My year as a serious Cardinals fan
Thoughts and advice from a first-time season ticket holder
I always hated going to baseball games as a kid. I’d like to think a lot of it had to do with the two-hour drive up I-95 to get to Oriole Park, the drunk fans behind me that would bang on the seat, and the fact that I wasn’t allowed to play my Game Boy during the ballgame.
Now, though, I live less than ten minutes away from a similar baseball paradise: Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. And for a variety of reasons, commute time included, over the last handful of years I’ve watched my casual fandom evolve from relaxed into something more serious. I’d like to think my status as a serious Cardinal fan was cemented at the beginning of this year, when I forked over a considerable portion of my graduate student stipend to become a partial season ticket holder.
As a result, I was lucky enough to attend 35 games at Busch Stadium this year — and boy, did I get to see a lot of great ones. We won almost seven out of every ten games we played at home when I was in the stands. Recent highlights include rookie Michael Wacha’s near no-hitter (9/24) and the team’s triumph over the Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series (10/18), which was probably the most incredible baseball game I’ve ever attended.
From Section 509, the right field bleachers, I got to learn plenty of tips and tricks about the ballpark. Here are a few:
- Bring in your own food and drink. You can dine like a prince if you plan ahead. Bring bottles of chilled soda, make a sandwich, or even bring in calzones from Sauce on the Side a few blocks away. (Just don’t bring in glass, metal, or alcohol.)
- If you forget to bring food, grab a hot dog from an outside vendor. Folks selling hot dogs, bratwursts, peanuts, pretzels, and soda line the streets around Busch. For $3.00 you can get a hot dog loaded with great toppings you can’t find inside (e.g., onions, sauerkraut, tomatoes, and cucumbers).
- Check into every game using MLB At The Ballpark. This phone app keeps tracks of games you’ve attended, but at Busch there’s another perk — being one of the first fans to check in earns you a free speed pitch or batting cage attempt in the family pavilion.
- Show up early. Neat things happen if you show up a bit before gametime. You might have a chance to meet a player or a TV personality. There could be a cool promotion beforehand to take advantage of. Most importantly, you can claim your seats right away so you don’t have to kick anyone out of them later.
- Get to know your section-mates. If you see the same folks again and again in your favorite section, feel free to introduce yourself. I had mixed success in this regard in 2013; it took me until the postseason to spot the familiar faces and shake a few hands. It made the games (not to mention the close quarters) more enjoyable.
- Figure out how to get in and out quickly. Baseball games are longer than they should be. There’s no need to waste time with traffic, vehicular or otherwise, when getting to your seats. Although it’s environmentally friendly to take public transportation, driving to Busch Stadium is often the most convenient, especially considering you can park in the nearby Kiener Plaza parking garages for a cool $6.00 — barely more than the round-trip price of a Metrolink ticket.
- Grab a beer at Flying Saucer. The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium,in the shadow of Busch, was my buddies’ favorite place to grab a local beer. Show up a little early to get a table, or resign yourself to standing along one of the establishment’s many bars and counters.
- Ask me in person for the best deal at Busch Stadium. The best part of Busch Stadium is so secret I don’t even want to share it online. You’ll have to attend a game with me in person to hear what the best deal in the ballpark is.
Looking back at the past year, I probably went to a few more baseball games than I should have. They took a toll, albeit small, on personal relationships and health. Rarely, but once or twice, they interfered with work. If and when I resubscribe for partial season tickets next year, I won’t worry so much about making every game, and will be more amenable to selling and giving extra tickets away to friends. Just like anything else in life, though, there’s a happy medium to watching baseball in person. (Although for some people, like certain friends of mine, “happy medium” means “six games in a row.”)
I’m looking forward to what 2014 will bring for my beloved Cardinals. Starting in April, try looking for me in the right field bleachers. I’d love to say hi and show you that last little secret.
