Ralph Morse, 71, of Imperial, reacts to the St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day festivities on Thursday outside of Busch Stadium.
Thousands of fans celebrated the return of baseball, with renewed energy and without pandemic restrictions, as the St. Louis Cardinals took on the Pittsburgh Pirates during this year's Opening Day matchup.
"It feels great," said Dorris Brooks of north St. Louis County. "It's all just so great."
Some fans traveled from as far as Mississippi to get in on the baseball action.
Richard Montgomery, of Brandon, Mississippi, drove to St. Louis with his wife and family friends to watch the matchup. He said his father was a 25-year season ticket holder. That dedication was what inspired Montgomery's love of the team.
"This was bucket list item for me, but now that I'm partially retired I was able to finally come out and celebrate," he said.
Check out these scenes around downtown St. Louis during this year's Opening Day:
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St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Cardinals fans wait to enter Busch Stadium on Thursday ahead of the matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Cardinals fans walk past a statue of Hall of Famer Lou Brock during Opening Day at Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Avery Gales, 20, of St. Louis, plays the tenor drums as fans walk and dance by on Thursday during the St. Louis Cardinals’ Opening Day festivities outside of Busch Stadium. "I'm the biggest Cardinals fan," he said. "I've been playing out here since I was 4 years old."
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St. Louis Public Radio
Kevin Rowland, of Birmingham, Ala., takes a portrait of Kevin Harris, Marlow Harris, Jennifer Montgomery and Richard Montgomery, all of Brandon, Miss., on Thursday outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Carter Rethwisch, the "Cardinal Cowboy" of St. Charles, flashes his World Series rings on Thursday during the St. Louis Cardinals’ Opening Day celebrations in Kiener Plaza.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Mary Lynch, of St. Louis County, sports clothing adorned with Cardinals buttons, necklaces and bling on Thursday during Opening Day festivities outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Mary Lynch, of St. Louis County, sports Cardinals buttons, necklaces and bling on Thursday outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
From left: Greta Bryant, Becky Johns, Janie Goss, and Rhonda Yocks pose for a portrait while wearing red wigs on Thursday, April 7, 2022, outside of Busch Stadium during the St. Louis Cardinals’ Opening Day.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Todd Thomas, owner of Porta Party DJs, hypes up the crowd on Thursday outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Bryson Cannon, 25, of St. Charles, throws his hands in the air as Nathaniel Blair, 24, of St. Charles, right, calls out on Thursday during a rally outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
A Cardinals fan hoists a commemorative World Series trophy on Thursday, during a rally outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Cardinals fans take a selfie with Fredbird on Thursday outside Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Fans cheer and reach out for a toast on Thursday during Opening Day festivities.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Dorris Brooks, of north St. Louis County, rallies with Cardinals fans on Thursday during Opening Day festivities outside of Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Fredbird hypes up the crowd on Thursday during Opening Day festivities outside of Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Cardinals fans enter center field gates on Thursday ahead of the Cardinals taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium.
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St. Louis Public Radio
The sun casts on Busch Stadium’s right field on Thursday during the St. Louis Cardinals’ Opening Day in St. Louis.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Cardinals fans watch the team play the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1 Cardinal Way on Thursday in St. Louis.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Cardinals fans walk past a person made of traffic cones on Thursday during Opening Day festivities in Kiener Plaza.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Mavis Gaines, 43, of Florissant, left, and Kanica Davis, 39, of Overland, take a photograph with Gary Boyd, known as “Mister Gary," on Thursday during the St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day festivities in Kiener Plaza.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Maryah Green sings with the The Danger Zone Band on Thursday during St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day festivities in Kiener Plaza.
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St. Louis Public Radio
Monuette Wilburn, of St. Louis, dances as The Danger Zone band performs energetic covers in the background on Thursday during the St. Louis Cardinals’ Opening Day celebrations in Kiener Plaza.
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St. Louis Public Radio
The Running Man statue is adorned with a Budweiser shirt on Thursday during St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day festivities in Kiener Plaza.
Brian Munoz is a staff photojournalist and multimedia reporter for St. Louis Public Radio. You can reach him by email at bmunoz@stlpr.org and follow his work on Instagram and Twitter at @brianmmunoz.
