ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — On Busch Stadium red with a sea of fans, a sacred moment suddenly took place when the entire St. Louis Cardinals team and fans stood up, not to cheer for the pitch, but to honor those who are fighting cancer.
As part of Mercy’s Cancer Awareness Day, players emerged from the dugout holding white signs that read:
“I’m Striking Out Cancer For…”
and underneath were the emotional names: Mom, Dad, Linda, The Kids, Grandpa, Coach Rick…
No comment needed. The stadium was dead silent. Only a soft chant from the crowd:
“You are not alone.”
Players hand-wrote the names of those they wanted to thank – from family members, coaches, to loyal fans who had written letters about their chemotherapy journeys.
Some quietly handed their name tags to patients sitting in the front row – as a message: “Today, I play for you.”
Paul Goldschmidt, his voice choked up, said after the game:
“I lost a close friend to bone cancer. When I held up the sign, I didn’t just think of him, but of all the people who never gave up despite the pain they were in.”
Jordan Walker, a junior for the Cardinals, said succinctly:
“Baseball gave me glory, but the real courage belongs to those who are fighting in the hospital.”
In the stands, many spectators held up “I’m Still Fighting” signs, some with canes, some wearing Mercy Oncology shirts, and a skinny baby wearing a Cardinals cap to cover his bald head from chemotherapy—still smiling.
“We didn’t come to the game just to watch the ball,” one mother said. “We came here to believe we were stronger than this disease.”
That day, baseball was more than a game. It’s a place where players and spectators stand together—even if one is holding the glove and the other is holding the IV.
“This is a game where we don’t let anyone fight alone,” Mercy said.
“And the Cardinals, as always, are not standing on the sidelines.”
The “Striking Out Cancer” campaign will continue throughout the month, with special T-shirts and ticket sales going to Mercy Cancer.
If you ask why people love sports today, look at the photo of players standing together, holding a sign with the name of someone battling the disease.
That’s why.