Spring Training 2010 Trip, #5

Spring Training Baseball!!

RBD: Today was a day of days! We woke up to the ducks that Perry and Lynn own, which keep quacking in the backyard! mda was actually in a different room, as I was in the room that a cat usually takes. mda is quite allergic to cats, so I opted to take the cat room. The cat, Siobon, slept right next to me all night like my cat

Roger Dean Stadium

Axel would, so all was good in my world. We soon headed out to the Roger Dean Stadium! It was an easy drive and didn’t encounter any traffic. We arrived, got food, beer and found our seats. The people around us were very nice and we settled in pretty fast. Although some of the major stars were not playing, the Cardinals had a great roster ready to go on the field! It was a beautiful day for baseball!

mda: It was a really nice stadium on the FAU campus.  Great people, great weather and great baseball.  I was a little unsure what to expect, being a Yankees fan and all, but I felt right at home.  We were directly behind home plate and had a perfect view of the field.  Luckily we were in the shade the whole day, which all0wed my ailing left ear to heal a little more from the horrible sunburn I got from Sunday’s game.  The game started out perfectly with some awesome pitching by both teams.  For those of you who don’t know, pitching is the key to winning a game.

 

Brad Penny, SP for the St. Louis Cardinals

RBD:

Yes, Brad Penny, the new acquisition for the Cardinals, did a nice job. He pitched 4 scoreless innings and his fastball was reaching the low 90 mph range! The Cardinals that did start played great, with some great hitting, base running and everything inbetween. Unfortunatley we didn’t get to see Albert Pujols or Matt Holliday play, but perhaps tomorrow we shall get the opportunity to see them. One thing I noticed, and maybe it was because the average age of the crowd was older than any crowd we’ve been in before, was the stadium was VERY quiet. People would clap when Penny threw a strike, then when he was getting ready to throw another pitch, the place would grow earily quiet. I think it bothered mda, but that is kind of how it goes for St. Louis baseball. Much respect goes out to the players, on both sides, from the St. Louis fans.

mda: Yeah, the whole quiet stadium thing threw me for a loop.  I was waiting for some of those ‘Bronx Cheers’ that I generally hear from a NYY game, but they weren’t there.  Oh well, must be a Midwestern thing.

RBD: Well, it is, but it is truly a St. Louis baseball fan thing. Everybody says that the St. Louis fans are the best ‘baseball’ fans. They do love the Cardinals, but they appreciate a good game too! The other thing that I noticed is that pretty much the whole stadium stayed for the end of the game! Nobody left after the stars left the field, those fans were in it for the long haul! Of course, it helped that the Cardinals ended up winning 6-4 and got some really great support from the younger

Cardinals prospect, Shelby Miller

players. One exciting point was when the recently drafted Shelby Miller pitched! He did an outstanding job. I know the Cardinals had been wanting to find a spot for him to pitch, and today, they found it! VERY cool to see the stars of tomorrow playing!

mda: That is one of the coolest things about Spring Training, we get to see the future stars of the game toward the end of the game.  It is truly an outstanding sport and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my 2010 vacation than some great baseball.  Kudos to the Cardinals for pulling out the win.  The stadium was awesome and the ballgame was top-notch.  What game do we have in store tomorrow?  I am sure it will be another great game. 

RBD: Well, tomorrow we will be watching the Cardinals vs. the Marlins. Funny story…the Cardinals and Marlins share the stadium, so even though the Cardinals will technically be the visitors (they bat first, because in baseball it is polite to have the visitors try to score fist), they will be playing on the same field! We have great seats tomorrow; 11 rows from the bullpen! Look forward to some great pics from the game tomorrow!!