Cardinals – Page 2 – Ballparking It

Twins: Target Field

My second of 30 ballparks brought me to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, for an interleague meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals, dollar hot dogs and a whole lot of sunshine.

Game Day Conditions

The Twins game was only about one month after our inaugural road trip to Cincinnati, but the weather was about as different as possible … sunny, hot, barely a cloud in the sky, what most people probably think of as baseball weather. However, after a long winter that overstayed its welcome well into mid-April, this game marked the first time this year I spent multiple consecutive hours in the sun.

Game time was 80 degrees, and the temperature reached the upper 80s, which I would not have guessed for a May game in Minnesota. I wasn’t quite in midsummer form for tolerating the sun and accompanying heat (and by the looks of all the fans flocking to guest services for free sunscreen and a little shade, I was not the only one).

Note: Although it’s not right on the river, Target Field is the only other baseball stadium (the other being my home team’s ballpark, Busch Stadium) that’s in an MLB town on the Mississippi, so I felt like I had something in common with Twins fans.

Game Day (May 16, 2018)

My brother and I had driven to the Twin Cities area the night before the Wednesday afternoon game, so we had a (relatively) short drive to the ballpark on game day. No Uber for us this time … we navigated our way to Target Field ourselves (well, with the help of Waze).

There are parking garages conveniently located right around the stadium. Did I struggle with figuring out how to get into them, drive past the entrances a few times times and start to freak out a little? Sure. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t convenient. Plus, we got a few cool views of the ballpark as I drove somewhat aimlessly around it.

Skybridge from Parking Garage — Skybridge from parking garage to Target Field (me driving aimlessly)

Once we finally parked (at the very top of one of the garages), we made our way down to ground level and crossed the street to the stadium.

Target Field is unlike any ballpark I have ever seen, and I’m still not certain whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It kind of looks like someone is launching a missile off its roof (more so in the photos than in person), and with all that limestone, it doesn’t really scream baseball to me.

Regardless of whether or not the building itself looks like a baseball stadium, fans are treated to plenty of baseball history as they make their way to the entrance.

The Twins’ World Series, American League and division championship banners caught our eyes as we walked toward the stadium, so we took a brief detour to see what they were all about. The banners on the stadium to the left of (what I would call) the main entrance made their way clockwise around the building in chronological order.

1987 World Series Banner — 1987 World Series banner

I took a minute to mourn the Cardinals’ 1987 World Series loss to the Twins from the year before I was born, which I mentioned in my Target Field preview.

But I bounced back quickly when I saw the Kent Hrbek statue … not because I recognized Hrbek (I didn’t) but because I clearly enjoy posing with statues.

And yes, I realize Hrbek helped the Twins win the World Series at my team’s expense and that I basically (unintentionally) look like a cheerleader hanging out with him, but I don’t really have strong feelings about the Twins, and I’m all for getting lost in baseball history, regardless of the team (although I can maybe think of one exception).

After the Hrbek detour, I got distracted by this street banner of the game’s starting pitcher, Lance Lynn … mostly because I appreciate him as a former Cardinal and goofball and a little bit because he was struggling going into the start and would maybe be what the Redbirds needed to get back on track. (Sorry, Lance.)

Lance Lynn Banner — Still a Lance Lynn fan

My brother and I then made our way back to where we started and to what I would call the front of Target Field. Unlike our first ballpark (Great American Ball Park with the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum), the Twins do not have a museum, at least not in building form. They do, however, proudly display their history outside the ballpark in an area called Target Plaza, but more on that later.

We entered Gate 34 (named after Twins Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett) from the Target Plaza area. Security was quick. We were there early, and there wasn’t much of a crowd at that point. (Gates open 90 minutes before the game Monday through Thursday and two hours prior to the game on Friday through Sunday.)

Gate 34 at Target Field — Me and brother entering Target Field

View from Inside Gate 34 — View immediately inside Gate 34

Once inside, we explored a little and made our way to our section (126), which happened to be where the Cardinals were stretching and signing autographs. Batting practice was over, but we probably still could have gotten autographs if we tried.

Pitchers Matt Bowman (I think) and Brett Cecil

I have to give a shoutout to pitcher Michael Wacha, who stuck around to sign autographs for pretty much every fan who asked. What a guy. (Side note, so many Molina shirts.)

Wacha Wacha — Nice-guy Michael Wacha signing autographs

We then made our way to the dugout, which doesn’t have quite as much character as Cincinnati’s but still offers nice views of the ballpark. We chose the third base side, which is the away team dugout.

Twins Away Dugout — Me and my brother at the Twins away dugout

After our dugout stop, we walked around the concourse some more, checked out the team store and took photos from about every angle of the stadium. (And unlike our first ballpark adventure, this time, we took advantage of the escalator.)

Escalator — T.C. Bear pointing up the escalator

Ticket from Target Field's inaugural game — My brother and this cool ticket from Target Field’s inaugural game

Me pointing — Me being either A) bossy or B) indecisive

To me, the two best views are looking out at the Minneapolis skyline and looking in toward home plate. (I think skyline views in ballparks are always some of the coolest features, and this one is no exception.)

My absolute favorite feature of the ballpark (and the one that to me, feels like it screams baseball) is this old-timey image of Minneapolis and St. Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River that sits atop the stadium in center field. (I think I mostly like that it is both vintage-looking and geographically accurate in that the Mississippi does in fact separate the Twin Cities … plus, the whole friendship thing. Adorable.)

Minneapolis and St. Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River

Once the game started, we stopped exploring and stayed in our seats (other than to make a few trips to the concession stand and Guest Service Center.) Again, I’m not much of a roamer when there is baseball to watch.

Play Ball! — Play ball! View from section 126, row 9, seats 7 and 8

The day’s menu? Dollar hot dogs and bottled water. And with all that money I saved on my $1 dog (because the Twins have $1 hot dogs every Wednesday in 2018), I was able to splurge on this Chocolate Malt Cup … which I guess is technically malt-flavored ice cream rather than actual malt? I’m no expert. Either way, it was delicious, and so was my hot dog. Plus, the frozen treat was fantastic on one of the first steamy days of the summer.

Chocolate malt — Chocolate Malt Cup time

During the game, we enjoyed some between-innings entertainment from the Twins mascot (T.C. Bear) and a race by an odd assortment of misfits, which included the Target dog.

The yellow one (above) was so far ahead that you can’t even see the other runners (below) in the same photo.

Between all the entertainment and snacking, I managed to secure my second passport stamp for my MLB GameDay Pass-Port book. Unfortunately, I forgot the book at home (and I couldn’t find any in the team store), but the lady at the guest services booth stamped a random Twins business card for me. Problem solved.

Plus, I got my second first-time visitor certificate of the season. I picked it up before the game on the upper level. Unlike the Reds, the Twins staff does not print a custom certificate and instead, hands you a colorful blank certificate for you to fill in later. While this was slightly more eye-catching than the plain Reds one, I preferred the custom printed, official-looking Reds certificate.

(I also got a free Twins magazine with a scorecard and other info that I admittedly still haven’t read.)

Passport stamp and first-game certificate after the game

Game Highlights

It wasn’t pretty, but the Redbirds came away with a 7-5 win in a game that lasted just shy of four hours. (I had no idea the game was that long until I looked up the duration weeks later. It was over an hour longer than our previous game, but I actually prefer the longer games when I’m visiting a new stadium.)

As predicted, Lynn wasn’t sharp, but neither was Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. Both pitchers had early exits, and the game was decided by the bullpen. Bud Norris got the save, and flamethrower Jordan Hicks picked up his second win of the season.

Game Summary

MLB GameDay Pass-Port summary page for Twins game

Target Plaza

As I mentioned earlier, the Twins don’t have a traditional museum, but they make great use of the area outside the ballpark with Target Plaza. If you’re in the Minneapolis area, I suggest you visit. It’s basically a free outdoor museum, featuring the Twins Hall of Fame, year-by-year rosters, several statues and one of my personal favorites, this giant glove.

Giant Glove — Giant glove at Target Plaza

I also highly enjoyed the Kirby Puckett statue and accompanying quotes from the 10-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer. (I loved reading quotes for all the statues. That was one of my favorite parts of Target Plaza.)

As good as the first quote is, this next one might be my 5-foot-0 self’s new quote to live by.

There are other statues as well, including this Twins ball.

And I couldn’t pass up a photo opportunity with the Twins mascot, T.C. Bear. (I wouldn’t have been able to tell you their mascot was a bear before this game.)

Our last stop in Target Plaza was the Twins Hall of Fame, which spans the bridge across I-394.

Twins Hall of Fame, Torii Hunter — Twins Hall of Famer Torii Hunter (possibly my favorite Twin … I don’t remember Puckett firsthand)

After the game, we sought out some food (and more importantly, air conditioning) at The Loon Cafe, just a few blocks east of the ballpark.

I had a Southwest turkey sandwich, and my brother had a grilled skinless cajun chicken breast sandwich. Mine was OK, but I’m still jealous of his beautiful chicken sandwich (below). The Loon, as I’ll now call it, is heavy on the Twins theming, and it’s known for its chili, which is served at Target Field.

Two Down, 28 to Go

Overall, Target Field offered up a great baseball experience. Was it the most unique or charming baseball experience of all time? Probably not. Did it check all the boxes for a great game day experience? I’d say so. To me, the inside of the park is more impressive than the physical appearance of the ballpark from the outside, but Target Plaza truly feels like baseball.

Target Plaza is 100 percent worth the (free) experience. Go. I can’t say that enough. Even if you’re not going to a game, just walk around and take in the Twins history … FOR FREE. But if you’re in the area anyway, I also recommend you catch a game … and eat a hot dog, especially if it’s a dollar dog Wednesday.

Check back for a full Target Field photo gallery and for my adventures to other Twin Cities destinations, including the Mall of America. (When in Minnesota, am I right?)

Shoutout to two of my great friends (and their adorable daughters), who let us stay at their place throughout the trip. I appreciate it a whole lot and miss you guys. Thanks for hosting.

Reds: Great American Ball Park

For my first of 30 ballparks for turning 30, my brother and I headed to Cincinnati for a Saturday afternoon matchup between the Cardinals and Reds at Great American Ball Park. The forecast looked almost as bleak as the Reds’ rocky start to the season, but I wasn’t about to let a little rain stop me.

welcome to gabp — Welcome to Great American Ball Park!

Game Day Eve (April 13, 2018)

A majestic bald eagle christened the Ballparking It journey with a dramatic flyover somewhere on Interstate 74 in rural Indiana. I wish we would’ve had our cameras ready, but when the speed limit is 70 and you’ve never seen a bald eagle in the wild before, you’re not necessarily anticipating it.

(But really, how American is a bald eagle flying over your vehicle on your way to your first of 30 MLB stadiums … which coincidentally, happens to be called Great American Ball Park? Come on.)

We arrived at our hotel (the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter in Covington, Kentucky) on Friday evening and spent the rest of the day scoping out the area and checking out the ballpark from afar.

Cincinnati sits right on the Ohio River, which defines the Ohio-Kentucky state border, and the ballpark overlooks the river and northern Kentucky shoreline in right field. The location offers beautiful views from inside and maybe even better views outside from Kentucky.

We took advantage of those views the evening we arrived and every subsequent chance we got.

gabp across ohio river — Great American Ball Park across the Ohio River

night night gabp — Nighttime view of Great American Ball Park and John A. Roebling Bridge across the Ohio River

Game Day (April 14, 2018)

We left our hotel on Saturday morning with the intention of walking to the stadium by way of the John A. Roebling Bridge (pictured above), a suspension bridge that opened in the 1860s and is more than a 1,000 feet long. Sadly, the bridge was closed for repair, so we took an Uber instead. The ride was about 6 minutes.

Great American Ball Park generally opens 90 minutes before each game, which in our case, had a 1:10 p.m. ET start. (Opening times vary for a few games this season.)

We got to the ballpark a little before 11 a.m. to explore the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum before the stadium doors opened. The museum opens at 10 a.m. on game days and off days throughout the season and is a few steps west of the ballpark.

With so much Reds history, the Hall of Fame and Museum deserves a post of its own … so more on that at a later time. I do HIGHLY recommend visiting it if you’re going to a Reds game or if you’re in Cincinnati and like baseball at all whatsoever. The experience is well worth the $10 admission fee.

The rain rolled in at some point while we were in the museum, and I was pretty thankful to have an umbrella for the day.

I normally wouldn’t bring an umbrella to the stadium for fear of blocking someone’s view, but we had noticed the night before how few fans were in attendance … and I wasn’t about to invest in a Reds poncho.

A statue of Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench greets fans as they enter the stadium. (Bench ended up being relevant to our game in an interesting historical coincidence that I’ll explain later.)

Security and the ticket area are on par with what I expected (metal detectors, bag-checking areas, etc.), and everyone involved was exceptionally nice.

The stadium, which opened in 2003, reminds me of an old-school amusement park. I don’t know if that’s the look it was going for, and I’ve seen it described as modern, but for some reason, its white beams and poles remind me of Coney Island.

We were handed our very own Tucker Barnhart bobbleheads at the gate.

My theory is the Reds decided to troll Cardinals fans and eight-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina by presenting Barnhart’s 2017 Gold Glove Award before the game and handing out a bobblehead to commemorate it. (Sigh.)

Our first stop in the stadium (after a quick peak at the tarp-covered infield) was the Kroger Fan Zone, located outside the concourse on the first base side.

The Fan Zone is uncovered and features baseball-themed carnival games, a Reds Statue of Liberty (pictured below), a kids’ whiffle ball field, a concert stage and food stands, including Frisch’s Big Boy, Porkopolis and Skyline Chili.

With all the rain and wind, my brother and I decided it wasn’t the right time to try Skyline Chili, which I think was the right call for the conditions, but I regret not trying Frisch’s.

skyline in fan zone — Skyline Chili in the Kroger Fan Zone

After exploring the Fan Zone, we made our way back inside and down to the field to check out the views behind the home dugout. No one checked our tickets at this point, but I’m guessing the staff lets people down to take photos (and get autographs when it’s not raining) early before the game.

me at dugout — Me behind the Reds dugout

reds dugout gabp — Me and my brother behind the Reds dugout

We explored the concourse and team store and ate hot dogs under a tiny overhang. In hindsight, we could have eaten downstairs, but we weren’t that familiar with our surroundings.

(For example, we were so unfamiliar that we took the stairs EVERY time we went up or down a level before and during the game. We finally took the ramp on our way out, but we never used the escalator. So. Many. Steps.)

Great American Ball Park offers a variety of hot dog options in addition to Skyline Chili.

reds basic hot dog gabp — Nathan’s all-beef frank at Great American Ball Park #BasicHotDog

I had a Nathan’s all-beef frank, and my brother had a Kahn’s hot dog. I paid $12.25 for the frank and a Cherry Coke. The all-beef frank was pretty good, not the best I’ve ever had.

(My biggest regret of the day was buying that Cherry Coke when it was slightly chilly and raining pretty steadily. I’m not even a huge soda drinker.)

We took in the views of the Ohio River from the concourse before making our way to our seats, section 521, row E, seats 11 and 12, which were in the lower section of the upper deck, just left of home plate.

umbrellas in seats gabp — Me and my brother in our seats at Great American Ball Park

The Reds game day crew makes great use of the smokestacks in center field. The smoke itself is cool but is nothing compared to the fiery flames that shoot out every time a Reds pitcher strikes out an opposing batter. (I unfortunately did not get a photo of the fire.)

Like many teams, the Reds have a variety of scoreboard games. The traditional ball-under-hat game features a ball under a plate of Skyline Chili spaghetti rather than under a baseball cap, which is an interesting concept but slightly gross when you really think about it.

My favorite in-game promotion between innings was without a doubt, Redzilla, a rapid-fire, souvenir-launching ATV with more than 50 barrels that can blast T-shirts into the upper deck with ease. I unfortunately was so in awe that I didn’t get a decent video or photo (not because I was enjoying it with my own eyes but because I accidentally didn’t press record on my phone when I thought I did … oops).

I’m the type of fan who doesn’t want to leave my seat at any point during the game, but I made an exception to make a team store purchase and visit both fan accommodation stations.

The nice lady who sold me my hot dog earlier in the day had told me about a certificate I could get for being a first-time visitor at Great American Ball Park. You can get these certificates for free at fan accommodation, which happens to be right outside and below the section where we sat.

After picking up my free certificate, I made a quick run to the team store on the lower level of the stadium to buy a Major League Baseball GameDay Pass-Port. I had spotted it in the store before the game, and (because it takes me hours, sometimes days … months … years to make a decision) I had finally decided to purchase one in the sixth inning.

The GameDay Pass-Port tells you where you can get special stamps at each of the 30 MLB ballparks. We stopped at a fan accommodation station, this time on the lower level, to get my first stamp.

We made it back to our seats in time for the seventh-inning stretch, and I stayed there for the rest of the game. My bro slipped out to get some nachos, which he kindly shared with me.

They weren’t my favorite nachos of all time, but I am fond of almost anything with jalapeños. They definitely weren’t bad.

My favorite walk-up song of the day and one of my favorite moments of the day in general was when Alex Blandino (I think), who had come in to play short in the seventh, batted to James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” in the eighth. I could not stop laughing, especially at how well it fit with his scoreboard video intro. (Side note, I had no idea that song had three “man’s” in the title until now.)

Game Highlights

The game itself was a bit of a blowout. The Reds aren’t good, more like historically awful so far this year, as evidenced by their manager getting fired soon after our weekend in town.

The Cardinals won 6-1 with only a bit of trouble in the ninth, when Jordan Hicks gave up two hits and a walk to load the bases. He got out of it, and the Reds stranded the bases loaded. The Cardinals took the third of what turned out to be a four-game sweep in the Queen City.

cards defeat reds gabp — Cardinals win 6-1

Cardinals infielder Greg Garcia served up the in-game excitement for the day with two home runs, both off starter Brandon Finnegan, who had just come off the disabled list. Garcia also had a double before the day was done.

garcia hits 2 home runs — It’s a hit, big boy! (Greg Garcia’s second home run of the day)

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the platoon second baseman in his fifth year in the big leagues, Garcia had seven home runs in his first four seasons, so he basically reached his yearly quota during this game.

We didn’t know it at the time, but a little history was made at Great American Ball Park that day. On Tucker Barnhart Bobblehead Day, a celebration of the current Reds catcher, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina passed Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench on the all-time innings caught list to rank 13th.

And now is as good of time as any to mention that Reds fans HATE (or at least love to boo) Molina. I have a feeling it still has to do with that not-so-minor altercation from 2010 I mentioned in my preview. (Way to stick it to your haters, Yadi.)

More history was made during this series when the Cardinals premiered their home run conga line during the Thursday game and continued in our game after both of Garcia’s bombs.

I’m not sure which affected attendance more, the rain or the Reds’ record, but the stadium, which holds 42,271, was less than half full at 19,213 (and that might have been tickets sold rather than turnstile … not sure how they calculate it).

Game Summary

One Down, 29 to Go

Our first of 30 was a huge success. I’m 1-0 cheering on the Cardinals on this adventure, and the forecasted thunderstorms stayed away. Plus, we got through nine innings without a rain delay (but not without plenty of rain).

I discovered Great American Ball Park is an accurate description, but the fans were so sparse and down on the Reds that I almost felt bad wearing my Cardinals sweatshirt … almost.

gabp seats — Me and my brother at Great American Ball Park

leaving reds ballpark gabp — Me leaving Great American Ball Park

Check out my Great American Ball Park photo gallery at the end of this post, and stay tuned for more on Cincinnati as I explore the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and wrap up my stay with a trip to Newport Aquarium and Skyline Chili.

skyline chili taste — Me trying a Skyline Chili 4-Way with beans

Great American Ball Park Photo Gallery #1stof30

Welcome to Great American Ball Park — First up, Great American Ball Park

First Great American Ball Park Sighting — Our first Great American Ball Park sighting

Across Ohio River from Great American Ball Park — Me across the Ohio River from Great American Ball Park

My Brother with Ballpark — My brother across the Ohio River from Great American Ball Park

Great American Ball Park Across Ohio River — Great American Ball Park across the Ohio River

Cincinnati Night Sky — Nighttime view of Great American Ball Park across the Ohio River

John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge — John A. Roebling Bridge

Johnny Bench Statue — Johnny Bench statue

Meet Mr. Redlegs — Me with statue of Mr. Redlegs

The Adventure Begins — Me at my #1stof30

Rain, Rain Go Away ... — Rainy day at Great American Ball Park

View from Behind Home Plate — View from behind home plate

Concessions — Skyline Chili in the Kroger Fan Zone

Me and Cincy Statue of Liberty — Me holding my Tucker Barnhart Bobblehead

Me at the Dugout — Me behind the Reds dugout

Reds Home Dugout — Me and my brother behind the Reds dugout

View from Left-Center — View of tarp from left-center field

Ohio River from Stadium — View of Ohio River from ballpark

Rainy Day from Left Field — View from left field foul pole

Ohio River and Bridge — Me and my brother standing outside the upper deck at Great American Ball Park

Basic Hot Dog — Nathan’s all-beef frank at Great American Ball Park #BasicHotDog

Rainy Day from Our Seats — Me and my brother in our seats at Great American Ball Park

Smokestacks at Great American Ball Park after National Anthem

View from Section 521 — View from section 521, row E, seats 11 and 12

Greg Garcia Hits 2nd HR — Greg Garcia’s second home run of the day

MLB GameDay Pass-Port Summary — MLB GameDay Pass-Port summary of Reds game

Certificate for First Reds Game — Certificate for my first game at Great American Ball Park

View from Our Seats — Me and my brother at Great American Ball Park

Great American Ball Park Press Box — Press box at Great American Ball Park

Leaving Great American Ball Park — Me leaving Great American Ball Park

Big Baseball — A me-sized baseball at Great American Ball Park

Reds Street Banner — Great American Ball Park street banner

First Up, Great American Ball Park

My birthday is still more than four months away, but I’m starting the party early by kicking off my 30-ballparks-for-turning-30 multiyear celebration this weekend.

My first stop? Great American Ball Park, home to professional baseball’s first team, the Cincinnati Reds. (I didn’t know that fun fact when I bought the tickets.)

I’m not a Reds baseball buff, but I remember when Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 500th home run on Father’s Day at old Busch and recognize the names of some of their Hall of Famers (or would-be Hall of Famers if not banned from baseball … looking at you, Pete Rose).

Griffey is one of my favorite non-Cardinals of all time, and weirdly enough, my favorite Cardinal of all time, Jim Edmonds, played his final major league game in a Reds uniform.

On this particular ballpark adventure, I’m hoping to learn more about the Big Red Machine at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and see what all the Skyline Chili hype is about.

I’ve been to Cincinnati once to go to Kings Island, probably around the year 2000, but I’ve never been to a baseball game there. (Kings Island had a strong roller coaster game, though, so I recommend going if you like that sort of thing.)

I have some fond memories of watching games at Great American Ball Park on TV (or in one case, listening on the radio), and I hope to see in person where these special moments took place.

Here are my top three Great American Ball Park moments as a Cardinals fan.

3. Cardinals’ seven-run, ninth-inning comeback on May 2, 2005

When the inning started, the Cards were down 9-3. After a couple walks and a hit, Reds closer Danny Graves was brought in to clean up the mess and instead, basically imploded.

I believe it was the Cardinals’ biggest ninth-inning comeback at the time, and I got to enjoy the whole thing from my parents’ living room. (Looking back at the box score and play-by-play still makes me pretty happy.)

2. First-inning brawl on August 10, 2010

Brandon Phillips had run his mouth the night before. Yadier Molina didn’t appreciate it. Tempers flared, and we got ourselves an old-fashioned baseball brawl.

I eventually saw the fight on TV but first heard it on the radio while driving home from college. Mike Shannon called the fight beautifully, and that’s when I decided he’d be an excellent boxing commentator.

Disclaimer: I recognize that this brawl contributed to ending then-Cardinals backup catcher (and coincidentally, former Reds catcher) Jason LaRue’s career, and that’s not OK.

1. Jim Edmonds’ home run robbery skills from July 16, 2004

Edmonds had multiple great plays at Great American Ball Park … and pretty much everywhere else, too. His reaction makes this catch one of my favorite defensive plays of all time.

Game Preview
Cardinals vs. Reds
Great American Ball Park
Saturday, April 14, 2018
1:10 p.m. ET
Probable starting pitchers: STL Miles Mikolas (RHP) vs. CIN Cody Reed (LHP)

Going into the series, the Cardinals were 5-7, and the Reds were 2-9. The Cards cruised to a 13-4 win in the first of the four-game series. Then I wrote this blog post.

I’m ready to hit the road for my first of 30 destinations. Will Great American Ball Park live up to its name? I’m about to find out.

Opening Day Vibes

In honor of baseball making its grand return, I’m looking back at one of my favorite ballpark experiences, Opening Day at Busch Stadium in 2006.

Clydesdales 2006 — Clydesdales on Opening Day 2006

Opening Day is like a holiday. By the time baseball finally comes out of hibernation, we’re hungry. We’ve watched an embarrassing number of TV shows throughout the winter and have the college basketball blues (or at least that’s true for me).

Then, baseball comes along and saves us from our TV-bingeing selves.

If your team opens on the road, you basically have two full days of celebration, Opening Day of Major League Baseball and Opening Day at home.

I’ve only been to one home opener in person, but that particular one was extra special, the inaugural game of Busch Stadium III on April 10, 2006.

I was a junior in high school and used an absence to go to the game. I had gone to my first prom two days earlier, so I was pretty tired, probably from walking around in a 10-pound dress, too much hairspray and a headful of bobby pins (and dancing to too much Lil Jon), but Opening Day woke me right up.

I’m a nostalgic person and can find sentimental value in almost anything, so at first, I wasn’t sure how I would react to my favorite stadium in the world being destroyed and replaced.

(Spoiler alert: The 2006 season ended with the Cardinals’ first World Series title in my lifetime, so I moved on pretty quickly.)

Despite my initial hesitance, I fell in love with the look and feel of new Busch Stadium almost immediately. I had been to AT&T Park (then-Pac Bell) in San Francisco a few years prior, so I was familiar with and already liked the retro look.

The new ballpark food was (and still is) amazing. I was fortunate to be at the stadium long enough to eat two meals, chicken tenders for lunch AND a hot dog for dinner. My dad tried the barbecue sandwich and ice cream and enjoyed both as well.

Me eating chicken tenders on Opening Day 2006

Although I loved (and still love) the beautiful view of the Gateway Arch in the outfield, I disliked (and still dislike) that new Busch isn’t nearly as loud as old Busch because of all that openness.

All in all, the good outweighed the bad, and I decided Busch Stadium III was a worthy replacement for the former stadium. I mean, it is Baseball Heaven and all.

My dad had only gone to one home opener prior to 2006. He and my brother went in 2004, when then-President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch. (They still reference seeing Secret Service snipers on top of the stadium.)

I’m told by pretty much all St. Louis media that Opening Day at Busch is like no other. I don’t know for sure because I haven’t witnessed Opening Day in any other baseball city, but I can confirm that Opening Day in St. Louis lives up to the hype.

Downtown St. Louis basically shuts down for a daylong party. Adults take off work, and kids skip school to head over to the game and welcome back their beloved Redbirds.

The pregame ceremony features a lap by the famous Budweiser Clydesdales, followed by the parade of Cardinals Hall of Famers riding around the warning track in the backs of Mustang convertibles. Then, the current players come out in their own motorcade.

The current players shake the hands of Cardinals legends, like Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith, at home plate. (I’ve definitely teared up watching it a time or two.)

It’s magical. The Cardinals pack so much tradition and history into one day and somehow still manage to offer something new.

Opening Day of a new stadium made the whole experience even more unique (and historical). My dad and I were two of the first 41,936 (according to Baseball Reference) fans to explore the ballpark, and I’m grateful I had that opportunity.

Oh, and I almost forgot … what happened in the game?

Well, despite falling behind early, the Cardinals came away with a 6-4 win over the Brewers. Mark Mulder served up the first home run in the new ballpark, but he later (shockingly) hit one of his own. A guy named Albert Pujols did, too.

In the end, I had a great and memorable day skipping school for Opening Day and ballparking it in a brand-new stadium with my dad.

Opening Day 2006 Sights and Swag

New Busch Stadium 2006 — Busch Stadium Opening Day 2006

Busch Stadium 2006 — Me on Opening Day 2006

Stan the Man 2006 — Stan Musial statue on Opening Day 2006

Stan Musial Statue 2006 — Stan Musial statue on Opening Day 2006

Opening Day Field 2006 — Opening Day 2006

Old Scoreboard 2006 — Old scoreboard Opening Day 2006

Tenders 2006 — Me eating chicken tenders on Opening Day 2006

Budweiser Clydesdales 2006 — Clydesdales on Opening Day 2006

Motorcade 2006 — Motorcade on Opening Day 2006

First Pitch Pose 2006 — Ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day 2006

First Pitch 2006 — Ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day 2006

Albert Pujols Home Run 2006 — Albert Pujols on Opening Day 2006

Opening Day Scoreboard 2006 — Home run! Opening Day 2006

Opening Day Tickets 2006 — Tickets from Opening Day 2006

Tickets & Certificate 2006 — Tickets and certificate from Opening Day 2006

Opening Day Certificate 2006 — Certificate from Opening Day 2006

Schedule Magnet 2006 — Schedule magnet from Opening Day 2006

Post-Dispatch Unfolded 2006 — St. Louis Post-Dispatch from Opening Day 2006

Post-Dispatch 2006 — St. Louis Post-Dispatch from Opening Day 2006

I’m Doing This

I turn 30 later this year, and to celebrate, I’ve decided that, along with eating a LOT of birthday cake (obviously), I’m going to start making progress toward my goal of visiting all 30 major league ballparks.

Me and my dad at Ballpark Village in 2017

I’m a baseball fan, more specifically, a St. Louis Cardinals fan. I’ve been one for as long as I can remember. I’ve also enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, and in fact, I’m a copywriter by day and (very slowly) working on a novel in my free time.

I’ve always wanted to start a blog, and I’ve always wanted to see all 30 ballparks. Around the time I turned 29, I realized 30 parks for turning 30 is the perfect excuse to do both.

I’m not exactly sure how my journey will play out, but I plan to visit 4-6 new MLB stadiums, plus some other venues, each year and share my adventures, tips, successes and failures here. Aside from that, I’m going to work out the details as I go. (If you know me, you know that’s not typically how I operate, so this is a big step.)

I’ve already been to Busch Stadium (II and III), Dodger Stadium, AT&T Park, Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field (ha, sorry, it’s a great ballpark, but I can’t type the name without laughing).

I’m visiting all five of those ballparks again. St. Louis and Chicago are close to where I live, and I’ll be traveling to Anaheim and Oakland anyway, so why not head over to L.A. and San Francisco while I’m out west?

It’s been a long offseason, and I can’t wait to get started. Follow along as I knock off all 30 ballparks, eat plenty of hot dogs, explore the surrounding cities and chat about all sorts of other stuff along the way. And don’t worry if you’re not a Cardinals fan. This isn’t a blog about the Cardinals. (I’m just stating my biases and loyalties upfront.)

Plus, I’m also a huge college basketball fan and an Olympics nerd, so I’ll probably be talking about other types of “ballparks” if baseball isn’t your thing. I’m passionate about good television as well, and nothing is off limits as long as it’s in the ballpark. (Get it? I’m trying to be punny.)

I’m more than a little proud of myself for typing this here and publishing it. Anyone who knows me knows I’m one of the most indecisive humans on this planet … but here we go. I’m doing this.