Season Ticket Holder
Opening Day Release
APRIL 13, 2015 – OPENING DAY IN ST. LOUIS
Tradition Meets Today for Season Ticket Holders at Opening
Day 2015
ST. LOUIS – April 9, 2015 – A pre-game ceremony that welcomes home the 2014 National League Central Division
Champions, honors the team’s Hall of Famers, and commemorates the great tradition of Opening Day in St. Louis will
punctuate a day of activities celebrating the annual return of baseball to St. Louis on Monday, April 13th. The Cardinals
will take on the Milwaukee Brewers in a 3:15 p.m. game. Following is a schedule of official activities and information to
help Season Ticket Holders enjoy the great tradition that is Opening Day in St. Louis (#OpeningDaySTL).
Opening Day in St. Louis 2015 – Tradition Meets Today
Tradition Meets Today - It is the theme of the 2015 season and the focus of the home opener this year. No one
day better embodies the rich tradition of the St. Louis Cardinals than Opening Day at Busch Stadium. Despite the fact
that the Cardinals are celebrating their 124th season of play in the National League, there is always something fresh and
new about the home opener.
In a city where baseball is a religion and the fan passion is extraordinary, the story of Opening Day is told more
effectively through poetry than prose. Opening Day in St. Louis is a day where generations of fans from all walks of life
and different corners of the community come together in fellowship to celebrate their deep connection with the team
and with one another.
The tradition is passed on from year to year, from teammate to teammate, and from fan to fan. The tradition is
also refreshed and renewed each spring. For many fans, Opening Day in St. Louis is a long-standing tradition they
celebrate annually. For others, a new tradition will be born on Monday in St. Louis.
Regardless of how a fan shares the Opening Day experience, what gate they enter, seat or standing room spot
they occupy, or how they choose to share the experience (in park, at Ballpark Village, online, on social media, with the
At Bat 15 app, on TV, via radio etc.), all Cardinals fans are part of the important tradition that embodies the hope, joy
and shared purpose that a new season of baseball brings. It doesn’t matter if you are a child attending your first game or
a Hall of Famer celebrating 70 seasons in baseball, Opening Day is sure to give you goosebumps. This Monday, Opening
Day in St. Louis is where Tradition Meets Today.
Schedule
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Cardinals Official Opening Day Pre-Game Pep Rally, sponsored by Hardee’s: The Cardinals,
Ballpark Village and Hardee’s will host a pre-game pep rally in the Ballpark Village parking lot.
Fan favorite, DJ Todd Thomas will perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fredbird and Team Fredbird will be on hand to give away Opening Day tickets, autographed
items and other Cardinals prizes. Fans can purchase a Hardee’s Combo Meal after regular
breakfast hours from the Mobile Diner or Hardee’s restaurant on Chestnut and receive a free
Cardinals t-shirt while supplies last. Other sponsors include: Budweiser, FOX Sports Midwest,
Goodwill, The Muny, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Office Essentials and The Tan Company. Fans can
get their picture with a single Budweiser Clydesdale (weather permitting).
1:15 p.m.
Gates open
Budweiser Magnet Schedule Day: All ticketed-fans, ages 21 and over, will receive a magnet
with the 2015 Cardinals schedule, compliments of Budweiser Beer.
2:30 p.m.
Pre-game ceremonies begin with an appearance by the famed Budweiser Clydesdales.
Introduction of St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, and
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon
Introduction of Fredbird and Team Fredbird
Hall of Famers will be introduced via a Ford Motorcade, led around the warning track. Each Hall
of Famer will be riding in a 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible.
Tradition Meets Today Video
Introduction of three members of the 2014 Class of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame from
the dugout (Jim Edmonds, Willie McGee and Mike Shannon)
Introduction of the 2015 St. Louis Cardinals via Ford Motorcade. The players will ride in 2015
Ford F-150s.
Season Ticket Holder
Opening Day Release
Introduction of the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals lineups
Color Guard and American Flag in Center Field, courtesy of the service men and women of Ft.
Leonard Wood
American Bald Eagle, courtesy of the World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis
Tribute to Oscar Taveras and moment of silence for Bryan Burwell and Oscar Taveras
The National Anthem will be performed by Retired U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Generald
Wilson
Ceremonial First Pitch by Willie McGee to Ozzie Smith
3:15 p.m.
Game Time
Watching on TV
Fans can watch the game and pre-game ceremony in High Definition on FOX Sports Midwest.
Radio Coverage
Fans can tune into KMOX (1120 AM) or one of the 140 Stations in the Cardinals Radio Network to hear Mike Shannon
and John Rooney call the game. The expanded pre-game show starts at 1:40 p.m.
Online or On the Go
Fans may also follow the game for free on cardinals.com using the Gameday application, or via the team’s Twitter
account, @Cardinals. From mobile devices, fans can keep tabs on the score using MLB’s mobile app, At Bat 15.
Getting to the Game
MoDOT will not have any scheduled lane closures on state highways inside the city limits for Opening Day. There have
been several changes to roadways around the downtown area – most importantly on Memorial. Drivers should pay
attention to the roadways, as roads they are familiar with may have changed. Since the ramp from the Poplar Street
Bridge to eastbound I-44 (formerly westbound I-70) is closed for reconstruction, Illinois drivers should use the ramp to
9th Street.
From northbound I-55, drivers can continue on eastbound I-44 to Walnut or to Washington. From eastbound I-70,
drivers can take the Tucker ramp into the city, or stay on westbound I-44 and exit at Broadway. Illinois drivers can now
also use the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge to get into downtown. When they get off the bridge, they can
follow Tucker into the downtown area. As usual, Clark Street will be closed in between the stadium and Ballpark Village.
Alternative Transportation
MetroLink is a convenient alternative to driving. To avoid the traffic congestion and the cost of parking on game day,
fans can use one of 19 free Park-Ride lots along the MetroLink line and take the train to Stadium Station, right across the
street from the ballpark. Check the Metro website, MetroSt.Louis.org, for schedules and the Park-Ride lot nearest
you. There are also plenty of buses in Missouri and Illinois that will get fans to Busch Stadium including the RedBird
Express that departs from the Water Tower at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Illinois. The first RedBird Express
leaves 2 ½ hours before the game and runs approximately every 5 minutes. On Opening Day, the RedBird Express will
start running at noon.
Ballpark Improvements
As the Cardinals begin their tenth season of play in Busch Stadium, the team has made a number of
improvements to the stadium during the offseason, including a major expansion of the UMB Champions Club, as well as
a variety of other upgrades and maintenance projects throughout the ballpark.
The UMB Champions Club, one of the most sought after, all-inclusive, luxury VIP fan experiences within the
ballpark has undergone a 1,000 square foot expansion, including the installation of 87 new seats. The club was expanded
to the south over the Musial Bridge as well as to the north toward the Budweiser Bow Tie Bar.
The Gate 5 area of the ballpark was reconfigured to improve the pedestrian flow within the ballpark and fan
access to the park. The gates were moved 12 feet north toward Clark Street. These improvements have also improved
the site lines from the AT&T Rooftop and other spots within Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village.
A new retail store has been added in centerfield featuring hats from New Era, 47 Brand and American Needle,
and an embroidery machine to create custom hats. The store is located in Ford Plaza at the entrance to the Family
Pavilion.
One of the biggest changes fans will note this season is the installation of walk-through metal detectors at all of
the gates and stadium entrances as part of Major League Baseball’s implementation of mandatory metal detection
screening of all guests at all MLB ballparks in 2015.
For more than a decade, the Cardinals have conducted systematic screening of fans with handheld metal
detectors. In order to ensure effective screening of all guests who enter the park with minimal inconvenience or delay,
the Cardinals have installed walk-through magnetometers at all gates and increased event staffing by twenty percent.
Season Ticket Holder
Opening Day Release
Additional upgrades and improvements include:

Extensive painting of all of the exposed structural steel around the ballpark

New televisions have been installed in various sections of the ballpark.

The installation of new backstop netting behind home plate

More directional signage has been installed to assist fans navigating the ballpark.

The re-numbering of all bleacher seat sections from 500 sections to 100 sections to better reflect that
the bleachers are located on the first level of the ballpark (101,103,105,107, 109, 111, 189, 191, 193,
195, 197).

The installation of LED light fixtures in a variety of locations within the ballpark to improve illumination
while also enhancing energy efficiency

The installation of new flooring throughout select areas of the ballpark.
In addition to the ballpark improvements, some operational changes will be in place during 2015 season. The
most notable change is that gates will open 1 ½ hours prior to games on Monday thru Thursday (with the exception of
Opening Day & holidays), and two hours prior to Friday, Saturday and Sunday games. Food and beverage service in AllInclusive areas will commence when the ballpark opens. Gate 4 will permanently become the only smoking/ re-entry
gate.
New Menu for 2015
Delaware North Companies Sportservice, the St. Louis Cardinals’ concessionaire for more than 50 years, is
preparing to welcome fans back to the Stadium with a starting lineup of food to please every fan’s unique taste. New are
several menu items in concessions and suites along with a second location of a 2014 fan favorite, The Barrel Aged
Cocktail Bar, featuring craft cocktails. Delaware North Executive Chef Larry Johnson and his culinary team have
developed a wide array of new menu items for both concessions and suites. Following is a list of the new concession
menu items:

Waffle Sandwiches – Waffles cooked to order with choice of fried chicken breast with maple bacon gravy;
chicken carnitas with crispy bacon, pico de gallo and ranch dressing; or BBQ pulled pork with creamy coleslaw
and BBQ sauce. Each sandwich is served with white queso tater tots (“Crowd The Plate Stand”-section 148).

Walking Tacos - Choice of original Doritos or Fritos topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and salsa.
Build on that with nacho beef, pulled pork or chicken carnitas. (Sections 266, 432, 199) Shrimp Walking Tacos
are available at the Island Grill location near Section 144. Nacho Beef Walking Tacos (only) will also be vended in
the seats.

Extreme Bacon Sandwich – BBQ spiced ground pork filled with cheddar cheese and crisp chopped bacon,
wrapped with apple-wood-smoked bacon and finished with barbeque glaze. The sandwich is carved to order,
served on a locally baked Hawaiian bun with BBQ aioli and served with maple bacon chips (Broadway BBQ –
Section 109 and Bacon Station Portable at Section 446).

Turkey Burger – A ground turkey patty served on a locally-baked Hawaiian bun with arugula, guacamole and
pico de gallo. Comes with house-fried tortilla chips (Double Play Tap & Grill-Section 135).

Double Gooey Burger – This half-pound burger consists of two fresh grilled patties served on a locally baked
Hawaiian bun with two slices of American cheese, signature sauce, shredded lettuce and sliced tomato (Double
Play Tap & Grill-Section 135).

Quadruple Gooey Burger – This one-pound burger consists of four fresh grilled patties served on a locally baked
Hawaiian bun with four slices of American cheese, signature sauce, shredded lettuce and sliced tomato (Double
Play Tap & Grill – Section 135).

Big Kahuna – An 8-oz. jumbo ice cream sandwich cookie (Available at all Ballpark Favorites concession stands
and vended throughout the stadium).

Oreo Churro – A 7-inch double-twist Oreo batter churro with Oreo crème dipping sauce (Redbird Club – Section
251 and Oreo/Funnel Cake Portables at Sections 454 and 145).

7-oz. Bavarian Pretzel – An oversize Bavarian-style pretzel large enough to share with family or friends
(Gashouse Grills, Sections 141, 101, 271, 264, 266, 432).

Bacon Cheddar Bratwurst – Locally produced by Norrenberns Foods for Busch stadium with chopped bacon,
cheddar cheese and topped with BBQ sauce (Broadway BBQ – Section 109 and The Bacon Station Portable –
Section 446).

Pretzel Bites – Locally made by A Different Twist, these pretzel poppers are served with white queso dipping
sauce (Crowd the Plate – Section 148 & Triple Play in Section 271).

Deep-Fried Oreo Cookies – Oreo cookies fried in funnel cake batter and served with a side of whipped cream
and chocolate sauce (Redbird Club Section 251 and Crowd the Plate Stand at Section 148).
Season Ticket Holder
Opening Day Release
Due to customer demand, Cardinals fans will also have another new spot at which to quench their thirst. The second
location of The Barrel Aged Cocktail Bar (Section 130) features a wide array of craft cocktails made fresh from a variety
of ingredients, including fine spirits, fresh fruits and juices. Among the new craft cocktails: The Dark and Stormy, made
with dark rum and ginger beer; the Crisp Caramel Apple, made with Crown Royal Regal Apple and Sprite; the Specialty
Bloody Mary with Absolut Cilantro Vodka; the B.L.T., made with Bulleit Bourbon, a lemon garish and tonic water; and
three cocktails made with White Lightnin’, including Redbird Punch made with White Lightin’ and Apple Pie Moonshine
mixed with cranberry juice and ginger ale.
BUSCH STADIUM – POLICY REMINDERS
Bag Inspections Policy

The standard game-day bag inspection policies for Busch Stadium will be in effect. Bags must meet Major
League Baseball’s standard size restriction (16”x16”x8”), and all bags will be inspected prior to entry.

Fans will be permitted to bring small personal cameras and will be subject to inspection. No professional-sized
photography equipment will be allowed except for members of the media with proper MLB credentials.

Non-alcoholic beverages such as water and soda in open cups or in clear plastic bottles no larger than 2 liters are
allowed.

Alcohol, bottles, cans, thermoses, hard-sided coolers; hard plastic cups/mugs are not permitted.

Small banners and signs are allowed. Banners may be displayed as long as they do not hinder or interfere with a
ball in play or distract or interfere with the view of another guest. Banners may not be displayed in fair territory,
be obscene or in poor taste, attract abuse or cause a disturbance among other guests. They should be baseballoriented and not commercial in nature.

Please minimize items you bring into the stadium to speed up the inspection process.

Expect long lines upon entry and allow yourself plenty of time to go through the inspection process.
Exit/Re-entry Policy
Standard Exit/Re-entry Policies are in effect. Guests wishing to leave the stadium, but planning to return during the
same game must present their ticket, obtain a re-entry card, and have their hand stamped at Gate 4 as they exit the
stadium. Guests must show their ticket, re-entry card and hand stamp as they pass through the metal detectors upon reentry.
No Smoking Policy
Standard Busch Stadium Smoking Policy is in effect. Busch Stadium is a smoke-free facility, including “smokeless”
cigarettes. Exit/re-entry turnstiles will be set up at Gate 4 to allow fans access in and out of the stadium if they wish to
smoke. Guests must show their ticket, re-entry card and hand stamp as they pass through the metal detectors upon reentry.
– STL –