St. Louis Cardinals: Memphis Redbirds and AutoZone Park Ready for Caravan

Aug 12, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals listen to the national anthem before the baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 12, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals listen to the national anthem before the baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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One of the bright spots for St. Louis Cardinals fans during the winter is the Cardinals Caravan as part of the Cardinals Warmup.  One stop on the caravan falls in Memphis at the AAA-affiliate park for fans in the Bluff City.

I have never personally attended a stop on the Cardinals Caravan to see my favorite St. Louis Cardinals players but I understand from friends that this is an exciting time that can take away from the doldrums of the winter. That said, the time for the caravan has arrived.

This season’s caravan is presented by Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance and will visit AutoZone Park on Friday, January 13. A press release was sent by the Memphis Redbirds organization yesterday informing all of the upcoming excitement to hit Memphis.

Admission is free to the event that will begin at 6:30pm that evening with limited seating to first-come, first-served fans who will enter the gates of AutoZone Park at 5:30pm. Fans will flood the park with excitement to see players such as Randal Grichuk, Luke Weaver, Sam Tuivailala, and Austin Gomber.

Grichuk should bring a good number of fans seeking to put eyes on this no-stranger to the Memphis Redbirds.  Weaver promises to bring fans excited to see the to-be starting pitcher for the 2017 Redbirds.  Likewise, Tuivailala is no stranger to Memphis Redbirds fans and his appearance as part of the Caravan could promise him additional playing time in St. Louis in the 2017 season.

Gomber is the interesting wildcard on this slate of names for Memphis.  In all likelihood, Gomber could well see playing in Memphis before the end of the season and fans will flock to meet this young arm during the Caravan. To that end, Gomber is an arm on the rise and this excites fans.

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In addition to the active players, this year’s caravan brings fans face-to-face with the new manager of the Redbirds, Stubby Clapp, as well as former Cardinal, Danny Cox.  Mike Claiborne, St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster, rounds out the list of attendees.

While not actual baseball, the caravan can help take fans attention away from the absence of America’s past-time. This small excitement is just one satiation as fans countdown until the “Battle of the Birds” which will take place this year on Thursday, March 30. The “Battle of the Birds” is the wrap-up to spring training when the St. Louis Cardinals go toe-to-toe with the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park.

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Are you planning to attend a caravan stop? Have you attended one before? If yes, send me a message on Twitter and let me know how it was and if you are planning to attend one this year.  Oh, and baseball cannot come quickly enough, right?