| Busch Stadium St. Louis, Missouri |
Recommended Reading List
Click on title for more info
Cardinals Collection: 100 Years of St. Louis Cardinal Images
by Mark Stang
Bob Forsch's Tales from the Cardinals Dugout
by Bob Forsch, Tom Wheatley
Dizzy and the Gas House Gang: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-Era
Baseball
by Doug Feldmann
Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Guide to Baseball Parks Past & Present
by Josh Leventhal, Jessica M. Macmurray
The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip
by Joshua Pahigian, Kevin O'Connell
Storied Stadiums: Baseball's History Through Its Ballparks
Curt Smith
Fodor's Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major
League Ballparks Across America
by Bruce Adams
Click on title for more info
Cardinals Collection: 100 Years of St. Louis Cardinal Images
by Mark Stang
Bob Forsch's Tales from the Cardinals Dugout
by Bob Forsch, Tom Wheatley
Dizzy and the Gas House Gang: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-Era
Baseball
by Doug Feldmann
Take Me Out to the Ballpark: An Illustrated Guide to Baseball Parks Past & Present
by Josh Leventhal, Jessica M. Macmurray
The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip
by Joshua Pahigian, Kevin O'Connell
Storied Stadiums: Baseball's History Through Its Ballparks
Curt Smith
Fodor's Baseball Vacations: Great Family Trips to Minor League and Classic Major
League Ballparks Across America
by Bruce Adams
After several years of trying to get public financing for a new baseball-only ballpark to replace Busch Stadium, the
Cardinals realized that they would have to switch tactics. Cardinal President Mark Lamping spent nearly two years
in securing a financing deal that used some public, but mostly private funds - including $90 million in cash from the
Cardinals, $200 million in private bonds and a naming rights agreement.
The New Cardinals Ballpark, which will also be named Busch Stadium, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2006
on a site directly, and we mean directly, south of Busch Stadium. In fact, the two sites actually overlap - which
means some tricky construction. Much like the Great American Ballpark/Cinergy Field project, where a "bite" had
to be taken out of CInergy in order to raise the new park - this project will be much the same as we'll see during
the 2005 season when parts of Busch come down as the new park goes up. Although scheduled to open in the
spring of 2006, the new park still won't be finished until the clean-up of the demolished Busch Stadium site is
completed, and the final construction phase can begin next door.
The project site, from the northern edge of current Busch Stadium to the base of the elevated Interstate 40/64
highway, gradually slopes down about 40 feet. This seemingly ordinary topographical fact creates a fantastic site
condition for the New Ballpark that the architects have exploited in two ways.
First, by placing home plate in the southwest corner of the site and lowering seating and scoreboard heights in
center field, the majority of spectators will have dramatic views of the Gateway Arch and the downtown St. Louis
skyline.
Second, when Clark Street is "rebuilt" through the site after Busch Stadium comes down, fans and motorists
traveling along Clark Street will be able to enjoy unobstructed views into the ballpark, including the playing field
itself! These views will strengthen and extend the connection between the New Ballpark and the emerging urban
neighborhood on the north side of Clark Street called Ballpark Village. Perhaps the best outfield views of all will
be from the balconies and rooftops of the new buildings in the Ballpark Village. The Cardinals intend to partner
with developers to create a mix of uses in the Ballpark Village, including retail, entertainment, office, and
residential facilities. A public plaza will provide a gathering spot for fans before and after games. In addition, the
Cardinals will locate their team museum in the Ballpark Village.
According to the Cardinals: "The design of the New Busch Stadium takes into account the context of downtown
St. Louis, the history of the Cardinals, and the best attributes of the most successful ballparks built around
baseball in the last decade. With classic arched openings recalling the nearby Cupples Station warehouses to the
rich warm colors of the Wainright building, this Ballpark is inspired by the classics. However, its creative use of old
and new materials, from brick and concrete to exposed steel and glass, creates an architectural statement that
stands on its own, with a modern sensibility appropriate for the 21st century."
Features of the park include wider concourses and obviously better sightlines than multi-purpose Busch Stadium.
Also, improved concessions, family entertainment options, and restroom conveniences that were impossible to
provide in Busch Stadium due to its age and restricted configuration. There are also a number of unique standing
room and group gathering areas planned that will give fans opportunities to roam the Ballpark and take in views of
the action on the field.
See related Article on New Cards Ballpark naming rights
Cardinals realized that they would have to switch tactics. Cardinal President Mark Lamping spent nearly two years
in securing a financing deal that used some public, but mostly private funds - including $90 million in cash from the
Cardinals, $200 million in private bonds and a naming rights agreement.
The New Cardinals Ballpark, which will also be named Busch Stadium, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2006
on a site directly, and we mean directly, south of Busch Stadium. In fact, the two sites actually overlap - which
means some tricky construction. Much like the Great American Ballpark/Cinergy Field project, where a "bite" had
to be taken out of CInergy in order to raise the new park - this project will be much the same as we'll see during
the 2005 season when parts of Busch come down as the new park goes up. Although scheduled to open in the
spring of 2006, the new park still won't be finished until the clean-up of the demolished Busch Stadium site is
completed, and the final construction phase can begin next door.
The project site, from the northern edge of current Busch Stadium to the base of the elevated Interstate 40/64
highway, gradually slopes down about 40 feet. This seemingly ordinary topographical fact creates a fantastic site
condition for the New Ballpark that the architects have exploited in two ways.
First, by placing home plate in the southwest corner of the site and lowering seating and scoreboard heights in
center field, the majority of spectators will have dramatic views of the Gateway Arch and the downtown St. Louis
skyline.
Second, when Clark Street is "rebuilt" through the site after Busch Stadium comes down, fans and motorists
traveling along Clark Street will be able to enjoy unobstructed views into the ballpark, including the playing field
itself! These views will strengthen and extend the connection between the New Ballpark and the emerging urban
neighborhood on the north side of Clark Street called Ballpark Village. Perhaps the best outfield views of all will
be from the balconies and rooftops of the new buildings in the Ballpark Village. The Cardinals intend to partner
with developers to create a mix of uses in the Ballpark Village, including retail, entertainment, office, and
residential facilities. A public plaza will provide a gathering spot for fans before and after games. In addition, the
Cardinals will locate their team museum in the Ballpark Village.
According to the Cardinals: "The design of the New Busch Stadium takes into account the context of downtown
St. Louis, the history of the Cardinals, and the best attributes of the most successful ballparks built around
baseball in the last decade. With classic arched openings recalling the nearby Cupples Station warehouses to the
rich warm colors of the Wainright building, this Ballpark is inspired by the classics. However, its creative use of old
and new materials, from brick and concrete to exposed steel and glass, creates an architectural statement that
stands on its own, with a modern sensibility appropriate for the 21st century."
Features of the park include wider concourses and obviously better sightlines than multi-purpose Busch Stadium.
Also, improved concessions, family entertainment options, and restroom conveniences that were impossible to
provide in Busch Stadium due to its age and restricted configuration. There are also a number of unique standing
room and group gathering areas planned that will give fans opportunities to roam the Ballpark and take in views of
the action on the field.
See related Article on New Cards Ballpark naming rights
| -- ------------------------------------------------------- -- Construction of stadium drawing fans The St. Louis Cardinals' future home is going up steadily, with much of the city watching. By Jeffrey Tomich - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - March 27, 2005 |
Gazing south from his perch on the outer concourse of Busch Stadium, Mike Buckley drags on a cigarette and
watches a 200-foot-tall Alberici crane — fittingly painted white with Cardinal-red trim — pivot and lower a steel
beam into place near the top of the new, $398 million ballpark at the south end of downtown.
Two workers nearby dart back and forth hundreds of feet above ground, tethered to the building's frame like life-
size marionettes.
"This is a well-orchestrated project," Buckley said. "They don't stop. There's nobody sitting down on the job over
there."
Buckley has nothing to do with the project or the Cardinals. In fact, he doesn't follow baseball. But every
weekday, he crosses Broadway from St. Louis Community College's Cosand Center, where he's an administrator, to
monitor progress on the stadium. He jokingly refers to himself as the "unofficial sidewalk superintendent."
With the Cardinals' home opener just over a week away and the Blues sitting out the season, the humming,
buzzing symphony of cranes, dump trucks, cement mixers and tractors on the new stadium's dirt floor have
become a de facto spectator sport for dozens of interested passers-by each day.
Whether by car or on foot, a steady flow of people checks the status of the ballpark, one of the highest-profile
construction jobs in St. Louis since the Edward Jones Dome was built in the 1990s. Some wear Cardinals caps and
jackets; fathers bring their sons. Most don't stay longer than 10 or 15 minutes, but they return regularly.
To be sure, not everyone is eager for a close-up view. At the St. Louis Westin hotel across South Seventh Street,
a front desk clerk said guests ask about the project. But that's often to request a room on the other side of the
building so as not to be awakened by the din of construction early in the morning.
John Loyd, a consultant hired by the Cardinals to oversee construction, is keenly aware of St. Louis' reputation as
a baseball-crazy town. He expects fan interest to build as baseball season nears and the 1.3 million-square-foot
structure increasingly resembles a ballpark.
"It was a big dusty hole in the ground last year," Loyd said. "We've made very good progress throughout the
winter. We're solidly on schedule, if not ahead."
Architectural drawings and engineers' plans line the wall of a makeshift conference room in a gray shack where he
works. It's one of a fleet of construction trailers south of the site, each with the name and logo of the general
contractor, Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction Group, or one of the 50-plus subcontractors that have a piece
of the work.
Work on the stadium is moving clockwise. Crews are about halfway finished erecting the steel skeleton, which
reaches most of the way down the first base side of the park, followed closely by concrete risers that will be the
foundation for 46,000 red seats to be installed beginning this summer.
One of two pedestrian ramps, the one along the third-base side of the park, is finished and is being used by
contractors to move men and materials to the upper levels. Carpenters are beginning to frame the suites and, in
the belly of the stadium, workers are installing boilers, completing electrical work and building loading docks.
Crews benefited from a mild winter and only occasionally had to delay steel erection because of rain, wind or ice,
Loyd said.
The project is to be completed by opening day 2006. In reality, contractors face a more pressing deadline. They
need to finish much of the work before this season ends so they can immediately begin building the section of
the park where the current stadium sits. The longer the Cardinals' season goes, the more challenging it will be.
"We'll have from the end of baseball season to the beginning of '06 to construct the part within the existing
footprint of Busch Stadium," Loyd said. "That's why it's so important for this part to be done."
Between 350 and 500 workers are on the job up to 10 hours a day, six days a week, depending on the work to be
done, Loyd said. Crews are working "selective overtime" when a specific task must be completed, he said.
Nearer completion, work will go on 24 hours a day, every day. The number of people on the project will reach
about 900 for much of the finishing work.
"The project schedule is not particularly challenging until you get to the end of it," Loyd said. "It's quality and
cost and time. You don't want to sacrifice quality for either of the other two."
The sheer magnitude of the project — the thousands of pounds of steel and concrete and hundreds of workers
needed each day — is rivaled only by the level of detail. In a corner of the conference room are models of three
seats to be used at the park. On Thursday, Loyd's group was still working to find a seat cushion that matched the
back of the chair.
"You never stop making decisions on things like this," he said. "Not until the day you open. Not even then."
Until the park does open, it will continue to draw curiosity-seekers such as Steve Strohl, 37, who moved to
Baltimore from St. Louis in 2002. A lifelong Cardinals fan who works as an accounting manager for a software
company, he drops by whenever he returns to town to see what progress has been made.
"It's changed quite a bit," Strohl said, gazing out over the dusty construction pit this week. "The steel
superstructure wasn't in place the last time I saw it."
watches a 200-foot-tall Alberici crane — fittingly painted white with Cardinal-red trim — pivot and lower a steel
beam into place near the top of the new, $398 million ballpark at the south end of downtown.
Two workers nearby dart back and forth hundreds of feet above ground, tethered to the building's frame like life-
size marionettes.
"This is a well-orchestrated project," Buckley said. "They don't stop. There's nobody sitting down on the job over
there."
Buckley has nothing to do with the project or the Cardinals. In fact, he doesn't follow baseball. But every
weekday, he crosses Broadway from St. Louis Community College's Cosand Center, where he's an administrator, to
monitor progress on the stadium. He jokingly refers to himself as the "unofficial sidewalk superintendent."
With the Cardinals' home opener just over a week away and the Blues sitting out the season, the humming,
buzzing symphony of cranes, dump trucks, cement mixers and tractors on the new stadium's dirt floor have
become a de facto spectator sport for dozens of interested passers-by each day.
Whether by car or on foot, a steady flow of people checks the status of the ballpark, one of the highest-profile
construction jobs in St. Louis since the Edward Jones Dome was built in the 1990s. Some wear Cardinals caps and
jackets; fathers bring their sons. Most don't stay longer than 10 or 15 minutes, but they return regularly.
To be sure, not everyone is eager for a close-up view. At the St. Louis Westin hotel across South Seventh Street,
a front desk clerk said guests ask about the project. But that's often to request a room on the other side of the
building so as not to be awakened by the din of construction early in the morning.
John Loyd, a consultant hired by the Cardinals to oversee construction, is keenly aware of St. Louis' reputation as
a baseball-crazy town. He expects fan interest to build as baseball season nears and the 1.3 million-square-foot
structure increasingly resembles a ballpark.
"It was a big dusty hole in the ground last year," Loyd said. "We've made very good progress throughout the
winter. We're solidly on schedule, if not ahead."
Architectural drawings and engineers' plans line the wall of a makeshift conference room in a gray shack where he
works. It's one of a fleet of construction trailers south of the site, each with the name and logo of the general
contractor, Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction Group, or one of the 50-plus subcontractors that have a piece
of the work.
Work on the stadium is moving clockwise. Crews are about halfway finished erecting the steel skeleton, which
reaches most of the way down the first base side of the park, followed closely by concrete risers that will be the
foundation for 46,000 red seats to be installed beginning this summer.
One of two pedestrian ramps, the one along the third-base side of the park, is finished and is being used by
contractors to move men and materials to the upper levels. Carpenters are beginning to frame the suites and, in
the belly of the stadium, workers are installing boilers, completing electrical work and building loading docks.
Crews benefited from a mild winter and only occasionally had to delay steel erection because of rain, wind or ice,
Loyd said.
The project is to be completed by opening day 2006. In reality, contractors face a more pressing deadline. They
need to finish much of the work before this season ends so they can immediately begin building the section of
the park where the current stadium sits. The longer the Cardinals' season goes, the more challenging it will be.
"We'll have from the end of baseball season to the beginning of '06 to construct the part within the existing
footprint of Busch Stadium," Loyd said. "That's why it's so important for this part to be done."
Between 350 and 500 workers are on the job up to 10 hours a day, six days a week, depending on the work to be
done, Loyd said. Crews are working "selective overtime" when a specific task must be completed, he said.
Nearer completion, work will go on 24 hours a day, every day. The number of people on the project will reach
about 900 for much of the finishing work.
"The project schedule is not particularly challenging until you get to the end of it," Loyd said. "It's quality and
cost and time. You don't want to sacrifice quality for either of the other two."
The sheer magnitude of the project — the thousands of pounds of steel and concrete and hundreds of workers
needed each day — is rivaled only by the level of detail. In a corner of the conference room are models of three
seats to be used at the park. On Thursday, Loyd's group was still working to find a seat cushion that matched the
back of the chair.
"You never stop making decisions on things like this," he said. "Not until the day you open. Not even then."
Until the park does open, it will continue to draw curiosity-seekers such as Steve Strohl, 37, who moved to
Baltimore from St. Louis in 2002. A lifelong Cardinals fan who works as an accounting manager for a software
company, he drops by whenever he returns to town to see what progress has been made.
"It's changed quite a bit," Strohl said, gazing out over the dusty construction pit this week. "The steel
superstructure wasn't in place the last time I saw it."
| -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- |
| Brothers carve out a role in Cards stadium By Georgina Gustin - St. Louis Post-Dispatch -- 7/04/2005 |
Gabe Drueke stood last week in his dusty studio in O'Fallon, with his head wrapped in a bandana, and remembered
the moment he heard that his stone carvings would grace the new Cardinals stadium.
"Bill DeWitt III said yes first," Drueke recalled, referring to the Cardinals co-owner. "I believe he said, 'Well, I don't
think we need to look any further.' I was just sitting there, and my heart was going da-doomp, da-doomp,
da-doomp."
Drueke, a stone carver, and his brother, Steve, had spent months trying to get the Cardinals' management to look
at his work. And last May, when the two long-time Cardinals fans were finally invited to the Kansas City offices of
stadium architects, HOK, their persistence paid off.
"They took a chance on us," Drueke said. "But obviously they saw something they trusted and believed in. I think
they saw our enthusiasm. And the fact that we're Cardinals fans probably helped."
Last September, Drueke started carving the designs in his studio, behind Spangler Plumbing on Frontage Road. And
after about 500 hours of work, he had finished crafting 11 designs out of huge slabs of Indiana limestone. Some
slabs weighed as much as 300 pounds but were whittled down to about 180 pounds by the time Drueke was done.
The designs are based on old Cardinal logos - including one Drueke pulled directly from a jersey that was once
worn by Johnny Mize. Some of the larger pieces are edged with borders filled with small details that baseball fans
will probably never see - popcorn, catchers' mitts, Budweiser bottle caps and pretzels.
When Drueke was finished with the designs, he created molds that were sent down to a foundry in Tallahassee,
Fla., where 74 duplicates were cast in stone. Those duplicate stones will hang on the external walls of the new
stadium, slated for completion in 2006.
Drueke, 28, does the creative work. His brother, Steve, 36, handles the business side of their company, Wishstone
Chisel & Mallet, Inc. For both brothers, seeing their work on the walls of the new stadium will be a huge personal
kick.
"It's going to be amazing going there and seeing them," said Steve. "This is a real thrill."
Gabe Drueke earned a degree in graphic design from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, started carving
stone in college. After graduation, he worked an office job, doing graphic design, but wanted to work with his
hands and started to carve again while working as a foreman for a landscaping crew.
Now, Gabe Drueke, with his brother as business partner, makes a living carving architectural pieces for buildings
around the country.
"Steve really got it going," Drueke said. "He pushed further."
The Druekes won't discuss how much the commission is earning the company, and say further projects for the
Cardinals are in the works. They're also working on carvings that the average fan can buy for their home and are
even thinking about making molds for Cardinals logo cake pans.
The stadium carvings will probably be installed some time this fall, but next spring, the final, and most symbolic
piece, will go into place - the cornerstone.
Drueke has finished working on the giant piece, but for now it remains at his home in O'Fallon. Anyone who wants
to see it in person will have to make it to the game for opening day next year.
the moment he heard that his stone carvings would grace the new Cardinals stadium.
"Bill DeWitt III said yes first," Drueke recalled, referring to the Cardinals co-owner. "I believe he said, 'Well, I don't
think we need to look any further.' I was just sitting there, and my heart was going da-doomp, da-doomp,
da-doomp."
Drueke, a stone carver, and his brother, Steve, had spent months trying to get the Cardinals' management to look
at his work. And last May, when the two long-time Cardinals fans were finally invited to the Kansas City offices of
stadium architects, HOK, their persistence paid off.
"They took a chance on us," Drueke said. "But obviously they saw something they trusted and believed in. I think
they saw our enthusiasm. And the fact that we're Cardinals fans probably helped."
Last September, Drueke started carving the designs in his studio, behind Spangler Plumbing on Frontage Road. And
after about 500 hours of work, he had finished crafting 11 designs out of huge slabs of Indiana limestone. Some
slabs weighed as much as 300 pounds but were whittled down to about 180 pounds by the time Drueke was done.
The designs are based on old Cardinal logos - including one Drueke pulled directly from a jersey that was once
worn by Johnny Mize. Some of the larger pieces are edged with borders filled with small details that baseball fans
will probably never see - popcorn, catchers' mitts, Budweiser bottle caps and pretzels.
When Drueke was finished with the designs, he created molds that were sent down to a foundry in Tallahassee,
Fla., where 74 duplicates were cast in stone. Those duplicate stones will hang on the external walls of the new
stadium, slated for completion in 2006.
Drueke, 28, does the creative work. His brother, Steve, 36, handles the business side of their company, Wishstone
Chisel & Mallet, Inc. For both brothers, seeing their work on the walls of the new stadium will be a huge personal
kick.
"It's going to be amazing going there and seeing them," said Steve. "This is a real thrill."
Gabe Drueke earned a degree in graphic design from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, started carving
stone in college. After graduation, he worked an office job, doing graphic design, but wanted to work with his
hands and started to carve again while working as a foreman for a landscaping crew.
Now, Gabe Drueke, with his brother as business partner, makes a living carving architectural pieces for buildings
around the country.
"Steve really got it going," Drueke said. "He pushed further."
The Druekes won't discuss how much the commission is earning the company, and say further projects for the
Cardinals are in the works. They're also working on carvings that the average fan can buy for their home and are
even thinking about making molds for Cardinals logo cake pans.
The stadium carvings will probably be installed some time this fall, but next spring, the final, and most symbolic
piece, will go into place - the cornerstone.
Drueke has finished working on the giant piece, but for now it remains at his home in O'Fallon. Anyone who wants
to see it in person will have to make it to the game for opening day next year.
Photo Credit
Tenant: St. Louis Cardinals (NL 2006-present)
Groundbreaking: January 17, 2004
1st National League Game: April 10, 2006
Surface: Natural Grass
Architect: HOK Sport
Construction: Alberici Construction Company
Cost: $365 million
Financing: Privately financed by a naming rights
agreement with Anheuser-Busch, $90 million in cash from
Cardinals Ownership, $200 million in private bond sales,
tax breaks, bank loans and a long-term loan from St. Louis
County.
Owner: St. Louis Cardinals
Seating capacity: 46,861
Playing Field Dimensions:
RF foul line: 336 ft.
Power alleys: 375 ft.
Center field: 400 ft.
LF foul line: 335 ft.
Hosted World Series: 2006
Hosted All-Star Game: 2009
Tenant: St. Louis Cardinals (NL 2006-present)
Groundbreaking: January 17, 2004
1st National League Game: April 10, 2006
Surface: Natural Grass
Architect: HOK Sport
Construction: Alberici Construction Company
Cost: $365 million
Financing: Privately financed by a naming rights
agreement with Anheuser-Busch, $90 million in cash from
Cardinals Ownership, $200 million in private bond sales,
tax breaks, bank loans and a long-term loan from St. Louis
County.
Owner: St. Louis Cardinals
Seating capacity: 46,861
Playing Field Dimensions:
RF foul line: 336 ft.
Power alleys: 375 ft.
Center field: 400 ft.
LF foul line: 335 ft.
Hosted World Series: 2006
Hosted All-Star Game: 2009
Planning
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.
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. 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.
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.
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. 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.
Construction and opening
New Busch Stadium was designed by 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. 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.
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.
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. 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. The bullpens for both the home and visitor teams
were complimented with the addition of an artificial turf product made exclusively by SprinTurf.
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, but since
surpassed in both 2007 and 2008, therefore the 2006 attendance now ranks fourth in team history.
On June 7, 2008, the stadium hosted its first-ever concert, with Dave Matthews Band playing to a crowd of approximately 35,000. The Black
Crowes served as the opening act.
2006 weather incident
On July 19, 2006, a severe thunderstorm associated with a passing derecho whipped up very high winds throughout St. Louis. At the new Busch
Stadium, the storm knocked over portable concession stands, damaging the infield rain tarp as it was deployed, and dislodged several of the
plastic sheets that were designed to protect the open-air press box. One of those sheets, at least 10 feet by 5 feet in dimension, fell into the
stands. At least thirty spectators were injured, of whom five were taken to the hospital (one of those had a seizure apparently unrelated to the
storm). The game, which saw the Cardinals defeat the Atlanta Braves 8-3, was delayed by 2 hours and 21 minutes, while the crews cleaned up.
The stadium now has designated shelter areas for such disasters which are located throughout the ballpark in strategically placed ramps and
stairwells.
Playoff history
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. 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 last previous one had been Yankee Stadium, in 1923. The Cardinals are 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)
New Busch Stadium was designed by 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. 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.
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.
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. 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. The bullpens for both the home and visitor teams
were complimented with the addition of an artificial turf product made exclusively by SprinTurf.
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, but since
surpassed in both 2007 and 2008, therefore the 2006 attendance now ranks fourth in team history.
On June 7, 2008, the stadium hosted its first-ever concert, with Dave Matthews Band playing to a crowd of approximately 35,000. The Black
Crowes served as the opening act.
2006 weather incident
On July 19, 2006, a severe thunderstorm associated with a passing derecho whipped up very high winds throughout St. Louis. At the new Busch
Stadium, the storm knocked over portable concession stands, damaging the infield rain tarp as it was deployed, and dislodged several of the
plastic sheets that were designed to protect the open-air press box. One of those sheets, at least 10 feet by 5 feet in dimension, fell into the
stands. At least thirty spectators were injured, of whom five were taken to the hospital (one of those had a seizure apparently unrelated to the
storm). The game, which saw the Cardinals defeat the Atlanta Braves 8-3, was delayed by 2 hours and 21 minutes, while the crews cleaned up.
The stadium now has designated shelter areas for such disasters which are located throughout the ballpark in strategically placed ramps and
stairwells.
Playoff history
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. 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 last previous one had been Yankee Stadium, in 1923. The Cardinals are 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)
Design
Where as the old stadium was a fully enclosed "cookie-cutter"
facility similar to Riverfront, Veterans and Three Rivers stadiums,
the new stadium is every bit as "cookie cutter" along with the
many other HOK designed 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.
Directly north of the stadium, construction will soon commence
on Ballpark Village which will include both commercial and
residential space and the new St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Following Juan Encarnación's face injury on August 31, 2007,
workers extended the screen from dugout to dugout during the
07-08 off season.
Where as the old stadium was a fully enclosed "cookie-cutter"
facility similar to Riverfront, Veterans and Three Rivers stadiums,
the new stadium is every bit as "cookie cutter" along with the
many other HOK designed 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.
Directly north of the stadium, construction will soon commence
on Ballpark Village which will include both commercial and
residential space and the new St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
Following Juan Encarnación's face injury on August 31, 2007,
workers extended the screen from dugout to dugout during the
07-08 off season.
| -------------------------------- Sources: Wikipedia.com MLB.com; St. Louis Post Dispatch; BaseballChronology.com; ESPN.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; StubPass.com; iht.com |