There’s nothing in sports quite like Cardinals Opening Day. The Clydesdales, the Hall of Famers, and the player introductions just give you chills. Baseball in St. Louis is not just an ordinary sporting event, it’s a way of life. The holiday that is Opening Day at Busch Stadium is always a memory that no one will forget.
After not being able to witness the spectacular in 2020, the 2021 home opening day somehow just became a little more memorable. Not only did the St. Louis Cardinals earn a victory, but they created highlights before and during the game, we will never forget.
Highlight Moments On Cardinals Opening Day
With Covid-19 injecting itself into sports, Major League Baseball was forced to delay the 2020 season until July. The Cardinals were greeted by cardboard cutouts that spread throughout Busch Stadium. None of them made noise and none of them moved. Dead silence just swept across the ballpark. The atmosphere that rallied the Cardinals to victory or gave them energy was no more. Fast forward to 2021 and everything changed for the better.
Opening Day Ceremonies
The tradition of Cardinals Opening Day is like no other in the entire world. The ceremonies before the game were worth the price of admission. With fans back in attendance, all be it 15,000+ fans instead of 45,000, got to witness the appearance of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales march around the warning track around the field. Then they got to watch the introduction of historic Cardinal Hall of Famers, which featured guys like Whitey Herzog, Ozzie Smith, and Scott Rolen. Don’t forget the 50 years of dedication by radio broadcaster Mike Shannon.
Last but not least, the introduction of the Cardinals staff and Opening Day roster. Riding down to the backstop on the back of Ford trucks is a great feeling for all. The ovation and cheers for players send chills down your spine. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the traditional first pitch. This year, it was thrown and caught by a great third baseman of the past and a great third baseman of the present and future with Rolen and Arenado.
A Standing Ovation For An Ex-Cardinal
For many years in St. Louis, we’re able to witness great players come through this city. When they leave, it hurts like no other. That applied to longtime Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong. He got to take in and lead off on Opening Day but this time, as a member of the opponent. Fans will never forget his outstanding defense and his 703 hits as a Cardinal.
As he was announced to begin the game, he got a big standing ovation from the fans at Busch. This lead to tears from the Milwaukee Brewers leadoff hitter and it continued during his at-bat. He was a fan favorite in St. Louis and Cardinals fans will never forget what he’s done on and off the field.
The Pitcher To Catcher Duo
This might be the most special moment of Cardinals Opening Day and that’s the long-time duo of Adam Wainwright pitching to Yadier Molina. This is not just an ordinary duo. These two have been teammates for 17 years, the second-longest time in National League history. It will also be the 276th time Wainwright had thrown to Molina, the most in Cardinals history and the sixth most in the league history. It was a shaky start for Wainwright but having Molina by his side gave him the strength to pull through and pitch a solid game.
Both signed one-year deals with St. Louis in the offseason, bringing happiness and joy to Cardinal Nation. Seeing these two in any other uniform without the birds on the bat would have been a tragedy. Thankfully, we get to see greatness for at least another year.
[pickup_prop id=”6159″]
Welcome To St. Louis Arenado
After months of waiting, it seemed like the Cardinals’ offseason was going to be filled with nothing. Talent all around free agency and big names on the trade market but nothing to come of it. The tides shifted on February first when the Cardinals officially acquired all-star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies. This breaking news woke fans up in a heartbeat and gave them hope again.
Leading up to Opening Day, Arenado did nothing but hit for the Cardinals. The Coor’s effect argument was not in play. The offense struggled on Thursday until the eighth inning when Arenado blasted a two-run home run in the direction of Big Mac Land to give the Cardinals the eventual 3-1 win. He got huge ovations all day and this one was like no other.
Not only did fans blow up Busch with cheers but Nolan experienced the first curtain call of his career. He’s wanted to be a Cardinals for a long time and now he gets to experience the atmosphere and the cardinal way. Fans will enjoy his play on the field for years to come. This is just the beginning.
Around the Diamond
There were so many other great moments to witness on the Cardinals Opening Day. Too much to mention in fact. I saved one more moment and saved the best for last and that’s the tribute to two Cardinals legends, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson. Before the action got started, we had the greatest honor of listening to Ozzie Smith narrate a touching tribute to these greats. Gibson pitched for the Cardinals from 1959 to 1975 and Brock played the field from 1964 to 1979. Both greats have set team and league records all over the place in their respective positions.
Cardinals Opening Day was topped off with a win for their fourth straight for a record of 5-2. No matter what, fans will always cherish the feeling of baseball in St. Louis and will always appreciate the greatness that passes by this great city each and every year.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’Xq3oBm2zSNFS42oDPDowww’,sig:’_Rg4do0oaciWDHDA9rtZ1hNq5YQJLk-ZNII12u5Xfic=’,w:’594px’,h:’395px’,items:’1232186816′,caption: true ,tld:’com’,is360: false })});
