ST. LOUIS – Adam Wainwright only has a few more starts left in his illustrious career, and the St. Louis Cardinals have planned several days of celebrations for the grand finale.
The Cardinals will celebrate Wainwright’s career on each of the final three days of the 2023 regular season at Busch Stadium. That coincides with the Cardinals’ final home series of the season against the Cincinnati Reds, during which Wainwright is projected to start at least one of those three games.
Here’s a quick breakdown of events and giveaways that fans could expect in his big sendoff:
Friday, Sept. 29
Game time: 7:15 p.m.
Theme-ticket giveaway: Wainwright’s stadium tours, consisting of pregame walks and history lessons around MLB ballparks, have become well-known in recent years. With the purchase of a theme ticket, fans can take home a shirt that reads “Forever in the Waino Era” and celebrates his adventurous spirit. There will also be a pregame concert by local cover band Taylor Made.
Click here for a look at available theme tickets.
Promotion: Unrelated to Wainwright’s celebrations, the Cardinals will give out an adult-sized long-sleeve pullover to the first 25,000 fans who are 16 or older.
Saturday, Sept. 30
Game time: 6:15 p.m.
Promotion: Unrelated to Wainwright’s celebrations, the Cardinals will give out an adult Cardinals corduroy hat to the first 25,000 fans who are 16 or older.
Postgame concert: After the game, Adam Wainwright will lead a unique musical performance on the field. He will be joined by many who accompanied him during his Opening Day “Star Spangled Banner” performance. Wainwright expects to devut three new original songs from his upcoming album.
Fireworks: An in-stadium fireworks celebration will follow Wainwright’s performance.
Sunday, Oct. 1
Game time: 2:15 p.m.
Promotion: The Cardinals will give out an exclusive, one-of-a-kind Adam Wainwright-inspired guitar to the first 25,000 fans who are 16 or older. The guitars are 21 inches tall and pay tribute to Wainwright’s music adventures. The front side has Wainwright’s name, his number 50 and a St. Louis Cardinals logo on it. The back side has a print of Wainwright playing guitar and a facsimile signature.
Pre-game ceremony: The Cardinals will host an on-field pre-game ceremony honoring Wainwright and the top moments from his 18-year MLB career. Former teammates and Cardinals dignitaries will also take part in the ceremony. Fans should be in their seats no later than 1:30 p.m. for the best experience.
Everything Else To Know
Wainwright earned his 199th career victory on Tuesday against the AL-leading Baltimore Orioles. He needs one more to become just the third pitcher to reach 200 with the Cardinals and just the sixth-active pitcher with as many wins.
If healthy and used on a regular rotation, Wainwright will have around three more chances to try and reach 200 career wins. These are his projected outings:
- Monday, Sept. 18 against the Milwaukee Brewers
- Saturday/Sunday, Sept. 23/24 against the San Diego Padres
- Final home series against the Cincinnati Reds
The Cardinals have not yet announced which date Wainwright might pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the final home series, but he’s lined up to be on regular rest for any of the final three.
The Cardinals will likely be eliminated from postseason contention in the upcoming days, so the final series could be low-leverage from St. Louis’ standpoint. The Reds, their final opponent of the season, could still be fighting for an NL Central division crown or Wild Card spot, so there’s definitely an opportunity to play spoiler.
All three games and the Sunday pregame ceremony are expected to air on Bally Sports Midwest for fans who cannot attend the ballpark to witness Wainwright’s celebration.
As for Wainwright, he is in the Top 3 among all-time Cardinals pitchers in wins (199), innings pitched (2,611.1), games started (410) and strikeouts 2,199). For more information on his upcoming celebration, click here.
