St. Louis Cardinals' Manager Embraces Fan Energy with Unique Tradition
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is known for his unconventional approach to team culture, and now he's taking it a step further by embracing the energy of fans in a unique way. The team recently experienced a surge in excitement during games against the Royals, thanks to a group of college players in the right-field seats who took off their shirts and waved them while singing, chanting, and encouraging others to join in.
Marmol was so impressed by the atmosphere that he decided to buy tickets for these shirtless fans to attend the upcoming games. "Last night’s atmosphere was electric. Let’s run it back this weekend," he said on social media. "I’ll buy tickets for fans who want to sit in the right field Loge and bring the energy."
The tradition began when the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, known as the Lumberjacks, attended a game at Busch Stadium during the National Club Baseball Division II World Series in nearby Alton, Illinois. The Cardinals offered tickets to the team, and 17 players came to watch the game.
By the time Yohel Pozo hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning, the Lumberjacks had not only drawn the attention of other fans but also even the mascot Fredbird joined in on the fun.
"Whoever started that in right field, I'll do whatever I need to do to make sure they come every game," Marmol said Friday night. "Because that was awesome. Not only them, but everybody that showed up today. That was a fun environment."
The college players were back on Saturday, cheering loudly for manager Marmol and shouting "M-V-P!" whenever Jordan Walker came to bat. Other fans in the stadium also joined in on the celebration.
"I heard it pretty clear," Marmol said. "Welcome back to Busch. It was cool to see them back. The environment was awesome. We feed off that."
When asked if he would continue buying tickets, Marmol joked, "I'll go broke."
The "tarps off" trend—celebrating by taking a shirt off and waving it—is not new to sports, but it was a first for Busch Stadium. Fans sang soccer chants and shouted players’ names, while the stadium organist, Dwayne Hilton, played accompanying music and got everyone involved.
By the 11th inning, the party had grown to multiple sections of the stadium. "It creates an environment where, it’s not only filling this place up, it’s making it a tough place for other teams to come in and play," Marmol said. "That was pretty damn cool. I’ll sign up for that, any day."
The Cardinals confirmed that Marmol bought right-field tickets for both games this weekend, and all of them were snapped up by Saturday afternoon. The Lumberjacks returned to Busch Stadium after a come-from-behind 9-8 win over Stony Brook earlier in the day.
St. Louis beat Kansas City 4-2 on Saturday, and the Cardinals rewarded the Lumberjacks with swag bags of hats and shirts. They were also invited into the clubhouse and Marmol's office after the game. Several Cardinals posed for photos with them, and some even gave away bats and baseballs.
Masyn Winn, who is in his third full season, marveled at the energy in the stadium. "I've never been in a playoff but this was a playoff atmosphere," Winn said. "It's hard not to have fun when the fans are like that. We've got the best fans in the world, but it seems like the younger generation makes it more like a college atmosphere. I think it's good for the game."
Freshman pitcher Caleb Cummings, from League City, Texas, couldn't believe his good fortune. "I don't even know what to say," Cummings said. "It's the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. We're in the clubhouse. It's just crazy. The Cardinals are a great organization and led by a great manager."
Cummings is now a St. Louis fan. "I didn't think I'd ever switch. I'm a diehard Astros fan, but man, the Cardinals just showed me so much this weekend," Cummings said.
The college crew may be back Sunday, but they have their own game to play at 7 p.m.
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