'This is a really big honor': Matt Carpenter Field dedicated in north St. Louis

PAGEDALE, Mo. (KMOX) - Today the St. Louis Cardinals, in conjunction with Cardinals Care, the City of Pagedale and Beyond Housing, announced the dedication of Matt Carpenter Field at the Pagedale Family Resource Center in Pagedale, Missouri.

"This is really cool, it's a really big honor and not only for me, but what it means to this community and what the Cardinals are doing in the community," Carpenter says. "I'm a big believer that this game teaches you a lot about life and to know what the Redbird Rookies are doing in this community and the impact it has on the kids in this area, I can't say enough about it."

Cardinals Team President Bill DeWitt III, was joined at the dedication by Cardinals Infielder, Matt Carpenter, Cardinals Vice President of Community Relations & Executive Director of Cardinals Care, Michael Hall; Cardinals Care Director & Youth Baseball Commissioner, Keith Brooks; Mayor of Pagedale, Mary Carter, and Beyond Housing Chief Operating Officer, Deb Dombar.

Also on hand was Carpenter's dad, Rick Carpenter. 

"It's very humbling, it's mindblowing, I could say a lot of things," Rick Carpenter says. "I'm just thrilled to death."

This season marks the 16th year of Cardinals Care’s innovative Redbird Rookies program, a free baseball league for kids who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play.  In addition to providing all the uniforms, gloves, bats, balls and other equipment needed for each team, Redbird Rookies also provides extensive off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring and the cultural arts for each of the nearly 2,500 kids who participate in the program each year.