Cardinals baseball means something to this city deeper than wins and losses, and Busch Stadium is where you feel it. The Cardinals are one of the oldest and most successful franchises in baseball, but their importance to St. Louis goes beyond sports. For much of the 20th century, as the city's manufacturing base eroded, its population declined, and its national profile dimmed, the Cardinals remained a source of shared identity and pride.
'Cardinal Nation' extends far beyond the city limits: in an era before the internet, Cardinals radio broadcasts on KMOX — a 50,000-watt clear-channel station audible across the country at night — were heard from the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast, creating a fan base that spans the Midwest and South. Stan Musial, who played his entire career in St. Louis from 1941 to 1963, was one of the most beloved athletes in American history: a man of genuine decency and extraordinary talent who represented the best aspirations of the city. Ozzie Smith, 'The Wizard,' who played shortstop here from 1982 to 1996, performed backflips at the start of each home opener.
Albert Pujols, who returned to the Cardinals in 2022 for his final season after years away, was given a farewell so emotional it brought the stadium to tears. Some cities have teams. St. Louis has Cardinals.