St. Louis - Baseball's Nirvana

[glorydays]

I scored a couple of free tickets to the Cards games today (9/22) and yesterday (9/21). I sat behind home plate in the 3rd and upper deck, but spent some time walking around Busch Stadium and sitting in different sections.

First - it was nice being in a stadium where you can cut the enthusiasm the fans have for their team with a knife. EVERYONE was wearing red or white - and most were wearing team apparel. The fans were actively watching the entire game - you didn't see a bunch of suites talking business while the game was being played. St. Louis fans are as smart as many give them credit for being.

Second - In the first game, the Cards came back to win in the 8th with a 3 run homer. It felt like 1982 Memorial Stadium with the fans banging on their seats in unison, and you saw the energy transfer to the players leading to the Freese 3 run homer. We had to leave early today because of a lengthy rain delay and trip home and didn't see the Mets rally.

Third - Busch Stadium is beautiful. Haven't been to the other post-Camden ballparks, but can't imagine that they are any better than this stadium. It is extremely family friendly and has beautiful sightlines of the Arch and city skyline.

Fourth - Albert Pujols will be worth every penny of the contract he gets. The winning team will get back their investment with fans in the seats and Pujols shirts on their backs. And Pujols will be a model player.

Going to these games really helped to give back some of the joy of baseball that I have lost over the years. I stood and cheered when the Cards made a great play felt a loss when the Mets made their plays. Not to say that I am switching allegiances... but I will be rooting for the Cards to make the playoffs and perform well in the post season.

[scOtt]

Sounds like a great time. I have long marveled at the SEA of red you see in the stands there.

[MikeAD]

Cardinals fans are PASSIONATE. Its one of those teams that doesn't have an enormous following (especially compared to the Cubs in their division) but it is a loyal one.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Third - Busch Stadium is beautiful. Haven't been to the other post-Camden ballparks, but can't imagine that they are any better than this stadium. It is extremely family friendly and has beautiful sightlines of the Arch and city skyline.

Pittsburgh.

[Can_of_corn]

The Cards have not has three losing seasons in a row since the 50's. I wonder how their vaunted fanbase would hold up under a long losing streak.

[MikeAD]

The Cards have not has three losing seasons in a row since the 50's. I wonder how their vaunted fanbase would hold up under a long losing streak.

I don't know, people say the same thing about Ravens fans, and I don't buy it. My 58 year old aunt who doesn't know a baseball from her college students can tell you the score of the Cardinals game on any given morning. During baseball season that city is all Cardinals.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't know, people say the same thing about Ravens fans, and I don't buy it. My 58 year old aunt who doesn't know a baseball from her college students can tell you the score of the Cardinals game on any given morning. During baseball season that city is all Cardinals.

I don't either that is why I am asking. The Cards might be like the Cubs were the record doesn't make a difference. It has been so long since they have consistently bad there is no way to tell.

To me, you tell the strength of a fanbase by what they do when the team struggles.

The Tampa Bay Bucs for instance, frontrunner fanbase just like they are with the Rays and the Lightning.

[MikeAD]

I don't either that is why I am asking. The Cards might be like the Cubs were the record doesn't make a difference. It has been so long since they have consistently bad there is no way to tell.

To me, you tell the strength of a fanbase by what they do when the team struggles.

The Tampa Bay Bucs for instance, frontrunner fanbase just like they are with the Rays and the Lightning.

Yeah I think it is just a solid fanbase. Miami is in a similar boat to Tampa Bay. When I worked in Miami I used to get blocked free tickets for my staff on a weekly basis to the Heat games, same for Marlins depending on the time of the year.

[Tbone83]

Florida and the southeastern US in general are like that. I assume it's because a large part of the population consists of people who have moved there from the NE in the last 30 years. Nobody in FLA is from FLA. There are always tons of Yankee fans at Rays games, moreso than other MLB parks because of all the transplants. I'm a Sabres fan and I know whenever they play the Lightning, Hurricanes, Panthers, ect, there are always more Sabre fans there than the home team. Buffalo transplants.

[hoosiers]

I was at the Old Busch and it was a nice stadium too. That team is well supported by the town.

IMO, and this has been discussed in the past, this particular franchise has benefited perhaps more than any other by the ineptitude of the other front offices within its division plus a pretty good payroll disparity. For many years, the Astros, Reds, Brewers and Cubs have had pretty poor products on the field - even if winning the division was difficult, the wild card often came through the NL Central because of how poor the bottom teams were in that division. It is only recently that the Brewers have been decent that the Cards have missed the playoffs.

[scOtt]

The Cards have not has three losing seasons in a row since the 50's. I wonder how their vaunted fanbase would hold up under a long losing streak.

On the flip side of that... You just know Camden Yards would be PACKED if we could get into the playoff hunt again.

[Can_of_corn]

On the flip side of that... You just know Camden Yards would be PACKED if we could get into the playoff hunt again.

Eh...

Last time the Yard was packed on a regular basis there were no Ravens and no Nationals.

Baltimore didn't become a baseball town till the Colts left.

I am sure attendance would go up sharply but I don't think it could ever be like it was 20 years ago.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Eh...

Last time the Yard was packed on a regular basis there were no Ravens and no Nationals.

No Nationals, but a Super Bowl champion Ravens team. The Orioles drew over three million with a 63-win club in 2001. And the Ravens were definitely around from 1996-1998, when the Orioles had their three highest-attendance seasons ever.

[TonySoprano]

Eh...

Last time the Yard was packed on a regular basis there were no Ravens and no Nationals.

Baltimore didn't become a baseball town till the Colts left.

I am sure attendance would go up sharply but I don't think it could ever be like it was 20 years ago.

The O's lost about a million in attendance from 1997-2004 when the Nationals were still in Canada.

1997 3,711,132.00

1998 3,684,650.00

1999 3,433,150.00

2000 3,297,031.00

2001 3,094,841.00

2002 2,682,439.00

2003 2,454,523.00

2004 2,744,018.00