With the St. Louis Cardinals well out of the hunt for the NL Central, workers around Busch Stadium have grown accustomed to something they're not used to this time of year -- empty seats. Yes, it's completely fair for any fanbase to tune out when their team is 20 games under .500 come September (this is not a shot at Cardinals fans), but the impact on local business that typically thrive at the end of baseball season was just as unforeseen as the Cardinals struggles.
"Definitely less foot traffic, no playoff to look forward to either. We are just hoping for Adam to get 200 wins," one Paddy O's bar manager told KSDK in St. Louis.
St. Louis Cardinals attendance impacts local businesses
At The Midwestern, a barbecue joint close to the stadium, General Manager John Pizzitola has noticed a sharp decline on weekdays.
"St. Louis has been spoiled by great Cardinals baseball for as long as I can remember. Especially last year with the return of Albert and his record-breaking year paired with Yadi and Wainwright's last go around, fans come out in droves to witness history," he said in a message to 5 On Your Side. "With this being a down season for the team, we've seen a major downturn in people coming downtown…"
Ultimately, some potential highlights remain for this Cardinals team in September, including Wainwright's 200th win. Should that event occur at home, local businesses should expect an uptick in attendance, even if just for a series or two.
These are just two local businesses highlighted by KSDK, but much of the argument behind public stadium funding is the bustling nature of a gameday, especially when that team is competitive. For the first time in seemingly decades, the Cards don't have much to play for this year. Hopefully their fate changes for the better in 2024.
