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The Tarps Off viral fan sensation that has taken over Busch Stadium is just the latest in a long line of trends that have swept Cardinals Nation over the years. A group of club college baseball players from Stephen F. Austin college have struck gold with their shirtless celebration in the Loge level of Busch Stadium.
This bare-chested brigade of college athletes and fans in general reminded me of another half dozen or so viral celebratory trends for the St. Louis Cardinals over the years.
These 6 viral trends will surely bring a smile to St. Louis Cardinals fans' faces.
1. Tarps Off
This is very fresh for fans. A ragtag group of club baseball players from Stephen F. Austin are playing games in Alton, Illinois. On Friday night, they showed up in full force and began chanting in the right field seats in support of the Cardinals.
It's now blown up everywhere, and even the Cardinals' manager is in on it. Oliver Marmol purchased 1,000 tickets for fans to snag for free, and the tickets sold out within 30 minutes.
Hopefully these immaculate vibes can continue, and the 27-18 Cardinals can make a serious postseason push.
2. Lars Nootbaar's Pepper Grinder
The Pepper Grinder celebration that was started by Lars Nootbaar became an international success. Nootbaar brought the celebration with him during the World Baseball Classic, and it blew up in Japan. The pepper grinder celebration was used by the Cardinals following a big hit during the 2022 season. Nootbaar then brought it with him to the World Baseball Classic, and it exploded in popularity from there.
The pepper grinder was an essential part to an otherwise magical 2022 season that included an Albert Pujols return and record, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright setting a battery record, and two top-three MVP finishes for Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
3. Matt Caprenter's Salsa
Matt Carpenter had one of his best seasons in 2018. He finished ninth in National League MVP voting thanks to a .257/.374/.523 slash line with 36 home runs and 102 runs driven in. Part of that 2018 season included Matt Carpenter's culinary skills being put on display.
Carpenter credited his mojo salsa recipe as the reason for his success at the plate that year. “It just so happened to coincide, as I started to get hot it was right when I started making this salsa,” Carpenter said. “I actually took a jar of it on the road to Chicago, the first time I’d taken it on the road, and it happened to be the series where I had a lot of success. I’ve got to give a lot of the credit to the salsa.”
Local grocery stores picked up the salsa to sell, and it became a local delicacy very quickly.
4. Skip Schumaker and the Rally Squirrel
The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals will go down as one of the most memorable teams in franchise history. The squad came back against nearly impossible odds to make the playoffs. Then, they fought through every series to win the World Series that year.
The 2011 season story can't be written without the Rally Squirrel getting mentioned.
A squirrel ran across home plate during NLDS Game 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies while Roy Oswalt pitched to Skip Schumaker. The Cardinals won the World Series and the squirrel became legendary. This squirrel became a rallying cry for both the players and the fans. It was later featured on the 2011 championship rings.
5. Happy Flight
The 2011 season was also known for a catchphrase that became synonymous with the team: Happy Flight.
A phrase originally coined by Rafael Furcal, a Happy Flight indicated that the Cardinals won the final game in a series regardless of the previous games. Eventually, the Cardinals started racking up wins left and right down the stretch, but this rallying cry to end a series on a positive note became vital during the postseason. This catch phrase also made a cameo on the World Series rings that year.
6. Allen Craig's turtle, Torty
Torty might not be as memorable as "Happy Flight" or the Rally Squirrel, but it was still a fan favorite at the time.
Allen Craig and his fiancée had a pet tortoise named Torty, and for some reason, this turtle blew up in favoritism amongst St. Louis Cardinals players and fans during the 2011 season. T-shirts, hats, and other memorabilia were produced to honor this famous tortoise. It even had its own Twitter fan page.
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