photo: Roger Dean Stadium (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Guess when the first St. Louis Cardinals home run leaves the partially renovated Roger Dean Stadium this spring and who hits it. The winner will receive a free annual subscription to The Cardinal Nation.
The initial wave of the multi-year renovations to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida includes moving the bullpens off the foul areas of the field of play and behind the outfield fences. This is a safety change required by MLB.
In conjunction with the bullpen relocation is a move of the outfield fences in. A stadium official estimates that it will be about 10 feet closer in the corners to about 20 in dead center field. Current dimensions are left field (330 feet), left-center field (355 feet), center field (400 feet), right-center field (350 feet) and right field (325 feet).
Work is not yet complete, but officials insist the changes will be ready for the St. Louis Cardinals first home spring training game, which is coming soon, on February 22.
Cardinals hitters – whether major leaguers in the spring or Class-A ones in-season – have experienced years of hard-hit balls to right-field being knocked down by the stiff ocean breeze blowing in. That may be alleviated a bit by the change, perhaps making the notorious hitters park play a bit closer to neutral.
Against that backdrop, the time seems right for a contest. The reader to correctly guess which Cardinal will hit the first spring home run of 2025 out of Roger Dean and in which home game will receive a free one-year subscription to The Cardinal Nation. Current subscribers can designate another to receive the gift membership.
If there is a tie, qualifiers’ names will be drawn from a hat and two winners will be selected.
There is no cost to enter, but only one entry per person is allowed. Entries will be accepted through the morning of Saturday, February 22.
Simply reply on the designated thread pinned at the top of The Cardinal Nation’s free forum with the name of the Cardinals hitter and the number and/or date of the home game in which the team’s first long ball leaves their park this spring.
Good luck to all and may the best prognosticator win!
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