ST. LOUIS — Alright St. Louis, it's almost time to crank up "Here Comes the King" once again for another Cardinals home opener. And this year, the most distinguished Opening Day guests will be back in the building.
Budweiser announced Monday that the one-and-only Budweiser Clydesdales will be on hand for the Cardinals' Thursday home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The famous horses are a staple of Opening Day in St. Louis, and have been appearing at the home opener since the late 1970s.
Last year, the Clydesdales weren't able to make their annual trip around the warning track due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2021 they have a simple message. "We're back."
If you plan on going to the home opener or any other Cardinals game in-person for the foreseeable future, there are some changes you'll need to know about due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Temporary:
- No bags
- No walking vendors
- Masks and social distancing guidelines
Permanent:
- Electronic tickets
- Cashless stadium
This season the Cardinals are celebrating two historic teams: 2011 (10 years) and 2006 (15 years) World Series Champions. You can relive the great memories in the Cardinals Museum.
“Hard to believe it's been 10 years,” said Brian Finch, the team historian. “But we will have over 50 artifacts in the Cardinal’s Museum celebrating this incredible and historic World Series Championship run. This ball is the ball that David Freese hit into that batter's eye behind us there to win Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.”
Across the street, many fans haven’t experienced Ballpark Village since the $260 million expansion was completed.
“Fans visiting us this year will be surprised, if you haven't been here since the last time since being welcomed into the stadium,” Mike LaMartina, Ballpark Village CEO said. “Because the $260 million renovation is complete. Evolving this into a neighborhood dynamic has begun to further the fact that this property isn't driven by 82 games. People are living here, working here on a daily basis.”