OK, so it wasn’t a typical day at Busch Stadium … but I could get used to it. 🙂
Our choir and orchestra sang God Bless America prior to tonight’s Cardinals/Diamondbacks game in St. Louis, and that was very cool. It was kind of trippy for a few seconds, though. We were on the field singing, but we were also being broadcast up on the big jumbotron – with about a couple seconds of delay, and that’s what we were facing. So, if you got locked into the screen …
Before we walked on out near home plate to sing, we were just hanging out in front of the Cardinals dugout with first base coach Dave McKay, third base coach Jose Oquendo, and outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Chris Duncan. I’ve been on the field another time at Busch Stadium, but that was because I was playing a game there.
About an hour before the rest of the choir got there tonight, Jen and me and our music minister Jonathan and his wife Julie all got Field Access passes to go down onto the field during batting practice. It was all I could do to not grab a bat and jump in the cage for a few cuts. After playing for 20 years and coaching after that, there’s still an itch to take some swings here and there. I guess that’s what golf is good for now.
I even got to try on an authentic World Championship ring. It was a fun night, and hey, the Cardinals even pulled out a winner, too.
Our seats were in the upper deck in left field, but they still had great lines-of-sight, and we were there with 250+ of our fellow First Baptist-ites that made the short trip to downtown from O’Fallon, Missouri. I hope everyone who went had a good time, and wish those who weren’t there, could have been. If you’re ever in St. Louis in late-spring, summer, early-autumn, make it a point to hit up a Cardinals game. The atmosphere is great, Cardinals nation is a lot of fun and the hot dogs are [note: begin sarcasm] only $5! WOW, what a bargain! [end sarcasm]
Click on these images to get the large photo. In one of them, someone asked me if that was my brother on the scoreboard. Oh, and in one of the photos, the videoboard operator seemed to have a hard time just typing “First Baptist Church.” There were a few variations that he went through before we finally got as close as we were going to get as we evidently became “First Baptist Christian Church” for the night.
Last weekend I headed down to Springfield, Missouri for my buddy Clifton’s bachelor party. It really wasn’t one to tell tales of – we went to a AA St. Louis Cardinals minor league game (Springfield Cardinals), headed over to take in some of the best ribs in the country from Rib Crib, and then ended the evening back at Rob’s apartment for some intense action on the Wii.
It was the first time in about four years that my old band (autumnSoul) was back together. Scott, Clifton, Rob, me and Clayton (occasional sound guy and brother of Clifton) … and come to find out, everyone but Scott is on their way to married life. Me already, Clifton on Saturday, Rob in December and Clayton next summer. Scott’s never been much serious about anything, so it doesn’t surprise me.
There was a bit of fun happening in the midwest last weekend. Wow is the drive from St. Louis to Springfield boring!
