What the crowd at Busch Stadium didn’t know as it began and sustained a chant for Matt Holliday — “Holliday … Holliday … Holliday” — was that the Cardinals’ outfielder was not available to hit. His thumb, the fractured digit that kept him on the disabled list until this weekend, had swollen to the point trainers would not give him clearance to swing.
The chant persisted, the fans demanded.
Manager Mike Matheny felt he had to improvise a response.
With the Cardinals already eliminated from postseason play, Matheny, encouraged by hitting coach John Mabry and bench coach David Bell, sent Holliday out to left field for the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday.