Nelly helps Cardinals honor 'The Lou' with red City Connect uniforms

The St. Louis Cardinals became the latest team to unveil their City Connect uniforms Monday, debuting a look that stays true to the franchise's storied history.

The red uniform keeps the Cardinals' iconic "birds on the bat" logo that's been in use for many decades, but substitutes "The Lou" for the team nickname. Rapper and St. Louis native Nelly, who helped popularize "The Lou" as a nickname for the city, introduced the look in a video on social media:

The red outfit includes wavy dark red pinstripes meant to signify the muddy waters of the Mississippi River, which marks the city's eastern border and waterfront. It'll be worn with white pants that feature a thick red stripe down the legs. A new logo featuring a fleur-de-lis and the city's iconic Gateway Arch is placed on the arm, while the year "1882" is written inside the back collar to honor the franchise's founding.

The all-red hat features a block-letter "STL" written in a font that was last used by the team on its 1921 uniforms.

This marks the first time the Cardinals will wear a red uniform during regular-season games. Their previous red jerseys were only ever used during batting practice and spring training games.

"The St. Louis Cardinals jersey is one of the most iconic in all of sports, and we are proud to introduce our new City Connect uniform to build on that legacy," Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said in a statement obtained by Chris Creamer of Sportslogos.net. "A great deal of thought went into the design, and I believe our fans will appreciate the many uniform elements that were inspired by the organization's 140-plus years in St. Louis."

The Cardinals are scheduled to wear their City Connects 12 times in 2024, beginning this Friday against the Chicago Cubs.

St. Louis is the sixth club to debut a City Connect uniform this season. Three more teams - the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Dodgers - are scheduled to unveil their alternate looks before the end of June.