As baseball season begins in a few weeks, each teams fanbase comes together for Opening Day and optimism for the upcoming season.  We over analyze how our team may look, if they made good decisions in free agency, or if signing or not re-signing a player is the right choice for the team.  If you are a St. Louis Cardinals fan, you may have mixed feelings about his one.

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Matt Carpenter's time may have come to an end for the Cardinals, but he's made sure he won't forget the special moments he had in St. Louis. The Cardinals opted not to pick up Carpenter's option for 2022, and he and the club have made their intentions known to officially part ways.

Top 30 Matt Carpenter GIFs | Find the best GIF on Gfycat

The Galveston, Texas, native spent 10 full seasons in St. Louis becoming a 3-time All-Star, 2013 Silver Slugger and playing at times at an MVP-caliber level. Matt wrote a heart felt letter to Cardinals fans, and you can get that link HERE.

 

Matt was drafted in 2009 by St Louis in the 13th round.  He has only played for the Cardinals.  I began to wonder if this will be a situation where after only playing for one team your entire career, you go elsewhere and not have the same success.  Albert Pujols took the money and went to the Angels on a 10 year contract.  He never saw the success as he did in St Louis.

Matt Carpenter Homerun Swing Analysis on Make a GIF

As a Cubs fan, it sure seemed like Matt just tortured our pitching.  So I will not be upset to not see him playing against us.  But I suspect Cardinals fans will miss him very much.  He was a part of the 2011 World Series winning team.  And he gave Cardinal fans a lot to cheer about. I wish him well.

LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

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