The Cardinals Caravan will make its annual trip to
Springfield on Friday, January 18th. For the first time, the Caravan will be held
at Weiser Gym on the Drury University campus and is slated to kick off at 7pm.
Former Springfield Cardinal Brendan Ryan, along
with Ron Flores, Skip Schumaker and Brian Barton will be the four featured
Cardinals players on the Caravan this year. Former Cardinals Danny Cox, Jack
Clark and John Costello will headline the alumni class in attendance. Cardinals’
announcer John Rooney will be the emcee for the evening. St. Louis pitching
coach Dave Duncan is a late addition to the festivities.
A member of the St. Louis 40-man roster, Ryan
became the fourth Springfield Cardinal in club history to make his major league
debut with the Cardinals. Ryan saw time in Springfield in both 2005 and
2006.
Schumaker, who is visiting Springfield as part of
the Caravan for the second time in three years, is expected to compete for a
starting job in the outfield this coming spring. Flores and Barton are both new
to the organization, with Flores coming over from Oakland, while Barton was
recently picked up from the Cleveland Indians in last December’s Rule 5 Draft.
Doors open at 6:30pm with the fun set to begin at
7pm. Admission for the Cardinals Caravan is $5 for adults and $3 for kids (ages
3-12). Autographs are free for kids ages 12 and under. All proceeds will benefit
the Children’s Miracle Network.
In addition to appearing at Weiser Gym during the
evening, the caravan will also visit Cox South and St. John’s Hospital earlier
in the day. The caravan will stop by both hospitals, beginning at approximately
2pm to visit the pediatric ward and other areas.
The St. Louis Cardinals will meet the Springfield
Cardinals in a pair of exhibition games at Hammons Field, on March 28th and
29th. The only way to guarantee a seat to those games is to become a Season
Ticket Holder.
For more information on the 2008 Cardinals Caravan,
and purchasing a season ticket, call (417) 863-2143. You can also visit
www.stlcardinals.com or www.springfieldcardinals.com for
additional information and updates.