BUSCH STADIUM

In 2006, the 3rd version of Busch Stadium was opened in downtown St. Louis, replacing its namesake. Although an improvement in many ways, the new version is ultimately too similar to other new parks to merit significant praise.

The new Busch is located next to where the old Busch stood, right in downtown St. Louis. In mid-2006, there was still construction around the stadium as there will be a Ballpark Village for 2007. This village promises eateries and other attractions that will make the experience more enjoyable. As downtown St. Louis can resemble a ghost town on a weekend, this addition will be most welcome.

A walk around the outside of the stadium will bring you to some statues, including one of Stan Musial along 8th Street. Take some time to look at the top 100 Cardinal moments that are etched into marble plaques, surrounded by fan-sponsored bricks. The architecture features arches both inside and outside, in homage to St. Louis' primary attraction, the Arch.

An outside shot

You can enter the stadium by any of a number of gates. The concourses are wide and you can find some permanent scoreboards as you walk around. Some elements of its predecessor are noticeable in the new stadium. The seats are red while the fences are green. There is also a grassy knoll for the batters eye.

The best new thing about the new Busch is the view of the Arch over center field. The pennants are now painted on the dugouts, while the retired numbers are located just beneath the scoreboard. 

There are plenty of food options available. Most of these are typical ballpark fare, however I do recommend Hardees for their cheeseburger and milkshake. The burgers are cooked to order, a rarity in major league stadiums, so you will have to wait for a couple of minutes, but it's worth it.

The catchphrase of the new Busch is "Welcome to Baseball Heaven!" I don't know about you, but my version of Baseball Heaven doesn't include $90 club seats. The new Busch can be very expensive, with infield box seats costing $78 if you can get them. For those of you on a budget, there are cheaper alternatives, but you will generally be far from the action. There are 3 pricing structures depending on the opponent. Details can be found on the Cardinals' website.

Fortunately, the Cardinals, in co-operation with a local radio station, have given roadtrippers an affordable option known as First Pitch tickets. If you show up to the stadium on game day before 9 am, you will see a lineup along the 8th Street ticket window. These people are waiting to buy a voucher which entitles them to two tickets to that day's game. The tickets are distributed 10 minutes before game time and you must enter the stadium immediately after receiving the tickets to avoid scalping. The voucher costs $11 ($5.50 per ticket) and a picture id is required. There is a limit of 125 vouchers per game, so for a popular game, you will need to get there early. 

Once you have the voucher, you can spend the day touring St. Louis. Then, about 30 minutes before game  time, you should show up at gate 4 and line up for the ticket distribution. Make sure to have the same photo id you showed in the morning and 10 minutes before game time, you will be admitted to the stadium and handed two tickets. These tickets are completely random - I tried this twice, once I received infield seats just past third base, the other time I received row two in the second deck. 

Of course, if you only have one day to see the stadium, then you will want to spend a couple of hours inside  so the First Pitch option is probably not worthwhile, but if you have two or three days here, then it is definitely worth a shot.

Overall, I didn't find anything remarkable about the stadium. Perhaps I am suffering from retro overload, but too many elements in Busch are found elsewhere. Still, the fans are the best and friendly as ever, and the Cardinals are an exciting team, so I do recommend that you spend one or two days here if you can. I'll be back for the Ballpark Village next year, so hope to see you there!

Scoreboard