Sports tourism wasn’t really a thing in the early 1990s. In those days it was a fairly big deal to catch an away game for your favorite team (let alone two or three games a season). But now travel is easier, making our world feel smaller, and I often find myself wanting to take advantage of sporting opportunities either connected to business trips or as a bonus for a personal trip.

Such a bonus occurred a few weeks ago when I moved my son into college in St. Louis. He’s living his dream of playing football at a Division 1 school; and as I was planning the move, my only sporting thoughts were about how he would fit in with his new coaches and teammates. With his suitcases unpacked and his dorm room arranged to his liking, he and I said goodbye, and I found myself with an evening alone. As fortune would have it, the St. Louis Cardinals were playing at home in Busch Stadium.

My family vacationed in St. Louis in the early ’90s and we enjoyed a game at the former Busch Stadium, but I hadn’t seen the latest version, built in 2006. Unfortunately for the Cards, they aren’t having a great year, so I was able to snag a weekday ticket on the second row, first base side, fairly cheap. (I actually paid more for parking than the ticket!)

I arrived early enough to enjoy Ballpark Village, a 34,000-square-foot area around the stadium with multiple restaurants and numerous family entertainment options. I found a seat at the bar inside Cardinals Nation, ordering some fried ravioli and a Cardinal-colored Cosmo prior to game time. The restaurant is a fully immersive baseball experience and makes a mark on your memory from the moment you step inside. The effort to stay on-theme even extends into the women’s restroom with gusto!

In spite of a down season and the threat of a flash-flood warning, the Cardinals faithful fan base came out to support their boys of summer (and only a few light sprinkles fell). As a loyal Kansas City Royals fan, I couldn’t bring myself to buy a red t-shirt or any Cardinals merchandise, but I feel as if the experience itself was the best take-home gift I could receive.

Confession Time: I took a baseball class in college simply to meet baseball players. I needed an upper-level history credit, and I couldn’t believe my good luck when I saw the university offered a class called History of American Baseball and Culture. I ended up with a B in the class (thanks to the bell curve) and a few dates with a southpaw (thanks to my original intention), but the long-term benefit of those three college credits was the expansion of my interest in baseball history.

Stan Musial, Cy Young, Rogers Hornsby, Dizzy Dean and Branch Rickey are just a few Redbirds who made their mark in early baseball history. More recent names like Ozzie Smith and Tim Simmons keep the proud Cardinals tradition alive. With over 140 years of professional baseball experience, the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame boasts 53 members; the most elite of which jogged my memory when I saw them ensconced as bronze statues near the entrance of the stadium.

With such a vast and distinguished history, the St. Louis Cardinals organization commands a healthy respect from any true baseball fan. I grew up appreciating the I-70 Rivalry in the days before interleague play, but it was my college professor who gave me a robust recognition of the history associated with the Redbirds and a reverence for the impressive players who donned the uniform.

I saw the Cardinals beat the Twins on a Wednesday night that won’t be reflected with any importance when the history books are written about August 2023. But my stroll through the statues, my experience with the staff and fans inside the ballpark, and my history teacher’s influence on my appreciation for America’s pastime most certainly will.

— Carrie Cox, account executive