sherman,
St. Louis is a small market that is able to spend up to an 80 mill payroll due to the loyalty of the fans. They don't have a big tv deal but because of the vicinity of some other states being close by Arkansas,Tn,Il,OK,Iowa,and Mississippi they are able to draw the 3 million to support the payroll. That is why they won't trade Pujols like someone had earlier posted. It would be the kiss of death for the owners and management. I will also tell you that the owners here have always put the fans first before anything else. Larger market teams than St. Louis, I would include both New York teams, Boston,Philly,Atlanta, LA, Anaheim, Baltimore, both Chicago teams though they act like small market until Cubs recently,Arizona, and probably San Francisco. That is nearly half the league. The Cards have simply ran a small market the way a small market team should be run.
St. Louis is a small market that is able to spend up to an 80 mill payroll due to the loyalty of the fans. They don't have a big tv deal but because of the vicinity of some other states being close by Arkansas,Tn,Il,OK,Iowa,and Mississippi they are able to draw the 3 million to support the payroll. That is why they won't trade Pujols like someone had earlier posted. It would be the kiss of death for the owners and management. I will also tell you that the owners here have always put the fans first before anything else. Larger market teams than St. Louis, I would include both New York teams, Boston,Philly,Atlanta, LA, Anaheim, Baltimore, both Chicago teams though they act like small market until Cubs recently,Arizona, and probably San Francisco. That is nearly half the league. The Cards have simply ran a small market the way a small market team should be run.
d2,
Wait for the new ballpark in STL as it is supposed to be unreal. In fact, to show you the class of STL owners, like with other new ballparks, they also have seat licenses ranging from 2500 to 10000. But here is the kicker. These people are entitled to being recognized with a brick in the stadium with their name, access to priviliged parties, and here is the big kicker, management will pay their seat licensing back, every penny upon request, when they are ready to give the seats up. Who else can match that?
Wait for the new ballpark in STL as it is supposed to be unreal. In fact, to show you the class of STL owners, like with other new ballparks, they also have seat licenses ranging from 2500 to 10000. But here is the kicker. These people are entitled to being recognized with a brick in the stadium with their name, access to priviliged parties, and here is the big kicker, management will pay their seat licensing back, every penny upon request, when they are ready to give the seats up. Who else can match that?
well, they'll be using the same site ...
ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals president Mark Lamping has served as the point man as the team has moved forward with plans to open a new stadium. Now that the project is fully under way, with construction taking place south of Busch Stadium, Lamping actually has a few minutes to catch his breath now and then.
During one of those rare stretches this week, he sat down with MLB.com to answer fans' questions about the new stadium. This latest edition of the Redbirds Mailbag features questions from readers and answers from the team president, all about the park that is set to open in 2006.
I saw the pictures of the new stadium. I was curious what the seating capacity of the new stadium will be, and what are the dimensions of the field as far as down the line, power alleys, and dead center? -- erphilly
Mark Lamping: The new ballpark will have a total capacity of 46,000. The field dimensions will be 336 feet down the left-field line, 390 in the left-field power alley, 400 in center field, 390 in the right-field power alley and 335 to the right-field foul pole.
I hope that the new stadium recalls the old stadium in some way or at least reflects the St. Louis trademark Gateway Arch in its design. -- Todd C.
Lamping: In and around the ballpark, there will be numerous landmarks that reflect where Busch Stadium was and where some of the more significant moments in Busch Stadium occurred. There will be numerous elements within the new ballpark which reflect the tradition of St. Louis and St. Louis architecture and its landmarks.
I'm concerned about the naming rights to the new stadium. In St. Louis, we already have two "generic" corporation named stadiums: Savvis Center and Edward Jones Dome. Even though Busch Stadium is named for a corporation, the brewery is as central to our city as is the Arch. Has Anheuser-Busch expressed an interest in continuing its relationship with the Cardinals and our city (especially since there is a Coors Field and a Miller Park)? Will the naming rights go to the highest bidder or are there any other options? What about a new Sportsman's Park or St. Louis Municipal Stadium or Cardinals Field? -- Rob D.
Lamping: The new name of the ballpark has not been determined at this point. As we explore naming rights options, we are committed to finding a name which reflects the tradition and history of success that the Cardinals have maintained throughout their 100-year-plus history in St. Louis. Our first priority is to have a name on the ballpark that is consistent with what the Cardinals stand for: tradition, longevity, quality, a record of success.
As the other Major League teams built their new stadiums in the last few years, they kept fans updated on their Web sites during the entire process with construction site photos, stories, and a live webcast of the entire construction area as the stadium rose up brick by brick. Do the Cardinals plan on doing this for their fans too? -- Tim G.
Lamping: Stay tuned to stlcardinals.com for a construction cam feature that will be added in the not-too-distant future.
Will a new Cardinal museum or hall of fame be included in the new stadium plaza? The Cardinals' history is rich and should be displayed so much better than the current facility provides. -- Dan S.
Lamping: While plans are not finalized, we expect that a Cardinals Hall of Fame will be constructed in the Ballpark Village immediately ac**** from the new ballpark. We expect that it will be the best single-team hall of fame ever built. We would hope to have the hall of fame open within a couple of years after the ballpark opens.
What affect will the construction of the new stadium have on the seating capacity/availability for the 2004 season? Will the food- and drink-inclusive areas be part of the available tickets? -- Richard P.
Lamping: As far as seating capacity and availability for the 2004 season, the construction does not affect what is happening inside Busch Stadium. Busch Stadium will remain at its full capacity until the completion of the 2005 season. Busch Stadium will continue to offer its existing food- and drink-inclusive areas. The new ballpark will offer an even greater variety of options for our fans in terms of seats both with and without food and drink amenities.
What kind of atmosphere do you plan on creating in the Ballpark Village that will surround the new stadium? Pedestrian streets with bars and restaurants like Wrigleyville and the area around Fenway Park? -- Fritz V.
Lamping: Our hope is that Ballpark Village will become a vibrant neighborhood with activity 365 days of the year. That would include offices, retail space, restaurants and housing.
It would be nice if in the new stadium (or even in Busch Stadium next year), a section of the bleachers were only available for purchase on the day of the game -- as they were in the past. Has this been looked into? -- Robert J.
Lamping: We haven't finalized our day-of-game ticket procedures. However, if we conclude that a majority of games will be sold out in advance of the games, we will set aside a certain minimum number of tickets for day-of-game purchase only. We haven't had to do that at Busch Stadium because the majority of our games are not sold out in advance.
Two questions. What do you do with old stadium seats? I would like to have one or two for my Cardinal room. If a new stadium is built, what will happen to the old seats? Second, regarding employment. I can hopefully retire in five years with a 30-year police pension. I am interested in working at the stadium, maybe as an usher or security. How are these employees selected? I live 200 miles from St. Louis. I make it to about 6-8 games a year. Thank you for your time. -- Steve B.
Lamping: We are planning to make the stadium seats available for sale to the public. The first option to purchase specific seats will go to season ticket holders. We would expect that most items that do not have museum-quality historic value would be made available to the public to purchase. Those things that are significant to the franchise, we will maintain and use in our new hall of fame.
Individuals interested in employment at the ballpark should send a copy of their resume to:
St. Louis Cardinals Human Resources Department
250 Stadium Plaza
St. Louis MO 63102
After looking over the photo gallery of the new ballpark, I notice that the new stadium will "overlap" Busch Stadium. Is the construction scheduled to be completed during one offseason, or will the Cards have to temporarily play home games elsewhere? -- Dustin S.
Lamping: The construction plan does not require the Cardinals to play any games in a temporary location. We will complete the 2005 schedule at Busch Stadium and open the 2006 season in the new ballpark.
I've read all the info on the new stadium, and it's very exciting. Let's say they tear down the old Busch Stadium right on time at the end of the 2005 season but there's a bad winter, or some kind of unforeseen site situation that just complicates things. What are the contingency plans for the Cards' opening the 2006 season on time in the event the new stadium isn't ready? Playing all games away? Or, I'm guessing that perhaps the field itself is the easiest part, once the site is ready. Is it possible the stadium would open without the entire stadium being complete? -- Laura C.
Lamping: The majority of the work to allow the team to play in the new ballpark will be complete prior to Busch Stadium being torn down, with the exception of finishing the outfield. The outfield can be finished in much less time than our construction schedule allows. However, if something were to happen that would not allow the Cardinals to occupy the ballpark at the opening of 2006, we would hope to either find a temporary site in the St. Louis area or switch some home games to the road. But we do not foresee any problems.
Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals president Mark Lamping has served as the point man as the team has moved forward with plans to open a new stadium. Now that the project is fully under way, with construction taking place south of Busch Stadium, Lamping actually has a few minutes to catch his breath now and then.
During one of those rare stretches this week, he sat down with MLB.com to answer fans' questions about the new stadium. This latest edition of the Redbirds Mailbag features questions from readers and answers from the team president, all about the park that is set to open in 2006.
I saw the pictures of the new stadium. I was curious what the seating capacity of the new stadium will be, and what are the dimensions of the field as far as down the line, power alleys, and dead center? -- erphilly
Mark Lamping: The new ballpark will have a total capacity of 46,000. The field dimensions will be 336 feet down the left-field line, 390 in the left-field power alley, 400 in center field, 390 in the right-field power alley and 335 to the right-field foul pole.
I hope that the new stadium recalls the old stadium in some way or at least reflects the St. Louis trademark Gateway Arch in its design. -- Todd C.
Lamping: In and around the ballpark, there will be numerous landmarks that reflect where Busch Stadium was and where some of the more significant moments in Busch Stadium occurred. There will be numerous elements within the new ballpark which reflect the tradition of St. Louis and St. Louis architecture and its landmarks.
I'm concerned about the naming rights to the new stadium. In St. Louis, we already have two "generic" corporation named stadiums: Savvis Center and Edward Jones Dome. Even though Busch Stadium is named for a corporation, the brewery is as central to our city as is the Arch. Has Anheuser-Busch expressed an interest in continuing its relationship with the Cardinals and our city (especially since there is a Coors Field and a Miller Park)? Will the naming rights go to the highest bidder or are there any other options? What about a new Sportsman's Park or St. Louis Municipal Stadium or Cardinals Field? -- Rob D.
Lamping: The new name of the ballpark has not been determined at this point. As we explore naming rights options, we are committed to finding a name which reflects the tradition and history of success that the Cardinals have maintained throughout their 100-year-plus history in St. Louis. Our first priority is to have a name on the ballpark that is consistent with what the Cardinals stand for: tradition, longevity, quality, a record of success.
As the other Major League teams built their new stadiums in the last few years, they kept fans updated on their Web sites during the entire process with construction site photos, stories, and a live webcast of the entire construction area as the stadium rose up brick by brick. Do the Cardinals plan on doing this for their fans too? -- Tim G.
Lamping: Stay tuned to stlcardinals.com for a construction cam feature that will be added in the not-too-distant future.
Will a new Cardinal museum or hall of fame be included in the new stadium plaza? The Cardinals' history is rich and should be displayed so much better than the current facility provides. -- Dan S.
Lamping: While plans are not finalized, we expect that a Cardinals Hall of Fame will be constructed in the Ballpark Village immediately ac**** from the new ballpark. We expect that it will be the best single-team hall of fame ever built. We would hope to have the hall of fame open within a couple of years after the ballpark opens.
What affect will the construction of the new stadium have on the seating capacity/availability for the 2004 season? Will the food- and drink-inclusive areas be part of the available tickets? -- Richard P.
Lamping: As far as seating capacity and availability for the 2004 season, the construction does not affect what is happening inside Busch Stadium. Busch Stadium will remain at its full capacity until the completion of the 2005 season. Busch Stadium will continue to offer its existing food- and drink-inclusive areas. The new ballpark will offer an even greater variety of options for our fans in terms of seats both with and without food and drink amenities.
What kind of atmosphere do you plan on creating in the Ballpark Village that will surround the new stadium? Pedestrian streets with bars and restaurants like Wrigleyville and the area around Fenway Park? -- Fritz V.
Lamping: Our hope is that Ballpark Village will become a vibrant neighborhood with activity 365 days of the year. That would include offices, retail space, restaurants and housing.
It would be nice if in the new stadium (or even in Busch Stadium next year), a section of the bleachers were only available for purchase on the day of the game -- as they were in the past. Has this been looked into? -- Robert J.
Lamping: We haven't finalized our day-of-game ticket procedures. However, if we conclude that a majority of games will be sold out in advance of the games, we will set aside a certain minimum number of tickets for day-of-game purchase only. We haven't had to do that at Busch Stadium because the majority of our games are not sold out in advance.
Two questions. What do you do with old stadium seats? I would like to have one or two for my Cardinal room. If a new stadium is built, what will happen to the old seats? Second, regarding employment. I can hopefully retire in five years with a 30-year police pension. I am interested in working at the stadium, maybe as an usher or security. How are these employees selected? I live 200 miles from St. Louis. I make it to about 6-8 games a year. Thank you for your time. -- Steve B.
Lamping: We are planning to make the stadium seats available for sale to the public. The first option to purchase specific seats will go to season ticket holders. We would expect that most items that do not have museum-quality historic value would be made available to the public to purchase. Those things that are significant to the franchise, we will maintain and use in our new hall of fame.
Individuals interested in employment at the ballpark should send a copy of their resume to:
St. Louis Cardinals Human Resources Department
250 Stadium Plaza
St. Louis MO 63102
After looking over the photo gallery of the new ballpark, I notice that the new stadium will "overlap" Busch Stadium. Is the construction scheduled to be completed during one offseason, or will the Cards have to temporarily play home games elsewhere? -- Dustin S.
Lamping: The construction plan does not require the Cardinals to play any games in a temporary location. We will complete the 2005 schedule at Busch Stadium and open the 2006 season in the new ballpark.
I've read all the info on the new stadium, and it's very exciting. Let's say they tear down the old Busch Stadium right on time at the end of the 2005 season but there's a bad winter, or some kind of unforeseen site situation that just complicates things. What are the contingency plans for the Cards' opening the 2006 season on time in the event the new stadium isn't ready? Playing all games away? Or, I'm guessing that perhaps the field itself is the easiest part, once the site is ready. Is it possible the stadium would open without the entire stadium being complete? -- Laura C.
Lamping: The majority of the work to allow the team to play in the new ballpark will be complete prior to Busch Stadium being torn down, with the exception of finishing the outfield. The outfield can be finished in much less time than our construction schedule allows. However, if something were to happen that would not allow the Cardinals to occupy the ballpark at the opening of 2006, we would hope to either find a temporary site in the St. Louis area or switch some home games to the road. But we do not foresee any problems.
Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
