Hastings Andrew Hastings Mr. Neuberger Eng Comp.

101-137 22 September 2011 Descriptive Essay My First Major League Game When youre a little boy and you go to your first Major League baseball game it is a feeling unlike anything else. It was July 28th, 2002 when I walked into Busch Stadium for the first time, which is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, and my senses went into overload. The first thing you notice is the greenest grass you have ever seen with some really cool patterns cut into it. Then I felt the blazing ball of fire in the sky beating down on me like my dad beat my

behind when I did something wrong. There was a sea of red and white across the whole stadium. I smelled beer and hot dogs. There was so much overpriced food to eat to. There were foot long hot dogs and foot long corndogs. There were peanuts, crackerjacks, and a lot of beer. You heard screams from all the people trying to earn a paycheck selling the peanuts, crackerjacks, hot dogs, and beer. As you walk through the stadium you see all sorts of pictures and memorabilia depicting the history of the St. Louis Cardinals. There are old bats, gloves, and jerseys from players like Stan Musial, Lou Brock, and Ozzie Smith. When I took my seat in the terrace above the Cardinals bullpen I noticed the infamous Big Mac Land. It is a huge red sign with big yellow letters and it is a country mile from home plate. The Cardinals were playing the Chicago Cubs, and it is one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports. The rivalry has been going on for over one-hundred years. I have been a St. Louis Cardinals fan my whole life and hate the Cubs. The games between these two teams are usually

Hastings very exciting. Every time the Cubs and Cardinals play, it is like a playoff atmosphere. This game in particular was one for the ages. In the first inning Moises Alou of the Cubs hit a rocket to right center and scored two.

The Cardinals did nothing offensively the first five innings. In the third inning Alou put the hurt on the Cardinals again driving in another run, and Corey Patterson of the Cubs hit a towering three run home run. The score was now six to nothing and a blowout seemed inevitable. In the sixth inning, the Cardinals finally tacked on a run on a throwing error by the Cubs. The Redbirds tacked on three more runs in the sixth with an RBI from J.D. Drew, Edgar Renteria, and Fernando Vina. The score was now six to four, and I thought the Cardinals had a glimmer of hope until the seventh inning. The Cubs added two more runs on a run-scoring single by Todd Hundley and a sacrifice fly by Farnsworth. Bill Mueller of the Cubs hit a home run in the eighth inning to make the score nine to four in favor of the Cubs. There is a saying in sports that is, It is never over until its over. This game is one of the best examples that I had ever seen. A lot of the people left the stadium thinking the Cardinals didnt have a shot in hell of winning the game. I stayed and will always stay until the game is finished because of what happened that night. The Cardinals entered the bottom of the ninth trailing nine to four. Fernando Vina led off the inning with an infield single. A run-scoring double by pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo scored Vina and Jim Edmonds drove in Vina. The roar from the fans could be heard throughout the city and there was a buzz in the stadium. I was feeling elated and couldnt believe this was happening at my first major league game. With the score now nine to six Albert Pujols came to the plate and was walked. J.D. Drew was the next hitter and he struck out. Tino Martinez slowly walked to the plate with an extremely focused look in his eye. He took his stance and the pitch was hurled

Hastings toward the plate. Martinez slapped a single slicing through the air to left field and drove in

Edmonds. The score was now nine to seven. The entire stadium was on their feet in excitement and disbelief. With Martinez and Albert Pujols on second and third, Edgar Renteria stepped up to the plate with a chance to be a hero. Every kid dreams of hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. Edgar Renteria was a hero that night because he hit a bomb into the right field bullpen to end the game. The stadium was so loud it felt like Mt. Vesuvius just erupted in downtown St. Louis. This game was unbelievable. This kind of thing only happens in the movies, and I got to witness one of the greatest Cubs and Cardinals games ever in my first major league game. All of the Cardinals in a sea of white jerseys came sprinting and galloping onto the field dog piling on top of Renteria. I mean to think that the Cardinals were down by five runs going into the bottom of the ninth and came back to win on a walk-off home run boggled my mind. The stadium was so loud I had a headache when I left the stadium. There were fireworks exploding everywhere, lighting up the night sky. Nobody wanted to leave the stadium because there was an overwhelming feeling of euphoria. This was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. I got to experience it with my whole family. I hope I get the chance to experience another game like this in my lifetime. There are not too many people that get to experience a game live that has an ending that only happens in your dreams. I will be a St. Louis Cardinals fan for as long as I live.