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You never know what you’re going to see at the ballpark.
During the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals Friday night at Busch Stadium, fans began migrating to an empty section in right field and took off their jerseys.
The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning when the group of fans headed to the empty section. About 100 fans initially got the ball rolling, and as the game went into extra innings, the entire section was filled with shirtless fans, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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Yohel Pozo of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after hitting a single to defeat the Kansas City Royals in the 11th inning of a baseball game in St. Louis, Missouri, May 15, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)
Caleb Cummings, a 20-year-old member of the Stephen F. Austin Club baseball team, came up with the idea.
“I looked at my buddy and said, ‘How about we go over there to the right field bleachers and start waving our shirts?'” Cummings told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “They say, ‘You know what, that’s a good idea.’ We didn’t intend for it to get this big – we were just going there to have fun. We got up there, and we’re all there, and we’re wondering, “Who’s going to do it first?” »
Bryce Bradford was the first to take off his shirt and wave it, which quickly attracted the crowd.
“He started waving it around and going crazy,” Cummings said. “So it spread, and then there were a few kids in the section next to us who came to join us. And soon I’m seeing people from about 80 years old all the way up to kids doing it. Dads are coming with their kids, running around with no shirts on.”
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Yohel Pozo of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammate Masyn Winn after hitting a single to defeat the Kansas City Royals in the 11th inning of a baseball game in St. Louis, Missouri on May 15, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)
When Yohel Pozo hit a line drive on a 100 mph fastball to win the game in the bottom of the 11th inning, the shirtless crew in the right-field stands went ballistic. It was the Cardinals’ fourth victory of the season.
Cardinals manager Olli Marmol opened his postgame press conference by praising the energy brought by the shirtless fans.
“Whoever started in right field, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he’s there every game,” Marmol said. “Because it was great. Not just them, but everyone who came today. It was a fun environment.”
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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Gordon Graceffo celebrates after grounding out the Kansas City Royals’ Maikel Garcia, ending the top of the 11th inning in St. Louis, Missouri, May 15, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)
The coach said the fans had a real impact on the game.
“It creates an environment where not only does it fill that place, but it makes the place difficult for other teams to come in and play,” Marmol said. “It was really cool. I’d sign up for that any day.”
The Cardinals (26-18) will look to continue their momentum when they face the Royals (19-26) again in the second game of a three-game series on Saturday.
