Cardinals home attendance sluggish to start season, some nearby businesses feel the impact
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Attendance at Busch Stadium is off to a slow start this spring.
According to MLB’s ticketing numbers, the Cardinals rank 12th in MLB attendance so far, down from seventh during last year’s historically bad year for crowd sizes.
Despite a strong Opening Day the team has averaged fewer than 30,000 fans through its first nine home games, despite several strong wins at Busch.
Some players have taken notice of the empty seats. Following Sunday’s 7-0 win against the Philadelphia Phillies, First Baseman Willson Contreras told reporters he hoped that fans would return as the team improved its performance at the ballpark.
“We play for them. I don’t know why they’re not here. They have their reasons, I’m not saying that. But we’re here for you guys and we need you and your energy,” he said. “Don’t stop believing in this team.”
Fans like Jacob Ranson noticed that the stadium felt emptier than normal over the weekend, too. He said he felt that some were waiting for the midseason to attend a game, hoping that the team would continue to improve.
“The fans may not be there in person but they’re there in spirit,” he said.
Jon Vieluf, the co-owner of Big Daddy’s in Soulard, blamed cold, rainy weather for the low attendance. He also suspected that many fans were focused on the Blues’ potential playoff run, and holding off on buying baseball tickets to save money.
He said the attendance issues were noticeable with the bar’s free shuttle service to the ballpark. On most game nights, he said, the shuttle would carry at least fifty engers to the ballpark. Outside of Opening Day, he said, most games had only brought 10-20 engers.
He, too, hoped that summer would bring a boost to bars downtown and in Soulard.
“We depend on all the teams producing. Get out, your team and your economy,” Vieluf said.
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