Nothing like Opening Day at the ballpark

All of the pageantry of Opening Day was back!

The magnificent Clydesdales.

The Hall of Famers.

The red, white and blue stadium bunting.

A packed house filled with a sea of red.

The Gateway Arch making a picturesque back drop with an arch cut into the bright green grass on the field.

Even Albert Pujols was back in his familiar No. 5 on the Birds on the Bat jersey for the first time in 11 years.

After two years of COVID-19 throwing a curveball at baseball, opening day in St. Louis returned with all its glory.

We needed it.

I needed it.

Baseball needed it.

In a pregame interview, Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright said it was a distraction and a return to normal that the fans needed from all the events of the past two years and “we’re glad to give it to them.”

He added, “We (the players) needed it, too.”

There were no fans in the stadium at all in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. And though I was fortunate to attend the 2021 home opener with a reduced amount of fans allowed in the ballpark, which had some perks with less traffic and more space to roam, it was just not the same.

No one throws opening day festivities like the St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s like Christmas and a birthday all rolled into one.

Many say Opening Day should be a national holiday. I agree.

You want Hall of Famers? They were there: National Baseball Hall of Famers Bruce Sutter, Ozzie Smith, Ted Simmons, Whitey Herzog and Joe Torre along with fellow Cardinals Hall of Famers in their trademark red sport coats like Tim McCarver, Mike Shannon, John Tudor, Scott Rolen, Willie McGee, Mark McGwire, Jimmy Edmonds, Vince Coleman and Tommy Herr.

Sadly Hall of Famers Red, Lou, Gibby and Stan the Man have left us in recent years.

This year’s opener came with another twist as the potential last one for three Cardinals legends - catcher Yadier Molina and Pujols and pitcher Adam Wainwright. Moline and Pujols have both said this is their last ride, while Wainwright has hinted at, but not committed to, a retirement party just yet.

I can only imagine the goose bumps that the Cardinals rookies and newcomers experienced as they were driven around the stadium in the back of pick-up trucks and introduced for the first time on Opening Day at Busch Stadium.

One of the perks of the job is to be able to step on the field, getting a much closer look at the pregame activities. It was great to step back on that hallowed ground and I’ve never taken it for granted.

I said hello to fellow ISU Redbird alum Paul Dejong of the Cardinals, who told me he remembered our last encounter at the Cardinals Caravan in Normal three years ago.

I saw several Cardinals like Tyler O’Neill take time to sign autographs for young fans, who asked them how they like baseball.

St. Bede alum Kyle Dinges, who is in radio marketing for the Cardinals, sent me some behind the scenes pictures of the Clydesdale being prepared to take the field and the current Cardinals watching the parade of the Hall of Famers.

The Cardinals didn’t disappoint, belting three home runs on the way to a 9-0 win over the N.L. Central rival Pirates.

Wainwright threw six shutout innings for the win, his 100th victory at Busch Stadium 3, more than any other pitcher.

It was a perfect day in many ways. Just the fact that opening day was back in her full glory, made it a win no matter the final score.

Kevin Hieronymus is the BCR Sports Editor. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnews.com