Cardinals fans give Nolan Arenado emotional standing ovation in first return to Busch Stadium originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Nolan Arenado spent five seasons wearing a Cardinals uniform. On Monday night, he walked back into Busch Stadium wearing different colors for the first time. The response from St. Louis fans said everything.
Before the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cardinals opened their series, Arenado was introduced as a visiting player at Busch Stadium for the first time since being traded to Arizona during the offseason. Rather than hearing boos or a mixed reaction, the veteran third baseman was welcomed back with a lengthy standing ovation from Cardinals fans who spent years cheering for one of the franchise's most accomplished stars.
After Arizona stranded a runner in the first, and the Cardinals stranded the bases loaded in the bottom half of the first, Nolan led off the top of the second in St. Louis.
It was a moment that felt inevitable. No matter how his tenure ended, Arenado's place in Cardinals history was already secure.