Associated Press
The baseball notebook …
ST. LOUIS ó Tony La Russa is a big rock fan, having hosted members of the Eagles and Journey among others in his office as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Heís a bit lukewarm on U2, though.
ěI think theyíre all right,î La Russa said. ěTheyíre not top 10, but theyíre good. They put on a good show.î
La Russa and his team will be in Cincinnati this weekend, meaning he wonít have a chance to catch Sundayís U2 concert at Busch Stadium. Organizers anticipate a crowd of 52,000, which would be a record for the 6-year-old stadium.
Crews began tearing out sod hours after the Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks last Sunday, clearing the way for a massive revolving stage that features claw-like legs and a huge video screen behind the band.
The home and visitorís dugouts will serve as first-aid stations. The visitorís clubhouse will be the dressing room for U2; the Cardinalsí clubhouse will be the only area off-limits to the band.
Vicki Bryant, vice president of event services and merchandising at the stadium, said workers began hauling in 110 semi-truck loads of equipment on Tuesday. It will take two days to clear the stadium after the show, giving the grounds crew a week to lay new sod in preparation for the Cardinalsí next home game on July 25.
ěItís a tremendous undertaking,î Martin said. ěEverythingís magnified by the sheer size of the event.î
Last year, the Eagles and Dixie Chicks drew a crowd of about 36,000 at Busch and crews had to re-plant sod only in the outfield, working 40 consecutive hours to ready the stadium.
BRAVES
ATLANTA ó The Braves have signed left-hander Sean Gilmartin, the team’s first-round pick from Florida State, for a bonus of $1,134,000.
Braves director of scouting Tony DeMacio said Friday Gilmartin is expected to “move fast through our system” after reporting to the team’s minor league complex in Orlando.
Gilmartin was 12-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 2011. He had 122 strikeouts and was ranked by Baseball America as the 16th-best college pitcher in the draft.