Festivites await Cardinals in Monday's home opener

PITTSBURGH -- An unveiling of the 2013 National League Championship flag and the opening of the Cardinals' Hall of Fame and Museum will highlight the events and festivities scheduled in conjunction with the Cardinals' home opener on Monday.

The day will begin with a 10 a.m. CT dedication ceremony of the Hall of Fame and Museum, which will be located in the recently open-for-business Ballpark Village. A pregame pep rally in the Ballpark Village parking lot will be free for fans to enjoy from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Busch Stadium gates will open two hours before the scheduled 3:15 p.m. first pitch, and the on-field pregame ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. The Budweiser Clydesdales will circle the stadium and be followed by a motorcade in which the Cardinals' Hall of Famers and members of the current team will be introduced. Tony La Russa, who was recently elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, will be taking part in the Hall of Fame parade and wearing one of the signature red jackets.

Four Commissioner's Trophies will be on display, and, after the Reds and Cardinals are introduced, the NL Championship banner will be raised. Chris Carpenter, who announced his retirement after the 2013 season and is now a member of the front-office staff, will throw the ceremonial first pitch.