Let me first start out by saying I don’t believe in destiny, per se. I’m a big proponent of happenstance and coincidence.
That being said, when a journalism conference is planned the week of the World Series, one thinks, “Sure, that’s great, but the Cardinals will never make it. They’ve had a rough-and-tumble season.”
Then they make it. Unbelievably. The mediocrity of it all: Detroit and St. Louis going at it for five to seven nights. R.J. tells me he’s going to get tickets.
I tell him that I’m interested, but up to a certain price. $250’s my limit, because hey, I’m a college student. Do you have any idea how many packs of ramen noodles that would buy?
The Saturday prior to the World Series, he messages me to see if I’m in. See, R.J.’s dad found tickets on eBay.
I asked him how much, winced at the response and said I was in.
I mean, how often does one find himself in the same city as a World Series?
We got tickets for Game 5 in St. Louis and luckily, the Tigers and Cards were 1-1 after the first two, sealing a spot for the game to actually take place in St. Louis.
Walking four blocks from the hotel to the stadium area, I realized quickly what being a baseball town means.
The fountain’s water in the downtown area had been dyed red in celebration of the Cardinals’ National League victory.
A sax player belted out baseball tunes as we approached the front of the arena.
Peddlers sold ticket holders (impulse buys are the devil, you know), and scalpers swarmed the crowd for fans who didn’t want their tickets.
We actually had tickets to Game 5, but because of Game 4’s Wednesday rain delay, the decision was made to allow Game 5 tickets for admission to Game 4 and vice-versa.
Considering in retrospect that the Cardinals wrapped up the series in the following game, it stung a bit to go to a different one.
But Thursday night, we didn’t know who would win. We were just happy to be there.
R.J. and I entered the stadium surrounded by fans.
I really felt sorry for Detroit because I didn’t remember seeing any of their cheering section the entire time I was there, but such is life.
First, we got a few signature pictures with the field in the background. Then I asked him, “Want to go up front before the game starts?”We’re sitting in fifth row seats behind third base, despite the fact that our tickets clearly state ‘SRO,’ or Standing Room Only.
R.J.’s reasoning was that we’d stay there until we were asked to leave. No harm, no foul.
Having been a longtime Chicago Cubs fan for years, I was very familiar with the game of baseball … on television.
I’d never been to a major league game, or an NFL game for that matter. And here it was: Busch Stadium surrounded me.
The seating capacity was huge, and the stadium offered a panoramic view of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch.
Officials started cleaning up the field from the previous night’s rain delay.
First, they combed the infield dirt with what looked like a modified Zamboni. Then, officials started laying out the chalk lines for the bases.
I felt like a kid in a candy store, watching the field slowly take shape.
Food vendors walked up and down the aisle yelling about their cold beer and peanuts, fans unveiled their signs for the FOX Sports television cameras to capture and organ music echoed throughout the venue.
It was so much more than anything a television camera could ever contain.
And then, to my dismay, the rightful owners of Row 5, seats 6, 7 and 8 showed up.
We apologized and stepped out of the way.
The Cardinals fan told me, “Hey buddy, we would have done the same thing. Don’t worry about it.” Maybe the Cardinals are the best fans in baseball.
So we snuck to Row 18 and cooled our heels for 10 minutes until, you guessed it, those were claimed, too.
Aaron Burdette, who bought tickets right outside the stadium, was sitting in the fourth floor of risers on the outfield’s right side.
We made our way up the stairs, circumvented the security checkpoints and found a few empty seats.
We got there at around the 3rd inning. I kept up with the game.
It was close, but Detroit stayed ahead for nearly four more innings.And then, an unexpected wave of sleepiness hit me.
I couldn’t focus on the game, the Cardinals weren’t winning, and the play on the field couldn’t hold my attention.
All of a sudden, what could only be described as the “slip seen round the world” occurred on the outfield.
The Cardinals came back.
The game’s momentum shifted. And from that point forward, I was on a constant high that could have only been equaled by a controlled substance.
It also occurred to me at about the same time: these are the reasons why baseball is considered to be America’s pastime.
The smell of the hot dogs, the music breaks, singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ and looking at people you’ve never met, all of you thinking the same thing.
I can’t believe I’m here.