At the event, Matheny presented his new outfielder with a No. 22 jersey, a tangible gesture of the manager’s earlier decision to hand over his longtime uniform number to Heyward.
In return, Heyward handed Matheny a jersey with the manager’s new chosen number, 26 to honor a friend who died from injuries suffered in a 2007 car accident.
Although Heyward will be eligible for free agency next offseason, the two-time Gold Glover said he has already considered signing an extension.
“Here I am now in St. Louis, and I hope I never have to leave,” Heyward said.
Heyward is only 25 and made the All-Star team in 2010. He finished second in the rookie of the year voting that season and received a handful of MVP votes after hitting .277 with a .393 on-base percentage and .849 OPS (those remain his career bests in those categories). His career slash line is .262/.351/.429.
