Baseball

Busch 360 Tour

Last week, Chickadee and I went on a Busch Stadium tour. I’ve toured the park a few times, and even Chickadee has been on a classic tour (though she doesn’t remember it), but this time, we went on a fairly new tour experience…the 360 Tour. This particular excursion is meant to be a bit shorter, and less focused on Cardinals’ history, and more on the beautiful views of the ballpark. Like the classic tour, we started out near the statue of Stan outside the third base entrance.

After pausing for a photo in what is arguably one of the most scenic spots in Busch, we made our way to the Cardinals’ dugout, stopping to watch the real heroes of baseball, the grounds crew, at work on the field.

The dugout is always a favorite location…it’s so exciting to get to sit where the players sit, ad see where they enter and exit the field:

We stopped by the fancy green seats:

And then we got to see the even fancier dining spot that having a ticket to the green seats allows you to eat at:

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the space where they hold the post-game press conferences…Chickadee was very excited to take a seat at the table!

We walked through what is commonly known as “Aggie’s Office.”

And then went to the upper deck for the best views in baseball:

We walked around the whole ballpark:

It’s always fun to get a look down into the bullpen:

And we even got to walk out onto the patio above the “Batter’s Eye,” which was a really unique experience!

I really loved this tour…we still learned some things, but most importantly, we saw some really cool spots in the ballpark! We’re also hoping to go back on a classic tour later this school year, and also visit the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum…it’s just as important to learn about local history as anything else!

Opening Day 2025

We spent all winter staring out the window waiting for this day to arrive…the day of the St. Louis Cardinals home opener!

We had our usual Opening Day feast, with a minor twist. I decided to make my German recipe for the month, Sauerkrautkuchen, as an appetizer…I figured the sauerkraut gave it baseball vibes, at least for those of us who like kraut on our brats! Of course we also had our traditional Opening Day nachos, too:

For dinner we had hot dogs and brats, and Fitz’s Cardinal Cream soda. I always have to have a Chicago-style dog on Opening Day.

This year, instead of buying a Cardinals cookie cake, I made my own! I served it with Cherry Cardinals Crunch ice cream from Schnucks:

For me, fashion is always an important part of a celebration…I haven’t worn this particular jersey on Opening Day for a few years, so it was time. I paired it with my Cardinals necklace and earrings, plus my Loungefly (not pictured).

Now we just have to wait and see how the game turns out…there was a rain delay, so they got started late, but they’re winning as of right now!

Baseball Memories

The loss of Bob Uecker, the legendary Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster, has me looking back and realizing how many happy memories I have that are related to baseball…

  • Spring Training–One of my earliest baseball memories, (heck, one of my earliest memories!), is the return of spring training broadcasts on the radio. My mom is a huge Milwaukee Brewers fan, and every year she she counts the days until spring training begins. And so I associated the return of baseball in the spring with the voice of Bob Uecker, and I still think of those early baseball games when I hear his voice, whether on an old Brewers clip or from a movie or TV. He was the voice of my childhood, the soundtrack of every summer, even the nights when we listened through the static on WTMJ after the station turned the power down for the day.
  • My First Major League Game, June 14, 1989–The first baseball game I ever went to was at the old Milwaukee County Stadium. I still remember everything about that day…my parents had taken me up to Milwaukee for my birthday, and we were staying at a Best Western motel. It was a rainy, foggy day, and I was convinced that the game would be rained out. They did manage to play, but it was a cold night game, and not a very pleasant night to be at the ballpark. In spite of the weather, I still ate a Dove Bar that one of the vendors was hawking, (“It’s never too cold for a Dove Bar!”), and drank an ice cold soda. I even remember the name of the usher that helped us that evening–Harlan. And unsurprisingly, I sent a letter to Bob Uecker in the press box, and he mentioned me on the broadcast!
  • Comiskey Park–I had the chance to go to both the Old and New Comiskey (it will always be Comiskey to me!) parks as a child. Most of my memories involve Old Comiskey, although those memories have very little to do with the actual game (except for “Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye”). What I really remember is the street musicians playing outside the ballpark after games, especially the saxaphone players. To this day, whenever I hear street musicians of any kind, (including the drum line that is inevitably outside Busch Stadium after a Cardinals game), I think of the south side of Chicago.
  • Wrigley Field–Is there a better time to take a trip to Wrigley Field than in the middle of finals week in college? I didn’t think so! My first (and only), visit to the Friendly Confines was on Lutheran Day my senior year of college. We walked down to the “el” station closest to campus, and took several trains down to Wrigleyville, where we saw the Cubs play. I may be no Cubs fan, but even I can appreciate the history of both the ballpark and the neighborhood, and it was a very fun day of baseball.
  • 2006 World Series–The first thing we really watched on TV when we moved into this house (and the reason we got the antenna hooked up in the attic so quickly!), was the final game of the 2006 World Series. Of course we were rooting for the Cardinals, and they didn’t let us down, beating the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in game five to win the championship.
  • Commissioner’s Box–For our 10th wedding anniversary, Ryan and I had seats in the Commissioner’s Box at Busch Stadium. It was a rare treat to sit in the green seats which are not only close to the field (we were just a few rows back!), but also so close to the dugout, where we had a good opportunity to really observe the players, whether they were seriously watching the game or goofing around with each other.
  • 2011 World Series–11 in ’11 was magical from start to finish. It was the post-season the Cardinals weren’t even supposed to be in…they clinched a spot in the Wild Card game on the final day of the season. By the time they made it the World Series, it seemed like anything was possible, and Game Six, while not the final game of the series, was the pinnacle of an amazing season, and the type of game that fans of not only the team, but the sport itself, will remember forever.
  • The Return of Albert Pujols–I’m not sure anything could have gotten me interested in the 2022 baseball season the way the return of Albert Pujols to the Cardinals for the final season of his storied career did. It was the kind of fairytale ending every fan dreams of, but so few actually get to witness, and I was thrilled with every moment, from his first at-bat to the 703rd home run, and every other appearance and antic (including his pitching debut!) we had the pleasure of watching.
  • First Game Post-COVID–The first Cardinals game we went to after the pandemic will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was just about the most perfect baseball game I’ve ever been to. Our seats were great, the weather was amazing, and we got to see our favorite battery of Wainwright and Molina work together before they retired. It was a walk-off win for the Redbirds, which was the icing on the cake…I’m not sure I could ever top such a magical day at the ballpark!

Baseball has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I credit a lot of my love for the game to Bob Uecker, the voice of my childhood, and one of the greatest to ever call the game.

Mani Monday

This week’s mani is inspired by the Cardinals home opener last Thursday. I used Holo Taco “Sacrificial Lacquer” (which is practically Cardinal red!) and “Circuit Breaker” as the main colors, with “Red Flake Taco” as a topper on two nails for a little extra glitter. And my Baublebar Fredbird bag charm is the perfect accessory to show them off!

Sartorial Saturday–Accessories for Opening Day

This week was the St. Louis Cardinals home opener, and I had the perfect new accessories for it…and one of them I’ve been wishing for for a very long time!

Loungefly finally added a Cardinals mini backpack to their MLB collection, and I was especially happy to purchase it a local store, First Capitol Trading, Inc. in St. Charles, MO. I know that some fans weren’t impressed with the floral pattern on the bag, but I actually love it…I think it’s really unique and pretty, and adds some great pops of color!

And to make it even better, Baublebar released a Fredbird bag charm, which I was only too happy to add to the bag! He has just the right amount of sparkle on his head feathers and shoes!

They make the perfect pair, and it’s such a fun way to show my team spirit! The only problem is, ironically enough, I wouldn’t be able to carry the bag into Busch Stadium if I went to a game, because it’s too big!

The Home Opener

Today was the St. Louis Cardinals home opener…and they won! We had our annual Opening Day feast, and it was a little bit familiar and a little bit different. We decided that this year, we would skip our usual Chicago style dogs and brats and instead try recipes featuring “Sonic’s Signature Chili” from Sonic the Hedgehog: The Official Cookbook. We had “The Perfect Chili Dog,” which was topped with chili (of course), shredded cheddar, chopped onions, and mustard. Next was “A Rival’s Chili Dog,” topped with chili (again), and a simple slaw. Both were delicious!

We also tried a (red) drink from the Sonic cookbook: “Knuckles’s Fruit Punch” which was light and refreshing (and yes, I chose blue swizzle sticks so we could pretend they were Sonic’s quills!).

I let Schnucks take care of dessert, with a giant cookie cake from their bakery and Cherry Cardinals Crunch ice cream!

We didn’t have nachos or pretzels this year…we really didn’t have time to enjoy eating them with how busy today was. But we really enjoyed trying some new recipes, and even if the menu was slightly different, the vibe was the same!

Opening Day 2023

Yesterday was Major League Baseball’s Opening Day, and the Cardinals opened the season at Busch Stadium. It was an exciting day…Jordan Walker, the 20-year-old rookie who just got the call to the Big Leagues, not only started the game but got a hit in his first at-bat. Tyler O’Neill hit a home run for the fourth consecutive Opening Day, which tied a Major League record. We got our first look at our new catcher, Willson Contreras. Adam Freaking Wainwright sung the National Anthem before the game! But it was also bittersweet…how strange was it so see an Opening Day without Yadier Molina behind the plate? Wainwright, who should have been our starting pitcher, instead started the season on the injured list. Speaking of injuries, our brand new catcher took a 103 mph wild pitch to the knee. And in the end, despite scoring nine runs, we still lost (I think our pitching needs some work!). So it was a fun day, as always, but it didn’t quite go the way we had expected. That didn’t stop us from enjoying our traditional Opening Day feast, starting with a new addition of Cardinals sugar cookies that turned out surprisingly well, even though decorating cookies is not the thing I’m best at (I blame my poor handwriting skills for that!):

We had ballpark-style nachos as an appetizer…no matter how good they are, though, they’re just not the same as eating nachos at Busch Stadium!

For dinner, we had Chicago-style hot dogs and brats. They stopped selling neon relish in our area (the nerve!), but Ryan stopped at a new Chicago-style restaurant nearby, and they kindly gave him a cup of relish. Too bad I forgot all about the onions I chopped, though!

For dessert, we had ice cream sundaes, and I even got out the dish we got at Busch Stadium last summer:

I love Opening Day…it’s like baseball Christmas, and something I look forward to every year!

Back at Busch

Yesterday, for the first time in I’m not even sure how long (at least five years!), the whole family went to a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium! We took a walk around Ballpark Village when we arrived downtown:

It’s changed a lot in the last few years!

We stopped to say “hi” to Stan, of course:

And then got in line almost an hour before the gates opened:

The reason we got in line so early was to make sure we were there in time for the giveaway…Molina and Wainwright Mystery Championship Replica Rings. This is my favorite type of giveaway, and they’re really nice!

Our seats were excellent…we were in the last row, so we had a nice breeze, and we were in the shade for pretty much the entire game! Plus, we could see the Arch, which is always nice.

When we were walking around, we found this cool life-size bobblehead of Ladybug’s favorite player who isn’t named Albert Pujols:

And Bunny, Chickadee, and I went in search of Fredbird:

Ballpark food is the best!

It was the perfect day. We got to see everyone’s favorite battery (Wainwright and Molina) start their 316th game together, putting them in a tie for second place on the all-time battery list! And we got to see Tommy Edman get his first walk-off, which was a total thrill! We couldn’t have asked for a better ending!

It was so good to be back at my favorite place!

The only thing that could have made today better is if we had gotten to see Pujols bat, but we did see him in the dugout, so we’ll call that good enough, and the perfect day at Busch!

Opening Day 2022

Yesterday was one of the funnest days of the year…Major League Baseball’s Opening Day! And the Cardinals got to start their season at home with a win in Baseball Heaven. Chickadee and I were very excited!

As usual, we had a special Opening Day dinner. We started with the traditional ballpark appetizer of nachos:

Hot dogs and brats were the star of the meal…with root beer, of course!

For dessert, I decided to put in a little extra effort…I made baseball cake pops!

This is going to be such a special season for the Cards, with Yadi, Waino, and Albert riding off into the sunset together. It’s just the beginning of our fairytale ending…I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!