St. Louis Cardinals: Games you have to go to in 2016

Today we take a break from St. Louis Cardinals’ roster construction, player predictions, rumors and the like. We are going to look for the best games to go to in 2016.

As a fan when the St. Louis Cardinals release their schedule, there are a few things I usually look at when choosing which games I want to attend. The first thing I look at is whether or not the Cardinals are home on or around my wife and I’s birthdays. The next thing I look for is the good cheap games to attend (when the Miami Marlins or Milwaukee Brewers come to town). I then start planning for the games I want to attend to get the really cool giveaway.

However, you have your own criteria for games you want to go to in 2016. So, today we are going to simplify things into three categories. The best giveaways, the best value, and the best matchups. With that said, let’s take a look at what games you should attend in 2016.

The Best Giveaways

April 15th Replica Busch Stadium III with lights

This sounds amazing, a little mini Busch Stadium that lights up. This is the first really good giveaway of the season for the Cardinals, as it kicks off a weekend series against the Reds that also includes a Adam Wainwright Bobblehead and Replica Yadier Molina home jersey.

This is a solid weekend altogether, but the Replica Stadium is a unique item that I have not seen before. Add in the fact that it lights up and you have one solid giveaway that will be a solid addition to anybody’s collection. I may just see about attending this game.

July 15-17 2006 World Series Anniversary Weekend

This weekend is going to be packed full of giveaways, as the Miami Marlins come to town. Friday night’s giveaway is a 2006 World Series Beer Stein. Speaking from experience, this is a pretty neat item to own, I have one of the 2011 World Series Steins and it is a unique item in my collection. This could make for a fun grab and a likely Cardinals W against the Marlins.

The fun doesn’t stop there, Saturday night’s giveaway is a 2006 Mystery Player World Series Ring. So, not only do you get a sweet replica of the 2006 World Series ring, but you also get a mystery player from the 2006 team’s ring. So, you could get Ronnie Belliard or Albert Pujols, it just depends on your luck.

You’d think that would do it right? A ring and beer stein is good enough to make any weekend, but the Cardinals still want you to attend Sunday’s game. That day you get the 2006 Mystery Player Jersey. So, you could conceivably walk out of the stadium with a sweet replica So Taguchi home jersey, or maybe even World Series MVP David Eckstein. Either one would a sweet grab for a Cardinals’ fan.

June 4th Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina “Final Out” Bobblehead.

This is without a doubt the mother of all giveaways in the Cardinals’ 2016 season. The iconic embrace between Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright after the final out of the 2006 World Series has been made into a bobblehead. This is pretty amazing and is pretty ingenious by the Cardinals’ marketing department. While I really want to get tickets to this game, I see them being a hefty price and the line being incredibly long that night.

However, I will most certainly diligently try to get tickets to that game. I will sit nosebleeds to walk away with this one of a kind bobblehead.While the night before’s 2006 replica World Series Trophy is pretty sweet in it’s own right, it simply doesn’t compare to the Molina/Wainwright bobblehead.

Next: Bang for your buck

The Best Value Games of the Season

Thursday May 5th Phillies @ Cardinals 12:45 PM

This game will likely be one of the cheapest tickets you can find on the secondary market. The kids are still in school and the rebuilding and bad Philadelphia Phillies will be in town. Bleacher seats for this game (my favorite) will undoubtedly be in the single digits for this game. With this game being three days after my birthday, the wife and I may just take a “sick” day and go see the Cardinals finish a four game sweep of the Phillies.

Wednesday May 25th Cubs @ Cardinals 12:45 PM

Here we have yet another “get away day game” where the two teams will both be headed out of town after the game. However, what makes this a great value is that it is the Cubs and it is a midweek day game, when many kids will still be in school meaning tickets will be quite cheap. I would expect to see bleacher seats for this game in the $10-$20 range, meaning it will be one heck of a value.

Wednesday June 15th Astros @ Cardinals 7:15 PM

I always enjoy seeing the American League teams come to town for a series, as it makes for a fun opportunity to see players you don’t get to see all of the time. The Astros are a young and exciting team, and to see them come to town, with players like Carlos Correa and George Springer it will be a fun game. With it being relatively early in the summer, tickets should be fairly cheap for the game. If you show up in time you will receive a sweet Commemorative Michael Wacha Baseball Card.

Next: Marquee match-ups