Cardinals announce seven-year partnership for jersey patches with St. Louis-based Stifel
A frenzied return to Busch Stadium for the Cardinals includes Shohei Ohtani’s arrival, a roster move, a losing stretch, and a new look of the team’s beloved jerseys.
Stifel, a St. Louis-based wealth management company, will have its name appear on the sleeve of the Cardinals’ jerseys with the finalization of the agreement, it was announced during a Tuesday press conference by Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., team president Bill DeWitt III and Stifel CEO Ron Kruszewski. The deal is for seven years.
St. Louis-based financial institution Stifel will serve as the the Cardinals’ first-ever official jersey patch partner, the team announced Tuesday. As part of the new seven-year agreement starting this season, Stifel’s logo will appear on the jersey sleeve of each of the Cardinals’ four different game uniforms. Post-Dispatch photo
“A part of me kind of was a little bit like, ‘Okay, this is not going to be easy,’ because I care so much about the jersey and I didn’t just want to slap something on there and have that be a negative,” DeWitt III said. “I really am excited by what we’ve come up with here and this new partnership because it means a lot of both of us.”
The normally blue-lettered Stifel logo was switched to match the Cardinal red on the Cardinals jerseys. The patch will also have different colored variants to match the color of the Cardinals’ alternate cream jerseys that are typically worn on Saturdays at homer and the “Victory Blue” jerseys used on road Saturday games. Authentic jerseys that are sold by the Cardinals will have the patch on them. The replicas won’t.
“I think you’ll see that it really just fits right on there. And I think when you compare it to some of the others, our fans will be pleased to say the least,” DeWitt III said.
Memorial patches like the “42” patch to honor late Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter have worn all season will still have space on the Cardinals’ jerseys and will be placed on the opposite sleeve of the Sitfel patch.
Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson sports the new Stifel logo on his jersey before a game against Angels at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The Cardinals announced a sponsorship deal with the company on Tuesday.
Stifel, which also oversees investment banking, has an advertisement deal with the Blues that includes the company’s name on the sweaters. The Stan Musial Awards for sportsmanship take place annually at the Stifel Theater in downtown St. Louis. Stifel’s advertisement on the Blues’ jersey began with the 2022-23 season and is a five-year arrangement.
The Cardinals sorted through interest from multiple teams seeking what club ownership described as a company “in line” with the Cardinals’ brand and the city it calls home.
“They have their own really elite brand,” DeWitt Jr. said. “It’s a highly regarded company. They’re local. We really couldn’t ask for any more and we think it fits with the Cardinal image as well, just the company itself.”
The Stifel patches will make their debut on Tuesday when the Cardinals open a three-game series against the Angels.
Major League Baseball and the players’ union agreed on permitting advertising on jerseys in the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement that was finalized ahead of the 2022 season.
This is the first season where teams have been sporting ads.
The Cardinals won just two of 10 games on the most recent road trip and start May 10 games back in the National League Central as they start a six-game home stand against interleague foes, Angels and Tigers.
St. Louis Cardinal third base coach Pop Warner sports the new Stifel logo on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, on his jersey before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals announced a sponsorship deal with the company on Tuesday. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com
Derrick Goold
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dgoold@post-dispatch.com
