. St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Friday, August 5, 2022

Carpenter spent 10 years as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals

Matt Carpenter draws thunderous ovation from Busch Stadium crowd

From the moment St. Louis selected Matt Carpenter in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, all the way up to the conclusion of the 2021 season, the lanky native Texan was a Cardinal.

With the 36-year-old Carpenter being back in a place he never wanted to leave

I was telling somebody earlier that this will be the first three games since 2009 I have not pulled for the St. Louis Cardinals to win

Carpenter got to feel the love that his former Cardinals teammates and coaches feel for him when he was embraced before batting practice