It’s never easy to say goodbye to a fan favorite.
Yesterday, with the clock ticking before the trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees completed a trade that sent left-hander Jordan Montgomery to St. Louis in exchange for Gold Glove center fielder Harrison Bader.
Bader was well loved in St. Louis and well-known for making highlight reel plays out in center field.
Fans loved him and his teammates enjoyed his presence.
His bat flips after home runs were something else too.
On Twitter, the Cardinals bid farewell to Bader, thanking him for his time in St. Louis and for all of the great memories he provided.
Thank you, @aybaybader pic.twitter.com/OLLS7OBSfm
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 3, 2022
Bader will be missed in St. Louis.
The Cards could always count on him for some quality defense and some great baserunning.
Bader helped the Cardinals regain some of their stolen base prowess from the 1980s.
He was one of five Cardinals to win a Gold Glove last season.
He also gave fans at Busch Stadium a moment they’ll never forget when he hit an inside-the-park home run against the Baltimore Orioles.
He, Tyler O’Neill, and Dylan Carlson formed perhaps the best outfield trio in all of baseball last year.
But all good things must come to an end, and for the Cardinals to get the starting pitching help they so desperately needed, Bader had to be dealt.
But Cardinals fans will always remember the energy he brought to each game, how he hustled around the bases and went all out in center field for line drives.
It’s sad for Cards fans to see a fan favorite go, but Cardinal Nation will always have a soft spot for Bader.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!