tonight’s game, since the 1987 Cardinals were being honored. Parking near the stadium with a full crowd anticipated can make for a dicey exit, but the price was right, and the location ideal.

The view from our seats. Very impressive indeed! (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

As usual, we walked around this beautiful stadium before taking pictures. Our seats were in the upper deck just left of home plate. Typically, we attempt to get the best available seats, but better tickets for this game were hard to find. The Cardinals were honoring the 1987 team, and demand was high. Immediately, the view grabbed our attention. Having seen games from Busch Stadium on TV, the view seemed spectacular, but it was nothing compared to being there.

The 1987 Cardinals being honored before the game. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Of course, the Arch in the distance is impressive, but the reflection of one building on the glass of the other was nothing short of amazing. After mere minutes in the park, it had become one of my favorites. The pre game ceremony was nice, but not being a Cardinals fan, I did not have the same investment as others around me.

Carlos Martinez delivering a pitch in the first inning. Hard to tell from this distance, but his hair looks yellow with some patches of purple. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Following the ceremony, Carlos Martinez took the mound for the Cardinals. On this night, Martinez’s hair looked yellow, but we were far enough away so that it was difficult to tell. He faced the lineup of the Atlanta Braves, who we saw at home at SunTrust Park in June. After giving up two runs in the top of the first, Martinez settled down, allowing just a solo home run in the fifth. He registered a quality start, lasting six innings while giving up three earned runs.

The Braves were turned back by a nice play at the plate by Yadier Molina. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

As the evening turned into night, the stadium took on a different hue. Gone from view was the Arch, shrouded in darkness. The buzz of the large crowd, combined with the stadium lights, provided a great baseball environment. Though the darkness seemed to shrink the stadium to some degree, it is hardly the bandbox some of the newer MLB parks are.

Busch Stadium at night. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The bullpen protected the lead handed to them by Martinez until the ninth. The Braves scored two runs, and left runners stranded at second and third when Nick Markakis struck out to end the game. A good game in a great ballpark was a fine way to start our weekend stay in St Louis. We would get another chance to see Busch Stadium tomorrow, as the Braves meet the Cardinals for the series finale.

Good night, St Louis. See you tomorrow. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Collinsville, IL/St. Louis August 13th, 2017

On the way to the hotel Saturday afternoon, I noticed a sign for the Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Illinois. Years before, I’d read about the mounds in the book 1491, which described a thriving community in the region 1000 years ago. Since we had time before the 100 pm game in St Louis, this seemed like a great opportunity to learn about the mounds and their ancient inhabitants.

1. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Monks Mound, Collinsville, IL. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, located in Collinsville, Illinois, was about 15 minutes from the hotel. We arrived shortly after the site opened. After walking around the grounds for a bit, we entered the Cahokia Mounds Museum.

Almost immediately, we became immersed in this pre-Columbian civilization. Generally considered the northern extent of the Mexican and Central American societies, during its peak, the city in this location had the largest population in North America until Philadelphia in the 1780s. The museum had many excellent displays depicted daily life, showing an advanced culture in place long before the arrival of Europeans centuries later.

A depiction of the Mississippian society near its peak between 1000 and 1200 CE. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The decline of the society began in the 13th century, as they fell prey to some of the issues associated with areas with dense population centers. Overhunting, deforestation, difficulty securing food supplies, and flooding began to make the site increasingly untenable. As the problems mounted, the site was abandoned sometime before 1350.

One of the displays in the museum showing what daily life might have been like. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

We spent more than an hour in the museum, and could have spent another examining all of the displays. In that time, I felt was though we got a glimpse of what life must have been like at the height of the civilization. While I was vaguely aware of the place and the people, I had no idea just how robust and successful this society had become.

Monk Mound, the largest of the mounds on this site. My brother climbed the steps, and can be seen on the right with the blue shirt. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Upon leaving the museum, we decided to investigate Monks Mound, the largest of the mounds here. At 100 feet, it is the largest largest manmade earthen mound north of Mexico. Its 10 story height precluded me from scaling it, but my brother climbed the steps to the top. The view afforded a glimpse of downtown St Louis, less than 10 miles away.

The view from the top of Monks Mound. Note the skyline of St Louis in the distance. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Having stayed longer than anticipated, we needed to leave this place to get to Busch Stadium in advance of the 100 pm game start. This was yet another pleasant surprise on the trip, finding a museum and grounds dedicated to a people of who I knew very little. If you find yourself near Collinsville, Illinois, do yourself a favor and visit the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site; I’m certainly glad we did.

2. Busch Stadium, St Louis.

Welcome to Busch Stadium! (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Unlike Saturday, when we were coming into St Louis from Indianapolis, we left ourselves sufficient time to explore the “new” Busch Stadium early Sunday afternoon. We arrived early enough to find parking in the lot directly across the the same. Of course, parking this close to a ballpark can cause headaches later, especially for a well-attended game.

Cardinals Nation at Busch Stadium. From a distance, it appears to be part of the stadium. However, upon closer inspection, it is across the street. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

As part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the 1987 Cardinals, today featured another giveaway. Typically, the items given away are not something I would necessarily keep. When I received the giveaway, drink coasters featuring four different Cardinals logos, I thought the same thing. However, I quickly discovered this was no ordinary giveaway. The coasters were solid, encased in a wooden coaster holder. Not only did I keep them, I still use them today.

One of the four coasters received at a Busch Stadium.

Once inside, we wandered about the ballpark. We noticed things that were not obvious when seeing the ballpark on TV. For example, Cardinal Nation, a collection of shops, pubs and restaurants in left field, is not attached to the stadium. Instead, it is beyond the left field seats, across a pedestrian path. We walked around for about 30 minutes, taking pictures and taking in the beautiful “new” ballpark.

View of the Busch Stadium scoreboard, with the Arch in the background. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

In my opinion, the best park of the ballpark is the view. The Cardinals hit a home run designing the stadium to take advantage of the Arch and buildings as a backdrop. In fact, it was this view on TV that sparked our interest in visiting. Of course, the view is far better in person, and alone was worth the trip to see this beautiful ballpark.

Eventually, we found our way to our seats, after visiting the concession stand of course. Our seats for the matinee were an upgrade from our seats last night, and thankfully, we were just out of the reach of the sun. Even though the warmth and humidity were tolerable, the sun can make or break viewing a ballgame, but today it wasn’t an issue.

Starting for the Atlanta Braves was knuckleballer was RA Dickey, a veteran right hander who won the 2012 Cy Young Award for the New York Mets. Though he was past his prime, Dickey was dominant this afternoon, allowing one run on seven hits in seven inning. Being Mets fans, we had a special interest in seeing Dickey. We did learn that he is NOT a fan of the hot weather, expending only as much energy as necessary.

RA Dickey delivers at pitch at Busch Stadium. Dickey pitched a gem, giving up one run on seven hits in seven innings of work. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

Despite the strong start by Dickey, the Cardinals chipped away at the Braves’ lead. In the bottom of the 8th, the Cards loaded the bases with two outs. With the pitcher’s spot in the lineup due up, Yadier Molina, who had the day off, was tapped to pinch hit. An extra base hit could have tied the contest, so Molina prepared for the at bat.

Yadier Molina preparing himself for a pinch hitting appearance. (Photo credit: Jeff Hayes)

The dramatic at bat ended as Molina grounded out, third to first, to end the inning and the Cardinals threat. The Cardinals went down meekly in the ninth, allowing the Braves to claim the 6-3 victory. We were treated to a good ballgame on a sunny and warm afternoon in one of the best new ballparks we’ve seen. Busch Stadium is much better than its predecessor with respect to environment and fan experience. Should I find myself in this part of the world in baseball season, I’ll be sure to come back to a great ballpark, run by a great baseball operation.