JUPITER, Fla. – Look around the Cardinals' clubhouse and you’ll see a lot of talented players with the ability to do great things on a baseball field.
On Monday evening, those players will find out what other talents lay beneath their gift for throwing or hitting.
Forty Cardinals players will take part in a clubhouse talent show following their game against the Marlins, putting what promises to be a wide variety of acts on display for the entire club.
“It’s a good opportunity to get the whole team together in a fun setting and just kind of enjoy each other's presence and have a good time without the stresses of baseball going on,” pitcher Riley O’Brien said. “I think it can be a positive thing, for sure.”
Not every player will take the “stage” on Monday, as the participants are limited to those with one year, 100 days of service time or less. Relievers Ryne Stanek – who, at eight years and 38 days, has more big league service time than anyone else on the club – and JoJo Romero were the driving force behind the event, one the Cardinals held for the first time in 2024 after veteran pitcher Lance Lynn came up with the idea.
“We felt like there is an importance on the boys getting together and knowing each other, especially a younger group with not a lot of older guys,” Stanek said. “There are guys that have been together, but there are a ton of guys that haven't.”
Two years ago, the group of Victor Scott II, Tink Hence and Michael Siani won the competition with a rap performance, though Michael McGreevy still believes his group – which finished second with its “human water fountain” act – was robbed.
“Theirs was like an actual talent; ours was more of a skit, but we got a lot of laughs,” McGreevy said. “Vic’s was impressive because he wrote the song – but I still think we got screwed. Wade Stauss balanced a suitcase and a chair on his chin; there were actually some good talents. One guy solved a Rubik's Cube. It was a good time.”
“That was actually really good,” manager Oliver Marmol said of Scott’s rap performance. “You see some really good ones – and some interesting ones, for sure.”
Masyn Winn, whose two years and 45 days of service time will move him into a judge’s role this year, performed the song “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen” with Jordan Walker two years ago.
“I was more of the singer; he was kind of just talking his way through it,” Winn said. “It just kind of relaxes everybody and makes everyone realize that it's not that serious. We're all here just trying to have a good time.”
What does McGreevy have in store for this year as he takes aim at the top spot?
“That’s classified,” McGreevy said.
There will be no shortage of laughs on Monday, but the exercise serves a dual purpose for the Cardinals. In addition to being able to let off some steam in the middle of a month-long exhibition season, the event – which will include families and food trucks – creates an opportunity for players who may not necessarily know each other well to come together in a unique bonding experience.
Stanek recalled taking part in a singing competition during one of his first springs with the Rays, giving him and his teammates something to talk about that had nothing to do with baseball.
“We wanted to do some things to get people together that are fun and light hearted,” Stanek said. “We tried to make the groups so it wasn’t just picking your friends. We put Latins with Americans, quiet guys with loud guys, pitchers with position players; we tried to mix it up to where people would interact with people that they might not interact with. There are a lot of things like that we can do to create a sense of family.”
“It’s good that those veteran guys are attentive to that,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said. “You have someone like Ryne, who's obviously been a number of places, in addition to what he would do on the mound, part of what we were hoping he would be able to bring is some of the benefits of that.”
Joe Girardi organized an annual team bonding event such as a pool tournament or video game competition when he managed the Yankees, but Stanek believes that something set up exclusively by players can have a stronger impact on the team.
“Most of this stuff doesn't work the same if it's run by staff,” Stanek said. “It feels forced.”
“I think the fact that it's happening is a good indicator that you have a group of guys that are actually enjoying being around each other, which is always good,” Bloom said. “It's a long season; you spend more time with your teammates than you do with your families, really. Obviously, what happens between the lines is most important, but you would like to think you're going to get a little bit of a lift from people actually feeling in it with each other, and some of the way that you strengthen that is just by having fun off the field.”
The winners of the talent show will receive prizes, giving them a little motivation to put their best foot forward.
“I wanted there to be some incentive for people to give good effort versus just doing something stupid for three minutes and then sit down,” Stanek said. “It may be a little uncomfortable, but it’s three minutes of your life. If this is the hardest thing you do all year, you've had a really good year.”
Before the event begins, a group of five players – chosen by the veterans, of course – will kick off the night with their rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” conducted by veteran pitcher Andre Pallante.
“I’ve got some work to do,” outfielder Chase Davis said. “I’ve got to get the vocal chords ready to go.”
“It’s like singing ‘Happy birthday,’” McGreevy said. “You just sing it. You’re not doing a solo. You’re not trying to get the acoustics right or anything.”
When it was suggested that the punishment for the last-place team in the talent show be singing the anthem prior to a Grapefruit League game, McGreevy’s demeanor turned momentarily serious.
“Oh my gosh, that would be terrible,” McGreevy said. “Don't give them any ideas.”