St. Louis Cardinals highlight & inclusion efforts in commemoration of 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's MLB debut

ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 14, 2022 – In conjunction with Major League Baseball’s league-wide celebration commemorating the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, the St. Louis Cardinals have announced ways the team will honor Jackie Robinson during Friday’s game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field and how the organization will celebrate Robinson’s legacy throughout the season.

Additionally, April is Celebrate Diversity Month and, in the spirit of Jackie Robinson, the team has launched a website at cardinals.com/celebratediversity highlighting the organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts both on and off the field, in the front office and in the St. Louis community.

Honoring Jackie Robinson On-Field & Throughout the Season

• Cardinals players and coaches will continue the tradition of wearing Robinson’s iconic number on April 15, and for the first time will use Dodger blue “42” jersey numbers. A team-signed Cardinals “42” road jersey will be auctioned off by Major League baseball to raise money for the Jackie Robinson Foundation later this season.
• “42” patches designed in Cardinals-specific uniform colors will appear on jersey sleeves and caps.
• On Opening Day, the Cardinals unveiled a new outfield wall panel honoring the league-wide retirement of Robinson’s uniform number 42.
• The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum will offer a 42% discount ($7 tickets) for all fans purchasing museum admission tickets between Friday, April 15 at 12:01AM CT and Sunday, April 17 at 5PM CT (tickets can be purchased for a future date). Tickets can be purchased online at cardinals.com/museum or in-person at the museum front desk on the second floor of Cardinals Nation. While visiting the museum, fans are encouraged to explore the new display that tells the stories of Black St. Louisans that have been playing baseball in St. Louis since the 1800s, including spotlights on the St. Louis Black Stockings, St. Louis Giants and St. Louis Stars.
• Redbird Rookies youth baseball/softball players and coaches will wear a Jackie Robinson 75th anniversary patch on their caps throughout the season. Harris-Stowe State University baseball and softball teams will also wear a 75th anniversary patch for the remainder of the 2022 season.
• The St. Louis Cardinals have teamed up with the St. Louis Public Library and St. Louis County Library branches to create a Cardinals Library Card and a list of recommended books available for fans of all ages focused on Jackie Robinson’s impact and the history of the Negro Leagues.
• The St. Louis Cardinals and Schnucks will continue the tradition of raising funds for the Jackie Robinson Foundation scholarship recipients by auctioning Cardinals “42” jerseys worn on Jackie Robinson Day. More details will be announced at a later date.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Efforts of the Organization

The St. Louis Cardinals are committed to cultivating an organization that embraces and respects all ethnic, cultural and individual differences, and fosters mutual respect and open communication among all of its members. Below is a list of initiatives and programs the organization has established to celebrate and improve diversity, equity and inclusion efforts surrounding the team, our fans and our community:

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee: Founded in 2018, the Cardinals DEI committee consists of diverse staff members focused on leading internal and external DEI efforts. The DEI committee produces monthly newsletters, a podcast, lunch presentations and brings in guest speakers to educate front office employees on topics and issues regarding Black History Month, Juneteenth, Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, gender equality, LGBTQIA+ community, disability community and more.
• Redbird Rookies Youth Programs: Since 2004, Cardinals Care, the charitable arm of the team, has orchestrated the innovative Redbird Rookies program, a free co-ed baseball/softball league for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play. In addition to providing all the uniforms, gloves, bats, balls and other equipment needed for each team, Redbird Rookies also provides off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring and the cultural arts for each of the nearly 2,500 kids who participate in the program each year.
• Spanish Language Outreach: The Cardinals are committed to reaching our Spanish speaking fans across all platforms. Cardinals fans can hear every home game in Spanish thanks to Cardinals broadcasters Polo Ascencio and Bengie Molina, who have been calling Cardinals games since 2016. Cardinals Spanish broadcasts can be heard locally on La Tremenda 880AM and online via MLB Audio at cardinals.com or on the MLB app. Fans can follow and interact with @cardenales on all social platforms and even pick up a Spanish pocket schedule. The Cardinals are proud members of the St. Louis Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Cardinals’ Spanish radio broadcast information, video and social initiatives can be found at cardinals.com/spanish.
• Theme Tickets: The Cardinals Theme Tickets program is a unique ticket sales initiative targeted towards niche markets and groups, and celebrates multiple community and heritage events each year, with Pride Night, Fiesta Cardenales, and African American Heritage Day becoming highlights of the Theme Ticket schedule. With the purchase of a Theme Ticket, fans receive an exclusive promotional item and access to a pregame event. A portion of each ticket sold is donated back to a charity serving each community.
• Accessibility at Busch Stadium: The St. Louis Cardinals are committed to providing a safe, clean, fun, family-friendly environment to all guests, including those with disabilities. We strive to thoroughly understand and enthusiastically exceed guest expectations. We have given special attention to all areas of the ballpark to ensure that it is fully accessible and continue to look for ways to make each guest’s experience as comfortable as possible. A guide detailing Busch Stadium’s accessibility can be found at cardinals.com/access.
• The Players Alliance: The Cardinals continue to stand with our players, fans, and The Players Alliance in the fight for social justice. The Players Alliance was formed by a group of Black Major League Baseball players, standing together to change our game and use our platform for positive change. The Cardinals and The Players Alliance partnered on the Pull Up Neighbor tour in 2020 to provide food, baseball gear, and more to St. Louisans. In 2021, The Players Alliance made a stop at Busch Stadium in August as part of the Gear For Good tour. The event included an opportunity for fifteen Cardinals Care Redbird Rookies athletes to participate in a meet and greet with Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks, followed by a Q&A session with Cardinals Front Office executives. The Players Alliance also presented each athlete with a bag full of baseball equipment.
• Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars: The Cardinals are proud to support the Jackie Robinson Foundation in their mission of providing scholarship and leadership development programs for minority college students. Since the relationship began more than a decade ago, the Cardinals, with the support of partners Schnucks, Anhesuer-Busch and On the Run, have donated nearly $300,000 to the Foundation to further support area students and their dreams of obtaining a college degree.
• Stars Park Field Renovation and Dedication at Harris-Stowe State University: In conjunction with Cardinals Care and Harris-Stowe State University (a Historically Black University located in the City of St. Louis), the Cardinals dedicated Stars Park Field located on Harris-Stowe’s campus in June 2021. The $1.2 million field renovation and construction project, the largest field renovation project undertaken by the organization, was the result of a seven-figure investment by Cardinals Care and six-figure investment by Harris-Stowe that included fully irrigated fields, seating for 200 at the baseball field and 100 at the softball field, enclosed press boxes, enclosed NAIA level dugouts, and new scoreboards. The state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities sit on the site that served as the home field of the Negro National League’s St. Louis Stars from 1922-31.
• Diversity Awareness Partnership: The St. Louis Cardinals are proud to be a founding partner of Diversity Awareness Partnership (DAP). DAP is a catalyst to increase awareness, facilitate engagement and provide education about diversity and inclusion. Through our partnership, the Cardinals organization supports DAP’s vision of creating inclusive communities where diversity is respected and embraced, and equity is the norm. The Partnership’s key programs include the Annual Diversity Summit, Give Respect – Get Respect youth program, EXPLORE Career Immersion programs, Corporate Diversity Roundtables, and the DAP Connect program.
• EXPLORE Baseball Youth Career Immersion Program: The St. Louis Cardinals partnered with DAP to develop the EXPLORE Baseball Youth Career Immersion program where diverse high school students from the surrounding St. Louis community come to learn about possible career opportunities in baseball. This multi-session program teaches students how to best prepare themselves for a career in the baseball industry, and creates a recruitment pipeline as we strive to continue to develop an inclusive and diverse workforce.
• Cardinals First Pitch Program: The First Pitch program is designed to introduce & prepare diverse college students for careers in baseball. This four-day program introduces selected participants to the world of sports and focuses on key areas such as industry exposure, knowledge of the organization as an employer, professional networking, interview-skill development, resume building, and sales-specific training that could ultimately lead to a successful transition into entry level positions with the St. Louis Cardinals.
• MLB Diverse Business Partners: MLB’s Diverse Business Partners program seeks to promote efficiency and profitability for Major League Baseball and its Clubs while extending Baseball's ability to contribute to the economic growth, strength and well-being of diverse communities. Since the formation and initial implementation stages of the DBP program in 1998, MLB has incurred expenditures over $1 billion with diverse-owned businesses, making DBP an industry-leading program. The program has grown since its beginning to not just include minority and women owned businesses but also veteran-owned, LGBT-owned businesses and small businesses. In 2022, the Cardinals will announce and present the Jackie Robinson "Most Valuable Diverse Business Partner" (MVDBP) to one of our own suppliers. The MVDBP Awards are given on an annual basis, in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day, to minority-owned, women-owned and other diverse-owned businesses and organizations whose work reflects the character and commitment to the excellence of Jackie Robinson's legacy.
• MLB On Deck Sales Program: The Cardinals are proud to participate in the "MLB On Deck" Diversity in Ticket Sales Program. This eight-week-long program aims to provide the basic tools, knowledge, and understanding of the ticket sales business, giving the students valuable insight as they prepare for the interview process for entry level sales positions. Sessions are hosted by MLB and MLB Club personnel with guest speakers from throughout the sports industry. With a focus on engaging with underrepresented participants, MLB aims to grow the diversity and visibility of these groups within the industry, by placing individuals who successfully complete this program directly into hiring pipelines with clubs.