Why Matt Holliday is my choice for the 2022 Cardinals Hall of Fame

Let's go to the heart and the scorecards...

Matt Holliday was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in his age 29 season. It was one of those small pockets in time where a player who had spent many years with one organization (Colorado Rockies) found himself on another team (the Oakland Athletics) before moving to his next long-term destination.

The trade was wonderfully lopsided, at least for the Cardinals’ favor. Remember Brett Wallace, Cards or baseball fans? Nope. He was one of the top prospects sent packing to California for the services of one Matthew Thomas Holliday of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Why point out his native city? Because it’s a really cool name, that’s why. It’s the same reason Cards broadcasters always mentioned Matt Adams was from Slippery Rock. It’s good conversation and interesting, but I digress.

The ballot for the 2022 Cardinals Hall of Fame was released this week. Among the names on the list for possible entry ranged from the very good pitcher who got away (Steve Carlton) to a pretty solid, but not great starter in Matt Morris. George Hendrick and the returning Edgar Renteria (seventh year on ballot) are also included, with the former being a first timer like Holliday.

He’s my pick, and it’s simple. Holliday checks the boxes required for a red coat induction: longevity, performance, and fan adoration. Remember, this is a fan-voted contest, so don’t soak it in true Hall of Fame colors. It’s similar to All Star Game voting, where personal attributes and statistics play equal hands in the choice.

First, let’s talk about that 2009 second half. Holliday blasted 13 homers, 16 doubles, and 83 hits in just 63 games and 235 at-bats. He came over from the AL and was bashing everything. Holliday collected 142 total bases in those 63 games. That’s insane, by the way.

He spent seven and a half seasons in St. Louis, helping the team win a World Series and bridging the gap between a Pujols-run team and one that became more or less Holliday’s squad. He took over the charity organized by Pujols, and stepped into the storied #3 lineup slot.

After a half season in 2009 where he hit everything thrown towards his Cardinal Red jersey, Holliday played in 919 games for the Cardinals from 2010-2016. He averaged 131 games, 32 doubles, and 20 home runs during that time. Those are the meat and potatoes stat portions of his output here, so let’s continue on with a few other accomplishments in St. Louis.

Holliday’s career slash line as a Cardinal is rock solid: .288 batting average/.377 on-base percentage/.486 slugging percentage. The .863 OPS is well above average, and you can also attach that label to the 136 OPS+ (100 is league average).

No, he didn’t blast 35-40 home runs in a season. He was never going to be the baseball destroyer he was in Colorado, a place that does enlarge a hitter’s power profile. Some people will never get over the line drive off James Loney’s bat that Holliday dropped during the 2009 playoffs. Some still expected him to become Pujols 2.0 when that wasn’t possible.

Holliday was a very good player, and that should be celebrated. He’s the second best signing behind Nolan Arenado for the John Mozeliak management tenure in St. Louis. The same people who isolate his mistake in the Dodgers series will forget his run-saving assist in the World Series against the Texas Rangers. That was in Texas and helped flip a game in the Cardinals direction in Game 3.

Nobody can forget his final big moment under the Arch. As I wonder "what if” he didn’t get hit on the hand earlier that season in 2016 at Wrigley Field, it’s equally easy to recall the pinch-hit homer against the Pirates in September. The Birds were up big already, and it was designed to be Holliday’s final plate appearance (he would get another that weekend).

With a fitting old man Logan beard and a bevy of tears loaded up in his eye sockets, Holliday launched one into the Cardinals bullpen. It was a classic Holliday stroke too: a sinking line drive sent screaming from home plate to the opposite field in what seemed like 5 seconds. The same trajectory as his first big home run at Busch Stadium seven years prior, which happened to be a walk-off blast against the Cubs.

It also was his 20th home run of the 2016 season, which gave him ten seasons of at least 20 HR or more. It was his sixth time as a Cardinal collecting that total, which is harder than people think. Think of all the former sluggers who came into Busch Stadium and saw their power get taken away. Holliday managed to retain a good chunk of his ability upon the move from Oakland/Colorado.

And he kept producing after his days in St. Louis, hitting 19 homers for the Yankees in 2017 before retiring after the 2018 season.

More than anything, Holliday is a fan favorite. Along with producing for years and doing so under the shadow of a departed all-timer in AP5, that puts him in fine positioning for a red coat.

Being that it’s his first year on the ballot, someone else such as Morris could take it. He’s been on the STL HOF ballot for seven years now, and the same can be said for Renteria. Morris makes a more compelling case, with his 101 wins and lifetime 3.61 ERA/3.77 FIP. There’s something to be said for Hendrick, who played seven seasons in St. Louis and put up numbers close to Holliday. Renteria was solid for six years (2 gold gloves, 2 Silver Slugger awards), but his impact wasn’t as great as Holliday.

Also, Holliday was tough. That still counts for something. Toughness in a competitor. The dude could take a baseball off his face and be just fine, or attempt to play the outfield with a moth stuck in his ear. He did whatever was necessary and happened to play under the feeble Mike Matheny. Imagine his career if Tony La Russa was watching over his play for a longer portion.

With popularity still holding firm and his soft-spoken leadership well respected, Holliday is a premier pick for Cardinal Nation. Whether he gets in this year or next, the big fella will wear a red jacket soon.

Your thoughts?