Man, This Stadium Sucks

Well, we have to say, we didn't exactly expect our first game at the new Busch Stadium to have the feel of a U.S.-Japan World Cup Softball Game. By the fourth inning of the Cardinals' 15-3 loss to the Braves, we were roaming the park freely, searching for cracks in the woodwork and doing anything possible to avoid looking at what was going on on the field. (We also found this Loge Level sign from the old Busch on sale for $200; if our wave of nostalgia hadn't been extinguished by Jeff Weaver, we'd have bought that darned thing.) We probably should have known our first visit was going to end in such carnage when we saw the name "Jeff Weaver" on our scorecard.

So how is the stadium, you ask? Honestly? We hate it. 15-3 losses will do that. Last night was the perfect example of why, as much as we talk about how important a stadium is to a team and its fans, it doesn't really matter all that much. If the Cardinals would have won, we'd have had a great night at the park, but they didn't, so the park sucks. Shea Stadium might be a dump, but nobody hates it this year. Last night's game could have been played on a moonbeam leaning up to a fluffy cloud, and it would have been miserable.

That's OK, though. Baseball's memory is only 24 hours long; we'll be back again tonight, ready to love the new stadium again.

How 'Bout That Edmonds Homer? [The Birdwatch]