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You never know what you’re going to see in the stadium.
During the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night at Busch Stadium, fans began migrating to an empty section in right field and took off their shirts.
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 began the movement, and as the game went into extra innings, the entire section 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, on May 15, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)
Caleb Cummings, a 20-year-old on the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, came up with the idea.
“I looked at my friend and said, ‘What if we went up to the right field bleachers and started waving our jerseys?’ Cummings told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “They say, ‘You know what? It’s a good idea.'” We didn’t intend for it to get that big; we were just going to have fun. We got there and we all stood there and thought, ‘Who’s going to do it first?'”
Bryce Bradford was the first to take off his shirt and wave it, which quickly attracted a crowd.
“He started shaking it up and going crazy,” Cummings said. “So it just spread, and then there were some kids in the section next to us who came to join in. And soon, I see people from ages 80 to kids doing it. Dads coming with their kids, running around shirtless.”
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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 pinch-hit line drive with a 100 mph fastball to win the game in the bottom of the 11th inning, the shirtless group in the right field stands went wild. It was the fourth win of the season for the Cardinals.
Cardinals manager Olli Marmol opened his postgame press conference by praising the energy the shirtless fans brought.
“Whoever started in right field, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they come to every game,” Marmol said. “Because it was amazing. Not just them, but everyone who attended today. It was a fun atmosphere.”
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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Gordon Graceffo celebrates after the Kansas City Royals’ Maikel Garcia grounded out, ending the top of the 11th inning in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 15, 2026. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)
The manager said the fans had a real impact on the game.
“It creates an environment where not only does it fill this place, but it also makes it a difficult place for other teams to come in and play,” Marmol said. “That was great. I’ll sign up for that any day.”
The Cardinals (26-18) will look to keep their momentum going when they play the Royals (19-26) again in the second game of a three-game series on Saturday.
