Cardinals unveil City Connect uniforms

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The St. Louis Cardinals, with help from Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist and St. Louis native, Nelly, today unveiled the team’s highly anticipated Nike MLB City Connect Series uniform and merchandise line.

The new uniforms, which feature red jerseys paired with white pants, includes a modern take on the iconic “Birds on the Bat” with chain-stitched lettering showcasing a familiar nickname for St. Louis (“The Lou”) that gained mainstream popularity through use by Nelly in his debut single and album, Country Grammar.  The Cardinals’ City Connect jerseys mark the first time in franchise history that a red jersey will be produced for regular season play.

“The St. Louis Cardinals jersey is one of the most iconic in all of sports and we are proud to introduce our new City Connect uniform to build on that legacy,” said Team President Bill DeWitt III.  “A great deal of thought went into the design, and I believe our fans will appreciate the many uniform elements that were inspired by the organization’s 140-plus years in St. Louis.”

 CARDINALS CITY CONNECT DESIGN ELEMENTS AND INSPIRATION

St. Louis and the Cardinals. The Cardinals and St. Louis. An iconic city and an iconic franchise, stitched together in history.  In 2024, this historic pairing is getting a fresh new look. The Cardinals City Connect features a nod to our proud history in The Lou, while keeping our gaze fixed on a bright future (see attached one-page PDF for visualization):

• Jersey Front—Birds on the Bat and “The Lou”: Featuring a modern take on the traditional “Birds on the Bat”, the chain-stitched jersey lettering showcases a familiar nickname for St. Louis that gained mainstream popularity through use by STL-native and Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly.
• Lower Jersey & Cap Lettering: Reviving a classic Cardinals font, the “STL” cap and “ST. LOUIS CARDINALS” lower jersey font pay homage to the team’s 1920-21 jersey lettering, the final seasons before the “Birds on the Bat” were introduced.
• Circle Arm Patch: The sleeve patch is a salute to The Lou’s two most enduring historic symbols: the fleur-de-lis commemorating St. Louis’ French founding and heritage, along with a civic icon, the Gateway Arch.
• Jersey & Pants River Pinstripes: Introducing a new twist on a traditional baseball uniform standard, the river pinstripes represent St. Louis’ historic role as a river city, situated at the confluence of the Missouri and the mighty Mississippi.  It marks the first use of pinstripes on a Cardinals uniform since 1929.
• 1882 Inside Collar: Commemorating the official birth of the franchise through the founding of the American Association’s St. Louis Brown Stockings, the jersey features a vintage “1882” on the inner collar.
• Red Jersey: The team’s City Connect jerseys marks the first time in franchise history that a red jersey is being produced for regular season play.

 WEAR SCHEDULE

The Cardinals will debut their City Connect uniforms on-field on Saturday, May 25 against the Chicago Cubs.  The team will wear the new uniforms an additional 11 times in 2024, all at home:

Friday, June 7 vs. Colorado                                               Wednesday, August 7 vs. Tampa Bay

Sunday, June 23 vs. San Francisco                                 Friday, August 16 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Friday, June 28 vs. Cincinnati                                           Saturday, August 17 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Tuesday, July 9 vs. Kansas City                                        Sunday, September 8 vs. Seattle

Friday, July 12 vs. Chicago Cubs                                      Friday, September 20 vs. Cleveland

Sunday, July 28 vs. Washington                                         

 WHERE TO BUY

Cardinals City Connect merchandise will be physically available exclusively at Busch Stadium starting today through Saturday, May 25, at the following locations:

• Official Team Store at Busch Stadium: The Official Team Store will open to the public today at 8 AM until 4:45 PM.  The store’s concourse doors inside the ballpark will re-open at 5:15 PM for ticketed guests only. 
• Cardinals Authentics Shop at Ballpark Village:  The Authentics Shop will open to the public today at 8 AM until first pitch.  Open daily from 10 AM-6 PM (or first pitch on gamedays).
• City Connect Pop-up Store inside the ballpark at Cunningham Corner: The Cardinals will operate a special in-stadium pop-up store in Cunningham Corner (located on Level 2 outside the entrances to the Budweiser 703 Club and UMB Champions Club in left field) for ticketed fans dedicated entirely to City Connect merchandise for the entirety of the team’s homestand that runs through Sunday, May 26.
• City Connect Merchandise Trailer: Located outside the ballpark near Gate 5 along Clark Avenue.       

CITY CONNECT LAUNCH PARTIES

To celebrate the launch of the Cardinals’ City Connect uniforms, the team will host a pair of launch parties outside the ballpark at Ballpark Village on Monday, May 20, and Saturday, May 25.

Prior to Busch Stadium gates opening on May 20, chart-topping music producer and St. Louis native Metro Boomin and other local DJs will perform a live, brief outdoor music set at the

Together Credit Union Plaza at Ballpark Village. The event is free and open to the public and is scheduled to begin at approximately 4:30 PM.

The Cardinals, Nike and Fanatics will also host a City Connect pregame celebration May 25 at the Together Credit Union Plaza at Ballpark Village featuring music, interactive entertainment, and prize/ticket giveaways, with appearances from Team Fredbird and other special guests.  The event is free and open to the public from 12:00-6:00PM.

I’M FROM THE LOU AND I’M PROUD

Below is a transcription of the Cardinals City Connect reveal video as read by St. Louis icon Nelly that was posted on the team’s social media channels this morning.  Fan can view the video at cardinals.com/CityConnect:

 You know where you can find me? You can find me in The Gateway City.

Where we welcome you, to a monumental view, of our hometown.

Expressive. Creative. Innovative.

A town teeming with music.

Surrounded by soul, generated by jazz and blues.

A home for hip hop, with rock & roll roots.

A culinary hotspot, with slices squared, custard concrete and ravioli toasted.

A city built to brew and destined to deliver.

Where aspiration stays afloat and Spirit flies forever.

Where the grammar is a little bit street, and a little bit country.

5 or 105 degrees, we check the score of the game more than the weather.

Sports centric, with unparalleled passion.

You know where you can find me? You can find me in St. Louis.

In baseball heaven.

With more rings than you can fit on 2 hands.

So, what does it take to be number one?

It takes a connection.

Chain-stitching the Birds on the bat and the city together.

Never forgetting our history, and wearing your heart on your sleeve.

It’s a river flowing to the only place mightier than the Mississippi.

The Lou.

You see, we brought something new to The Lou.

Rich in tradition, and immersed in Cardinals red.

Representing the 314 with a fresh look.

Threads for those who are St. Louis Material.

Doesn’t matter if you started here, or just arrived.

When you’re part of Cardinals Nation, you’re from here.

So say it loud, I’m from The Lou and I’m proud.

 First unveiled in 2021, the Nike MLB City Connect Series celebrates the deep-rooted history, culture and spirit of each city that continues to bring the clubs and their communities together.  The Cardinals are the 26th team to launch their City Connect uniforms and the sixth to do so in 2024. 

More information about the St. Louis Cardinals Nike MLB City Connect Series uniform, an explanation of the uniform’s design elements, wear dates, and related information can be found at cardinals.com/CityConnect.