| Busch Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Busch Stadium III | |
| Location | 700 Clark Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63102 |
| Broke ground | January 17, 2004 |
| Opened | April 4, 2006 (MLB exhibition) April 10, 2006 (MLB) |
| Owner | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Operator | St. Louis Cardinals[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $365 million[2][3] ($398 million in 2012 dollars[4]) |
| Architect | Populous (formerly HOK Sport) |
| Project Manager | Clayco[5] |
| Structural engineer | Bliss and Nyitray, Inc. |
| General Contractor | Hunt Construction Group/Kwame Building Group |
| Capacity | 43,975 46,861 (with standing room)[6] |
| Record attendance | 47,399 (2011 World Series, Game 7, vs the Texas Rangers) |
| Field dimensions | Left Field — 336 feet (102 m) Left Center Field — 375 feet (114 m) Center Field — 400 feet (122 m) Right Center Field — 375 feet (114 m) Right Field — 335 feet (102 m) |
| Tenants | |
| St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) (2006–present) | |
Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB. The stadium has 3,706 club seats and 61 luxury suites.
The highest attendance was recorded on October 28, 2011 when 47,399 people watched the Cardinals win their franchise eleventh World Championship.
It replaced Busch Memorial Stadium and occupies a portion of that stadium's former footprint. Busch Stadium was chosen by MLB to host the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[7]
The ballpark opened on April 4, 2006 with an exhibition between the minor league Memphis Redbirds and Springfield Cardinals, both affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals, which Springfield won 5-3 with right-hander Mike Parisi recording the first win. The first official major league game occurred on April 10, 2006 as the Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6–4 behind an Albert Pujols home run and winning pitcher Mark Mulder.
A commercial area, dubbed Ballpark Village, is being developed adjacent to the stadium over the remainder of the former stadium's footprint.
The stadium is the third stadium in St. Louis to carry the name Busch Stadium. Sportsman's Park was renamed Busch Stadium in 1953, after team owner Gussie Busch. The first Busch closed in 1966, and both the baseball Cardinals, and the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals moved to a new multi-purpose stadium, named Busch Memorial Stadium.
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In 1995, St. Louis Cardinals team ownership began to lobby for a new ballpark in downtown St. Louis, but the team was unable to acquire funding for the project for several years. In June 2001, the Missouri state government signed a contract with the team, proposing a ballpark in downtown St. Louis, but a subsequent funding bill was struck down in May 2002, leaving the saga open.[8][9] Team owners sought a location near Madison, Illinois, adjacent to Gateway International Raceway, until the city of St. Louis drafted a financing plan for the team to construct the new stadium in downtown St. Louis.[10] The stadium was financed through private bonds, bank loans, a long-term loan from St. Louis County, and money from the team owners. The development, including the Ballpark Village will cost approximately $665 million with the stadium alone costing $365 million.[3]
New Busch Stadium was designed by Populous (then known as HOK Sport) and built by Hunt Construction with an estimated cost of $344.8 million, which proved too low by $20.2 mil. to its final cost of $365 mil.[3] HOK's senior project designer for Busch Stadium was Jim Chibnall, who was also the lead designer of Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Sydney Olympic Stadium and other notable stadiums throughout the world.[11]
The field level (16,880 seats), terrace level (9,150), and bleachers (3,661) were completed in time for opening day, with total capacity on that day of 37,962, not including up to 2,751 standing room tickets.[12] An integrated LED video and scoring system from Daktronics was installed in the stadium prior to its opening, featuring a video display measuring 32 feet high by 52 feet wide and three message displays, as well as more than 100 feet of digital ribbon board technology.[13]
Construction on the seating area was completed in late May increasing the capacity for the May 29, 2006 game vs the Houston Astros with finishing touches performed throughout the year.[12] Including all 2,886 standing-room-only tickets for the general public and the suites and party rooms, the stadium's total capacity is 46,861. Natural grass turf was installed in March 2006.[12]
In its debut season every game was sold out, giving a total attendance of 3,407,104 for the season, the second-largest in team history,[14] but since surpassed in both 2007 and 2008, therefore the 2006 attendance now ranks fourth in team history.[15]
On October 7 and 8, 2006, New Busch Stadium hosted its first playoff games. On October 7, in Game 3 of the 2006 National League Division Series, the San Diego Padres defeated the Cardinals 3–1. However, the Redbirds defeated the Padres in Game 4, on October 8, 2006, to win the series three games to one.
On October 14, during the first 2006 National League Championship Series game played at New Busch, the Cardinals defeated the New York Mets 5–0 to take a 2–1 lead in that series. The Cardinals went on to win the 2006 National League Championship in 7 games.
On October 24, 26, and 27, the Cardinals hosted the first World Series games at New Busch Stadium against the Detroit Tigers. The Cards won all three games, and secured their tenth world championship, four games to one. After the game, many fans climbed the famous statue of Stan Musial to celebrate. There was also a fireworks display in left field and the scoreboard read, "That's a winner! A World Series winner!" echoing the late Jack Buck's call of the Cardinals winning the 1982 World Series: "And that's a winner! That's a winner! A World Series winner for the Cardinals!" The games of October 26 and 27th were rescheduled from a postponement October 25.
By virtue of the Cardinals winning the World Series in 2006, New Busch Stadium joined a very short list of ballparks whose occupants won the Series in the ballpark's inaugural year. The previous one had been the original Yankee Stadium, in 1923. The Cardinals were also the first team to win a World Series at home in the inaugural season of a stadium since the 1912 Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park). This record was subsequently broken in 2009, when the New York Yankees again won a World Series title in their first season at the new Yankee Stadium.
Busch Stadium would play host to only one postseason game in 2009, a 5–1 loss versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 10 to complete a sweep of the Cardinals.
In 2011, Busch Stadium would host two postseason games in the National League Division Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. On October 4th, the Phillies won 3–2, to take a 2–1 game lead over the Cardinals. The next night, the 5th, the Cardinals beat the Phillies 5–3 to tie the series at 2 games apiece.
A squirrel appeared on the field in both home games of the 2011 National League Division Series. It was not determined if it was the same squirrel or different squirrels.[16]
In the NLCS versus the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals won 2 of the three games they played at home (games 3,4,5). The Cards ended up winning the series on the road in Milwaukee to advance to the World Series.
As the National League won the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, home field advantage went to the Cardinals as the National League champions, thus allowing the team to host the Texas Rangers for games 1, 2, 6 and 7. Game 1 was won by the Cardinals on October 19, along with Game 6 on October 27, in a game won in walk-off fashion by a David Freese homerun, then the deciding Game 7, which was taken by the Cardinals in a 6-2 final, giving the team the 2011 World Series title.
The stadium hosted the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 14, 2009. The American League defeated the National League in that game, 4-3. Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford won MVP after making a spectacular catch to rob Colorado Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe of a home run. President Barack Obama threw out the ceremonial first pitch wearing a Chicago White Sox jacket.
Missouri has recently started to play one game a year at Busch. In 2009, they defeated SLU, and in 2010, they defeated Illinois in a Braggin' Rights matchup.
The Cardinals have allowed local high school teams to play each other on the field following select weekend afternoon games. The only home run hit so far by a high school student was by Johnny Wilson of Brighton, Illinois. He hit a solo shot into the left field bullpen. The homer was one of two runs scored in a 14-2 loss playing for Marquette Catholic High School on May 7th, 2011 against Farmington High School.
On June 7, 2008, the stadium hosted its first-ever concert, with Dave Matthews Band playing to a crowd of approximately 35,000, with The Black Crowes as their opening act. The show was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Live Trax Vol. 13.
On June 24, 2010, the stadium again hosted a concert, with The Eagles headlining a show, along with The Dixie Chicks.[17]
On July 17, 2011, the stadium hosted its third concert, when U2 came to town during their 360° Tour.[18]
The ballpark features a make-your-own-mascot store for the Cardinals' mascot, Fredbird.
Where as the old stadium was a fully enclosed "cookie-cutter" facility similar to Riverfront, Veterans, Three Rivers and Atlanta-Fulton County stadiums, the new stadium is similar to the many other HOK designed "retro-classic" fields. Like all those, it offers a panoramic view of the downtown skyline.
The Gate 3 entrance on the west side of the stadium is most iconic, with a large "bridge" resembling the Eads Bridge arching over the entrance. Outside this entrance also stands a bronze statue of Cardinals legend Stan "The Man" Musial. Other Cardinals statues that previously surrounded Busch Memorial Stadium are now displayed at the corner of Clark and Eighth streets, outside the Cardinals' team store. The exterior contains historical plaques of Cardinals logos, the STL insignia and a Busch Stadium logo behind home plate.
After St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Rick Hummel was honored with the J. G. Taylor Spink Award and induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007, the Cardinals renamed the stadium's press box the "Bob Broeg-Rick Hummel Press Box", honoring the two local writers enshrined in Cooperstown.
The planned Ballpark Village residential and entertainment complex was to be built on the site of the former Busch Memorial Stadium across the street from the new ballpark. Plans have not materialized, but team ownership has plans to build it. In March 2009, the Cardinals decided to temporarily use the land for parking and a softball field.
During a weather incident during a July 2006 game vs the Atlanta Braves, portable concession stands were knocked over, the infield rain tarp was damaged, and plastic sheets used to protect the press box were dislodged. As a result of the storm at least thirty spectators were injured, of whom five were taken to the hospital.[19] After the storm happened, the stadium designated shelter areas for such disasters which are located throughout the ballpark.[20]
Following Juan Encarnación's face injury on August 31, 2007, workers extended the screen from dugout to dugout during the 07-08 off season.[21]
Fans at the stadium have access to a large amount of food and drink options, ranging from standard ballpark fare like bratwurst, nachos and peanuts to St Louis-area favorites such as pork steak sandwiches and toasted ravioli. Budweiser holds the beer contract for the stadium as one would expect, but most recently the smaller Saint Louis Brewery has been making inroads, selling Schlafly beer in bottles at a growing number of concession stands. Tickets for five all-inclusive areas are sold on a single game basis, with amenities running the gamut from the ritzy Champions Club (offering a multiple-course buffet, plasma televisions, a chance to get on television or radio as a broadcast booth is located inside the club, and a full bar) to the more family-oriented Scoreboard Patio (with table seating for four in center field and a more traditional selection of food). Cardinal management also allows outside food and drink (including soft-sided drink coolers); as a result, it is not uncommon to see vendors selling discounted bags of peanuts and bottles of soda and water, or even scalpers including a box of Cracker Jack with tickets.
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Busch Memorial Stadium |
Home of the St. Louis Cardinals 2006 – present |
Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by Yankee Stadium |
Host of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game 2009 |
Succeeded by Angel Stadium of Anaheim |
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