Tim McCarver, Julian Javier, Mike Shannon, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, and manager Red Schoendienst from the 1967 Cardinals, as well as general manager Joe McDonald, manager Whitey Herzog, Dave LaPoint, Bob Forsch, Keith Hernandez, Joaquin Andujar, and Bruce Sutter of the 1982 team, will welcome the 2006 champions to the exclusive family of Cardinals who have played for one of the club's 10 World Championship teams.

The Budweiser Clydesdales will open the pre-game ceremonies promptly at 6 p.m., taking the field in a tradition that makes Opening Day in St. Louis unlike any other in Major League Baseball. The evening's festivities will also include a Ford motorcade for the 2007 Cardinals players and coaching staff, the raising of the 2006 World Champion flag, and an historical ceremonial first pitch featuring the pitchers who got the final out in each of the three most recent Cardinals world titles tossing to the managers of those ballclubs: Adam Wainwright to Tony La Russa (2006), Gibson to Schoendienst (1967), and Sutter to Herzog (1982).

The national anthem will be sung by classic rockers REO Speedwagon, which on Tuesday, April 3, will release its first new album in more than a decade. Titled "Find Your Own Way Home," the disc features 10 original songs returning to the classic REO Speedwagon sound of power ballads and melodic rock anthems. The set will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores through Tuesday, April 24, when it will be available through traditional retail outlets, as well as via Apple's iTunes Music Stores.

Academy Award-winning screenwriter, actor, director, and musician Billy Bob Thornton will preside over Sunday's pre-game ceremonies as co-emcee, alongside broadcaster John Rooney of KTRS. Thornton, who was born in Hot Springs, Ark., grew up wanting to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals and narrated Major League Baseball's official highlights video of the 2006 World Series.

For opening night and each of the first three games of the season, Cardinals players will wear gold stitching on their uniform. The special stitching will outline the number on the front of each player's jersey, the players name and number on the back, and a World Series Champions patch on the left sleeve. That logo will also adorn the left side of the Cardinals cap for the opening series vs. the Mets.

The home uniform will retain the World Series Champions sleeve patch for the entire season.

Gates open 4 p.m.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.