Cardinals ownership can learn 3 lessons from the Phillies' long rebuild to prominence

The St. Louis Cardinals are currently mired in a downward spiral when it comes to attendance. Despite surpassing the two-million fan mark for the 40th consecutive season in their last series, the Cardinals still aren't seeing the numbers they became accustomed to seeing.

Cardinals fans have been driven away by three straight years without a postseason appearance and half a decade since their last playoff victory. The DeWitt family has been adamant that payroll must be cut over the last two years, and player acquisition has stalled for the organization. Throw in a lack of transparency, and you'll get a fan base that has gone from joy to anger to apathy.

Apathy is not a good place to be for a baseball franchise.

For the second season in a row, the Cardinals will not sell three million tickets. Not only have ticket sales taken a hit, but in-game attendance is also dramatically low compared to previous years. The Cardinals went from being in the top-three teams in the National League in attendance through 2023 to now being in the bottom half of the league.

What will it take for the St. Louis Cardinals to earn their fans back? Well, Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bill DeWitt III simply have to look to a former National League rival for the blueprint.

The Philadelphia Phillies were once the crown jewel of the National League along with the St. Louis Cardinals. From 2007 through 2013, the Phillies made it to the postseason five times. They went 1-1 in World Series appearances, and they won the National League East in five consecutive years from 2007 through 2011. Their average win total in that span was 95 wins.

Each year from 2007 through 2013, the Phillies easily surpassed three million fans. Their peak was 3,777,322 tickets sold in 2010, the year after consecutive World Series appearances. Citizens Bank Park was rocking in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and the Cardinals were able to see it all happen.

The two clubs went head-to-head in the postseason in the 2011 National League Division Series. The Cardinals won the series, and a decade-long dry spell began for the Phillies.

The Phillies finished above .500 only once from 2012 through 2022; they went 82-80 in 2021. The didn't make the postseason for 10 years, and their fans stopped showing up. From 2013-2022, the Phillies' highest ticket sales for a season came in 2019 when they hit 2,727,421 fans. Their low point during that span came in 2015 when the organization sold only 1,831,080 tickets.

A look at the rosters of that era will show that the Phillies didn't have many noteworthy players. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Ryan Howard were aging. The club's best player in 2015 was center fielder Odubel Herrera. Their best pitcher was a 31-year-old Cole Hamels. Things were bleak for the Phillies.

Their figures have only gone up since then, peaking once again in 2024 at 3,363,712 fans. It's taken 10 years, but the Phillies are back to having one of the most raucous environments and supportive fan bases in baseball.

How did the Philadelphia Phillies bring back three million fans, and how can the St. Louis Cardinals mirror this blueprint of success?