St. Louis Cardinals: How large is Cardinals Nation… Really?

Want to start a fight? Question the legitimacy of the St. Louis Cardinals fan base as THE most loyal, passionate and bestest bunch of people on the planet. I am NOT questioning that. No siree.

I often reference “40,000+ St. Louis Cardinals fans in Busch Stadium.”  A Redbird Rants reader recently challenged me. This reader claimed that is a bogus, inflated number. I suspect that reader is either a Cubs fan or Stan Kroenke’s nephew.

He (Stan Kroenke’s nephew?) claims “they” count number of tickets sold and not “# actual butts in the seats that night.”  I say “so?”

Ergo every game is guaranteed the number of season tickets and mini-season packages sold before the first walk-up game ticket is sold regardless of weather or opponent. So?

"Speaking of questions.  Do you know the #1 question asked of librarians at the St. Louis Public Library? See Answer below."

Regarding St. Louis Cardinals attendance, I go by what Dan McLaughlin tells me each game around the seventh inning. Dan’s number is never a round number (e.g. “41,200”). It is usually an “odd number” such as 41,677.

Dan has filled out enough expense accounts to know you never have your final number end in zero. Your boss will know you made it up.

Mike Shannon simply says, “Wow! There sure are a lot of people here tonight.”

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Surely MLB has a strict rule about how attendance is determined. Every MLB team counts attendance the same way? Don’t they? Except maybe Tampa Bay.  No one cares how few fans they have… really!

I live at Ground Zero of a Holy War between three bitter college rivals. UNC, NC State, and Duke are all within a 25-minute drive of BobLeeSays’ World HQ. EVERY claim or boast by each program is bitterly contested by fans of the other two.

UNC used to count it’s football attendance by the PR guy and ticket manager looking out of the press box and making a WAG – “Wild Ass Guess.”

“I say 51,683. What do you say, Clint?” “

Looks about right Steve. Let’s go with that.”

YIKES! I did an EXPOSE of the nefarious practice endearing me to fans of the other two schools.

Duke uses the “show of hands” method. Duke Basketball outdraws Duke Football.

How do YOU think Bill DeWitt’s accounting elves count Busch attendance? Do you care?

George Kissell would know.  We sure miss George Kissell.

Speaking of fans at games. Thank goodness we are done with Dodger Stadium for this season. No more Larry King perched behind home plate like a turkey vulture. Of course, “the lovely Mary Hart” sits three seats down from Larry. Who doesn’t love Mary Hart?

Next: Peralta, Kelly, and Mozeliak conspiracies

ANSWER:  Most often-asked question at St Louis Public Library? … Where’s the rest room? It’s the #1 question asked at the Louvre too.  Most often-asked question at Forest Park Zoo = Is Marlin Perkins here today?  No, Marlin died in 1986.