Potential home run celebrations for the Cardinals in 2024

Home run celebrations are growing in popularity across baseball. From the Baltimore Orioles' "Home Hose" to the Seattle Mariners' trident, each team is finding a home run celebration customized to its liking.

The St. Louis Cardinals have used pepper grinders, a burger phone, and even a home run water splash of their own a few years back. The historically buttoned-up organization isn't one to "let loose" and have fun, and last year's team left little to celebrate in the end, but a rousing cheer with a unique twist can go a long way to building a clubhouse culture.

Here are five home run celebrations the Cardinals could use next year.

1. A twist on the Gateway Arch

This could occur in a few different ways. Perhaps the most exciting form of a Gateway Arch celebration would come in the form of players making themselves into a handful of arches by hoisting each other up. Inflatable arches could be brought out of the tunnels as well, but transporting those to other cities could become cumbersome.

2. A rowboat

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their explorations westward out of St. Louis on May 14, 1804. To honor this heritage, the Cardinals could pretend to row a boat, likely the same way these intrepid explorers traversed the Midwest. This would pay homage to a key event in the city's history, and it would be fun for the players. Whoever hits the home run could guide the boat at the front end of the vessel.

3. Bring back the pepper grinder

The atmosphere around the team in 2022 was idyllic; Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were on their farewell tours, Paul Goldschmidt was on a tear, and the team was winning and winning often. The pepper grinder was also in full force that year. What better way to recreate those sensations than to bring back a classic celebration?

4. Polite golf claps

I have to admit, this one is borrowed from Katie Woo of the Athletic, and it makes perfect sense. The Cardinals are an uptight organization that historically has stayed within certain boundaries. To honor this storied tradition, simple, elegant, respectful golf claps would be nice. It isn't rowdy, it isn't boisterous, but it is The Cardinal Way.

5. A bird costume

Bring out the beaks, the talons, and the feathers; let's put the celebratory player in a full costume. I'm thinking shoulder pads with red feathers on them, a nice beak mask, and some claws to wear on the player's hands will suffice. This would be the silliest (and least likely) of the bunch, but it would be funny to see how players such as Lars Nootbaar embrace this and how players like Paul Goldschmidt dread it.