Adam Wainwright wasn’t about to let a Barstool rant go unanswered.
After Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports took aim at the Cardinals organization, its fans and even Busch Stadium following Jordan Walker’s Home Run Derby win earlier this week, the longtime St. Louis ace stepped in Thursday to push back hard in defense of the fan base.
“I played there for 18 years. Whatever you think in this Barstool world that you live in over there, you guys don't know the fanbase better than I do.
I don't care what you say,” Wainwright said. “Cardinal fans are not walking around saying 'we're the best fans in baseball.'
They got that label because they are the best fans in baseball.”
Wainwright, a Cardinals legend and two-time World Series champion, spent his entire career in St. Louis and has seen the fan base from every angle. From his debut in 2005 through his final at-bat in 2023, he was part of plenty of winning teams, plenty of rough stretches, and everything in between.
That perspective is exactly why his response carried so much weight. He’s not speaking from the outside looking in. He’s lived it.
“You go to most stadiums and they're having a party,” Wainwright continued. “Cardinal fans are watching the game.”
He also made clear that the Cardinals crowd’s reputation comes from how they actually behave in the ballpark, not from any self-promotion. Wainwright said he had the chance to play in front of plenty of other fan bases over the years, but St. Louis stood out because of how locked in the crowd stayed from pitch to pitch.
Felt like the the @Cardinals were getting lots of support from fans clapping back but to take it a step further I wanted to chime in as somebody who played there for a long time and experienced highs and lows with the organization and fan base. Go @Cardinals https://t.co/SxJcdsMZfX pic.twitter.com/wEporPgEKd
Even after three straight years without a postseason appearance, Wainwright’s view of the fan base hasn’t changed. He pointed to the way Cardinals fans stay engaged on hot summer nights and through the ups and downs that come with following the team.
The conversation may or may not continue from there, but Wainwright’s case is the one built on the strongest foundation: 18 years in St. Louis, a front-row seat to the highs and lows, and a firsthand understanding of what Cardinals fans are really like.
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