I was fortunate enough to go to three St. Louis Cardinals games this month which is three times more than the one game I saw last year.

The Cardinals managed to win only one of the games I saw, but nonetheless, I simply enjoyed being at the ballpark.

There’s just something special about seeing the game live in person. I’m a baseball fan and will watch almost any game on TV, but the ballpark atmosphere lends so much more to the game.

The stark contrast between sitting on my couch watching the game by myself and being one of 40,000 screaming fans is significant. The game I enjoyed the most was a 2005 interleague contest between the Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.

More than 50,000 baseball fans crammed into Busch Stadium to see a rematch of the previous year’s World Series. After being swept in the Series by the Red Sox, I wanted nothing more than for the Cardinals to exact some revenge on them that game.

My wish was fulfilled, and the advent of “Cardinal Love” was created that night. I didn’t know more than three people at the game, but I was high-fiving and pounding fists with anyone wearing Cardinals’ apparel that night.

I’ve seen the Cubs play at Wrigley Field, the Twins play at the Metrodome and the Brewers play at Miller Park, but no stadium feels more like home than Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

That’s why I was upset when the Cardinals demolished old Busch and built another in its stead. I had a lot of history at old Busch, but I’ve come to enjoy the new stadium just as much. What helped is my ballpark routine has changed little.

When I go to an MLB ballpark there are several certainties. I know I will eat a hot dog, I know I will keep score and I know either my hands or throat will be sore from clapping too hard or yelling too much.

Of course, a few of those certainties are a bit pricey. A jumbo hot dog at Busch Stadium costs $5. A souvenir soda is $5.75. After paying $20 or more to get a ticket to the game, you might go broke just trying to eat dinner.

This year, I had a few extra expenses at the ballpark. In an attempt to rekindle my baseball spirit of years past, I stepped into the batting cages at the Ford Family Plaza at Busch. After seven years of not picking up a bat, I shocked myself that I actually hit a few 70 mph pitches.

There was also a pitching game where radar tracked how hard you can throw. My fastball topped out at 60 mph. There were 12-year-old boys throwing faster than me; hence my turn from baseball to golf and basketball as my sports of choice.

Although not a boost to my self-esteem, it was fun. I played baseball for nine years of my life, and by stepping into the batting cage and onto the “mound” to throw a few I was transported back to those summer days when my life was nothing but the joy of the game.

Simply being at an MLB ballpark is enough to make me feel like a kid all over again. Each time I step foot into a ballpark, I am overcome with a sense of awe. I saw my first major league game as a 10-year-old. Almost 10 years later, I still feel amazed that I’m going to see all of these professional athletes I’ve seen on TV in person.

Of course now that I’m nearing 20 I have to pay for my own food and sometimes for my own ticket, but every time I enter the ballpark I’m transported back to that 10-year-old kid who simply loved the game.