ST. LOUIS — April 2 was supposed to be the biggest unofficial holiday of the year in St. Louis. But the Cardinals’ home opener will have to wait. Until when? We don’t know.
“We know our fans miss baseball, and we miss it too,” said team president Bill DeWitt III Wednesday afternoon. “We would love to be celebrating our home opener tomorrow, but the current situation demands that we all help slow the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home and practicing social distancing.”
There’s nothing that can replace the atmosphere around Busch Stadium when the Cardinals open up the season at home, but the team is going to try to lift fans’ spirits anyway while we're all staying home to help stop the coronavirus.
On Thursday, the Cards are celebrating the ‘Stay Home Opener’. They’re encouraging fans to wear their Cards gear and share their home opener memories on social media using #STLStayHomeOpener.
The team also plans to join in the virtual celebration.
“We hope our millions of fans will check out our website and social feeds which will celebrate some past home openers and also provide helpful links from our community partners on health and wellness issues,” DeWitt said.
The Cardinals also have digital and printable signs that say “I Stay Home For _______” that will be available for download from the team’s website. Fans are encouraged to print them out or share them to give a shout out to the healthcare workers and others who are working to keep us safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
The boys of summer won't be on the field, but the lights will be on inside the stadium. The Cardinals said Busch Stadium's lights will be turned on at 3:15 p.m. and they'll stay on through 10:35 p.m. The team also will share a message of solidarity and hope for the St. Louis community on the scoreboard.
While there won’t be a game, there will be a broadcast on KMOX. The official Cardinals radio station will host a two-hour special from 4-6 p.m. featuring interviews with current and former players, including Chris Carpenter, Willie McGee, Adam Wainwright, Lance Berkman, former manager Tony La Russa and current skipper Mike Shildt.