It's time for Cardinals fans to return to Busch Stadium

The St. Louis Cardinals' attendance woes have been well documented. They failed to reach 3 million fans last year for the first time in 18 years. Having 3 million fans in the stands in a season became commonplace for the Cardinals since the early 2000s, and to not reach that point last year was noteworthy.

Fans began to grow tired of a middling team with an ownership group that wasn't willing to go all in. Back-to-back seasons without a postseason appearance in 2023 and 2024 didn't help the club's case to draw fans either.

Fan frustration surrounding the DeWitt family has been mounting for several years. After cuts to the coaching staff in 2020 and 2021, it became clear that finances would take a priority. Pair those cuts with Bill DeWitt's comments surrounding ownership not being profitable, and you'll see fans begin to boycott the organization.

John Mozeliak's tenure has also become stale with Cardinal fans. Mozeliak is in his final year as the team's president of baseball operations, but his stay feels too long still.

The calls for fans to boycott the club this year and not fill Busch Stadium were raucous, and the results early in the year have proven these efforts. The Cardinals have averaged 28,637 fans at home games this year, a stark decrease from the organization's peaks throughout the 2010s.

The St. Louis Cardinals are playing a fun brand of baseball, and the players are worthy of being supported in person at Busch Stadium.

I understand fan frustration with ownership and management. You, as a consumer and a fan, have every right to not attend games so as to not pad the wallets of those who caused the demise of the brand. However, the players are worthy of your support at the moment.

Several of the club's cornerstone young players haven't seen Busch Stadium at its best. Masyn Winn, Victor Scott II, and Matthew Liberatore haven't seen Busch at its best. These are the stars of the future, and they deserve to see the fanbase in full force.

The club is playing a fun brand of baseball of late. They've averaged 5.5 runs per game over their last 11 games, and their defense remains one of the best in the league. The pitching staff has also found its footing of late, and it's the main reason the Cardinals have been so hot lately.

The Cardinals have won their last four series, two of which came against World Series hopeful teams in the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. They swept the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. They've won 10 of their last 11 games and 12 of their last 15 games. The Cardinals enter a series against the Kansas City Royals four games above .500. Regardless of the outcome of this series, the club will head back home with a winning record.

The Cardinals' next two home series come against the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks, two more playoff-hopeful teams. Packing Busch Stadium will send a message to both the players and the opposing teams that St. Louis is serious this year.

Fans have proven that they aren't happy with the front office and the DeWitt family these last few years by not showing up in person to baseball games. However, it's time for the fans to return to Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are winning, and that alone is the best medicine for an apathetic fan base.

The players deserve fan support, and a heavily attended home stand will only further help the club's success.