St Louis Cardinals Opening Day

Opening Day 2011 was a lot of fun for our family!  My Mom and Dad joined Jeff and I.  We did leave the little guy at home because it was going to be a long day and the weather was pretty cool.  This was our first Opening Day ever.  What a neat experience.  Several people told me that I would enjoy it but going once would be enough.  I do not agree!  I loved it and will most likely do it again and again and again.  The crowds were not as bad as I had expected. (I hate crowds).  We started out going to several of the pep rallies begin held outside the stadium.  Hardee's had a neat little FREE photo booth set up and you got a print to commemorate the day.  Jeff also found an Opening Day baseball to add to our collection of baseballs.  (We have been picking one up at every stadium we've been to.) 

Mom and Dad at Kiener Plaza

Jeff and I at Kiener in front of the RED fountain!



The baseball!


  We finally went into the stadium when it opened.  Our seats were pretty high and would have been awesome if not for the horrible man behind us!  More on that in a bit!

Opening Day Emblem

The Clydesdales

The parade was really cool.  It was neat to think I was in the same place with so many amazing players.  Stan the Man, Ozzie Smith (my personal fave for obvious reasons!), Fred Bird!!! (Ok, maybe he's not an amazing player, but he's pretty cool...)



Stan The Man

The eagle soaring through the ball park was pretty cool too.  I can't seem to get a picture to load up but it was really neat-a picture really didn't capture how amazing the bird was anyhow.

Now onto the game and the obnoxious man behind me.  (Both were equally disappointing!)  Before the game begins in walks this drunk man (with a family of younger children I must add).  My first thought was "Oh please, don't sit up here!"  Too bad for me-he sat right behind me.  At that point, I knew I would smell like beer by the end of the game- it was inevitable.  This man was not only drunk but offensive.  I can handle drunks at games.  They are usually fun.  Yelling at the players in good sport, cheering loudly, etc.  All of this is ok at a baseball game.  What is not ok:

a) when you are at least 40 and have your young family with you and you feel the need to yell about the F*&%ing Fords during the parade.  And then go on a complete rant about the effing Ford signs and where's the F*#$ing Chevy's during the entire parade. 

b) when Pujols is announced you start a rant with many expletives mostly of the F variety about his contract and somehow that leads to a very loud rant about the Packers and Ohio State that lasts throughout the 2nd inning...

c) when you spill your beer all over the seat in front of you (yes that was my seat) and all you worry about is the fact your sock is soaked...

d)when you start yelling out random racial slurs and talking about what a stud your 7 year old boy is and tell him to lift up his shirt to "show the ladies" then discuss loudly how "F$%&ing Hot" your 14 year old daughter is...

e) when the police try to escort you out because 20 people have left their seats early and let the police know how offensive you are, you decide to come back up to your seats and ask the other drunk people to vouch that you are not offensive.  (Note to all friendly drunks-never do this!!!  The man is offensive-let them kick him out!)

Long story shorter, the police came up and asked if it was justified for the man to be kicked out.  My family said absolutely, but all the non offensive drunks told the police he was ok.  (They obviously did not have him screaming directly in their ear, spilling beer on them...)  So the man stayed, but at least for the last 4 innings (the game went into extra innings), he was less offensive, thank goodness!

Bottom line about the actual game, the Cardinals gave it away to the Padres (which they seem to be doing a lot of here of late), but it was a great day and I will definitely do it again. 

Brrrrr....the game was a little cold!