Less than a month after his 22nd birthday and 10 games into his big-league career, Nolan Arenado arrived at the ballpark for his first game east of Coors Field, and Colorado teammate Troy Tulowitzki offered some veteran advice:
Watch and learn, kid, these are the Cardinals.
That evening, at Busch Stadium, the Rockies faced a lineup that featured Tulowitzki’s pal Matt Holliday as well as Carlos Beltran. Shelby Miller allowed a leadoff single and then retired the next 27 consecutive Rockies for a shutout.
That 2013 Cardinals team would lead the National League in scoring, win the pennant and leave an early, lasting impression on a rookie who has become a luminary.