I am a loud, proud Cardinals fan through and through. My KC friends, Chicago friends and even friends who don’t really follow baseball do not understand why I turn the games on in my dorm room doing homework or spend money on nosebleed tickets when you can see the game better on TV at home. “Why are the Cardinals so special?” they ask. If they only knew.

Busch Stadium is a heaven on earth. This place is one of the most special and unique places in the world, and most Cardinals fans would tell you, it’s my eighth wonder of the world. Busch Stadium is not so special because of the statues of Lou Brock, Stan Musial and Dizzy Dean out front. The hot dogs are not much better here than at the zoo. The seats are not overly comfortable or extra spacious. Don’t be fooled, however, magic happens every time the gates open for game day at Busch. The magic of Busch and Cardinals baseball is how it unites a city, no matter the circumstances, and makes us one St. Louis.

When you enter the gates of Busch, you become something larger than yourself. When you set foot onto the concrete floors of the stadium, you are suddenly a St. Louisan, no matter where you are from. This is the one place where everyone bleeds Cardinal red, everyone has pride in our team, and everyone has pride in ourselves. Through all of the ups and downs St. Louis has faced in the last few years, Cardinals baseball has remained a cornerstone of the city, helping us to learn, change and grow.

Nothing will even compare to the feeling, sitting in those stands, everyone around you screaming and cheering. It’s a blur of white noise, August heat and more well wishes than you’ve ever experienced before. Standing there, surrounded by 46,000 of your closest friends, willing your team to win, congratulating them on an excellent play or just trying to change the momentum. We are more than just fans. In St. Louis, we are all an honorary part of the team. The team needs us just as much as we need them. Even the non-St. Louis fans are treated like family at Busch because, even though they might not be cheering for our team, they are experiencing the magic. They are experiencing the same magic as we are—they are at Busch to feel how it feels to spend a night in baseball heaven.

Cardinals Baseball and Busch Stadium are so unique and special, are so necessary in St. Louis, because of the way that they unite thousands of fans over and over each night. Busch makes us more than just neighbors or fellow fans; Busch makes us family. The Cardinals have so much more than just the best fans in baseball; they have One St. Louis behind them, every step of the way.