Not sure if this was posted, but there's some pretty nice pictures of the Cards' new ballpark on ESPN.com. It looks a clean, no-frills place with a nice view of the St. Louis skyline. Capacity is 46,861, which is more than what most of the newer parks have been holding. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/flas...GalleryId=2403785&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2
Having lived in STL for six years, I visited the previous park whenever the Stros came to town. The old park was nice, but envision the Dome without a roof. Narrow concourses and a circular seating arrangement. If I'm ever back in STL during baseball season I am going to have to try and make a game. I like the new parks orientation with the outfield open so you can see downtown STL and the Arch. There should be some visious cross winds in the outfield though. In spring and fall they should get some stiff winds out of the nortwest blowing from left to right. And in the summer they'll have winds blowing out of the southeast at times, but now as strong as if a front has blown in bringing that northwest wind. You should see the planes trying to land at Lambert Airport after a front blows through and you have a constant 30 mile wind blowing out of the northwest. Say what you will about the Cards fans and their zealot-like following of their team, but it is fun to go to a game in STL.
damn that's nice, and yes, minute maid hasn't really lived up, the roof is like deteriorating right before our eyes, who paints their roof pale white and pale green?
Well, that came out of nowhere. It's nice to know that there are still a few people out there that have nostalgia for stained Astroturf, piss troughs, and Styro-Dome Dogs...
I'm glad for the fans in St. Louis. They are good, loyal baseball fans and they deserve some nice new digs. And those are some damn nice digs.
In many ways, Minute Maid Park is the primary reason why the new Busch was built to have "no bells, whistles, gadgets, distractions, or gimmicks." The Cards played a big role in the "culture shock adjustment" that was MMP in 2000... and they didn't want to have any of that in their new park (esp. in reference to the dimensions). Besides the new amenities (bigger concourse, more luxury suites, high def screen), it basically looks like old busch with an open view of downtown... pretty blah. Frankly, you couldn't have done that in Houston (esp. without the natural baseball following). Moving from the Astrodome, they needed SOMETHING to get the fans out there... and its worked (hence the short porch, retractable roof, train, and anything else about the park you want to call "gimmicky"). But, in St. Louis, they could play in a decrepit, falling-apart stadium (kinda like Wrigley), and the fans would still come out in droves. Also, that space behind the ballpark has already been sanctioned for development (they call it "Ballpark Village"). That was the KEY in the city agreeing on the stadium deal: they didn't want the "false" promise of future downtown development (like some cities are still waiting to see)... they wanted a guarantee. Thus, the team is helping to finance a series of lofts, office-space, and entertainment venues that will compose the "village". Having lived in STL for 4 years, I'm not sure the city has enough of either the young crowd, or the singles with disposable income, to get people to move out of the suburbs and old neihboorhoods to come live downtown... the city simply isn't that big. But, it will sure look nice, I guess... and it will add to their 10's of buildings.
