Aledmys Diaz looked out into the sea of red at Busch Stadium and counted his blessings as he was introduced during the Cardinals’ home opener Monday afternoon. The Cardinals’ young Cuban shortstop thought about his parents Kenia and Rigoberto, carrying a part of them with him even though they were a thousand miles away in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Diaz then proudly walked toward legendary Hall of Famer Lou Brock, one of the first folks he met when he signed with the Cardinals in 2014. Only two springs ago, he was in tears when he told Brock how much he missed his mother, who was still in Cuba at the time.