On Thursday, schedules were released by the 120 surviving full season teams of Minor League Baseball, which include four St. Louis Cardinals affiliates.
To minimize travel during the continuing pandemic, teams will play mostly within their own division in six-game series and taking each Monday off.
Triple A is scheduled to play 144 games with an April 6 Opening Day for the Triple-A East (including Memphis) with the Triple-A West following two days later.
The Double-A and the A-ball levels are slated to play 120 games. Due to their delayed spring training, these leagues will not open until May 4.
For all full-season clubs, the schedule is scheduled to conclude on September 19 with no playoffs to be held in 2021.
Note that in all cases, game times are still coming.
Let’s review the announcements from each of the Cardinals full-season affiliates.
Memphis Redbirds
Triple-A East League, Southeast Division
(click on the schedule images for a larger view)
Team release
Major League Baseball has announced the Memphis Redbirds’ 2021 Schedule featuring 70 home games including 12 Saturday dates, plus games on Mother’s Day and the Fourth of July. The 2021 Season spans from April to mid-September with Opening Night in downtown Memphis set for Tuesday, April 6 against the Indianapolis Indians.
As part of MLB’s new model for the minor leagues, the Redbirds’ season will be played in six-game series against members of the Triple-A East Division. In addition to creating some new exciting regional rivalries, the new geographical alignment will feature greatly improved travel for the teams and for visiting fans. The Redbirds will welcome a familiar foe in the Nashville Sounds, while others will make their first trip to AutoZone Park including Indianapolis, Gwinnett Stripers, Durham Bulls, Louisville Bats, Toledo Mud Hens, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and Norfolk Tides.
“On behalf of the entire organization, we cannot wait to have baseball return to AutoZone Park,” Redbirds President Craig Unger said. “The release of our 2021 schedule by Major League Baseball is no doubt a welcome development for our great fans, business partners and downtown Memphis as a whole. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back and introducing several new teams to Memphis in addition to resuming our rivalry with Nashville.”
After a pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Opening Night in April will be the first game played since September of 2019, over 500 days between events. The 2021 campaign will be the 23rd season of play for the Redbirds since the team’s inception in 1998 and the 122nd in the history of professional baseball in Memphis dating back to 1877.
Fans interested in supporting the Redbirds during the 2021 season can secure the best seats at the lowest price through one of several Season Membership options. For more details, or to place your deposit, visit the link HERE.
Additional information on the upcoming 2021 season, including single-game ticket availability, game times and promotions, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Brian Walton’s notes
Note the schedule overlap between the Southeast Division (which includes Memphis) and the Midwest Division. But from the latter, only Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville and Toledo face the Redbirds, while traditional Pacific Coast League and current Midwest Division opponents Omaha and Iowa are not on Memphis’ 2021 schedule.
The Redbirds will play 70% of their schedule (14 series/84 games) in the Southeast. But the mix is highly skewed toward Gwinnett (five series) and away from Jacksonville (just one set).
Memphis faces Midwest Division foes in 10 series/60 games. Louisville leads the way with four series, double that of the other three clubs.
Springfield Cardinals
Double-A Central League, North Division
Team release
Springfield Cardinals Baseball is coming back! Opening Day 2021 at Hammons Field is set for May 4 when the Springfield Cardinals face the Wichita Wind Surge, kicking off a 6-game Opening Homestand that lasts until May 9.
This is the first time since 2016 that the Cardinals will open a season at home, and it will bring an end to a 610-day stretch without Cardinals Baseball in Springfield since the team last played on September 4, 2019. Opening Day will also be the first time the Cardinals host a Minnesota Twins affiliate as we welcome the Wind Surge for the first game in their organization’s history.
The Cardinals will play a 120-game season from May 4 – September 19 with 60 home games scheduled at Hammons Field, including 12 home games in May, 14 in June, 15 in July, 13 in August and six in September. With a scheduling format that is optimized for player health and reduced travel this year, each week during the 2021 season will feature a six-game series from Tuesday – Sunday, with every Monday tabbed as a travel day.
The Cardinals will play 102 games against Double-A Central North Division rivals: the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (12 home/12 away), the Tulsa Drillers (12 home/12 away), the Arkansas Travelers (18 home/12 away) and the Wichita Wind Surge (12 home/12 away). The Cardinals will have their first meetings against the South Division with a six-game homestand against San Antonio Missions from June 1-6 at Hammons Field. Springfield will play 12 games (6 home/6 away) against the Missions and six games (6 away) against the Frisco RoughRiders.
The Cardinals are excited to welcome fans back to the ballpark, though we do expect it to be different as we follow and enforce all City, County, State, National, NCAA and/or Major League Baseball ordinances throughout the year. As regulations loosen, we will quickly adapt and do the same to make the experience as enjoyable as possible while keeping players, fans and staff safe. Please note that with so many entities sharing Hammons Field, that even if one regulation is lifted, others may still be in effect (example: If MLB lifts an ordinance but the county does not, we will still follow the county).
Future ticket announcements will be forthcoming. Communication with RED Access Members about the 2021 season will continue next week. Fans interested in priority seating opportunities during the 2021 season through RED Access Memberships can contact us at (417) 863-0395 and springfield@cardinals.com, with more information at www.springfieldcardinals.com/memberships.
Brian Walton’s notes
As noted in the release above, only 18 of the 120 games (15%) will be played outside the North Division, a home series against San Antonio in June and a long, Texas League-style 12-game road trip to South Division foes Frisco and San Antonio in mid-July. I bet those game-time temperatures will be balmy!
Of the 17 series/102 contests (85%) against North foes, the Cardinals draw five sets against Arkansas, with four each vs. Wichita, NW Arkansas and Tulsa.
Peoria Chiefs
High-A Central League, Western Division
Team release
The Peoria Chiefs have announced their 2021 schedule in the newly formed High-A Central League. The Chiefs will kick off the season on May 4th with a six-game road trip to Cedar Rapids followed by their home opener on May 11th against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Following their homestand with Wisconsin, the Chiefs will host Quad Cities the following week before heading back on the road to Beloit to close out the month of May.
Each club within the High-A Central League will play 20 series made up of six games per series. The series will be played on Tuesday through Sunday each week with Monday being the universal off-day for each club.
The Chiefs are set to play four series (two home, two away) against Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, Wisconsin, and Beloit. Peoria will also play two series (one home, one away) against South Bend and two cross-over series against High-A Central League East opponent West Michigan.
The Chiefs are scheduled to be at Dozer Park on the Fourth of July closing out a six game homestand against West Michigan. Peoria and Cedar Rapids will be wrapping up their first series of the season on Mother’s Day (May 9th) and will be off on Memorial Day (May 31st).
Game times, promotion and more information regarding the 2021 season will be announced this shortly.
Season Ticket Information
Season tickets are now on-sale. Place your deposit and lock in your spot for the return of baseball in 2021. For more information, please contact Jason Mott at jasonm@chiefsnet.com or Kenton Smith at kentons@chiefsnet.com.
The Peoria Chiefs are locally owned and operated and play their games at Dozer Park. The Chiefs are a committed community asset and premier entertainment venue for families and individuals in Central Illinois.
Brian Walton’s notes
As covered in the release, the Chiefs will play all but two series (12 games/10%) within the Western Division in 2021. The only contests against Eastern Division clubs are the pair of West Michigan series – at the start of July (home) and to begin September (road).
Palm Beach Cardinals
Class-A Southeast League, East Division
Team release
When the 2020 Florida State League (FSL) was canceled, both the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals were forced to look ahead. Now, after months of planning, Minor League Baseball is finally on the horizon this summer.
The league will look quite different for the upcoming season due to the realigned Minor League Baseball structure. Starting in 2021, the league will shift to a Low-A classification after serving as High-A since 1990. The league will also be known as the Low-A Southeast Division going forward. As a result of this realignment, the league will only have 10 teams with the Florida Fire Frogs and Charlotte Stone Crabs ceasing operations.
The Jupiter Hammerheads will remain a Miami Marlins affiliate as the Palm Beach Cardinals continue their relationship with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
The 2021 Low-A Southeast Division season will kick off on May 4th. The Cardinals begin the season at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium with the Hammerheads opening up on the road. For this season, teams will play a six-game series against one another with a league-wide travel off-day each Monday. The season will run through the end of September with the final game on each team’s slate scheduled for September 19th.
The entire league, including Jupiter and Palm Beach, will play a total of 120 games, 60 home and 60 away, in 2021.
The Hammerheads and Cardinals will compete in the East Division against familiar foes in the Daytona Tortugas and St. Lucie Mets. Across the state, six teams will form the West Division, including the Bradenton Marauders, Clearwater Threshers, Dunedin Blue Jays, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, Lakeland Flying Tigers, and the Tampa Tarpons.
For a full breakdown of each team’s schedule, visit Milb.com/palm-beach and Milb.com/Jupiter and click on the schedule tab. More information regarding tickets and promotions will be unveiled at a later date.
To get the latest updates, stay tuned to RogerDeanChevroletStadium.com and the social media channels.
Brian Walton’s notes
The Beach Birds typically run a leaner operation than most full season teams and have some important guests on site in Jupiter right now. As a result, there has been no printable schedule provided. I cobbled the following from their site. (The following is in three primary columns of 40 games each.)
|
Tue
|
04 May
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
|
Sat
|
19 Jun
|
@
|
Daytona
|
Thu
|
05 Aug
|
@
|
St. Lucie
|
|
|
Wed
|
05 May
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
Sun
|
20 Jun
|
@
|
Daytona
|
Fri
|
06 Aug
|
@
|
St. Lucie
|
||
|
Thu
|
06 May
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
|
Tue
|
22 Jun
|
vs.
|
Fort Myers
|
Sat
|
07 Aug
|
@
|
St. Lucie
|
|
|
Fri
|
07 May
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
Wed
|
23 Jun
|
vs.
|
Fort Myers
|
Sun
|
08 Aug
|
@
|
St. Lucie
|
||
|
Sat
|
08 May
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
|
Thu
|
24 Jun
|
vs.
|
Fort Myers
|
Tue
|
10 Aug
|
vs.
|
Lakeland
|
|
|
Sun
|
09 May
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
Fri
|
25 Jun
|
vs.
|
Fort Myers
|
Wed
|
11 Aug
|
vs.
|
Lakeland
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||
|
Tue
|
11 May
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
|
Sat
|
26 Jun
|
vs.
|
Fort Myers
|
Thu
|
12 Aug
|
vs.
|
Lakeland
|
|
|
Wed
|
12 May
|
@
|
Jupiter
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Sun
|
27 Jun
|
vs.
|
Fort Myers
|
Fri
|
13 Aug
|
vs.
|
Lakeland
|
||
|
Thu
|
13 May
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
|
Tue
|
29 Jun
|
vs.
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Dunedin
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Sat
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14 Aug
|
vs.
|
Lakeland
|
|
|
Fri
|
14 May
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Wed
|
30 Jun
|
vs.
|
Dunedin
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Sun
|
15 Aug
|
vs.
|
Lakeland
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||
|
Sat
|
15 May
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
|
Thu
|
01 Jul
|
vs.
|
Dunedin
|
Tue
|
17 Aug
|
@
|
Daytona
|
|
|
Sun
|
16 May
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Fri
|
02 Jul
|
vs.
|
Dunedin
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Wed
|
18 Aug
|
@
|
Daytona
|
||
|
Tue
|
18 May
|
vs.
|
St.Lucie
|
|
Sat
|
03 Jul
|
vs.
|
Dunedin
|
Thu
|
19 Aug
|
@
|
Daytona
|
|
|
Wed
|
19 May
|
vs.
|
St.Lucie
|
Sun
|
04 Jul
|
vs.
|
Dunedin
|
Fri
|
20 Aug
|
@
|
Daytona
|
||
|
Thu
|
20 May
|
vs.
|
St.Lucie
|
|
Tue
|
06 Jul
|
@
|
Lakeland
|
Sat
|
21 Aug
|
@
|
Daytona
|
|
|
Fri
|
21 May
|
vs.
|
St.Lucie
|
Wed
|
07 Jul
|
@
|
Lakeland
|
Sun
|
22 Aug
|
@
|
Daytona
|
||
|
Sat
|
22 May
|
vs.
|
St.Lucie
|
|
Thu
|
08 Jul
|
@
|
Lakeland
|
Tue
|
24 Aug
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
|
|
Sun
|
23 May
|
vs.
|
St.Lucie
|
Fri
|
09 Jul
|
@
|
Lakeland
|
Wed
|
25 Aug
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
||
|
Tue
|
25 May
|
@
|
Bradenton
|
|
Sat
|
10 Jul
|
@
|
Lakeland
|
Thu
|
26 Aug
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
|
|
Wed
|
26 May
|
@
|
Bradenton
|
Sun
|
11 Jul
|
@
|
Lakeland
|
Fri
|
27 Aug
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
||
|
Thu
|
27 May
|
@
|
Bradenton
|
|
Tue
|
13 Jul
|
vs.
|
St. Lucie
|
Sat
|
28 Aug
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
|
|
Fri
|
28 May
|
@
|
Bradenton
|
Wed
|
14 Jul
|
vs.
|
St. Lucie
|
Sun
|
29 Aug
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
||
|
Sat
|
29 May
|
@
|
Bradenton
|
|
Thu
|
15 Jul
|
vs.
|
St. Lucie
|
Tue
|
31 Aug
|
@
|
Dunedin
|
|
|
Sun
|
30 May
|
@
|
Bradenton
|
Fri
|
16 Jul
|
vs.
|
St. Lucie
|
Wed
|
01 Sep
|
@
|
Dunedin
|
||
|
Tue
|
01 Jun
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
|
Sat
|
17 Jul
|
vs.
|
St. Lucie
|
Thu
|
02 Sep
|
@
|
Dunedin
|
|
|
Wed
|
02 Jun
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
Sun
|
18 Jul
|
vs.
|
St. Lucie
|
Fri
|
03 Sep
|
@
|
Dunedin
|
||
|
Thu
|
03 Jun
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
|
Tue
|
20 Jul
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Sat
|
04 Sep
|
@
|
Dunedin
|
|
|
Fri
|
04 Jun
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
Wed
|
21 Jul
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Sun
|
05 Sep
|
@
|
Dunedin
|
||
|
Sat
|
05 Jun
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
|
Thu
|
22 Jul
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Tue
|
07 Sep
|
@
|
Fort Myers
|
|
|
Sun
|
06 Jun
|
vs.
|
Jupiter
|
Fri
|
23 Jul
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Wed
|
08 Sep
|
@
|
Fort Myers
|
||
|
Tue
|
08 Jun
|
@
|
St.Lucie
|
|
Sat
|
24 Jul
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Thu
|
09 Sep
|
@
|
Fort Myers
|
|
|
Wed
|
09 Jun
|
@
|
St.Lucie
|
Sun
|
25 Jul
|
@
|
Jupiter
|
Fri
|
10 Sep
|
@
|
Fort Myers
|
||
|
Thu
|
10 Jun
|
@
|
St.Lucie
|
|
Tue
|
27 Jul
|
vs.
|
Tampa
|
Sat
|
11 Sep
|
@
|
Fort Myers
|
|
|
Fri
|
11 Jun
|
@
|
St.Lucie
|
Wed
|
28 Jul
|
vs.
|
Tampa
|
Sun
|
12 Sep
|
@
|
Fort Myers
|
||
|
Sat
|
12 Jun
|
@
|
St.Lucie
|
|
Thu
|
29 Jul
|
vs.
|
Tampa
|
Tue
|
14 Sep
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
|
|
Sun
|
13 Jun
|
@
|
St.Lucie
|
Fri
|
30 Jul
|
vs.
|
Tampa
|
Wed
|
15 Sep
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
||
|
Tue
|
15 Jun
|
@
|
Daytona
|
|
Sat
|
31 Jul
|
vs.
|
Tampa
|
Thu
|
16 Sep
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
|
|
Wed
|
16 Jun
|
@
|
Daytona
|
Sun
|
01 Aug
|
vs.
|
Tampa
|
Fri
|
17 Sep
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
||
|
Thu
|
17 Jun
|
@
|
Daytona
|
|
Tue
|
03 Aug
|
@
|
St. Lucie
|
Sat
|
18 Sep
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
|
|
Fri
|
18 Jun
|
@
|
Daytona
|
Wed
|
04 Aug
|
@
|
St. Lucie
|
Sun
|
19 Sep
|
vs.
|
Daytona
|
This is the oddest and most imbalanced schedule of the four affiliates. The Cardinals play just 72 games (or 60%) within the East Division. Then again, with only three divisional opponents, that is still seeing the other clubs 24 times (two home and two away series vs. each).
Palm Beach will take on West Division foes for the remaining 40% of the schedule, consisting of eight series and 48 games. They are road series at Bradenton and Tampa and home-and-away sets versus Dunedin, Ft. Myers and Lakeland.
Related article for members of The Cardinal Nation
Now Available – 2021 Prospect Guide
Now available, The Cardinal Nation 2021 Prospect Guide is back for a fourth year. It includes over 250 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of color photos.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on Twitter.
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