It’s not exactly a reunion for Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward this weekend at Busch Stadium. The uniforms in the Braves’ dugout look the same but so many of the names have changed that Heyward said it won’t be strange for him to face his old team.
Heyward said playing the Braves also wouldn’t provide any extra motivation because he’s focused on the bigger pitcher as the Cardinals (61-34) try to build on the best record in baseball.
“I want to do well every night,” Heyward said before the series opener on Friday. “This one doesn’t mean anymore to me than the next one. We’ve got a goal as a team. We are in first place in our division. We want to win that and go to a World Series, so one team (opponent) not the difference, especially when they are not in our division.”
Heyward was the first of the major pieces the Braves traded as they retooled the roster after last season. His trade probably resonated most with fans because the Braves drafted him out of McDonough High School and he made the All-Star team as a rookie.
The Braves traded other mainstays after Heyward. One of his closest friends, Freddie Freeman, is still with the Braves but he wasn’t at Busch Stadium on Friday because he’s on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
The Braves traded Heyward to the Cardinals for starting pitcher Shelby Miller, who played in his first All-Star game last week. After a slow start at the plate, Heyward has become a key contributor for the Cardinals.
In 44 games since June 1 entering Friday, Heyward hit .318 with a .376 on-base percentage and a .465 slugging percentage while stealing nine bases. In his past seven games before Friday Heyward was 10-for-24 (.417) with two doubles, a triple, three walks and three stolen bases.
“I’m just trying to become a better player,” Heyward said. “I’m 25 and this is my sixth year. I’m just trying to put some experience together and go be myself and get back to what I was able to do, just react at the plate to go out there and put together consistent (at-bats).
“We’ve got a good lineup, very balanced. I’m just happy they are allowing me to do my thing.”
Heyward said he wasn’t surprised when the Braves traded him. While growing up in Georgia he’d seen the team send away popular players and, more than that, he said the team hadn’t shown any interest in signing him to a new contract after his current deal expires after this season.
He said his favorite memory from his time with the Braves was helping the team clinch the 2013 NL East title after he returned from a jaw injury. He said he appreciated the Braves teammates who helped him become comfortable as a major-leaguer when he made his debut as a 20-year old.
But Heyward said he’s enjoying playing for the Cardinals.
“It’s been a lot fun in general coming to this great baseball atmosphere, a baseball-savvy city and a really fun division in the NL Central,” Heyward said.
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