Cards fans tipping their cap to Paul Skenes carries on a classy St. Louis tradition

Forget the “best fans” nonsense, but respect St. Louis’s appreciation for talent.

Thank you, Jim Leyland. It was the Pittsburgh Pirates manager (not The Sporting News like I had initially though) that said the St. Louis Cardinals had the best fans in baseball back in 1992, making them seem like the only fan base who truly appreciated their sports team and were the classiest bunch in town. The New York Times and USA Today would perpetuate the notion further over the coming years, cementing the phrase and reputation.

Ugh. Double ugh! When in reality, they just know how to show respect for genuine talent, even when the player is wearing a different uniform.

This week after Pittsburgh Pirates pitching phenom Paul Skenes exited the game in the seventh inning following a single, an uncharacteristic thing occurred. Something you would only witness in most ballparks if a player was beaned by a line drive or suffered an injury on the field. Health matters and seeing both teams leave a game whole is important to fans. Getting the chance to witness a live wire starter at the onset of his potential dominance is reason enough for Cards fans to give him a partial standing ovation.

Sure, St. Louis is a giving club when it comes to unique appreciation. Remember when they gave former player (and current first base coach) Stubby Clapp a standing ovation after striking out on three pitches. Clapp was a Cardinal, but it was still odd and fun at the same time. They stood up when Albert Pujols put a dent in the visitor’s bullpen as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

Every time a former player returns to Busch Stadium, there’s a good chance he’ll be greeted by an ovation that would make one check to see if they were wearing the right uniform to the plate. When Tyler O’Neill returned with Boston, he was given applause… which was halfway rescinded after he cracked a long home run into that same bullpen Pujols attacked against Jordan Hicks.

I love it. Always have. It’s a sign of respect. Tony Gwynn once called St. Louis fans the smartest in the game. He knew that fans here appreciated the game and the giants that made it so tall. It’s the same reason that a lot of players saw this town as a destination. They would be treated, through thick and thin, like family. Like playing for the Blues down the street, playing for the Cardinals hits different, like cheering on a family member. That doesn’t mean boos aren’t going to happen, but a positive gesture to any player is pretty much a guarantee.

It isn’t like that in most places. Philadelphia fans may think about going after a player’s family (at least on social media) if they fared well against their team. Boston, New York, and aren’t giving standing ovations much less a few claps. While St. Louis fans may not be the best fans-a dubious honor that did more harm than good-they’re a classy bunch of baseball lovers.

We do love the game and the players wearing the birds on the bat, but can step out and recognize a special talent when the situation calls for some recognition. Skenes is everything that they said he was: an ace-type arm that should only get better with time and experience. He fooled Masyn Winn three times, most of all on a splinker (split finger that sinks) that followed high octane natural gas. He can pump 100 mph and then buckle you with an 83 mph offspeed pitch. It’s an impressive arsenal to have at any age, much less in a rookie year. Showing respect to Skenes isn’t a sign that a fanbase is weak or is giving the other team too much air in their tires; it’s a tip of the cap to being able to witness something unique.

Barstool gave it some shit, but that’s their specialty. When has that TMZ-flavored site cared about class or dignity in their existence? Rarely, and only if it was a popular team to pump up or a pizza to review.

The Cardinals are a troubling team, but their fanbase definitely has their heart in the right place. They celebrate and respect the game instead of tarnishing it. It wasn’t like they cheered him after striking out Winn. Heck, they only cheered when he was leaving the game. Maybe it was a sigh of relief.

Or, just a genuine sign of respect.

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the weekend.