Cardinals Winter Warm Up Recap Day 1

My son and I left early Saturday morning to make it to St. Louis by 9:00 for the first day of Cardinals Winter Warm Up (WWU).  After 20 minutes of sitting in traffic because of a stalled car, we finally made it to Busch Stadium.  This was the first year WWU was not held at a hotel.  Busch Stadium and Ball Park Village offered more space for people to be spread out.  I will save my thoughts on the layout until Day 2's post.  Today I will recap what we added to our collection.

Our first stop was the Cardinals Care store on the second level of  Busch.  You can find anything from game-worn jerseys, game-used bats, autographed balls, caps, shirts, etc.  Most of it was from former players, but there were a few things from current players.  

These signs hung above the autograph stations at previous WWU.  I did not measure them, but would guess they are about 3'x1'.  These were $45 each.  Far less than the price of either autograph during the weekend.  Wainwright will hang in my room, while my son gets the Edman sign.  

Our next stop was the autograph station for 1 free auto and 1 paid auto.

Jason Motte has been a free signer since his retirement.  Not sure why because many people would still pay for his auto.  I will not complain about a free autograph from a World Series closer. 

Dakota Hudson gave me a great signature on his debut ticket.  His auto was $25.

After the autographs, we went to the third level to check out the vendor area.  Our first stop was the Cardinals Authentics store.  They were having a great sale in an attempt to get rid of older merchandise.

Ray Lankford was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2018.  This autographed matte went on sale that fall.  When I stopped at the store this past December it was priced at $99.99.  I paid $35 for it at WWU.  Sometimes it pays to wait.

The Cardinals Double A team from Springfield had a booth with card sets, bobbleheads, and jerseys from 2022.  My son loved this Edman bobblehead for $20.  These sell for a little more online, plus you have to pay shipping.  Another nice find.  We left the stadium to take our purchases back to the car and eat the lunch I had packed.  Concessions stands were open, but I was unwilling to pay ballpark prices for a hot dog in January.  

After a quick bite, we made out way to Ballpark Village for the first time.  Ballpark Village is across the street from Busch Stadium.  It has a few retail shops, some restaurants, a large open area for gatherings/concerts, and also is where the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum is located.

Bally Sports Midwest had a booth with free schedules and these cards they give out every WWU.  I grabbed a few extra if anyone is interested in a Goldschmidt.  Our next stop was the Cardinals Museum.  Admission was included with your WWU ticket.  I am already a member, so I can visit anytime but have not had a chance for a few months.  I wanted to check out the 1982 World Series display before it changed in February.  While we were there, I renewed my membership.

A family membership costs $85.  2 exclusive bobbleheads and 4 free passes are included.  This year's bobbleheads are Bob Forsch and Jason Isringhausen.  These are better quality than the ones given out at games.  This weekend the Museum also offered a third bobblehead for anyone renewing or starting a membership.  It was a Ken Boyer from 2015.  I already had this one, so I sold it for $35 to pay for another bobblehead I spotted in the vendor area.  I will show that off in day 2's post.  

We sat through a museum presentation about the 1982 display, then headed back to the stadium for our last autograph of the day.

Al Hrabosky was a free signer.  He has worked for Bally Sports Midwest for a long time and makes frequent appearances around the area.  He always adds his Mad Hungarian nickname to his auto.  That wraps up day 1.  We headed to our hotel and enjoyed a pizza while watching the 49ers take care of the Seahawks.  Next post will be day 2 highlights.