In our family it is I, not my husband, who would gladly accept season tickets to see our Cards play. It is I who covets the smell of hot dogs, the sound of the fans, the roar of the crowd. It is by far my favorite thing about summer. *Gasp* I will even watch them on tv. On purpose. That must tell you something.
So - we take every opportunity we can to watch our Cardinals play, and just a few years back, 2006 to be exact, our Cardinals got a new stadium.
I'll be honest. It was bittersweet. I loved the old round stadium. I loved it's oldness, it's character, the sentimental value it held. I really didn't believe anything could compare.
And then we visited the new Busch, and I love it. Yes. I love it, not like I love my husband or how I love my kids, but kind of how I love ice cream, except more. I love it.
So - when the hubs said that he'd love to take a tour of the stadium, I was on the ball to check out the possibilities, and as it turns out, they offer tours everyday!
(Side-note: Information that must be noted is that Aaron and I are the ones who talk about things like what the clubhouses look like, where the interviews take place, and where the players park their cars. In fact, I'm pretty sure at any major sporting event we've been to we have talked about where they park their cars. A year or so into dating, Aaron and I went to the PGA's Senior Open, and we even talked about this there. Just sayin'.)
So - the last time we were in town - we packed B up and took a tour of Busch. Here's our trip in pictures:
On our walk up to the stadium, statues we see every time we go, but never have the opportunity to see without a huge crowd around! This is the hubs and B with Ozzie Smith!
We lucked out. We were going for an 11 o'clock tour which just happened to be sold out. Luckily, they'd added an 11:20 tour. This is B being stir crazy outside the gates waiting to go in!
We're proud of our 10 time World Champions!
The three of us in some of the standing room only 'seating' right before our tour started. Left field side.
We normally have the same seats at Cards' games, as Aaron's parents buy into a group of season tickets and get us a couple games every year (I'll show you the location of those later), so it was neat to see so many different areas in the ballpark. We found a left field patio area where we went later that night to have dinner and hang out before the game!
The below picture is of A and B in the Champion's Club (you can get tickets for this all-inclusive, air conditioned area!). Right to the left of B's head is the 2006 World Series Trophy!
I believe this area is the Cardinal Club (don't hold me to that), I know where it is relative to everything else. Lots of blown up images of real baseball cards. B and I are pictured with Stan the Man Musial! :)
This was really incredible! You're looking at hubs and B pictured in the box where all of the radio announcing is done for the Cardinal games. Great view of the field!
All of the technology in the room.
Aaron and B looking at a picture in the room. Cardinal trivia, know who that is? :)
And my two favorite moments of the day. This picture is of the three of us in... yes, the Cardinal dugout. How stinkin' cool is that?! At the game later that night I watched Albert, Yadi and the like sitting in this very spot, and I thought to myself, "Seriously, I bet my dead skin cells are laying there... how cool is that!" I'm weird, I know. (And while I was in there I was thinking to myself, "They spit in here, this is so cool.")
This is a view of Bryton (who is on the field) right behind home plate.
So, when you see the next Cardinal game on tv, and you see the advertisement boards behind the batter, yep, that's what B is jumping off of here. He may be the only person ever with a picture like this. He was bored waiting for everyone else to get their pictures taken...
And here is our picture. Love this place. Love these people. What a great day! I'd totally recommend this tour. $10 a person... an hour long! Go on game day and you might run in (almost literally) to some players there working out like we did. (Not our players, unfortunately, but players none the less.) And we got to watch them manicure the lawn (see the mower in the picture? He's draggin the infield.)... which in itself is a process. We learned that the sprinkler system has the water set on exactly 39 degrees. Crazy, huh? (And they do not want you on the grass... like I said, it's a process. Oh - and we aren't on the grass here... just looks like it ;))
And we went to the game later that night. Awww, root root root for the home - team! (They didn't win, bummer.) Anyway... I told you I'd show you our seats:
So there you have it. Busch stadium! Love love this place! Mostly love the family time spent at this place! Oh - and by the way, we asked, players park in the gated parking just north of Paddy O's :) Couldn't leave without that information!
-A
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