Former Cardinal teammates reunite in Memphis

MEMPHIS – Matt Carpenter isn’t the only former St. Louis Cardinal spending the week in Memphis.

While Carpenter recovers from an oblique injury with the Redbirds, he has a former teammate in the stands at Autozone Park.

He is former St. Louis slugger Matt Holliday, who was Carpenter’s teammate in St. Louis for six seasons. But for Holliday this week, it’s less about Carpenter and more about one of the best prospects in all of baseball.

Matt’s son, Jackson, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Orioles, and at age 20, he’s already gotten his first big league call-up with Baltimore.

So as Holliday continues to help prepare his son for the big leagues, he can’t help but smile that part of that journey includes his former teammate and good friend here in Memphis.

“We had dinner last night and the day before. It’s cool to watch. Obviously I love watching my son play, but seeing him take the lead with Matt Carpenter holding him down, as one of my close friends, it’s a little surreal,” Matt Holliday said. “I don’t know if he feels old or if I feel old. Someone should feel old because of this. Let him and Jackson play against each other.

And they’ll likely play against each other throughout the weekend at Autozone Park.