ST. LOUIS — When Major League Baseball leaders announced there was no deal in the ongoing lockout, Karen Boschert had been rooting for a resolution.
"Every day. I have been watching every day. I keep updating just to see what is going on," she said.
Boschert has spent more than 20 years selling hotdogs, hamburgers, and peanuts outside of St. Louis' Busch Stadium.
Known as "the Hot Dog Lady," she watched a delay in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic derail her business for two years.
"I went from selling probably about 400 pieces of meat at $4 apiece — plus the soda and kettle corn and peanuts and all that — to absolutely nothing," she said.
When Busch Stadium recently held a hiring fair, crowds turned out hoping to make some money while cheering along with the home team.
"When you're in the stadium and getting your tips, hey, you're doing good," John Dean said.
But Dean's optimism came even as organizers acknowledged opening day was up in the air.
"We are hopeful we're going to have a season starting. Hopefully, it starts on time," Food and Beverage Director Mackenzie Rosener said at the time.
With the league owners and MLB Players' Association failing to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement by the MLB-implemented 5 p.m. deadline on Tuesday, cancellations are coming.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced during a press conference that the league has canceled opening day and the first two series of the season to drop the schedule from 162 games to 156 games at most.
Boschert says her side hustle is about more than money. She's weathered many storms, all to be with the fans she misses so much.
"These people are like my family, and I miss my family," she said.
As of now, no home games at Busch Stadium have been canceled. The Cardinals have released the following statement:
"We are very disappointed that a labor agreement was not reached in time to avoid a delay to the start of MLB’s regular season.
The Cardinals remain hopeful that a resolution can be reached in time to prevent any games at Busch Stadium from being impacted.
We are continuing to prepare for our tradition-filled home opener on Thursday, April 7, and look forward to getting the season underway as soon as possible."