A smile lit up his famous face, as his cheekbones pushed up the ends of his signature mustache, now slivers of silver.
At a luncheon Saturday, Keith Hernandez spotted Ozzie Smith for the first time, and a grinning Hernandez happily hugged his old teammate as if they were standing on Astroturf.
Throughout the day, Hernandez kept experiencing these little moments, these sudden reunions, rich with authenticity. Willie McGee. Tommy Herr. Whitey Herzog. He soaked up their pride.
Finally, mercifully, the deserving Hernandez became a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Saturday’s induction ceremony cemented his place in Cardinals history, even though he’d made so much Cardinal history, so many seasons ago.