19. Busch Stadium - July 16, 2019

This is likely the only baseball trip I'd be doing this year. With the stadiums I have left, it's hard to find the time and money to do them. But, at least I got two more down and now I have 10 remaining.

I planned this trip about two months before I actually left. It might be the quickest plan-to-trip I've done. I flew into Kansas City and then drove about four and a half hours to St. Louis. It was actually a lot cheaper than landing in St. Louis directly.

Between the two cities is Columbia but that's about it. There are a lot of farms and open land but not much else. It actually makes the ride feel longer than it actually is.

For my nights in both STL and KC, I stayed in AirBnBs instead of hotels. They were much cheaper and not that far of a drive to the stadiums. If you're visiting any stadium, I'd look to go that route first.

Busch Stadium from the top of The Arch

Anyway, this is a stadium blog, not a travel blog. I was in St. Louis for two full days. It rained for one and a half of them. Unlike the next stadium on this list, there is plenty to do around Busch Stadium.

The stadium sits in the middle of downtown St. Louis. There are many restaurants and bars within walking distance. There are a few breweries a bit further away but worth checking out.

The obvious tourist attraction is the Arch, which is a few blocks away. There is a museum and a bunch of other things underneath the actual Arch.

They have a few different packages. The cheapest was $14, which includes a video about the Arch and a ticket to go up to the top. You take a small cable car almost to the top and then walk the rest of the way. The views are amazing. I recommend it.

Getting to the stadium is very easy. There are a bunch of highways that lead directly downtown. Public transportation is also an option. I had my rental car, so I drove to the park. I parked in a lot near the Arch and walked. It was $7 for pretty much all day. As I walked closer to the stadium, some lots were charging up to $30. Park further away and enjoy the walk.

Busch Stadium is a great park. Each entrance gate has its own features, a tribute to former stars. The inside of the stadium is pretty open, especially the field-level concourse. As I was making my way to my seat, I was scouting the concession stands. Some of the prices for food were ridiculous. They had a double cheeseburger for $22. Yeah, no thanks. I'll stick to my hot dog.

The view from my seat

I got to my usual seat, upper levels behind home plate, and took in the view. There was some construction going on in left-center but seeing the Arch in center field was a great sight. I could see the whole field and then some.

The game I saw was the Cardinals taking on division rival Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals lost 3-1. Jack Flaherty started for St. Louis and Dario Agrazal started for Pittsburgh.

Over the first four innings, there were a combined six base runners. It wasn't until the fifth inning when a run was scored.

Corey Dickerson hit a one-out double and Kevin Newman drove him home. The Cardinals tied up in the bottom of the fifth with a Harrison Bader double, a steal of third and Flaherty singling him home.

The score would remain tied until the top of the ninth inning. Closer Carlos Martinez came into the game to give his offense a chance to win. He got the first out with ease. Then, things fell apart.

He hit Starling Marte. Josh Bell hit a single, advancing Marte to third. Colin Moran hit an RBI single. Dickerson walked, loading the bases. Newman grounded out but drove in another run. Martinez then forced Elias Diaz to fly out.

In the bottom of the ninth against Felipe Vazquez, the Cardinals went down 1-2-3 with two strikeouts to lose the game. It was an exciting game, for me at least; probably not for a Cardinals fan.

Overall, this was a great experience at a great stadium. Being able to walk around downtime to kill time before a game is nice. Because of the history, the view and environment, I highly recommend visiting Busch Stadium.