More changes at Busch III

[Redbirdruss]

http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/sports-bi ... more-10376


Post-Dispatch staff writer and stadium beat reporter Jake Wagman offered the following sneak peeks at improvements at the downtown ballpark. He plans to expound on these in an upcoming article, but was kind enough to file some quick hits with the blog. In his words:

– In homes games throughout the season, the uniform will sport a World Series champions patch on the left sleeve. The image is the logo that the team has been using since the Game 5 clincher – the Bird on the Bat over a sort of red-techno globe. (DG note: It’s the official World Series championshup logo from MLB.)

– The largest functional change at the ballpark will be a new escalator that runs from the ground floor all the way up to the upper-deck.

– A sign on the south end of the stadium displaying the world championship years – 2006 plus nine others – went up this week. It’s on the outside wall, and can be easily seen from Highway 40.

– Some neon script has been added to the area around the “Spruce Street Bridge,” above the Stan Musial statue. Closer to the statue – across from the cornerstone – is another inscription with the 10 championship years.

– The championship flag will be hoisted in left-center field, among the flagpoles that currently host the U.S., state and city flags. The flag – which will actually be a triangular pennant — will be subtle. It reads “World Series Champions/2006” and will feature the Bird on the Bat. The flag itself will be red, with a blue border.

– Here’s an addition for you fantasy baseball nuts: ads have been removed from the out-of-town scoreboard, allowing it to double as an additional video board, as well as providing space for more info from other major-league games – such as possibly who’s at bat, who’s on base, and who’s pitching.

– And, finally, the retired number wall near center field has been changed. It will no longer feature the numbers on circular disks; instead, the numbers (or, in the cases of Jack Buck and Rogers Hornsby, the symbols) will stand alone. Bill DeWitt III told me that he knew it was time for a change when, while doing a tour, a child asked if the retired number “disks” were that day’s winning Powerball numbers.

Wagman, a fellow Maneater alum, included a picture of the new-look retired numbers that I cannot reproduce here. They are sharp looking. From the press box, we always thought the retired numbers looked like line numbers. Line No. 1 for Soda. Line No. 6 for Fries. Line No. 20 for express. With the numbers as they are now, bigger and bolder, there is no mistaken their gravity.

[stlmark]

I'll give Dewitt and company credit. They've heard the criticisms and now they are making improvements.

[Pooleydog]

They can't get enough Cardinals history into the stadium as far as I'm concerned.
The more the better!

[jim]

I'm looking forward to seeing it. The out of town scoreboard was a monstrosity, I'm glad they are doing something about that.

[JohnnyJay]

Bill DeWitt III told me that he knew it was time for a change when, while doing a tour, a child asked if the retired number “disks” were that day’s winning Powerball numbers.

Kids tell it like they see it!