Cardinals Themed Holiday Weekend To Kick Off 2024 Season

CARDINALS THEMED HOLIDAY WEEKEND TO KICK OFF 2024 SEASON

Weekend Highlighted by Winter Warm-Up, Cardinals Caravan, & Writers’ Dinner

ST. LOUIS, Mo., January 11, 2024 – The 27th Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up and the Cardinals Caravan highlight a busy Cardinals-themed holiday weekend that kicks off the 2024 season.

Winter Warm-Up—the largest fundraising event for Cards Care, the team’s charitable arm—will be held at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village Saturday, January 13, through Monday, January 15 with appearances from over 50 players, coaches and alumni. Admission and autograph ticket are still available. For the most complete schedule and up-to-date Winter Warm-Up information, visit cardinals.com/WWU.

The 2024 Cards Caravan, presented by Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, departs Busch Stadium on Friday morning. Over the course of the weekend, a combination of more than 40 current and former players, minor league prospects, and team broadcasters will visit 20 cities throughout Cardinals Nation along six different routes before returning to St. Louis on Monday night. For complete information on all caravan stops, visit cardinals.com/caravan.

The 64th annual St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner takes place at the downtown Missouri Athletic Club on Sunday, January 14. Attendees will enjoy a night of fun and entertainment as the dinner celebrates top Cardinals performers from 2023 and honors those who have made long-lasting contributions to the organization and sport. The evening will be highlighted by special guests, including members of the 2004 NL Championship team, and the presentation of the Red Schoendienst Medal, St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year Award and Darryl Kile Award.

Below are highlights of the 2024 Winter Warm-Up weekend:

Friday, January 12, 2024

• Cards Caravan: The 2024 Caravan kicks off with stops in Hannibal, Jefferson City and Springfield, Mo., Memphis, Tenn., and Peoria and Champaign, Ill.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

• Winter Warm-Up: The three-day event kicks off, and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Autographs:
    • UMB Champions Club (Busch Stadium) – Tink Hence, David Freese, David Eckstein, James Naile, Thomas Saggese, Buddy Kennedy, Julian Tavarez
    • Budweiser Brewhouse (Ballpark Village) – Alec Burleson, Drew Rom, Al Hrabosky, Alan Benes, Andy Benes, Xavier Scruggs
    • PBR (Ballpark Village) – Luken Baker, Kyle Gibson, Jeff Suppan, John Mozeliak, Sonny Gray, Jason Simontacchi, Sem Robberse
  • Silent Auctions (Community America Cardinals Club at Busch Stadium) – Open 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Cardinals Care Silent Auctions feature autographed items including baseballs, jerseys, photos and more! Fans can bid online, both at Winter Warm-Up and from home at cardinals.com/WWU.
  • Main Stage (Bally Sports Live! at Ballpark Village): The Main Stage will feature two live auctions, presentations and live interviews throughout the day. Scheduled events include the introduction of Cardinals Pitcher Kyle Gibson at 9:45 a.m. followed by the Redbird Rookies Scholarship Presentation at 10:30 a.m, hosted by KMOV’s Tamar Sher.  Cardinals Spanish Broadcaster Polo Ascencio will host a Q&A with President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak at 11:20 a.m.  The afternoon will feature a visit with the Cardinals promotions team for a 2024 Promo Item Show & Tell at 12:30 p.m., and Q&A with Cardinals broadcaster and former pitcher Al Hrabosky at 1 p.m. KMOX’s Matt Pauley will take over emcee duties starting at 2:20 p.m. with a conversation with media personality and former Cardinal, Xavier Scruggs, and the introduction of Cardinals Pitcher Sonny Gray at 3:15 p.m.
    • Live Auctions (Main Stage): Beginning at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Fans must be present to bid and win an auction item and all items must be paid for and picked up at the close of each auction.
  • Presentations (Visitor’s Clubhouse at Busch Stadium)
    • 10:00 a.m. – Curator’s Corner: Join Cardinals Curator Amy Berra to learn about the 2024 Cardinals Museum updates and special exhibit.
    • 11:30 a.m. – Caring for Your Collection: Tips for storing and displaying your personal memorabilia with Cardinals Museum Collections Specialist, Erin Pruhs.
    • 12:30 p.m. – Meet members of Team Fredbird.
    • 1:30 p.m. – Hear stories of the players and teams of the 1944 World Series with Ed Wheatley, baseball historian and president of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society and Fan Club.
    • 3:00 p.m. – Learn all aspects of collecting cards, autographs, and various types of sports memorabilia during a Q&A with Dave Jackson of St. Louis Sports Collectors.
• Cards Caravan: The Cardinals Caravan makes its way through Cardinals Nation with stops in Jonesboro, Ark., Dyersburg, Tenn., Bloomington, Ill., and Columbia, Joplin and Rolla, Mo.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

• Winter Warm-Up: Day two of the event is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Autographs:
    • UMB Champions Club (Busch Stadium) – Matthew Liberatore, Iván Herrera, Andre Pallante, Nick Robertson, Ryan Ludwick, Gary Bennett, Bernard Gilkey, Jason Marquis, Lars Nootbaar, Rick Horton
    • Budweiser Brewhouse (Ballpark Village) – Brendan Donovan, Bo Hart, Zack Thompson, Max Rajcic, Masyn Winn, Steve Kline, Scott Spiezio
    • PBR (Ballpark Village) – Victor Scott II, Jordan Walker, Gordon Graceffo, John King, Nolan Gorman, Ray King, Jose Fermín
  • Silent Auctions (Community America Cardinals Club at Busch Stadium) – Open 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Cardinals Care Silent Auctions feature autographed items including baseballs, jerseys, photos and more! Fans can bid online, both at Winter Warm-Up and from home at cardinals.com/WWU.
  • Main Stage (Bally Sports Live! at Ballpark Village): The Main Stage will feature two live auctions, presentations and live interviews throughout the day. Scheduled events include a “Talking Baseball” Panel moderated by Cardinals Broadcaster Mike Claiborne, with GM Mike Girsch and Assistant GMs Moises Rodriguez, Randy Flores and Gary LaRocque at 10:00 a.m.  KMOV’s Jacob Cersosimo will take over emcee duties at 11:00 a.m. Cardinals Magazine will host a special Kids-Only Player Press Conference with Lars Nootbaar, John King and Andre Pallante – all are invited to attend, but kids get to ask the questions – at 12:00 p.m.  The afternoon slate will feature a conversation and Q&A with Cardinals broadcasters John Rooney and Rick Horton at 1:00 p.m. and a conversation and Q&A with Cardinals Radio host Joe Pott at 2:30 p.m.
    • Live Auctions (Main Stage): Beginning at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Fans must be present to bid and win an auction item and all items must be paid for and picked up at the close of each auction.
  • Presentations (Visitor’s Clubhouse at Busch Stadium)
    • 10:00 a.m. – Go behind the scenes into the Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Process with Cardinals Museum Operations Manager, Brittany Schelp.11:00 a.m. – Learn about the MLB Authentication Program and collecting game-used and autographed items with Erik Jaffry of Cardinals Authentics.12:00 p.m. – Join Jeff Scott from the Cardinals Museum & Tour Operations team to learn how yesterday’s Cardinals influenced today’s bats.1:00 p.m. – Seldom-told stories about David Freese, Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, and more from the book 11 in ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals with author and St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist, Benjamin Hochman.2:30 p.m. – A look back at the Cardinals Museum’s 2023 Programming Highlights and teasers for the upcoming season with Jennifer Urish, Supervisor of Museum & Tour Operations.
    • 3:30 p.m. – Meet members of Team Fredbird.
• Cards Caravan: The Cardinals Caravan makes stops in Evansville, Ind., as well as Mattoon, Springfield and Marion, Ill.
• 64^th Annual St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner (6:00 p.m.): The 64^th annual St. Louis Baseball Writers Dinner will be held at the Downtown Missouri Athletic Club. Visit stlouisbbwaa.com for more information.

Monday, January 15, 2024

• Winter Warm-Up: Day three of the event is open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Autographs:
    • UMB Champions Club (Busch Stadium) – JoJo Romero, Dylan Carlson, Michael Siani, Brad Thompson, Tommy Edman, Steven Matz, Packy Naughton, Lance Lynn, Kerry Robinson
    • Budweiser Brewhouse (Ballpark Village) – Bill DeWitt Jr., Bill DeWitt III, Daniel Descalso, Tony La Russa, Andy Van Slyke
    • PBR (Ballpark Village) – Oliver Marmol, Ryan Helsley, Randy Flores, Kyle McClellan, Bengie Molina, Willson Contreras
  • Silent Auctions (UMB Champions Club at Busch Stadium) – Open 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Cardinals Care Silent Auctions feature autographed items including baseballs, jerseys, photos and more! Fans can bid online, both at Winter Warm-Up and from home at cardinals.com/WWU.
  • Main Stage (Bally Sports Live! at Ballpark Village): The Main Stage will feature two live auctions, presentations and live interviews throughout the day. Scheduled events include a Q&A moderated by Bally Sports Midwest’s Scott Warmann with Team Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and President Bill DeWitt III starting at 9:30 a.m. followed by a conversation with Cardinals broadcasters and former players Brad Thompson and Bengie Molina.  KMOV’s Bryan Kennedy will take the stage at 11:00 a.m. and host a segment celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reflecting on the Intersection of Civil Rights, Service and Baseball. Tom Ackerman will take over hosting duties at 12:30 p.m. with a Q&A with Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol. Former Cardinals pitcher and host of the Chatter’s Box Podcast Kyle McClellan will take the stage at 1:00 p.m.
    • Live Auctions (Main Stage): Beginning at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Fans must be present to win an auction item and all items must be paid for and picked up at the close of each auction.
  • Presentations (Community America Cardinals Club at Busch Stadium)
    • 10:00 a.m. – 2023 – A Year in Photos with the Cardinals Director of Photography & Digital Assets, Taka Yanagimoto.
    • 11:00 a.m. – Ever wondered what it’s like to cover the Cardinals? Come find out during a Q&A with local reporters, hosted by MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch.
    • 12:30 p.m. – Meet members of Team Fredbird.
    • 1:00 p.m. – Join Jeff Scott from the Cardinals Museum & Tour Operations team to learn how yesterday’s Cardinals influenced today’s bats.
• Cards Caravan: The Cardinals Caravan makes its final stops in Decatur and Centralia, Ill., Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Paducah, Ky.

Additional Winter Warm-Up Information

• Cards Care 50/50 Raffle – Tickets for the 2024 Winter Warm-Up 50/50 raffle, presented by DraftKings at Casino Queen, are available now. Fans who purchase raffle tickets by 5:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 13, will be entered into a bonus raffle for an Adam Wainwright Autographed prize pack including a Wainwright autographed baseball, photo and magnet. Tickets cost $5 for 3 raffle tickets, $10 for 10, $20 for 60, and $50 for 200 and are available for purchase online at cardinals.com/WWU for those located in the state of Missouri and at least eighteen (18) years of age at time of purchase and in person at the event. The raffle will close and the grand prize winner will be drawn on Monday, January 16, at 3:00 p.m. CT.
• Cards Care Store (Cunningham Corner at Busch Stadium) – Open throughout the weekend, the Cardinals Care Store is stocked full of Cardinals memorabilia such as baseball caps, team-issued apparel, t-shirts, game-worn jerseys, autographed photos and bats, and more. Also, any fan that purchased an autograph ticket for a pre-signed baseball from Paul Goldschmidt, Whitey Herzog, Ted Simmons, or Ozzie Smith may redeem their ticket at the Cardinals Care Store to receive their autographed item.
• Cards Clubhouse Self-Guided Tours (Access from Redbird Club at Busch Stadium) – Fans with an admission ticket to the Winter Warm-Up can access the Cards Clubhouse Tour through the Redbird Club on the third level of Busch Stadium. The Clubhouse Tour is a self-guided experience that will be open during regular hours of the event each day. No additional ticket is required for this experience.
• Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum (2^nd Floor of Cardinals Nation at Ballpark Village) – Admission to the Winter Warm-Up includes complimentary admission to the world-class Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.
• Exhibit Hall (Redbird Club at Busch Stadium) – The Exhibit Hall features a variety of premium vendors and kid-friendly activities. Visit cardinals.com/WWU for a full list of Exhibitors.
• Kids Activities (National Car Rental Club) – Kids can enjoy carnival games and photo opportunities.
• Food and Beverage – Concessions will be available for purchase at Busch Stadium in the Redbird Club.  There are several dining options available at Ballpark Village during Winter Warm-Up including:
  • Cardinals Nation Restaurant and Bar – Accessible to WWU ticket holders ONLY during WWU hours
  • Bally Sports Live! – Accessible to WWU ticket holders ONLY during WWU hours
  • Condado
  • Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria
  • Salt & Smoke
  • Sports & Social
  • Clark & Bourbon at Live! by Loews
  • Starbucks
• Stay Updated: Be sure to enable push notifications for the MLB Ballpark App on your smartphone to receive the latest Winter Warm-Up news and event information on your mobile device!
• Admission Tickets: Fans can purchase tickets for the event online at cardinals.com/WWU or at the Busch Stadium box office during Warm-Up hours. Three-day tickets cost $50 for adults (fans age 16 and older) & $25 for children (fans age 4 to 15). Saturday and Sunday Single-day tickets cost $35 for adults & $15 for children. Monday Single-day tickets cost $25 for adults & $15 for children. Children under 4 are free. Active military members and first responders with valid military/first responder ID can visit the Busch Stadium ticket windows on 8th Street (next to Gate 3) on the day of the event they wish to attend to receive one (1) complimentary ticket. Tickets are available while supplies last. Advance complimentary tickets are not available.
• Autograph Tickets: Remaining autograph tickets may be purchased online at cardinals.com/WWU. Every dollar donated for autograph tickets will benefit Redbird Rookies, Cardinals Nike RBI, Cardinals Care Ballfields, and charitable grants to support non-profit organizations that help kids. Donation amounts and updates can be found at cardinals.com/WWU.
• Cards Kids Club Booth: The Cardinals Kids Club, presented by Rawlings and Hi-Chew, will have a booth in the Exhibit Hall in the Redbird Club at Busch Stadium. To learn more about the Cardinals Kids Club, visit cardinals.com/kidsclub.
• Cardinals Authentics: Cardinals Authentics—the only official source of memorabilia directly from the team—will be selling unique game-used, limited edition, exclusive and autographed memorabilia at 2 locations at the Winter Warm-Up. The Cardinals Authentics Shop at Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village is offering select items at 50% off, and specially priced items. The Cardinals Authentics Booth, located in the Exhibit Hall in the Redbird Club at Busch Stadium, will offer deep discounts with game used, team-issued, framed pieces and much more at 50% or more off original price. Stay tuned for special announcements by Cardinals Authentics via Twitter (@CardsAuthentics) throughout the three-day event.
• Official Cardinals Team Store: The Official Cardinals Team Store at Busch Stadium is offering the following specials during the WWU: Buy 2 or more items get 25% off, up to 70% discounted merchandise and select $10 items. The NEW ERA Store located on the north side of Ballpark Village will also feature select $10 items and a 25% discount on 2 or more items. (Some restrictions apply. Not valid with other discounts or promotions). Both stores will open at 9:00 a.m. daily during WWU. Stop by either location for the newest Cardinals gear!
• Cardinals Publications: Cardinals Publications is hosting a “Kids Press Conference” located on the main stage of Ballpark Village on Sunday, January 14, at noon. Kids will learn how to ask questions like reporters and get to practice their skills with Lars Nootbaar, Andre Pallante, and John King. We will also have flyers to sign up for a Cardinals Magazine subscription or to order our collectible 2023 Cardinals Yearbook: “Albert Pujols – The Legend of 5.” For more on Cardinals Publications, visit cardinals.com/publications.
• Green Team: The team’s “4 A Greener Game” initiative will have a booth in the Exhibit Hall in the Redbird Club at Busch Stadium where fans can learn more about the Cardinals Green Team—a group of volunteers who collect recyclables from fans throughout each game at Busch Stadium. In exchange for volunteering, fans are able to watch the game in standing room only sections of Busch Stadium. Visit cardinals.com/green for more information.
• St. Louis Cardinals Staff Recruitment – Interested in working for the St. Louis Cardinals? Visit the Cardinals job recruiting booth in Redbird Club. Positions include Event Attendants, Event Ushers and Community Outreach Team. Visit cardinals.com/jobs for more information.
• Social Media: Throughout the Cardinals Caravan and Winter Warm-Up, fans can stay connected by following the Cardinals on X (@Cardinals), Facebook (@Cardinals), TikTok (@Cardinals) and Instagram (@Cardinals) for the latest news, event updates and behind-the-scenes content. Fans can join the conversation and share their own photos and experiences by using hashtags #CardsWarmUp, #CardsCaravan and #CardsCare.
• Traffic & Parking: For the most up-to-date alerts regarding construction and winter road conditions this weekend, fans can visit the Missouri Department of Transportation’s website at modot.org. Winter Warm-Up event parking can be found at several locations around Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village. Fans can visit cardinals.com/wwu for a complete Winter Warm-Up Fan Guide and FAQs.
• Cardinals and Cardinals Care Sponsors: Cardinals Care and the St. Louis Cardinals would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2024 Winter Warm-Up possible: Ballpark Village, Bally Sports Midwest, Edward Jones, Live! by Loews – St. Louis, In Focus Marketing, KMOV News 4, KMOX Radio 1120 AM, Rawlings, Altair Travel & Cruises, FastSigns of Bridgeton, Betallic Balloons, and Kube Auction Service.

— STL —

About Cardinals Care

Cardinals Care was established to give fans a way to team up with players and the organization to help children in our community—both on and off the baseball field. Established in 1997, Cards Care has invested over $31 million to support St. Louis area children, built or renovated 24 youth ball fields in local under-resourced neighborhoods, and distributed over $17 million in grants to nonprofit organizations. Since 2004, Cards Care has orchestrated the innovative Redbird Rookies program, a free co-ed baseball/softball league for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play.

In addition to providing all the uniforms and equipment needed for each team, Redbird Rookies also provides extensive off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring and the cultural arts for each of the nearly 2,500 kids who participate in the program each year. In 2023, Cards Care launched the Cardinals Nike Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program in cooperation with Major League Baseball to expand baseball and softball opportunities for youth and provide a bridge to more competitive play for those graduating from the Redbird Rookies program. To learn more about all of Cards Care’s programs visit cardinals.com/community and follow @CardinalsCare on X.