Ken Griffey Jr. didn’t expect it.
June 20, 2004. Father’s Day at Busch Stadium. Griffey was sitting on 499 home runs, with his father in the building, when he stepped in.
One swing—and No. 500.
He wasn’t a Cardinal. He wasn’t one of theirs, but Cardinals Nation reacted—and treated Griffey and his family like they were family. It turned into a full, sustained ovation, and it didn’t stop until Griffey tipped his cap.
Griffey later called it an “unbelievable” and “warm feeling” he hadn’t experienced anywhere else, saying it reinforced his view that Cardinals fans were among the best in baseball.
Two decades later, there’s now data to back that up.
A new analysis from VegasInsider.com, which reviewed more than 1.2 million Reddit comments across all 30 Major League Baseball fanbases, found Cardinals fans are officially the most polite in baseball. Just 3.13% of their comments included swear words, the lowest rate in the league.
For comparison, Oakland Athletics fans led the majors in foul language at 6.03%, followed by Boston Red Sox and California Angels fans.
Cardinals fans weren’t just the least foul-mouthed, they were also among the most positive. Nearly half (46.36%) of their comments were classified as positive, second only to the Colorado Rockies.
Less yelling. More standing ovations.
The Busch Stadium version of derech eretz
And this is where it starts to feel familiar.
There’s a concept in Judaism called derech eretz, the idea that basic decency, manners and how you treat people comes first. Before religion, before ritual, just act like a mensch.
In his writing on politeness, Rabbi Moshe Taragin points to a well-known teaching from Pirkei Avot: “Derech eretz kadma l’Torah,” the ways of the world come before Torah.
It’s simple in practice: speak respectfully, be mindful in public and don’t make a scene unless it’s truly necessary.
Or, in baseball terms: recognize greatness, even when it’s not wearing your jersey.
As the Jewish Encyclopedia puts it, “‘derek ereẓ’ includes good breeding, dignified behavior, urbanity and politeness.”
Midwest nice
To be fair, this isn’t only a Jewish thing. This is still the Midwest. People here apologize when you step on their foot.
But Judaism reinforces those instincts.
“It treats small acts of courtesy—greeting people, speaking gently and showing awareness of others—as the building blocks of a healthy community,” wrote Taragin.
Do that long enough, and it becomes a fanbase, too.
The takeaway
After more than 145 years of Cardinals baseball, 11 World Series titles, decades of winning and a fan base that’s seen just about everything, there’s a certain patience that comes with it.
Even now, as the team works through another stretch of uncertainty, one can feel it. Less panic. Less noise. A little more perspective.
Maybe that’s experience. Maybe it’s Midwest culture.
Maybe it’s something else.
Did Judaism make Cardinals fans the nicest in baseball?
No.
But it doesn’t hurt.
| RELATED: Adam Wainwright is more than a Cardinal — he’s a mensch. And this weekend, he’s playing for a cause
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