ST. LOUIS — A strong trail of breadcrumbs led the way to my first Opening Day at Busch Stadium. There were enough visits as an out-of-town beat writer and interactions with folks who’d either worked around the Cardinals or lived in St. Louis to give me an idea of what I was walking into.
After all, it’s still the only city where I’ve stayed at a hotel with a baseball-themed do not disturb doorknob placard — on one side “Extra innings last night. We watched REAL baseball. Do Not Disturb” and the other “Out watching real baseball. That’s right. REAL baseball. Please Clean” — and I still have those images on my phone.
That said, being in the ballpark for the opener just hits differently than anything anyone could've told me leading up to Thursday morning.
