September 28, 2025. That was the best day of my life. That was the day my favorite athlete—the person whose swing I copied for softball, my eight-time All-Star third base role model, and my idol—gave me one of the most important pieces of equipment to a baseball or softball player: his batting gloves. Sure, a fielder’s glove is what makes the plays, but batting gloves are part of the big swings. They are part of the force behind game-winning, walk-off hits. They are where players express themselves.

Being given those gloves didn’t feel like just one day of success at the Wrigley Field visitors’ bus. It felt like five years of late nights, evenings missed studying for tests the next morning, and countless screams, chants, and begging finally paying off. I wish I knew the exact number of minutes and hours I stood at those green gates asking for autographs. While I’ve certainly gotten enough autographs for a lifetime of happiness as a Cardinals fan—from Paul Goldschmidt to Albert Pujols—the day Nolan Arenado gave me his batting gloves was the most defining moment of my life. It felt like everything was finally worth it.

Without a doubt, I would have been scared of me if I were Nolan Arenado. You’d think a 13-year-old girl would be one of the least intimidating types of fans for an athlete to encounter, especially a baseball player. But that’s where you’d be wrong. I was the most ruthless, relentless teenage Cardinals fan at games for almost my entire life. Honestly, it was stalker-level how fast I identified players and then begged them for autographs. I can’t even imagine what it was like from Arenado’s perspective when I got extra loud the second he walked out.

To this day, Nolan Arenado has been the most defining athlete of my life. Obviously, I grew up with Yadi—of course I went through the phase every Cardinals kid goes through, wearing number four and playing catcher—and Waino, and they will absolutely go down as two of my all-time favorites. But I don’t think anyone will ever top Arenado as my number one.

February 1, 2021, was one of the best days of my life as a Cardinals fan. That was the day the Cardinals acquired multi Platinum and Gold Glover, Silver Slugger, and All-Star Nolan Arenado. I don’t think I had ever felt more excitement. I remember opening Instagram and seeing the post the Cardinals had just made: “Here comes Nolan.” Those words stuck. Nolan proved he was not only the Hall-of-Fame-caliber slugger he was known as with the Rockies, but also the defensive wizard he is at the hot corner.

I credit Nolan for the softball player I became. Watching him at third made me want to be him—to make that throw on an angle while running toward the third-base side dugout, or to make the sliding catch while running backward into the fence. Eventually, I realized I had even made my swing just like his. To this day, I notice that when I stand in the box, my feet rock back and forth and I stand tall and upright, just like he does. And knowing the amount of success he’s had, I’d say it works. Those reasons are exactly why I was always extra annoying when he was getting on the team bus at Wrigley. As a player, I wanted to be like him. As a girl, I was determined to have success like his.

June 2, 2022, was the best day of my life—until September 28, 2025. That long, hot June day was the day I got Nolan Arenado’s autograph. In 2022, I was heading into my freshman year of high school, but I will always remember conversations with my mom back when I was in seventh grade. She would ask, “What would you do if you met Nolan?” My answer was always the same: “Probably be speechless.” You’d think someone who idolized him that much would have a script ready, but it was actually the opposite. I think I just always had too much to say.

That’s probably why I’m writing this now. Having the opportunity to simply say, “Hi! You’re my favorite player!” was enough. Getting one picture and one autograph pretty much made my life. Looking back, if 14-year-old Clare knew what would happen in 2025 to 17-year-old Clare, she wouldn’t have been speechless—she probably would have passed out. During that June 2022 series against the Cubs, I actually got Nolan’s autograph twice, although the second time was much less enjoyable for everyone as Cubs fans yelled nasty comments. Still, it meant everything to me. I had finally met my idol.

Now, as I finish my senior year and begin closing the chapter on that era of the Cardinals and my childhood, I’m able to open a new one—one where I start reaching my goals of becoming one of the biggest female names tied to the sport. Not as a player, but as an analyst, reporter, interviewer, or advertiser—I honestly don’t care what the role is. I just want to go to the ballpark for work every day. I can gratefully credit a huge part of that passion to Nolan Arenado. The St. Louis Cardinals and Major League Baseball helped me identify what I love, but Nolan gave me a reason to be tuned in and invested in 162 games every season for five years.

Nolan Arenado became a Cardinal during some of the biggest years of my life, and now it feels like as I’ve grown up, we’re both moving on to our next journeys in baseball. While I’m crushed to not see #28 in Cardinal red anymore, I’ll certainly be cheering him on in maroon and gold. After all, he does have the nickname “Sandblaster” for a reason. In the end—and I doubt Arenado will ever see this—I just want to thank him for helping me fully find my passion, not just on the field but off it. Without him, I’m not sure what I would have done for 162 nights every year or if I would’ve ended up pursuing something I truly care about.

In the end, what I’m really trying to say is that when those gloves hit my hands, it felt like everything was worth it. It felt like my favorite player was acknowledging me as a fan, but also like I was closing the chapter on some of the best years of my life and opening a new one filled with even more excitement. So thank you, 28. Thank you for the diving plays and walk-off homers, but more importantly, thank you for being the exact type of player the St. Louis Cardinals organization strives for. You set the bar for what it means to wear the Birds on the Bat and be part of Cardinal Nation—and for that, I thank you. And again, sorry for annoyingly yelling at you, but now you know why.

Thanks for being my idol!

Your biggest fan,

Clare Barnickol