ST. LOUIS – Adam Wainwright, one of the most prolific pitchers in recent St. Louis Cardinals history, will retire after the team’s final home series this weekend.
The Cardinals will celebrate Wainwright’s career on each of the final three days of the 2023 regular season at Busch Stadium. Wainwright will not pitch, but could potentially take one more at-bat in a low-leverage situation.
Tens of thousands of fans are expected at Busch Stadium this weekend to thank Wainwright and enjoy his final moments as a Cardinal. There will be a variety of activities, events and promotions this weekend for fans to embrace in honor of Wainwright’s career.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect:
Friday, Sept. 29
Game time: 7:15 p.m.
Sign a “Thank You” Card: The Cardinals and Bally Sports Midwest have teamed up for an opportunity that allows fans to sign a giant “Thank You” card honoring Wainwright. Fans can sign one of two seven-foot cards. They will be available at the Budweiser Terrace within Busch Stadium beginning at 5:15 p.m. Friday. The cards will be presented to Adam Wainwright later this weekend.
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 200th career victory on Sept. 18, and it’s officially the final game of his MLB career. Jake Woodford, Drew Rom and Miles Mikolas will start the final three games in order this weekend.
The Cardinals have been eliminated from postseason so don’t have too much to play for other than pride. That said, this weekend’s opponents (the Cincinnati Reds) still have a slim chance at postseason, so they could battle to play spoiler up until the final day.
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. The games will be broadcast on 1120 KMOX.
As for Wainwright, he is in the Top 3 among all-time Cardinals pitchers in wins (200), innings pitched (2,668.1), games started (410) and strikeouts 2,202). For more information on his upcoming celebration, click here.