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Game 06 | Astros, 9 — Cardinals 10 | July 1
GUEST COLUMNIST
BILL KELLY
Ballpark Summary
 Well, home runs fans, your time has finally come. Baseball is
no longer the game of ground balls and strategy it once was – not
in St. Louis at least.
Cardinal hitting coach Mike Easler said it best: “I don’t tell
Mark McGwire anything. I just tell him what time the game is.”
But this year St. Louis presents a different show featuring Big
Mac and his supporting cast (Edmunds, E. Davis, Drew, Lankford,
Tatis, Renterria, etc.), who are aiming for a team home run record.
After being introduced by a true baseball classic,
GnR’s “Welcome to the Jungle”, Mac sent the first pitch
he saw that day into familiar territory with two men on base (his
30th). This continues our lucky trend of superstar success during
our visits. We saw seven HR’s in all, including two by Bagwell and
a crucial 3 run HR by Tatis. Edmunds made a statement also with
3 RBIs and 3 great defensive plays.
Ballpark Perks
Although Busch is one of the oldest around, its aged bottle-cap
shape frame surrounds an upgraded interior. Four years ago, the
turf was torn out, the food choice upgraded, and several statues
were erected to honor the many Hall of Famers that have graced St.
Louis. This massive park provides ample seating for their very faithful
fans. Hecklers were present and became totally incomprehensible
by the 7th inning. Fredbird, the mascot, launched hot dogs and t-shirts
for the begging rabble. Our seats on the first base side provided
a soaring view of the Gateway Arch and of the air show stunt planes
flying over Fair St. Louis. A $1.50 ride on the Metro-Link avoids
the parking nightmare.
Ballpark Downers
Parking is expensive and far away for large crowds. Outside the
ballpark, we paid a ridiculous amount for tickets. The bottle cap
shape might be amusing for the Busch family but is really quite
horrid.
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