Today, the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals are playing a Grapefruit League exhibition match.
Framber Valdez is on the mound for the Astros, while the Cardinals counter Adam Wainwright.
But a few new faces on both sides got to reunite this afternoon.
The Astros signed Jose Abreu at the beginning of the offseason to fill the void at first base left by the departure of Yuli Gurriel.
Joe McEwing became the bench coach of the Cardinals after serving on the staff of the Chicago White Sox when Abreu was still with the team.
Prior to the first pitch of the game between the Cards and the defending World Series champions, McEwing and Abreu shared a nice moment together, embracing each other in a touching reunion.
#STLCards bench coach Joe McEwing shared a long embrace with former #WhiteSox star Jose Abreu before today’s first pitch. They were in Chicago together for years. McEwing is in his first season back with the Cardinals, while Abreu signed with the Astros as a free agent.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) March 2, 2023
Both Abreu and McEwing were with the White Sox last year.
McEwing served in several roles on the team’s coaching staff.
He had been a bench coach and a third base coach.
Abreu had been the rock of the team for several years, playing first base and serving as a threat in the middle of their lineup.
So naturally, having been in close proximity with one another, the two were close.
Fortunately today, they got a chance to see each other again.
Moments like these are bigger than baseball and show us the wholesome side of the game.
The competition is always the main focus, but wholesome moments like the one Abreu and McEwing shared are important too, and the game certainly isn’t complete without them.
NEXT:
The WBC Creates Opportunities For Several Cardinals Pitchers
