Cardinals fans finally shower Matt Holliday with praise he deserves

Matt Holliday and the St. Louis Cardinals are finally going to break up, as it was announced on Friday afternoon that general manager John Mozeliak and communicated with the slugger the club’s intention NOT to pick-up his option for next season.

The move came as little surprise, but surprisingly sent Twitter in to an uproar on how cheap the franchise is and how Holliday deserved better.  Of course, there also were the other detractors who go out of their way to diminish Holliday’s accomplishments as a member of the Cardinals organization that were in essence saying “good riddance.” 

But the reality, or should I say irony, of Friday’s proceedings at Busch, including Holliday’s magical pinch-hit home run in what was likely his last at bat as a member of the Cardinals, was that Holliday finally garnered the respect from Cardinals fans that he has long deserved.

It took a home run in his last at bat with the franchise for Cardinals fans to stop taking Holliday for granted.

Cardinals fans always expected the impossible from the 36-year old. They doubted his fielding ability. They said he was not “clutch” enough. They said he didn’t hit for enough power in years he got on-base at a high clip. They said he didn’t get on-base enough in years where he hit for more power.

The reasons for this lack of respect, prior to Friday, are confusing.

Part of it could stem from the fact that Holliday was the de facto replacement of Albert Pujols, a god-like figure in St. Louis who has had a career copied by few.

Part of it was the contract Holliday received. Fans expected him to be a 40 home run guy. But instead, the Cardinals paid him to be a .292/.379/.494 guy, which was his slash line in over 8 seasons in St. Louis.

That type of consistency and production, coupled with his leadership, attitude and community involvement, has made Holliday worth every dollar.

Cardinals fans long took Holliday for granted, and now, once it looks like he is finished in St. Louis, fans are realizing the type of player and person they have had the pleasure of watching during one of the most successful runs of baseball in this historic franchise’s history.

~ While it looks like Holliday is indeed “gone,” there is something to consider that nobody is talking about that could in fact bring him back. MLB’s collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of November and part of the negotiation could be to bring the designated hitter to the National League. This has been a hot-topic in the past, and there hasn’t been as much chatter of late. But if the DH is a part of baseball in the NL moving forward, suddenly $17 million for Holliday looks pretty good as a full-time designated hitters. Its a long shot, but something to consider that nobody is talking about.

~ It is not a coincidence that Holliday was greeted by Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright at the top step after his blast. In fact, it is foreshadowing what is coming next as it will not be long until these stars too face their last days in a Cardinals uniform.  A truly remarkable era is about to end in St. Louis, an era led by Holliday, Molina and Wainwright.

~ John Mozeliak’s ability to stay disciplined and not give in to emotion is yet again an example of why he is the best in the business. It would have been easy to just give Holliday the money and ask him back in a part-time role. But Mozeliak is a steward. He has principles and he sticks to him. He should have your trust.

~ Speaking of eras, the new era has already begun in St. Louis whether you realize it or not. An era led by the right arms of Carlos Martinez and Alex Reyes. It is my opinion, that by 2018, you are looking at the best 1-2 punch in all of baseball.

~ For the record, starting Michael Wacha on Saturday is a huge mistake in my opinion. This season has obviously been about moving the franchise forward. So why not give the ball to Weaver? Not only is Weaver the future, but he is a better option than Wacha or Jaime Garcia, neither of whom should be trusted.

Thanks for reading, @CoreyRudd