Cards notes: Carpenter repays debt to Hunter - STLtoday.com
MINNEAPOLIS • When Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter finally had some traction as a professional ballplayer and could leave his famous and highly decorated benefactor, he told Torii Hunter there was no way he could repay him for the generosity. Carpenter, the Cardinals’ No. 2 hitter and the fan-vote leader to start the All-Star Game this season at third, received more than just advice from Hunter when he was a senior in high school. Hunter invited Carpenter to work out at an elite — and expensive — training facility near their homes in Prosper, Texas, and covered Carpenter’s cost. Carpenter said Wednesday, as he prepared to play Hunter’s Twins at Target Field, that Hunter’s scholarship and mentorship helped launch him toward the majors, the repayment of the debt. “I really believe he had a big influence on my career because I took things I learned from him into my first (big league) camp,” Carpenter said. He won seven of his nine Gold Glove Awards in the outfield while with the Twins earlier in his career, and he’s been credited with helping create culture change for the young Twins this season. He first met Carpenter through Carpenter’s father, Rick. Hunter would provide balls, bats, and other equipment for the nearby Prosper High School team, which was coached by Rick. In 2008, Hunter reached out to Matt Carpenter, who was a senior at Texas Christian and uncertain about his pro. Source: www.stltoday.com
