What does it mean to be a Cardinal to Nolan Arenado?
"It's an unbelievable feeling. Being a part of a team with such great history is amazing. The expectations are always super high here, and that's a great feeling to be a part of. It just feels good to be a part of a team that expects great things, and I love that about this place," the third baseman told KMOX's Sports Director Tom Ackerman. Their full conversation can be heard in the audio clip above.
After the 99-day lockout and so much talk on the collective bargaining agreement, it's easy to forget the biggest Cardinal stories of 2021, like the change in the Cardinal's coaching staff. Oli Marmol was promoted to Cardinals manager in October of 2021 after the dismissal of Mike Shildt, making him baseball's youngest manager. Marmol, having been the bench coach under Shildt, already has a close relationship with his players who in turn know exactly what to expect of him.
"I love Oli, man. He knows what we like, and what we don't like. The communication is really easy, because we're really comfortable with him," Arenado said. "I think Oli's gonna be great for us. He's smart, and we have a great staff around him."
Arenado went 1-2 in the Cardinals' first spring training game Friday afternoon, which included a two-run single in the bottom of the third to put the Redbirds on top, 2-1. He also stopped a blistering line drive hit to third by Astros left fielder Marty Costes.
The home opener at Busch Stadium is April 7th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Nolan anticipates St. Louis's "Baseball Heaven" to be filled to the brim with the best fans in baseball.
"It's always loud. It's always packed. [The fans] know the game. They show up. They care about winning. I love it."