10 St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day Facts You May Not Know

It’s Opening Day!

The time for predictions, think-pieces, analysis and betting is over. The Cardinals will send Matt Carpenter to the box today at 12p CT and the MLB season will begin.

The Cardinals and Pirates both expect to be in contention for a playoff berth in 2016, so this is an early test for both teams. Win and you’re already 1 game up on the Pirates and 1/2 game up on the Cubs. Lose and you’re immediately third in baseball’s toughest division.

No, it’s not the end of the world either way… but still – it’s not a nothingburger of a game.

Before first pitch, here are 10 Opening Day facts you may or may not know:

• This will be the Cardinals 135th Opening Day. If you only count the modern era, this will be number 104.

• The Cardinals are 71-62-1 all-time on Opening Day. (The tie was in 1891 versus the Cincinnati Porkers, in case you were wondering.)

• Don’t get your hopes up too high. The Cardinals are 3-7 in their last 10 Opening Days. The last time the Cardinals played Pittsburgh on Opening Day was 2009 and they lost 6-4.

• The most runs the Cardinals have ever scored on Opening Day? 14. They did this in 1928. Against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• The Cardinals have played the Pirates 33 times on Opening Day and sport a 17-16 record in those games. They’ve also played the Pittsburgh Alleghenys twice as well, going 1-1.

• Other teams that the Cardinals have opened a season against that are no longer in existence? Chicago Colts (2X), Chicago Orphans (2X), Cincinnati Porkers (1X), Cleveland Spiders (2X), Indianapolis Blues (1X), Louisville Colonels (2X), Louisville Eclipse (1X), Pittsburgh Alleghenys (2X) & Toledo Maumees (1X) – This doesn’t count the Expos (now Nationals), Red Stockings (now the Reds and, somehow, Red Sox) or Braves (formally of Milwaukee now Atlanta).

• It could be a close one today. The Cardinals have played 39 games on Opening Day that have been 1-run affairs.

• This will be Yadier Molina’s 12th Opening Day start. He is the all-time leading Opening Day start getter for the Cardinals at catcher. (2nd is Ted Simmons w/10)

• This will be Adam Wainwrights 5th Opening Day start, putting him 2nd all time for the St. Louis Cardinals. (1st is Bob Gibson w/10. We love Wain-O, but this record isn’t being broken…)

• In 1967 and 1968 the St. Louis Cardinals started the exact same 9 players (McCarver, Cepeda, Javier, Shannon, Maxvill, Brock, Flood, Maris, Gibson) on both Opening Days, the only time in franchise history that has happened.

Enough history.

Let’s PLAY FREAKING BALL.

Photo: MLB | H/T: Baseball Almanac