Home opener

Discuss all things Cardinals Baseball
Gashouse
Perennial All-Star
Posts: 5032
Joined: June 15 06, 6:11 am
Location: Minneapolis

Home opener

Post by Gashouse »

Can someone describe the Home Opener experience in StL? I've heard there is a parade that includes the Clydesdales, but what else is there? How easy is it to get tickets? Is it worth the hassle/effort?

My kids have spring break the first week in April, but my wife's school does not have spring break that week. I was trying to think about what I should do with the kids that week; was thinking about going to my parents' house in SE Iowa and then thinking about what we could do from there. Lo and behold, the Cards home opener is that week. They've never seen a game at Busch (I've only been to one at Busch III). And my wife wouldn't have to pretend to tolerate sports while I indoctrinate the kids.

The Twins don't have much of a spectacle for the home opener, so the bar is low...

User avatar
lukethedrifter
darjeeling sipping elite
Posts: 37434
Joined: October 17 06, 11:19 am
Location: Huis Clos

Re: Home opener

Post by lukethedrifter »

Tickets are ridiculous. My wife bought me tix for the home opener for Christmas a few years ago. So so seats, a few hundred bucks. Would much rather have gone to 4 other games for the same price.

/curmudgeon
Last edited by lukethedrifter on January 14 19, 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

tlombard
tl;dr
Posts: 5053
Joined: May 21 09, 12:41 pm

Re: Home opener

Post by tlombard »

The pre-game stuff is pretty cool. All of the players plus some HOF'ers take a ride around the warning track in the back of either convertibles or trucks before the game and get introduced. If the weather cooperates, the Clydesdales take a lap as well. I haven't actually been inside the stadium for a home opener in about 10 years though. These days I just tailgate with a group of friends/family and we spend the entire day down there grilling, drinking a few Budweisers and having a blast. We either watch the game itself at Kilroy's or just listen on the radio. Most times somebody near will have a TV set up also. All of downtown is crazy the day of the Home Opener though. It is a really fun time to be in St. Louis.

User avatar
TheoSqua
Next Gen Wart
Posts: 8894
Joined: April 22 06, 6:53 pm
Location: St. Louis
Contact:

Re: Home opener

Post by TheoSqua »

lukethedrifter wrote:Tickets are ridiculous. My wife bought me tix for the home opener for Christmas a few years ago. So so seats, a few hundred bucks. Would much rather have gone to 4 other games for the same price.

/curmudgeon

I went one time. My wife bought me home opener tickets in 2012. The weather and game was awful and the seats were literally the furthest you could get. But i'm glad I got to experience at least one home opener. Going to one the year after a WS win and the last one that Stan Musial attended made it even better.

User avatar
Hoot45
Perennial All-Star
Posts: 4008
Joined: October 8 14, 11:41 am

Re: Home opener

Post by Hoot45 »

My two cents: every baseball fan should experience St. Louis' Opening Day in person at least once. It is a rare sports pilgrimage and holiday. Do the BPV museum, pre-game party entertainment, and in-stadium parades. There is a reason why opposing players gush about it and coaches allow their team to observe the pre-game festivities. The in-stadium parades (Clydesdales, current players, HOF'ers) will give you the chills. It is still one of my favorite Cardinals traditions.

On the downside, tickets can be very expensive. Weather can be bad. It's not super kid friendly. And it makes for a long day. For those reasons, after doing it for many years, the wife and I decided it wasn't something we had to do all the time. We still take the day off, but now we watch from a neighborhood bar and go to the next game instead because those tickets are some of the cheapest you'll find every year.

Gashouse
Perennial All-Star
Posts: 5032
Joined: June 15 06, 6:11 am
Location: Minneapolis

Re: Home opener

Post by Gashouse »

lukethedrifter wrote:Tickets are ridiculous. My wife bought me tix for the home opener for Christmas a few years ago. So so seats, a few hundred bucks. Would much rather have gone to 4 other games for the same price.

/curmudgeon
Face value prices are ridiculous? I'm not likely to venture into the StubHub arena to get tickets because i'm not willing to pay that much for them. How fast do they sell out? Is it feasible to get them on the day single game tickets go on sale (assuming a fair amount of luck)?

User avatar
JoeMcKim
Perennial All-Star
Posts: 9077
Joined: September 8 09, 10:56 pm
Location: South County, St. Louis

Re: Home opener

Post by JoeMcKim »

They show the pre-game stuff on TV, so I would rather go to a handful of games instead of just the home opener for the same price.

User avatar
doe_boy
Hall Of Famer
Posts: 10752
Joined: April 25 06, 9:48 am
Location: Appleton, WI

Re: Home opener

Post by doe_boy »

I know it can't happen, but, they should put Soulard Mardi Gras, Dogtown St. Patrick's, and opening day on the same weekend into a Monday or Tuesday.

Just shut the whole town down.

User avatar
lukethedrifter
darjeeling sipping elite
Posts: 37434
Joined: October 17 06, 11:19 am
Location: Huis Clos

Re: Home opener

Post by lukethedrifter »

Gashouse wrote:
lukethedrifter wrote:Tickets are ridiculous. My wife bought me tix for the home opener for Christmas a few years ago. So so seats, a few hundred bucks. Would much rather have gone to 4 other games for the same price.

/curmudgeon
Face value prices are ridiculous? I'm not likely to venture into the StubHub arena to get tickets because i'm not willing to pay that much for them. How fast do they sell out? Is it feasible to get them on the day single game tickets go on sale (assuming a fair amount of luck)?
Are they not sold out? Thought she bought them for Christmas on stubhub. Price went down a bit after the holidays.

User avatar
Hoot45
Perennial All-Star
Posts: 4008
Joined: October 8 14, 11:41 am

Re: Home opener

Post by Hoot45 »

StubHub is showing the cheapest tickets at $90 for SRO right now. Prices should come down a bit from there once single game tickets are released and we get closer to game day. But IIRC it is hard to find non-premium seats for Opening Day at face value. For years we always found the best deal was to do a 10-game pack that included Opening Day. That doesn't work for out-of-towners though.

https://www.stubhub.com/st-louis-cardin ... 103821476/

Post Reply