What's Your Memory?: Busch Stadium III

[Edgy MD]

Opening in 2006, BS3 (also known as BS2) is a rare ballpark to win a World Series in its debut year, thanks to some strange witchery.



A good ballpark for salvaging Sunday wins after taking it on the chin on Friday and Saturday, BS3 has held the Mets to a 17-27 record against an impressively consistent Cardinal squad over that time. Their record drops to 18-29 if you count hot, sexy playoff action.



But what's the memory from the Birdhouse that locks in you in and won't let you out? Surely one of those 47 games left an impression.



Hey, I've got an idea! Let's paint every bloody seat red! That won't be too annoying!



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[batmagadanleadoff]

The 20 inning game at the beginning of the 2010 season, when Jeff Francoeur was playing like an MVP, for however brief that lasted. The next day, when Frank Catalanotto batted cleanup because the starters needed some resting and, according to Manuel, the cleanup hitter oughtta have been a first baseman.

[G-Fafif]

Games Three and Five of the 2006 NLCS were pretty horrifying.



Happier was the 18-inning sigh-fest conducted by Keith Hernandez en route to a long day's journey into night victory.



The Mets revved up their 2016 Wild Card chase at BSIII, with Robert Gsellman rescuing the bad idea that was Jon Niese's return.



Bartolo doubled there. And Alonso homered off a college rival when we were just discovering him.



Enormous late-September comeback in 2011 that didn't cost the Redbirds their eventual World Series run, though it could have!

[Edgy MD]

Oh, dear God. Jerry getting position players on the mound to bat against and sending actual hitters up to lay down a bunt against them.



I wanted to fire him before his head hit the pillow, even though the Mets had won.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

We were at that Gsellman debut which as it turned out was also Niese's last-ever appearance in an MLB game. I'd almost forgotten we'd reacquired Niese from Pittsburgh, but he went onto the DL after that and never returned.



Gselly entered in the 2nd after Niese gave away the advantage of a 3-run 1st and held the fort. Flores and Justin Ruggiano hit home runs. It was Beatles Night, as the Cards do what's right and honored the predecessor stadium where the Beatles had also toured. Also nice row of statues out front. They had a pregame concert from a Beatles cover band and played Fab 4 songs between innings.



We took a tour of the Stadium that morning, and the guy leading it was nice to visiting pond scum. Got to sit in the home dugout which was nice. Visited the Cards' Hall of Fame which is part of that bank of buildings across the street from center field which has a lot of those touristy plastic-cup sports bars. Busy at game time, ghost town otherwise.



The stadium food situation was weird as I recall it, reminding me of a church social with little tables and napkins and stuff. A cranky usher woman badly wounded by our resounding 7-4 victory was shooing us away as I shot Lunchpail in victory formation.



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Here's Gselly laying down a bunt. Didn't realize at the time he bunted allatime because an injury wouldn't let him swing the bat



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