A stadium by any other name

The Cardinals announced today that their new stadium will not be called Monsanto Field or Post-Dispatch Park or Casino Queen Stadium or [Help me out here, Tony. I need some more St. Louis companies to put here.].

For at least the next twenty years, the ballpark being built next door to Busch Stadium will be called . . . . Busch Stadium.

I don’t think anyone’s all that surprised. And while there’s no getting around the fact that it’s yet another corporate name, Busch Stadium has a couple of things going for it. It’s not just a corporate name, for one thing. It’s also the name of a prominenet family that’s been part of St. Louis for decades, and it honors August Anheuser Busch Jr. who more or less single-handedly saved the Cardinals for St. Louis in the 1950s. And it’s the same name we’ve been using for forty years. Consistency has some value. And finally, Busch Beer isn’t even Anheuser-Busch’s most popular product. We could have had something hideous like Tequiza Park.

This does, however, leave an opening. Tony, you need to start putting the pennies away so that in twenty years you can outbid Anheuser-Busch, giving us Custom Insurance Field. By then, maybe we’ll get to meet before games at the Pujols, Rolen, or Edmonds statues.

Original comments…

Jim: Steak ‘n’ Shake has always seemed like it should be a St. Louis company, although I think it’s headquartered in Indianapolis.

But I’m going to assume the new park narrowly missed becoming Schnucks Stadium.

Dan: I’ll meet you before the game at the Tommy Herr chapel and reading room.

Jason: I think in front of the new stadium there should be a beautiful fountain from which Natural Light should spew forth.

maura: dude, david lee roth totally tried that during the ‘a little ain’t enough tour,’ except his fountains were flowing with jack daniels (and iced tea in sheds located in dry counties).

my seats were too crappy to get near them. plus i was 16 and probably would have spit the jack out.

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