Cardinals new ballpark

[jvonbokel]

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stl/ballpark/stl_ballpark_newpark_newballpark.jsp

What do you guys think of the plans for a new ballpark in St. Louis? There are still a lot of people opposed to it around here, but I think that's just because they have so many fond memories of games at Busch. Other than the players that inhabited it and the fact that it looks like a bottle cap from an aerial view, Busch was never really that great.

Also, they're asking people to vote on the seat color (red or green). Apparently they had quite a few complaints when the first set of pictures showed green seats. Personally, I thought it looked odd at first, but I quickly grew to like the way they match the field, and the stands will still look red when all the fans pile in decked out in their Cards gear. Any thoughts?

[KCBOOMER]

Well, I was not a fan of Busch Stadium, so this has to be better. The color of the seats is not important.

[Elmo]

I sort of liked Busch - But I have to say that A) it was probably because when I went there it was with My Grandpa who was a fan and also I must admit that B) the last game I saw there was the Garry Templeton Fan Appreciation Night - sponsored by the St. Louis Ornithological Society...evidently.....

[LeGrandOrange]

Considering they're phasing out all the 30 year old multi-purpose ballparks, the Redbirds were pretty much due to move any year now.

[WiredTiger]

Well, I was not a fan of Busch Stadium, so this has to be better. The color of the seats is not important. The color of the seats can be important. Tiger Stadium lost a little bit of it's charm when they went from green wooden seats to blue and orange plastic seats.

[cardinaldave]

I like that they are doing it. But I have the same concerns w/ the new park that I had w Busch: the seats are too far from the field. Once you get above the field level, you're moving farther back more than you're moving up. I would have liked to see them stack the tiers, rather than trying to expose every seat to the sun/skylight. Other than that it will be beautiful. Exterior looks very similar to Camden Yards & the Ballpark @ Arlington.

[satchel]

Looking at the pcitures on that website, especially on a day when it it -7 degrees Fahrenheit outside, makes me long for baseball season.

I've always liked Busch, but I have only ever seen it on TV. It seems like most of you who have been here are not in love with it. The plan for the new stadium is quite nice, although it looks like a bunch of other new parks - nothing really distinctive about it.

[hopbitters]

I've seen Busch from the Arch and on TV, but I've never been inside it. My understanding from my fiance and her mostly Missouran family is that the facilities were somewhat spartan and probably not up to code. The new plan looks like a definite improvement and the local papers I read seemed to think that it had been planned to be favorably integrated into the downtown area - that is, the views from surrounding buildings, traffic flows, etc. had all been pretty reasonably accounted for. I'm not sure how much work I'd get done if I was in one of those "Ballpark Village" offices overlooking the stadium, but it sure sounds better than my current view. I didn't notice anything in the articles, but I assume that they would retain the statues and such (Enos Slaughter, e.g.)

[Joseph]

If they rotated the park 90 degrees, the arch would fit nicely into the gap between the right field upper deck and the scoreboard. Or they could move the scoreboard to the right field side of the park.

Since the proposed park overlaps Busch where would the Cardinals play during the construction?

[cardinaldave]

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Since the proposed park overlaps Busch where would the Cardinals play during the construction?

It'll be the same scenario as w/ Cincinnati: They'll build right up to the stadium, including blasting a chunk of the right field part of it, through the 2005 season. Then they will raze Busch completely after that to be ready for opening day, 2006.

[Rajah]

Hmm, seems as though netshriners are much more positive about the Cards new park than the Twins. Interesting.

[pathogan]

...is it the Cards dime, or the city? That is the most important question,no? whether you go the way of Magowan{private} or Bush{soak the public}? isnt that what is holding up Minny?

[cardinaldave]

Hmm, seems as though netshriners are much more positive about the Cards new park than the Twins. Interesting.

What are you basing this on? As a Cards fan, I like the idea of getting out of Busch. As a baseball fan, I think it's a MORAL IMPERATIVE to get major league baseball out of the HUMPTY DUMPTY DOME!

[Domeboys]

...is it the Cards dime, or the city? That is the most important question,no? whether you go the way of Magowan{private} or Bush{soak the public}? isnt that what is holding up Minny?

The new Cards park is privately financed.

[Rajah]

What are you basing this on? As a Cards fan, I like the idea of getting out of Busch. As a baseball fan, I think it's a MORAL IMPERATIVE to get major league baseball out of the HUMPTY DUMPTY DOME!
The reaction in the two threads shows a great deal more dislike toward the idea of minnesota getting a new park. I could be wrong, but that is what I have observed. Its not surprising given the contempt that exists toward Pohlad (and while I certainly wasn't a fan of contraction, I couldn't blame Pohlad for taking an offer well above the market value of his team from MLB).

[rcartman28]

Have they actually broken ground on this yet ?? Looks like it would have a great view of the skyline and the Arch. I would also favor "green" seats even given how red-crazy the fans are there--more traditional. Hopefully, they have better seating than the old Busch, since I've been there (not since 1991) and I wouldn't consider a lot of the seats to be "good" ones.

[tyruschen]

Have they actually broken ground on this yet?
The ceremonial groundbreaking was on January 17.
Take a look:
http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/photogallery/season_2003/1202_cards_future_stadium/page_01.jsp

[cardinaldave]

The reaction in the two threads shows a great deal more dislike toward the idea of minnesota getting a new park. I could be wrong, but that is what I have observed. Its not surprising given the contempt that exists toward Pohlad (and while I certainly wasn't a fan of contraction, I couldn't blame Pohlad for taking an offer well above the market value of his team from MLB).

I'm not sure how you misinterpreted my intent here. I am MORE in favor of Minneapolis-St. Paul getting a new outdoor/retractable roof venue than I am the Cards getting one. As a baseball fan, I detest that thing the Twins play in right now. It seems to me that Minnesota has great fans, but I was in favor of contraction solely based on that god forsaken dome. In cities where the weather can hamper the playing of games, I favor retractable roof stadia, to eliminate postponements. Pheonix (heat) & Seattle (rain) have done beautiful things w/ this concept. Having not spent more than a couple days in Minneapolis, I don't know the weather patterns, but it seems, being so far north, a retractable roof makes sense. I'm flummoxed that Tampa-St. Petersburg has just an horrific domed stadium when the weather can be quite nice at times during the season.
Any way, I digress as always. The point is HHH Metrodome MUST GO!

[Gib2]

$45 to 60 million of the money is coming from St. Louis County. The rest of the money is from private funding. The owners (De Witt & Company) have about $100 million invested. The rest ($400 Million) comes from the private sector.

[jvonbokel]

I think that County portion is in the form of bonds, which the Cardinals must pay back over time.

Also, the city eliminated a tax on their ticket sales, which was among the highest in all of MLB.

[Oxonian95]

[URL]What do you guys think of the plans for a new ballpark in St. Louis?

I think it looks terrific. I'm always envious of cities that have their ballparks in the middle of the city, instead of the middle of a parking lot. Sigh.

[jvonbokel]

For those intersted, there's a good article on the Cards official website.

Mailbag: New Ballpark Answers (http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stl/news/stl_news.jsp?ymd=20040213&content_id=636937&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp)

The highlights from my perspective are the outfield dimensions (336 LF, 335 RF, 400 CF, 390 Power Alleys), and the fact that they'll be selling the seats from Busch.

[Domeboys]

Here is a link to another story about the new ballpark dimensions and possible impact on the team.

http://thestlcardinals.homestead.com/newlineup.html

Here is a link to the webcam for a live view. Despite what the team president said in the mlb.com story above, there has been a live cam operating for some time.

http://www.stlcc.edu/telelearn/media/Webcam/roofcam.html