John Mozeliak on Attendance Drops This Season at Busch
September 4, 2024
John Mozeliak on Attendance Drops This Season at Busch
26 comments
It’s sad he is having to issue a statement, more or less saying “because you don’t show up, we’ll have less money, so we’re going to spend less money”, instead of DeWitt saying it.
A. I’d go for free before fees, if the fees aren’t too much.
B. I love that the scoreboard in the photo looks like the flames of hell. Welcome to your new home, Mo.
they do realize the attendance can drop more right? lol. either give a shit, or sell the fuckin team
Estimates place year end totals with an estimated 700,000 fewer fans against 2023.
This marks the largest year over year attendance drop in franchise history, excluding COVID and a player’s strike year.
I will be attending only my second game of the season this weekend, just to see the Mariners so I can say I’ve seen all 30 teams in person. Otherwise, they need to give me a reason to come out. Spending money isn’t the only way to do that. Call up prospects, make smart trades, show some effort and some heart!
They’ll try to blame the fans when they cut payroll. I’ll say it now, good luck, chumps.
This situation isn’t going to get better until our BILLIONAIRE owners swallow their pride, stop blaming the fans, and build a contending team. A REAL contender, not some team that might win a Wild Card if they’re lucky.
Otherwise, they better get used to an empty stadium, cause it’s only gonna get worse.
blaming the fans, that’ll show ’em. absolute disconnect from Mo and Dewitt
The Cardinals are valued at $2.5 billion. BDW paid $196 mil. in 1996.
Let that sink in for a minute before you start feeling sorry for not showing up for an inferior product.
This is the first year I won’t have gone to a single game since I moved back to Missouri in 2012. I don’t suspect I’ll be going next year unless the team looks significantly different.
Can’t even lie and pretend like they’re going to try to improve the team. The arrogance…
I will never understand how the most staunch capitalists just seemingly forget the most basic principle of supply and demand.
You are providing a product of entertainment. If that product is not entertaining, less people will buy that product. It’s pretty simple. They just don’t want to admit their own failures
Nothing is ever his fault. Gotcha.
Mozeliak with the abusive spouse routine:
“Look what you made me do!”
> but it’s something from a business and strategy standpoint, we are going to have to understand what the future looks like from that standpoint
The translation here is that they’re fine without the fans if it means they don’t have to cut into the profit margins to field a highly competitive team rather than a .500 and hope for the best team.
They are just following the prevailing business model from half of MLB.
There was a really good article yesterday from Ken Rosenthal where the Cardinals were one of the teams cited in the article as basically coming up on the down side of the same strategy other teams are doing with varying degrees of success or failure. We shouldn’t expect change, because it’s not deviating from the front office plan and anyone else in the role would still just be doing the same thing from the same ownership directives so change has to come from the very top and the very top wants to make money, not win baseball games.
“Obviously our performance, our record is indicative of why we are seeing a smaller crowd, but it’s something from a business and strategy standpoint, we are going to have to understand what the future looks like from that standpoint.”
Fundamentally, I will never understand picking up Goldy and Arenado, bona-fide stars, but ones near the end of their primes, and then *not* going all in on a championship window.
It makes absolutely zero sense and is what has alienated me from caring about the cardinals this and last year. Why the fuck would you get those guys, who are now well into their 30s, and not realize you have maybe 3-4 years tops of them continuing to be superstars.
They tried the whole “rag tag reclamation project squeak into the playoffs” tactic instead of surrounding the elite talent with other great players. Couple that with completely stalled player development and this is what you get.
_”I think our side is going to have to recalibrate a little bit…”_
Understate much?
I haven’t gone to a single game this season. I probably went to 15 games in 2019, none in 2020 obviously, 5 or so in 21, 5 or so in 22, and five or so last year.
Can’t speak for everyone but personally, it’s not like two bad seasons has me suddenly boycotting this team. It’s the result of a slow and steady decline in quality, and my increasing unwillingness to sit and sweat in the sun for 3 hours while spending $60 on beer just to watch this team suck.
And now the front office wants to blame low attendance for their cheap spending? That’s the final nail in the coffin. I’m happy watching them suck on TV.
I blame the ownership. Specially Bill DeWitt III. I don’t think that guy cares one bit about baseball or Cardinals fans.
I hate this guy so much.
You cannot convince me that they even like the fan base. The way they talk down to fans and refuse to even admit failure… we are dollar signs to them only.
The entire group sans Girsch needs PR training. He probably does too, but I’ve never heard him talk, so.
Just for that, I’m not coming to the games even harder!
This is from someone who clearly doesn’t understand he’s not the tail wagging the dog
Putting the games on pay per view was a mistake. The sound of summer in STL is the game on TV everywhere. They are killing the golden goose.
> Mozeliak hinted that with the recent attendance issues, along with the uncertain future of the regional sports networks(RSN), the Cardinals front office could face a uphill climb to improve the team in 2025.
Brother, the way to improve the team is for you to GTFO. Our problem is not the amount of money we spend, but HOW we are spending the money. You bring in old barely below average SPs and expect great improvement? Sonny was a great signing, but your FO is so far behind the 8 ball that it didnt matter. For the production lynn and gibson gave us you could have pitched our Memphis guys and saved $20+ mil. And their production this year was largely predictable.
And developing your talent better is a way to SAVE money but you refuse to optimize this by hiring new better voices that you actually give power enough to do these changes.
Mo, thanks for your years of work and for bringing some good baseball to St Louis, but its over. You got complacent and accepted lowered standards of success year after year without pulling the trigger to make the necessary changes to improve things. BC of that, you need to leave and let someone else take over.
Haven’t seen ownership and fans this disconnected in a while. Seriously concerning.
They can act like they tried to put a winning product on the field, but we all could see these off-season moves were not made to set us up for WS contention. They were made to try and get to .500 baseball.
We are showing them what is important. They put money into a team and better coaching staff, we show up and support. But if they continue down this path, attendance lows will continue to be set. Just wait for season ticket sales next year. That will be a wakeup call.
26 comments
It’s sad he is having to issue a statement, more or less saying “because you don’t show up, we’ll have less money, so we’re going to spend less money”, instead of DeWitt saying it.
A. I’d go for free before fees, if the fees aren’t too much.
B. I love that the scoreboard in the photo looks like the flames of hell. Welcome to your new home, Mo.
they do realize the attendance can drop more right? lol. either give a shit, or sell the fuckin team
Estimates place year end totals with an estimated 700,000 fewer fans against 2023.
This marks the largest year over year attendance drop in franchise history, excluding COVID and a player’s strike year.
I will be attending only my second game of the season this weekend, just to see the Mariners so I can say I’ve seen all 30 teams in person. Otherwise, they need to give me a reason to come out. Spending money isn’t the only way to do that. Call up prospects, make smart trades, show some effort and some heart!
They’ll try to blame the fans when they cut payroll. I’ll say it now, good luck, chumps.
This situation isn’t going to get better until our BILLIONAIRE owners swallow their pride, stop blaming the fans, and build a contending team. A REAL contender, not some team that might win a Wild Card if they’re lucky.
Otherwise, they better get used to an empty stadium, cause it’s only gonna get worse.
blaming the fans, that’ll show ’em. absolute disconnect from Mo and Dewitt
The Cardinals are valued at $2.5 billion. BDW paid $196 mil. in 1996.
Let that sink in for a minute before you start feeling sorry for not showing up for an inferior product.
This is the first year I won’t have gone to a single game since I moved back to Missouri in 2012. I don’t suspect I’ll be going next year unless the team looks significantly different.
Can’t even lie and pretend like they’re going to try to improve the team. The arrogance…
I will never understand how the most staunch capitalists just seemingly forget the most basic principle of supply and demand.
You are providing a product of entertainment. If that product is not entertaining, less people will buy that product. It’s pretty simple. They just don’t want to admit their own failures
Nothing is ever his fault. Gotcha.
Mozeliak with the abusive spouse routine:
“Look what you made me do!”
> but it’s something from a business and strategy standpoint, we are going to have to understand what the future looks like from that standpoint
The translation here is that they’re fine without the fans if it means they don’t have to cut into the profit margins to field a highly competitive team rather than a .500 and hope for the best team.
They are just following the prevailing business model from half of MLB.
There was a really good article yesterday from Ken Rosenthal where the Cardinals were one of the teams cited in the article as basically coming up on the down side of the same strategy other teams are doing with varying degrees of success or failure. We shouldn’t expect change, because it’s not deviating from the front office plan and anyone else in the role would still just be doing the same thing from the same ownership directives so change has to come from the very top and the very top wants to make money, not win baseball games.
“Obviously our performance, our record is indicative of why we are seeing a smaller crowd, but it’s something from a business and strategy standpoint, we are going to have to understand what the future looks like from that standpoint.”
Fundamentally, I will never understand picking up Goldy and Arenado, bona-fide stars, but ones near the end of their primes, and then *not* going all in on a championship window.
It makes absolutely zero sense and is what has alienated me from caring about the cardinals this and last year. Why the fuck would you get those guys, who are now well into their 30s, and not realize you have maybe 3-4 years tops of them continuing to be superstars.
They tried the whole “rag tag reclamation project squeak into the playoffs” tactic instead of surrounding the elite talent with other great players. Couple that with completely stalled player development and this is what you get.
_”I think our side is going to have to recalibrate a little bit…”_
Understate much?
I haven’t gone to a single game this season. I probably went to 15 games in 2019, none in 2020 obviously, 5 or so in 21, 5 or so in 22, and five or so last year.
Can’t speak for everyone but personally, it’s not like two bad seasons has me suddenly boycotting this team. It’s the result of a slow and steady decline in quality, and my increasing unwillingness to sit and sweat in the sun for 3 hours while spending $60 on beer just to watch this team suck.
And now the front office wants to blame low attendance for their cheap spending? That’s the final nail in the coffin. I’m happy watching them suck on TV.
I blame the ownership. Specially Bill DeWitt III. I don’t think that guy cares one bit about baseball or Cardinals fans.
I hate this guy so much.
You cannot convince me that they even like the fan base. The way they talk down to fans and refuse to even admit failure… we are dollar signs to them only.
The entire group sans Girsch needs PR training. He probably does too, but I’ve never heard him talk, so.
Just for that, I’m not coming to the games even harder!
This is from someone who clearly doesn’t understand he’s not the tail wagging the dog
Putting the games on pay per view was a mistake. The sound of summer in STL is the game on TV everywhere. They are killing the golden goose.
> Mozeliak hinted that with the recent attendance issues, along with the uncertain future of the regional sports networks(RSN), the Cardinals front office could face a uphill climb to improve the team in 2025.
Brother, the way to improve the team is for you to GTFO. Our problem is not the amount of money we spend, but HOW we are spending the money. You bring in old barely below average SPs and expect great improvement? Sonny was a great signing, but your FO is so far behind the 8 ball that it didnt matter. For the production lynn and gibson gave us you could have pitched our Memphis guys and saved $20+ mil. And their production this year was largely predictable.
And developing your talent better is a way to SAVE money but you refuse to optimize this by hiring new better voices that you actually give power enough to do these changes.
Mo, thanks for your years of work and for bringing some good baseball to St Louis, but its over. You got complacent and accepted lowered standards of success year after year without pulling the trigger to make the necessary changes to improve things. BC of that, you need to leave and let someone else take over.
Haven’t seen ownership and fans this disconnected in a while. Seriously concerning.
They can act like they tried to put a winning product on the field, but we all could see these off-season moves were not made to set us up for WS contention. They were made to try and get to .500 baseball.
We are showing them what is important. They put money into a team and better coaching staff, we show up and support. But if they continue down this path, attendance lows will continue to be set. Just wait for season ticket sales next year. That will be a wakeup call.