Spring Training and Ballpark Village Experience

Let me begin with saying the St Louis Cardinals know how to treat the fans and both experiences I will discuss are first class in my opinion. Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., and the newly open Ballpark Village in St Louis have lots to offer fans that are obsessed with the Cardinals, like me, or even the casual fan that roots for the Cards.

If you have an opportunity to come down to Florida to see some spring training games it is so much fun. I have been going for a few years and it gets bigger each year. This year was the biggest yet and that is probably to do with the winter being so cold. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people and most of them were from St louis or close to the area. One gentleman I enjoyed talking to was a lifelong Cardinal fan in his 70's from Rhode Island who has been coming down to Jupiter for over 30 years. He was so excited when the Cards opened the stadium in 1998, saying, "I was as excited as a boy on Christmas morning" when learning he would be able to watch his favorite team in his winter home.

Tickets to the spring training games are cheaper than those to Major League games but consider that there is a limited number of around 6,800 seats along with a few hundred standing room tickets so on popular games they go fast. Not only is spring training a treat for fans wanting to escape the winter temperatures but for baseball enthusiasts the chance to get up close and have a chance to get an autograph or a close picture is exciting. The complex at Roger Dean Stadium has several practice fields behind the main field where in the mornings before the game the team has warmups that you are able to watch. During the games on the main field, the practice fields host minor league games of all levels. It is possible on certain days to watch a Double A and Triple A game at the same time on fields side by side.

The area around the park is surrounded by restaurants and shopping. Also, to those wondering about where to stay, there is a brand new Courtyard by Marriott opening across the street in June. If you are thinking of staying there I recommend calling and booking early, as in like soon. Lots of surrounding hotels if you are looking for something different, maybe by the beach. There is also a nice Cardinal memorabilia shop in a shopping center across the street to the stadium.

The Cards home opener and the opening festivities wrapped up this week, and I found that the new Ballpark Village is a great place to experience the game, make new friends, and have a great time. Not getting into any specifics here but they have a big TV in the Fox Sports Live area, where the food is great and the atmosphere is so much fun. I was able to try out several different spots in the new area to watch some games.

On opening day in the rain I watched from the AT&T rooftop, which is an all inclusive area, and on Sunday I watched from the Budweiser Brew House deck which is next door to the AT&T on the third level. In this area there are no assigned seats and no food included but just a fun place to kick back on a comfortable chair or couch and hang out with your friends. Yes there is food and drinks available and the tickets are very reasonable.

If you are wanting to party after the game or on non game days the Ballpark Village has you covered with several bars and restaurants. For the cowboy in all of us there is a mechanical bull in the PBR bar to ride if you feel the need to be adventurous. With a few locations of food and excitement covered, there is another area that is a must see for the Cardinals fan, and that is the Cardinals Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is divided into sections as you walk through starting with Sportsman's Park, then the old Busch Stadium, then the new home of the Cardinals. Very informative and fun to revisit the days of old.

I know I am biased in this statement but I feel we as St Louis Cardinals fans have the best fan support and loyalty of any team. It shows year in and year out from the roaring crowds in the stadiums to the huge number that travel to spring training each year. If you aren't able to make the drive or flight down to Florida in spring then you should at least try to make it to St Louis to see the new Ballpark Village and the Cardinals Hall of Fame.