Stadium war has been declared in the city and state

The ABC's of Libel
Dick Burner

War has been declared, and the City of St. Louis is right in the middle of it. Should there be a new ballpark built for the St. Louis Cardinals and should it be funded by the city and the state of Missouri? These are questions that have been asked of and answered by government officials, athletes, coaches and everyday citizens on the state and local level. And, the answer to the aforementioned questions that comes up too many times is "no." Though plans for funding and construction of a new ballpark are nearly worked out and closer to being approved, the answer "no" is still unacceptable and contributes to a losing cause. And, if these nay-sayers have their way, the Cardinals might end up in Illinois-the state with officials who said they would approve funding and construction plans.

Well, what if these nay-sayers had their way and plans for a new ballpark are not approved? How can St. Louis keep their team from becoming the East St. Louis Cardinals? DUMSL has the answer. Surely, if the city or the state refuses to fund a new ballpark for the Cards, the Rivermen wouldn't mind a few Redbirds as bunkmates.

DUMSL could offer the Cards free room and board and hopefully a figure amounting to around 70 percent of ticket sales, and the Cards would attract fans that will come from across the St. Louis area and visit the campus. And, because of the campus location, the Cards would attract fans that they might not usually have attracted with a traditional downtown setting, thereby creating a new profit area.

Sure, there will be days when the Cards are scheduled to play at the same time that the Rivermen are slated to take the field. College parks are sometimes easier and cheaper to build than professional fields, and the Rivermen can simply get funding and construction approval for a new field and build it. This field, of course, would be of a better quality than the one that exists currently and would be used by the Redbirds when they play at home and would make up for any losses the University may incur by attracting a wide range of fans. The field, which would be used by the Cardinals at all home games, would meet all basic Major League Baseball requirements and maintain a quaint and attractive, minimalist look. When the Cardinals are not using the new field, the Rivermen would use it. If the new field were in use, the Rivermen would play on the field that presently exists. This is the perfect loophole for the Cardinals to meet their needs.

Many feel that it is of the utmost importance to keep the Cardinals west of the Mississippi River and in St. Louis and this is true for many fans. If money is the issue, surely DUMSL could alleviate the Cardinals' cost of building a ballpark by offering up their home. The R-men and the Cards-a partnership made in heaven.