JUPITER, Fla. — The familiar Cardinals' home whites, not seen around these parts for nearly a decade, were back, hanging in each player's locker on Tuesday morning, the advertisements on the sleeve individually attached and the new look of the jersey's material intermittently attacked.
And all just in time, too.
The Cardinals will wear their home jerseys for the first time this spring, and for the first time in many exhibition games, as Sonny Gray, the new leader of the rotation, makes the spring debut with his new club.
Gray is set to throw two innings or reach his target pitch count, whichever comes first. He is throwing to Willson Contreras.
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He'll be flanked by All-Stars.
Gray's outings on the back fields of spring training have always drawn a crowd, either of fans or teammates. They're captivating, as you may have read. When he's not directing traffic for the situation he wants to face or the pitch he wants to throw, he's announcing the effort of his pitch with a deep heave that's similar to a tennis player launching a serve.
Against the Boston Red Sox, he'll face opponents for the first time and in the coming days the Cardinals' rotation will unspool after him, providing the first look at the new-look staff.
But first it's an old look in a new style for the Birds on the Bat.
Here's the lineup:
1. Brendan Donovan, 2B
2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
3. Lars Nootbaar, LF
4. Nolan Arenado, DH
5. Willson Contreras, C
6. Jordan Walker, RF
7. Masyn Winn, SS
8. Thomas Saggese, 3B
9. Victor Scott II, CF
Starter: Gray, RHP. Also set to pitch: LHP John King, RHP Keynan Middleton, RHP Nate Robertson, RHP Ryan Fernandez, RHP Riley O'Brien, RHP Andre Pallante, RHP Wilking Rodriguez, and potentially others.
Check back because this story will be update.