Help-Shel Silverstein

Opening Day 2014

Every year I’m asked why our home opener is so revered. The truth is, every big league ballpark in the country has a special day, when the boys of summer make their way home from Florida and Arizona. The idea of spring baseball helps melt the remaining snow in the extreme north cities, and it just seems like the world is given a breath of fresh air when baseball finally arrives. All fans are excited about their team, whether they’re picked to finish at the top or are still in a rebuilding phase. Baseball is back, and most days, at 7:05, there will be a good option on the radio or television.

But somehow St. Louis makes our home opener extra special.

The entire city basically shuts down when Busch Stadiums' gates open for the first time. It’s no surprise that former Cardinal Ozzie Smith has been spearheading a movement to acknowledge opening day as a national holiday, because in St. Louis nobody is at work anyhow.

The day starts with festivities outside the ballpark: parades, concerts, tailgate parties, and more red paraphernalia than you thought possible. With front page coverage and every news channel locked into hot topics surrounding the team, anyone other than a baseball fan must be frustrated at the lack of news about life in the real world.

When the crowd is allowed into the stadium, the wagon gate opens to some of the most majestic animals created: the Clydesdales, pulling the beautiful Budweiser wagon with its polished brass and Dalmatian rider. The horses are meticulously groomed for the trip around the warning track, and their sheer size makes you wonder if they're real. Looking up at the huge beasts from the dugout, you can't help but take a couple steps back in case they choose another course.

The opposing team has to get tired of waiting around when the cars and trucks line up in the bowels of the stadium, each player with his name on one which will take a slow lap around the track, allowing fans an up close look at the new team. The fans yell out to their favorites and make them feel like they’ve already accomplished something. The first time I experienced this as a player I couldn't help but think how crazy it was and how out of control it would be if they were celebrating a team that won the whole thing. I've witnessed it from a distance and continue to look forward to being a part of such a parade.

As the players are introduced to the crowd, the best part of the day happens near home plate. A long line of distinguished guests shake hands with the players and coaches, wishing us luck with upholding the traditions of the organization. To think that Schoendienst, Gibson, Brock, Herzog, Sutter, Ozzie, and now, LaRussa are waiting to shake OUR hands is completely humbling. The first time I walked through that procession and shook the hand of the great Stan Musial, I began to truly realize why opening day in St. Louis is so special.

Tradition, history, legends, and a passionate fan base make this day, and this city, unique.

- Mike Matheny

I Want More

I've been living this shell of a life,

Just holding on, along for the ride. 

Living in fear, so refusing to change,

Better to hide than risk feeling any pain.

Alone is safer than letting love in,

Stuck in a rut, scared to dream big.

But when good enough becomes as good as it gets,

The walls I put up start to close in.

There's safety in hiding and pushing away,

But life's so much more than living this way.

Is it worth it to stay safe but never really live?

What more could there be if I dared to dream big?

Trade numbness for feeling, both the good and the bad,

In order to be happy there's gonna be some sad.

Been stuck in this prison, time to open the door,

Come what may, I know I want more.

(Journal entry 3/10/14)

I Believe--Christina Perri

I believe if I knew where I was going I'd lose my way,

I believe that the words that he told you are not your grave.

I know that we are not the weight of all our memories,

I believe in the things that I am afraid to say.

Hold on, hold on...

I believe in the lost possibilities you can't see,

And I believe that the darkness reminds us where light can be.

I know that your heart is still beating beating darling,

I believe that you fell so you would land next to me.

Hold on, hold on...

'Cause I have been where you are before,

And I have felt the pain of losing who you are,

And I have died so many times, but I am still alive...

I believe that tomorrow is stronger than yesterday,

And I believe that your head is the only thing in your way.

I wish that you could see your scars turn into beauty,

I believe that today its okay to be not okay.

Hold on, hold on...

'Cause I have been where you are before,

And I have felt the pain of losing who you are,

And I have died so many times, but I am still alive...

This is not the end of me,This is the beginning...

Demons--Imagine Dragons

When the days are cold, And the cards all fold

And the saints we see, Are all made of gold

When your dreams all fail, And the ones we hail

Are the worst of all, And the blood’s run stale

I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you

But with the beast inside, There’s nowhere we can hide

No matter what we breed, We still are made of greed

This is my kingdom come, This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat, Look into my eyes

It’s where my demons hide

It’s where my demons hide

Don’t get too close, It’s dark inside

It’s where my demons hide

It’s where my demons hide

Curtain’s call, Is the last of all

When the lights fade out, All the sinners crawl

So they dug your grave, And the masquerade

Will come calling out, At the mess you've made

Don't wanna let you down, But I am hell bound

Though this is all for you, Don't wanna hide the truth

No matter what we breed, We still are made of greed

This is my kingdom come, This is my kingdom come

When you feel my heat, Look into my eyes

It’s where my demons hide

It’s where my demons hide

Don’t get too close, It’s dark inside

It’s where my demons hide

It’s where my demons hide

They say it's what you make, I say it's up to fate

It's woven in my soul, I need to let you go

Your eyes, they shine so bright, I wanna save that light

I can't escape this now, Unless you show me how

When you feel my heat, Look into my eyes

It’s where my demons hide

It’s where my demons hide

Don’t get too close, It’s dark inside

It’s where my demons hide

It’s where my demons hide

Waiting for Superman--Daughtry

She’s watching the taxi driver, he pulls away
She’s been locked up inside her apartment a hundred days

She says, “Yeah, he’s still coming, just a little bit late
He got stuck at the laundromat washing his cape”
She’s just watching the clouds roll by 

And they spell her name like Lois Lane
And she smiles, oh the way she smiles

She’s talking to angels, counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She’s dancing with strangers, falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, In his arms
Waiting for Superman

She’s out on the corner trying to catch a glimpse
Nothing’s making sense
She’s been chasing an answer
A sign lost in the abyss, this Metropolis

She says...Yeah, he’s still coming, just a little bit late
He got stuck at the Five and Dime saving the day”
She says...If life was a movie, then it wouldn’t end like this
Left without a kiss
Still, she smiles, the way she smiles, yeah

She’s talking to angels, she’s counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She’s dancing with strangers, she’s falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, In his arms
She’s waiting for Superman

To lift her up and take her anywhere
Show her love and climbing through the air
Save her now before it’s too late tonight
Oh, like a speeding light
She's waiting for Superman

Trapped

I'm falling, falling, falling,

Running running, running,

Frozen in fear, lost in my head,

No escape, no relief, and no end.

Wanting to fly away, 

But shackled to the ground,

The walls are closing in, 

My thoughts are just too loud.

(Journal entry 8/15/2013)