Retired Cardinals hurler slated to be first standalone concert act at Hammons Field

courtesy of SHORE FIRE MEDIA

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright hung up his cleats in 2023 and released his first country album last week. He is scheduled to give the first standalone concert ever mounted at Hammons Field on May 31.

For the first time, a standalone concert will be mounted this season at Hammons Field.

St. Louis Cardinals pitching legend Adam Wainwright, who retired from the team after the 2023 season, will be the headline performer at a May 31 concert at the ballpark.

Wainwright may have to hoist the microphone with the added weight of two World Series rings. Many fans will remember him as the hurler who tossed the final pitch to clinch the title in Game 5 of the 2006 fall classic.

Wainwright, 42, is also a country musician who released his 13-song debut album, “Hey Y’all,” on Friday.

Cora Scott, the city of Springfield’s director of public information and civic engagement, said credit for the selection of the first concert act goes to Springfield Cardinals General Manager Dan Reiter.

“He has graciously taken the lead on planning this concert, and we think having Wainwright is an inspired choice,” she said.

How it all began

In an interview this morning, Reiter said the concert has been in the works for quite some time as the debut of Hammons Field as a concert amphitheater. In fact, he knows the exact date he planted the seed of the idea: April 19, 2023, when a rehabbing Wainwright started at the mound against the Midland Rockhounds.

“When he got done pitching, I talked to him inside the clubhouse and mentioned the city had purchased the stadium,” Reiter said. “I asked him what he thought about being the first concert in stadium history.

“When I brought it up, he lit up. He said he would be more excited about this than I was.”

That may not be the case, however.

“I am so excited,” Reiter said.

The city is co-producing the concert and is investing $50,000 toward it. Co-presenting sponsor Hatch Foundation is also donating $50,000 to the event. The Springfield Cardinals are also making an investment for this and future concerts.

Reiter said the decking being purchased to allow on-field viewing of the show has cost the Springfield Cardinals approximately $165,000.

“One of the biggest things that we’re having to learn about is the concept of field decking and how to have the stage,” he said. “This has been one of the hardest things for our staff to figure out.”

The city and Hatch Foundation have been helpful in figuring out the issue, both short-term and long-term, he said.

“We’ll always be a baseball franchise first, so we have to protect the playing surface,” he said. “As we move into concerts, we have to learn, how does decking affect the field? We’re being very careful and cautious.”

The stage for Wainwright’s show will be in the area of second base, and audience members will be able to sit in the infield and foul territory.

“We’re not getting into the outfield much except for driving the stage to the field,” he said. “There are a lot of moving parts to this first concert.”

First concert a test

Scott said residents have told the city that they would like to see more special events, concerts and overall fun things to do in the community.

“Purchasing Hammons Field has provided a unique opportunity for some special partnerships like this,” she said. “We consider this first concert a pilot project to see how it goes.”

Reiter said it is important that people turn out to support the first show.

“I’ve joked with people, I don’t care what genre of music you like; we really need people to show up and buy tickets and prove that this is a good concert venue,” he said. “We’ve got to prove our community can have these outdoor concerts.

“We’ve seen there’s definitely a market for concerts and for fun, but we fit a different niche by being a large outdoor amphitheater.”

Reiter said the first concert is a tricky venture.

“There’s been no script to go off of – we’re making it all up,” he said. “It’s been a passion project, and it’s still going to be a passion project, but there’s a lot of stuff to do before the concert date.”

Wainwright may be a savvy choice for the first show, as his appearance offers a chance for Cardinals faithful to see a historic player. Reiter noted the pitcher is a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, but one of his most notable achievements is achieving 200 wins as a starting pitcher with a single franchise.

“That’s very rare,” he said.

Reiter said Wainwright played his first game in Major League Baseball in 2005 – which was also the first season for the Springfield Cardinals team. The Hammons Field show is slated to be his first as a headliner.

“It’s fitting as he launches his music career, we’re launching into our concerts,” he said. “It’s kind of an evolution for both the stadium and the organization.”

He noted last year’s $16 million purchase of Hammons Field and adjacent parking lots by the city of Springfield and team ownership change to Diamond Baseball Holdings helped to make concerts a reality.

“All stars are aligned to have a better community presence,” he said.

The city's contract with the Springfield Cardinals calls for two events per year to be offered. The second will be in the fall as part of the Celebrate Springfield! event, Scott said.

Wainwright’s concert is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. with an opening act to be announced later. Gates will open at 6:05 p.m., according to an announcement from the city.

Presale tickets for those with Cardinals RED Access – a paid membership option open to fans – will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, with general public ticket sales starting Friday. Tickets start at $25.50. The Cardinals ticket office is handling sales.