"There’s something about home plate at Busch Stadium. It might look like another batter’s box to you. But It’s different, man. It really is.
When I was up to bat I could feel the rhythm of the park. The heartbeat of a baseball city. On a fall night with 45,000 in the stands, I could feel all of Cardinal Nation right there underneath my cleats and in my chest. I could close my eyes and see all of the greats who put on this jersey before me. I cherished that feeling all the way until the end.
But, the end is here. Goodbyes can be hard especially when you’re leaving so much behind. If it weren’t for the Cardinals organization if it weren’t for St. Louis, my baseball career probably would have ended 12 years ago on a college field in Austin, Texas. But, the Cards saw me and they saw something in me. And for that, I’m forever grateful. This city, this club, my teammates, Thank you.
All I’ve wanted to do in my ten years is give you my best because it is a privilege to wear the birds on the bat. I’ve always wanted to represent this community in a way that made you proud. I hope I did that. Cardinal Nation, the love you showed, not only in St. Louis but wherever we went was incredible. Y’all are unmatched.
I knew the end might be coming and I wanted to feel every last moment I had as a Card. We shared it all together. The postseason, the curtain calls, the walk-offs. We even shared the salsa and I’ll remember all of it. But mostly, I’ll remember the feeling I had every time I put on the Cardinal jersey, gratitude. I love you St. Louis.”
(Matt Carpenter, 2021)