Has Matt Carpenter Played his Last MLB Game?

The TCU Hall of Famer is now a free agent and has said goodbye to the fans of St. Louis

© Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

Saying “Goodbye” is always hard. Saying goodbye to a sports icon can be rough. For eleven seasons, Matt Carpenter has been an integral part of the St. Louis Cardinals. When the Cards played the winner-take-all Wild Card Game at Busch Stadium last month, fans realized this may have been the last game they got to see him wear the birds on the bat uniform.

The TCU Hall of Famer is now a free agent. His future in the MLB is questionable. Will the 35-year-old find another team? Will St. Louis re-sign him? Will he end up retiring? These are all questions for the off-season. If that Wild Card Game was his last game, it brings his storied MLB career to an end. 

Earlier this month, to say goodbye, Carpenter wrote a beautiful letter to the fans in St. Louis. The letter expresses his gratitude for the opportunity to be a Cardinals player. The letter starts with the end of TCU's 2009 season when the Frogs lost to that school in Austin in the Super Regionals, and he thought his baseball career was over. He talks about the 2011 championship season, his first season as a Cardinal. He describes his love for the city of St. Louis, the fans, the feeling of pride every time he put on the Cardinals jersey, and more.

Read the full letter to the city and fans of St. Louis here

There is a video as well to accompany the letter:

Horned Frogs have long been a fan of Carpenter and have followed his professional career for over a decade. 

He was the Frog's third baseman from 2005-2009. He earned second-team All-Mountain West Conference in 2006, 2008, and 2009. Carpenter currently ranks second all-time in games played (241), third all-time in at-bats (843), third all-time in hits (263), fourth all-time in doubles (57), and second all-time in walks (150) for the Frogs. He was part of the team that took TCU to their first Super Regional in 2009. That was the year before the first trip to Omaha. That year the Frogs played the #1 national seed, Texas, in the Super Regional in Austin. And it took all three games for Texas to advance to the CWS. 

In 2009, Carpenter was drafted #399 in the MLB draft by the Cardinals. He played in their minor league system in parts of three seasons. On June 4, 2011, he was called up to the Big League and made his MLB debut.

Over the next few years, he became a staple in the infield at Busch Stadium. His honors and awards include:

• Major League Baseball All-Star - 2013, 2014, 2016

• National League Silver Slugger - 2013 (2nd Base)

• National League Player of the Month - July 2018

• National League Player of the Week - 4/20/2015, 6/5/2016, 7/22/2018, 8/5/2018

• MLBPAA Cardinals Heart and Hustle Award - 2013, 2014, 2015

• National League Leader in Doubles - 2013 (55), 2015 (44)

• National League Leader in Hits - 2013 (199)

• National League Leader in Runs - 2013 (126)

Matt Carpenter MLB Career Stats
Seasons Played	11
Games Played	1,329
At Bats	4,403
Runs	752
Hits	1,153
Total Bases	1,975
Doubles	301
Triples	28
Home Runs	155
RBIs	576
Walks	699
Strikeouts	1,072
Stolen Bases	27
Batting Average	.262
On-Base Percentage	.368
Slugging Percentage	.449
On-Base Plus Slugging	.816

If 2021 was indeed Matt Carpenter's final season in the MLB, he had a storied career, and Horned Frogs are proud of how he represented TCU / © Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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