Cincinnati and St. Louis and Kansas City sit in the heart of baseball lure. The Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals are among the oldest baseball franchises around, and the Kansas City Royals hold fast to their roots in the Negro leagues (even if they denied them until more recently). It’s also in these cities where baseball seems to seep from the people, the streets, the culture.
St. Louis spreads and celebrates its history of famous players around the outside of its new ballpark. There are statues memorializing Cool Papa Bell, Stan Musial, Mark McGwire, and more. Bronze statues and pennant flags welcome fans to learn about the past before partaking in the game and lots of younger fans pose with the statues as older dads and moms point out the players they saw in person. It’s a common sight, but in this midwestern town among the old brick factories, there’s something particularly nostalgic about the scene.
The Cincinnati Reds know how to preserve their traditions and with the largest Hall of Fame outside of Cooperstown, the Reds don’t disappoint in the history department. From players such as Jonny Bench (all-star catcher) to Pete Rose (all-time hit leader) to Sam Crawford (famous barnstormer Wahoo Sam) each of these men’s stories are told and passed on. The Hall of Fame is quite a sight, one every visitor to Great American Ballpark needs to see. Cruise the halls with a bowl of Skyline Chili or a Cheese Coney, and you’d have yourself a perfect Cinci experience. And if you don’t know what a cheese coney is, Google it. It’s quite impressive, and Jamie had two!
The Royals have also done well with their Hall Of Fame. While the Royals have not been around as long as the Reds or the Cardinals, the team has finally embraced its connection to the Negro leagues. They celebrate the legacy of the Monarchs and the history of Negro leagues baseball in the city. The Royals and Reds really go beyond the monument parks of other stadiums and truly celebrate the history of the teams. In every other stadium I’ve seen, there’s been a dearth of history present. Sure there are some plaques around, some retired numbers, but nothing to really say the teams care about their pasts. In small to mid-market teams, a team’s narrative is what draws the fans in and what true fans dive into when things get tough (at least, that’s what the folks I’ve talked to have said). A team’s character comes from its struggles and successes. Why would a team want to keep that hidden?
We closed out our MLB swing in KC with the best game we’ve seen to date. It was a 1-run win for the Cubs and the Royals left two in scoring position as the last out was recorded. Not a bad outing. Then we headed north to Omaha where we’ll be for a few days as we catch the first game of the College World Series. While Omaha is surely ready for this inaugural event, the real news came during our drive north.
In the small town of Craig, Missouri just off Interstate 29 the people are waiting for the flood to come. The neighboring town is already deep underwater (think water up to the top of hay barns), the crops have been abandoned, and farm equipment has been moved. This is the spot where the highway was closed and we had to detour on country roads to continue our drive north. This is also the spot where we refueled and chatted with the lady who owns the small gas station/convenience store. Her store was host to a group of farmers talking about what was to come, what was inevitable: they all were going to lose their homes, their farms, their land. The hardest part the lady told us was that humans caused this trouble. Last year the area experienced drought because too much water was released too soon. This year too much water is flowing and the swollen banks of the river are expected to expand well into the fall. Horrible and consistent rains have not helped the situation. We heard the same worry in the voice of the Omaha Putt-Putt owner (a little mini-golf makes us feel like we’re truly on vacation).
The Putt-Putt was built in 1967 and the current owner bought it 20 years later. He doesn’t have flood insurance as it costs too much (many of the farmers in the Craig store said the same thing), and he’s hoping the levees around Omaha hold so not only his business survives but also his home. The banks of the river have been fortified with sand bags and temporary berms. The locals think the brand new ballpark will be ok, but if any of the dams give way along the northern part of the river, there’s enough water to flood the entire state of Nebraska with seven inches of water. That’s a lot of water. And while we’re here to see baseball and not the swollen river, I can’t help but think about the people who are already underwater and those who are waiting to be. Those who know their homes will be destroyed. Those who will lose their land and in turn their livelihood.
We had torrential rain last night, and the levees that are now protecting the town from the flooding waters are now preventing the drainage of the rainwater. We’ll be out of town by the time the river crests, but we’ll surely keep Omaha and the area in our hearts and thoughts, and we ask that you do too.
Game Stats
Homeruns: We’ve seen it all except for a Grand Slam. Maybe at the CWS.
Rowdy fans: Nothing like a huge Cubs contingent at the Royals game.
Most expensive beer: $8 @ St. Louis
Cheapest ticket we’ve purchased: $8 @ Cleveland
Worst seat: Any place you can’t see the jumbotron (Reds bleachers!)
Most devout fan: observant Jew with NYY on his yarmulke (Yanks won!)
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