Most perennial All-Star baseball players receive honors like a statue, induction into their team’s Hall of Fame, or an award named after them—but usually only after retirement. It’s rare for such accolades to be given during a player’s career, and even rarer for them to take the form of a painted seat in a stadium.
The St. Louis Cardinals have chosen to honor Nolan Arenado’s defensive brilliance in a distinctive way—by painting a seat gold at Busch Stadium. On both May 4 and May 25, Arenado dove into the third-base stands to make incredible catches.
After his second dive into the crowd, Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold jokingly suggested on Twitter/X, “Paint the seat GOLD by next home stand. Or at least put a band-aid on it.” The team took the suggestion seriously.
With some assistance from their mascot Fredbird, the stadium operations team painted the seat Arenado collided with on May 25.
That catch came in a high-pressure situation—a 4-3 game in the ninth inning with runners on second and third and just one out. Arenado’s fearless grab of a foul ball off Ketel Marte helped pitcher Phil Maton escape the inning without giving up a run.
Just three weeks earlier, on May 4, Arenado made a similar play against the Mets, racing into foul territory to catch a ball hit by Juan Soto. His over-the-shoulder basket catch ended the eighth inning and preserved a narrow lead. The Cardinals went on to win 5-4. During that catch, he accidentally collided with a young girl in the stands. Thankfully, she was unharmed, and Arenado gave her the ball in a gesture of goodwill.
The May 25 catch took a greater physical toll. Arenado slammed into the armrest, injuring his side and experiencing difficulty breathing. “It was pretty bad,” he admitted. “I’ve never really felt that [kind of pain] before.” He had to rest for a few days afterward.
This season, Arenado has been re-energized by a younger roster and a desire to restore the fans’ faith. While his offensive numbers haven’t been up to his standards, his defense remains elite.
A ten-time Gold Glove winner and six-time Platinum Glove recipient, Arenado continues to make spectacular plays. It’s fitting that his defensive excellence is being celebrated now, while he’s still adding to his legacy.