2015 Arch Awards: St. Louis Community MVPs

Jul 10, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter (13) smiles on the field prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

30-year-old Matt Carpenter, who has quickly become one of the longest-tenured players on the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster, has ingrained himself in the community as his profile has expanded. In July of 2015, Carpenter held a ProCamps-sponsored event at Parkway Central where kids had the opportunity to spend the day learning the fundamentals of baseball. This was the second straight year that Carpenter held the camp.

While some professional athletes are content just to put their name on a camp and let other coaches do the work, though, Carpenter is extremely hands-on with his involvement, taking after his father Rick, a legendary high school baseball coach in Texas. Carpenter, who really fought to earn his major-league opportunity and didn’t become a full-time big-leaguer until he was 26 years old, clearly has genuine interest in passing that passion for the game on to the next generation. He’s down-to-earth enough to recognize the great impact he can make on youth players simply by being present and providing them a few pointers that can further their love for baseball.

Carpenter has also previously participated in the Rainbows for Kids All-Star Wiffleball Game, an event which allows children with cancer and other serious illnesses to have a stress-free day of fun while participating in sports alongside Cardinals players, and he participates in Adam Wainwright’s “Big League Impact” organization, which raises funds for a multitude of charities by allowing fans to participate in fantasy football leagues with their favorite professional athletes.

Next: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues