JoeSportsFan at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game

If you haven’t heard yet, the All-Star Game is this week. And it’s in St. Louis. And hey, we’re from St. Louis. 

Alright alright. You knew all of that. Good, good. Let’s move on.

Over the next 48 hours, we plan on diving head first into the All-Star Game coverage, while giving you a glimpse into the sights and sounds of downtown St. Louis. 

Check back early and often as we’ll deliver our observational appeal in and around the stadium. Maybe you’ll get some video from inside the stadium, or maybe you’ll get a picture of a homeless guy wearing a vintage Cardinals' hat. Who knows.

Let’s get you up to speed on some various odds and ends.

All-Star Game Signage

Residents of past All-Star Game host cities can attest that the decor in and around the target venue is usually pretty fantastic. The Major League Baseball colors of red, white, and blue coupled with the proximity to the Fourth of July omit a tremendous feeling of patriotism throughout the city. 

All-Star Game advertisements reside on everything from downtown pubs to the recently-abandoned Bowling Hall-of-Fame.

The grand entrance to the stadium has been draped with a massive All-Star Game banner that is custom fit to the signature archway. And who doesn’t love festive bunting? You can put that crap anywhere and it looks good.

Interesting People

By their nature, national events bring an eclectic mix of people into one geographical area. 

Another interesting aspect of this mix is the people that emerge within the host city.  Through some sort of weird territorial inspiration, local residents feel the need to multiple their fanaticism by a factor of 10.

Take, for instance, this guy.

A St. Louis Blues' jacket with no sleeves, Fila under the shirt, fitted Cardinals' hat, batting gloves, some type of wrestling shoes, and sunglasses. And let’s not overlook the tights with complementary boxers shorts. This guy wants all tourists to know that the heart of sports loyalty resides in St. Louis, Mo., so back off.

Softball Village

Look, we can’t let it go. Our city built a freaking softball field on top of our beloved, previous version of Busch Stadium. Many of you have emailed us, wondering exactly how close this puppy is to the new Busch Stadium. Well, your answer is below.

That’s what they wanted to do? Build a softball field? 

Fine. Let’s move on. 

As of Sunday night, the magnificent softball field is being used for nothing more than a glorified dumping ground. Tents, Johnny on the Spots, BBQ pits, whatever. Actually, it’s being used for pretty much anything, but softball, which was (ironically) played inside Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon by some local celebs. 

Great to see the hallowed grounds being put to good use.

Stan Musial

Over the next day or two, you’re (hopefully) going to receive a crash course on the baseball career and life of the great Stan Musial. Over the weekend, the St. Louis Post Dispatch hosted a conversation and subsequent photo shoot between Albert Pujols and Stan Musial.  The photo below is must-have for any die hard Cardinals fan.

Largely considered as one of the most underrated athletes of all-time, Musial figures to be one of the focal points of the pre-game ceremonies on Tuesday. 

We’re sure you’ll hear more throughout the week, but here’s the skinny: Musial was a 24-time All-Star selection, accumulated 3,630 hits and 475 home runs,  and was also named the National League’s MVP three times. Goodness. 

As a resident St. Louisan, if ESPN decided to follow Musial like “The Truman Show” over the next 48 hours, it wouldn’t be enough for me. We’re hoping Musial has enough energy on Tuesday night to forgo his usual humility and give the crowd a glimpse at his signature swing.

Carry on, now. We’ll be back throughout the day, giving additional insight into the people and places around the 2009 MLB All-Star Game.

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