Yankees Fans Debate Former Slugger’s Legacy After Retirement Wednesday
After spending some time on the sidelines as a free agent, Matt Carpenter officially announced his retirement Wednesday while speaking on Sports Spectrum’s “Get in the Game” podcast with former MLB pitcher Scott Linebrink.
Carpenter played 14 Major League seasons, with 11 of those coming with the St. Louis Cardinals. The superutility batter then donned Yankees colors in 2022, before a year with the Padres and a final season in 2024 with the Cardinals.
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According to the three-time All-Star, the decision was driven by his motivation to be a family man and be present with his children.
“God really just put it on my heart that it was time to come home and be a dad,” he said. “I’ve got two little kids. I’ve got a third-grade daughter, Kinley. I got a first-grade son, Cannon. And they are just in such fun ages. I just didn’t want to miss out on any more things that you miss as a professional athlete.”
Former New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Carpenter (left) Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Carpenter is a beloved Yankees folk hero for his 47-game tenure in the Bronx. He had a mini-resurgence of sorts, tallying a 2.4 WAR in 2022 after a -1.1 year with the Cardinals.
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The third baseman slashed .305/.412/.717 with a career-high OPS of 1.138 that year. Despite his disappointing playoff output, Carpenter is generally fondly remembered for his contributions by Yankees fans.
A fan tweeted, “His year with the Yankees was so badass”.
Another fan echoed the sentiment, writing “Classic Cashman lightning in a bottle”.
A third fan wrote, “The type of generational run Santa Claus goes on every Christmas Eve” about his time in New York.
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However, most Yankees fans would stop short of calling him a ‘legend’, as an enthusiastic fan handle put it.
A few fans were peeved by this choice of words and let their feelings be known in the replies. One wrote, “He was a yankee for 47 games, batted like .100 in the playoffs and they didn’t win the Series. Legend?” A second fan mentioned his same contention with the description, “Legend? He was a Yankee for 10 minutes…”
These feelings are understandable for fans of the most successful franchise in North American major league sports. However, there is no denying the impact Carpenter had during his time in New York.
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