Ubelievable: Former Cardinal, becomes upset upon returning to St. Louis

During his first game back in St. Louis, the former Cardinal outfielder broke down in tears when speaking with media.

The last two seasons Tyler O’Neill spent in St. Louis weren’t very glitzy. He went from being a top-7 candidate for MVP to an ok offensive player who occasionally got into arguments with the coaching staff. O’Neill struggled with injuries during his last two seasons in St. Louis and was never able to reach his best level of play while playing for the Cardinals.

This past summer, O’Neill was traded to Boston in exchange for two pitching prospects in the minor leagues. Both sides needed a change of scenery, and Boston acquired a young corner outfielder with significant power potential. St. Louis fans lamented another “one that got away” in a trade by John Mozeliak after the deal and O’Neill’s early-season play.

O’Neill is still cutting even though he has calmed down since his wild start to the season.254/.365/.540 with 16 RBIs, 10 home runs, and a 146 wRC+. Even though the season is just two months old, O’Neill has already missed a few games due to injury, and his 31.8% K rate is the highest of his career. With his success at Fenway, it was somewhat expected. Right-handed hitters usually have good offensive games there, and his strong defense would help keep the Green Monster from scoring as many runs as possible.

When Tyler O’Neill made his first trip back to St. Louis following his trade, he had nothing but positive things to say about his time with the Cardinals.

“I love St. Louis. I get a little emotional just thinking about it all. I had a great time here. I will always remember that run we did in 2021; it was an amazing experience for me. I hope it receives a favorable response from everyone. I’m not sure how it will seem.

– Tyler O’Neill
The crowd responded well to O’Neill’s return during Friday night’s game. He received a thunderous standing ovation from the crowd, as is customary when former players visit Busch Stadium. Considering his commitment to his profession and his outstanding 2021 performance, he is worthy of that reply.

Compared to his remarks about his trade made during the summer, O’Neill is adopting a slightly different tack. O’Neill said in an interview with Foul Territory that there was a rift in their relationship as a result of his disagreement with former manager Oli Marmol.

It’s encouraging to see Cardinal supporters now that they want Tyler to be successful. Following an argument with his manager and some cryptic remarks made by that leader, supporters began to doubt O’Neill’s dedication to the squad. The admiration and respect that fans had for the powerful outfield player was evident in their reaction on a Friday night.