Ultimate Standings 2009: No. 26
St. Louis Cardinals
Last Year's Rank: 60
Title Track: 3
Ownership: 38
Coaching: 8
Players: 8
Fan Relations: 21
Affordability: 39
Stadium Experience: 13
Bang for the Buck: 83
How can you tell when a city is flying high on its team? Check out the names of the ticket packages. Pujols Family Packs (seven games for the price of five, plus a hot dog, soda and free ice cream sundaes on Sundays) and the La Russa Plan (12 for the price of 10, including Opening Day, Final Game, All-Star Game) are harder to come by than a home fan sporting the color blue (don't bother looking). "Who doesn't like our players?" asks Hoosier Cards on fansite vivaelbirdos.com. "They play to win as a team. No prima donnas in this group." Fans aren't feeling nearly as warm and fuzzy about the suits after the Cubbies outspent the league's 13th-ranked payroll by 46 large during the off-season. "It's one thing to watch as big-name, high-dollar free agents are passed up," says ChuckB. "But when fans see a distinct need in the bullpen or at second base, there's some frustration when ownership seemingly won't cough up a couple million in order to fill the void." Still, the team gets Standings love for Busch Bash Fridays (music, fun and prizes in Ford Plaza two hours before game time), kid pricing ($7 stubs for fans 15 and under to all 81 games) and, oh yes, winning. Yup, fans agree that sitting in a sea of red and munching on toasted ravioli while ogling The Machine as he slugs one toward the Arch … well, who doesn't like that?

