Bill DeWitt III feeling the effects of his derisive comments about fans

One of the major talking points surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025 was the massive decrease in attendance.

Busch Stadium saw the biggest drop in average tickets sold per game this year compared to last year. The Cardinals sold 7,754 fewer tickets per game this year than they did last year. That number is even more dramatic when comparing it to 2023 and 2022 figures.

We all knew this would happen; fans have been voicing their frustrations over the last three years, and three straight postseason absences haven't helped the organization's cause in keeping fans. The overwhelming drop in tickets sold in attendance was a bit jarring though.

Team President Bill DeWitt III commented on the potential for a decrease in attendance in 2025 before the season began. "The thing I chuckle about is when I see sometime comments (like) 'we got to not show up to send a message that this isn't acceptable to the owners,'" said DeWitt back in May. "I find that one somewhat illogical reasoning because we turn this revenue machine into a payroll machine."

Fans did not react positively to DeWitt's comments, and these disparagements of fan opinion probably distanced even more fans.

Bill DeWitt III says that he's received St. Louis Cardinals' fans messaging and frustration after reviewing attendance numbers.

For the second consecutive season, the St. Louis Cardinals failed to sell more than three million tickets. In-game attendance saw the greatest year-over-year decrease as well throughout baseball, and that's including two teams who moved from major-league stadiums to minor-league ballparks.

At the team's end of the year press conference earlier in the week, Bill DeWitt III was asked how the drop in tickets sold along with the potential of a work stoppage following the 2026 season would affect ownership's investment over the next 12 months. DeWitt reacted to the low attendance numbers.

"The (attendance) numbers are down, and it's something that we're not happy about," said the club's president. "If to the extent that that's a message (from fans), the message has been received." DeWitt didn't chuckle this time, but he did let a wry smile break through during the interview.

DeWitt's comments came back to bite him in the bottom, and the ownership group is feeling the effects of a bad on-field product for the last three years. DeWitt's comments earlier this year started the year off on the wrong foot with an already frustrated and apathetic fanbase. Him saying that the message has been received proves that fans "boycotting" the team in a sense was effective from a narrative perspective.

Bill DeWitt III went on to discuss how the in-game experience can be improved from a business and operations perspective to bring fans back. Winning, as he said himself, will be the primary impetus that will bring fans back to Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals' payroll is expected to decrease once again for the 2026 season, partially a result of the decrease in attendance over the last three years. Fans returning to Busch Stadium will give ownership more wiggle room to spend wisely in free agency, but ownership must show a commitment to the team before fans return in full force.