(St. Louis, MO) -- "Responsibility Has Its Rewards" is the message to Cardinals fans as the St. Louis cardinals, SportService, Busch Stadium, Anheuser-Busch, and the TEAM Coalition join forces to continue to educate fans about the importance of responsible drinking, always buckling up, and designating a sober driver. Fans who act responsibly could be rewarded with World Series tickets or a trip to next year’s All-Star Game.

TEAM Coalition – an alliance of professional sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities – has coordinated a league-wide promotion in support of existing designated driver programs. TEAM and its partners are rewarding fans for responsible behavior.

"Fan safety in the ballpark has always been a top priority for MLB," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "We believe that this partnership is an excellent program that emphasizes fans' safety to and from the ballpark."

TEAM and its partners are sponsoring the Responsibility Has Its Rewards contest. Starting after the All-Star Game, each fan who pledges to be a designated driver at a St. Louis Cardinals home game is automatically registered for a drawing to be selected as the club’s designated driver for the season. If the Cardinals play in the 2004 World Series, the individual selected for the season will receive two tickets to the first Series game held at Busch Stadium.

If the Cardinals do not play in the World Series, the designated driver for the season is eligible to win a trip to the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit (two game tickets, airfare, and hotel accommodations). The contest begins at Busch Stadium and all MLB ballparks immediately after the All-Star break. Official contest rules are available at www.teamcoalition.org.

TV and radio public service announcements are being broadcast in the local St. Louis area. The TV spots use a Major League Baseball umpire as the spokesman to emphasize how important teamwork and following the rules are to success on the field and how that translates to responsible fan behavior in the stands and on the roads.

“This promotion continues MLB’s support of the Clubs’ efforts to encourage responsible fan behavior, similar to the effort carried out in May for safety belt use. And for the fans, it is a great reminder that responsibility has its rewards,” said Jill Pepper, Executive Director of the TEAM Coalition.

NHTSA Administrator Jeff Runge said, "I commend Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals for taking a leadership role to promote the designated driver program.”

Good Sport, the designated driver program at Busch Stadium, is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch. The program promotes a safe ride home by using a designated driver, server training and fan communications. The designated driver is the person who chooses to stay sober, drives everyone else home safely, and makes sure everyone buckles up. "We want the game-day experience to continue to be safe and enjoyable for Cardinals fans while they are at the stadium and as they travel home after the games," said Joe Abernathy, Vice President of Stadium Operations for the St. Louis Cardinals.

John Kaestner, Vice President of Consumer Affairs for Anheuser-Busch, will deliver the first pitch at tonight’s game in recognition of the promotion. Kaestner added, “We are proud to be a partner in reminding Cardinal fans that Responsibility Matters –enjoy the game, but get home safe.”

The designated driver program offers fans a solution to the problem of how to get home safely after drinking at the game. The designated driver is the person who chooses to stay sober, drives everyone else home safely, and makes sure everyone buckles up. “This program shows how MLB, TEAM, the concessionaires, and breweries can all work together to implement successful awareness programs,” added Jeff Becker, President, Beer Institute.

A recent survey conducted by Data Development Corporation shows that the Designated Driver concept is well known in America. Nearly all Americans (94%) are aware of the concept. More importantly, the role of Designated Driver is being assumed by millions of Americans (122 million people have either been a Designated Driver or have been driven home by one). Nearly all Americans (98%) believe that Designated Drivers help save lives.