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Seeing those red seas of empty seats looks amazingly like Busch #2 in the 1970s.

After the newness of Busch #2 (opened in May 1966) and two thriling pennant--winning seasons of '67-'68 --- there were no playoffs; you went right to the WS--- wore off, the Cardinals of 1970-1979 never drew anywhere close to TWO million, coming closest in 1974 with 1.83 mil thanks to a tight pennant race ending in heartbreak (thanks a lot, Steve Swisher ) and Lou Brock's pursuit of Maury Wills, ending with 118 SBs despite turning 35 in August.

Even in 1981, 100,000 fans claim to have attended the infamous Templeton meltdown game, when fewer than 8,000 (like me) actually did, thanks to my comp half-day off from Stouffer's across the street.

Good times.

2-bucks for GA then move down to the box seats in the 4th inning.

we are only losing on the road...

Most years in the seventies the Cardinals had better rounded teams than this one. The hitters and pitchers were better prepared in the minors than they have been recently. Fans are finally figuring out that there is not a lot of urgency to grab tickets for this dog and pony show.

For our young'uns, here's my bitter Steve Swisher reference. The Cards were tied for first place with the Pirates in their division heading into the final weekend. All they needed to advance was to beat Montreal in the season finale and have the sad-sack Cubs win ONE game in their final series at Pittsburgh. The Cubs and Bucs went to ten innings in the season finale, when Steve Swisher struck: https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october ... ion-title/

MIDMOBIRDTWO wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 14:15 pm Most years in the seventies the Cardinals had better rounded teams than this one. The hitters and pitchers were better prepared in the minors than they have been recently. Fans are finally figuring out that there is not a lot of urgency to grab tickets for this dog and pony show.

That 1974 team was fun to watch and easy to cheer for:
--- Brock did the impossible at that (or any) age
--- Staff ace Lynn McGlothen won 16 with a sub-3.00 ERA
--- Ted Simmons and Reggie Smith had 100-RBI seasons
--- Bake McBride's mad dash home essentially ended a 25-inning game at Shea, with Jack Buck's shortest "Star of the Game" show ever: BUCK: "Tonight's 'Star of the Game' is Kenny Reitz, whose 9th inning homer saved the game and sent us into 25 innings. Goodnight, Ken." REITZ: "Goodnight, Jack."
--- Al Hrabosky started his cartoonish, silly, macho "Mad Hungarian" pantomime

11WSChamps wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 14:07 pm Good times.

2-bucks for GA then move down to the box seats in the 4th inning.

So YOU'RE the one!!! Get back up there to the nosebleeds, you cheater!

Naw, I did that all the time, too. The funny thing is, I actually LIKED the GA seats, the top 7 rows in the upper deck. Nice on really hot, steamy days when you could see cooling storm clouds rolling in from Fiji.

Part of the entertainment was on Senior Citizen Days, seeing those poor old folks trying to climb all those steep steps, all to save 2 bucks. I did that at LA's Memorial Coliseum (row 86) five years ago, then could barely walk for 3 days with concrete calves and hamstrings. No banisters/railings way up there at the Coliseum, either.

When I lived in San Diego the Padres announcer Ted Leitner constantly p'd and moaned about the altitude of the broadcast booths in Pittsburgh and Washington. Heck, I'd pay to sit up there.

Used to sit up near the RF foul pole waiting for Simmons (against a RH pitcher) to plant one.

Yeah that was a pretty good climb but in your late teens/early 20's not so much.

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 14:09 pm we are only losing on the road...

Well considering businesses in the area are speaking up ...that should tell ya how few people are showing up...

MIDMOBIRDTWO wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 14:15 pm Most years in the seventies the Cardinals had better rounded teams than this one. The hitters and pitchers were better prepared in the minors than they have been recently. Fans are finally figuring out that there is not a lot of urgency to grab tickets for this dog and pony show.

You had to win the NL East which had some VERY good Pirates teams……to get to NLCS
Nothing like this NBA style nonsense of today….playing in a WEAK NL Central.
So this is much worse on the talent side

Goldfan wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 16:55 pm
You had to win the NL East which had some VERY good Pirates teams……

I'll say they were very good!

But just remember the big stink in some quarters*** when the Pirates 1971 lineup card read:

P: Dock Ellis
C: Manny Sanguillen
1B: Willie Stargell
2B: Rennie Stennett
3B: Dave Cash
SS: Jackie Hernandez
LF: Al Oliver
CF: Gene Clines
RF: Roberto Clemente.....

.***.....i.e., Vern Rapp's, Ben Chapman's, and Solly Hemus's worst nightmare.

Pink Freud wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 14:20 pm For our young'uns, here's my bitter Steve Swisher reference. The Cards were tied for first place with the Pirates in their division heading into the final weekend. All they needed to advance was to beat Montreal in the season finale and have the sad-sack Cubs win ONE game in their final series at Pittsburgh. The Cubs and Bucs went to ten innings in the season finale, when Steve Swisher struck: https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october ... ion-title/

I will never forget listening to that bottom of the 9th on KDKA. Swisher and I share a birthday, further cementing him in my memory.

Lynn McGlothen was a favorite of mine who I hadn't thought of in years. I checked around a bit to see what he's been up to and found out he died in 84. Talk about being out of touch. Either I never knew or I forgot and I don't feel good about either possibility.

Cards got him and John Curtis from the Red Sox for Reggie Cleveland and Diego Segui and later swapped him even-up for the Giants' Kenny Reitz.

Yet we are middle of the pack in the MLB.

jcgmoi wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 18:51 pm Lynn McGlothen was a favorite of mine who I hadn't thought of in years. I checked around a bit to see what he's been up to and found out he died in 84. Talk about being out of touch. Either I never knew or I forgot and I don't feel good about either possibility.

Cards got him and John Curtis from the Red Sox for Reggie Cleveland and Diego Segui and later swapped him even-up for the Giants' Kenny Reitz.

Think McGlothen died in a house fire.

Just Whit wrote: ↑20 Apr 2025 19:02 pm Yet we are middle of the pack in the MLB.

Still, the trend is severely downward: 2022 2nd (41K), 2023 4th (40K), 2024 7th (36K) and now middle-of-the-pack 14th (28K).
They can't just open the gates and expect people to open their wallets.