City Showdown BOSTON HISTORICAL ROCK: Plymouth Rock PRESTIGIOUS ENGINEERING SCHOOL: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) GETAWAY LOCATION: Cape Cod OUTDOOR ACTIVITY: Fishing HOME RUN OBSTACLE: Green Monster (Left Field) FAMOUS STREET: Newberry Street MOVIE FILMED NEARBY: Good Will Hunting (or most films by or with Ben or Casey Affleck) JUNE 2013 ROCKIES.com | twitter.com/Rockies | twitter.com/LosRockies | facebook.com/Rockies ROCKIES MAGAZINE 17 Though the Rockies dropped the series, the at- mosphere inside Busch Stadium was impressive. Everyone in the stadium was decked out in their Car- dinal red. Hardly a soul wasn’t supporting their beloved St. Louis Cards. It was amazing how knowl- edgeable all the fans were about baseball. I had sev- eral conversations with people about how the Cardinals season was going. All of them were well- versed and eager to talk about not only the Cardinals organization, but the Rockies club as well. Most of the fans at Busch were also very respect- ful. During Sunday’s game, the Cardinals PA an- nouncer mistakenly stated that Charlie Blackmon was making his Major League debut. Later in the game, Blackmon hit a two-run homer. The Cardinals fans, thinking that it was his first Major League hit, re- spectfully gave him a standing ovation for his accom- plishment. Of course, it wasn’t his debut, it was actually well past his 200th at-bat in Major League Baseball. The Sunday game was Mother’s Day and the Car- dinal moms take that seriously. There were giveaways galore: free sun hats for the moms, along with prizes and raffles. Kids had the opportunity to make free crafts to give their moms and fans could also get free ice cream on the concourse. It was impressive to see all the moms supporting their ballclub. Everywhere you went, women of all ages were sporting their floppy sun hats. The staff working the game was fantastic, just like at Coors Field. Everybody I talked to was very cour- teous and kind. They were the first to wish fans a good day and always available if they had a need. Everybody was very welcoming and treated me just like anyone else, even though I was wearing my Rock- ies gear. In fact, there really wasn’t much Rockies mockery to speak of. People were actually more in- terested in what I thought about the Rockies’ hot start than the colors I was wearing. Constantly, I heard questions like, “Do you think the Rockies can keep this winning up?” or “What do you think of that new third baseman?” My answers were to the tune of, “I certainly hope so,” and “Nolan’s sure looking like a stud right now,” respectively. Outside of Busch Stadium, there are loads of fun things to do. The Gateway Arch is just a short walk away from the stadium, which, if you’re not claustro- phobic, I highly recommend. From the top of the Arch on one side, you can see a breathtaking view of the Mississippi River and Illinois, and on the other, a stunning view of Busch from above and the St. Louis skyline. The other St. Louis arenas are located within a few minutes drive from the stadium as well. The St. Louis Zoo is also quite close, as well as great food all around. Overall, though the Rockies for the most part struggled during the series, my first college road trip was a success. Busch Stadium provides baseball fans with an extremely unique atmosphere. The stadium is beautiful and located in a prime location in the heart of St. Louis. Cardinal fans are extremely proud of their team, have great knowledge of the game and are polite to opposing team fans. The people of St. Louis are extremely enjoyable to be around and did their part to make my experience in St. Louis a suc- cess. The rivalry between Alex and me is still intact, thanks to the Rockies’ dominating performance in the final game of the series. And thanks to this road trip, I finally got to see a Colorado victory away from 20th and Blake. Now, I look forward to cheering on my Rox at Coors Field this summer! v The height of the boy band era is felt nationwide, with the Backstreet Boys, ’N Sync and 98 Degrees taking the airwaves by storm. 2000 Gladiator is released, winning the Oscar for Best Film the following winter, and Russell Crowe asks, “Are you not entertained?” The Dot-Com bubble bursts causing the stock market to come crashing down after historic highs. When visiting St. Louis, a trip up the Gateway Arch is a must, as long as you’re not claustrophobic.