Photo credit: Taka Yanagimoto, St. Louis Cardinals

ST. LOUIS, Mo., August 22, 2019 – Today the St. Louis Cardinals, in conjunction with Cardinals Care, the City of Pagedale and Beyond Housing, announced the dedication of Matt Carpenter Field at the Pagedale Family Resource Center in Pagedale, Missouri.

Cardinals Team President Bill DeWitt III, was joined at the dedication by Cardinals Infielder, Matt Carpenter, Cardinals Vice President of Community Relations & Executive Director of Cardinals Care, Michael Hall; Cardinals Care Director & Youth Baseball Commissioner, Keith Brooks; Mayor of Pagedale, Mary Carter, and Beyond Housing Chief Operating Officer, Deb Dombar.

The professionally designed field is the result of a six-figure investment by Cardinals Care that includes a graded and irrigated playing field, two paved and covered dugouts, bleachers, fencing, and a state-of-the art solar powered scoreboard.  The field will play an integral role in teaching Redbird Rookies participants the values of teamwork, integrity, self-esteem, and leadership.

Matt Carpenter Field is the 24th field dedicated by Cardinals Care since its inception in 1997.  Most recently, the Cardinals dedicated Dexter Fowler Field in August, 2017, at Hess Park in Decatur, Ill.  Carpenter and his wife, Mackenzie, have been long time supporters of Cardinals Care and the St. Louis community.

This season marks the 16th year of Cardinals Care’s innovative Redbird Rookies program, a free baseball league for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play.  In addition to providing all the uniforms, gloves, bats, balls and other equipment needed for each team, Redbird Rookies also provides extensive off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring and the cultural arts for each of the nearly 2,500 kids who participate in the program each year