ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Some say there's no crying in baseball. But it'll be tough for many St. Louis Cardinals to not shed a tear watching this video written and voiced by Matt Carpenter.
Last week, he was officially released by the Cardinals. It's the first time since he was drafted by St. Louis on June 10, 2009, that he's not a member of the organization. He wrote a column for The Players' Tribune, website where athletes get to voice their opinions, thoughts and feelings.
The 35-year-old isn't retiring, but knows a return to St. Louis won't be happening in 2022. So he wanted to give a special thank you to the team and its fans:
"I’ve tried to soak up these last few months as best as I could. I knew the end might be coming, and I wanted to really feel every last moment I had as a Card. The things that had become monotonous, like the pregame stretch or batting practice, I tried to pretend it was my first ball game again. I looked around the stadium as much as I could, taking mental pictures at every step along the way. Man ... just thinking about what an honor this has been.
"Just thinking about what an honor it’s been to have represented this city."
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Carpenter was a 13th round draft pick, who became a feared middle-of-the-lineup bat for a half-decade in St. Louis. He's a three-time All-Star who finished as high as fourth in the MVP race in 2013 – when he led the Majors in runs (126), hits (199) and doubles (55) that season.
He'll also be remembered for his historic game at Wrigley Field in 2018. He become only the second player in MLB history to hist three home runs and two doubles in a game as he was 5-for-5 against the Cubs.
In the column, which you can read here, Carpenter talks about his first two games in the majors – both ended in walk-off home runs by Albert Pujols. He also gushes over his opportunity to be teammates with Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright:
"Guys like Yadi, who — man, how lucky are we to have Yadi? I wish you all could see him from behind the scenes. What he puts his body through to compete like he does ... it’s even more remarkable than what you’ve already seen. He represents the best of Cardinal Nation. Guys like Waino, who I mean, come on!! He might pitch forever, a Cardinals treasure. I’m so grateful to all the amazing teammates I’ve had while I was here. I’ve really been blessed to have some great people around me, both on and off the field. This city, this club, it’s been everything to me."
Although his final few seasons in St. Louis weren't what many expected after he signed a 2 year, $39 million contract extension, he still will be a fan favorite for his spicy salsa, excellently manicured beard and bare hands gripping his bat.
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