Brendan Donovan's heart for military veterans has deep, personal roots

You could tell immediately when the question was asked how much this meant to St. Louis Cardinals' infielder Brendan Donovan.

"Yeah, it's special," Donovan responded when I asked him about being named a finalist for the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, which recognizes MLB players who demonstrate service, commitment, and support of military servicemen and women. "The military in this country, we live in the best country in the world. It gives me the luxury, and us, to be here. For me to play this game, an opportunity for us to live in a safe and free country."

Donovan grew up in a military family, born in Germany while his father, Jim, a former United States Army Combat Readiness Center (USACRC) Deputy Commander, was stationed overseas. He has been a vocal advocate for a number of causes related to veterans' health since debuting in 2022, and it's clear that he feels a deep conviction to repay veterans for the sacrifices they've made.

"To see my family, not just my father, but my mother's sacrifice so much for us as kids," Donovan continued, "I feel like it's my duty to try to do more, and I want to do more, and I think that I can do more. To be nominated for that award, I think it's very special. Obviously, the awards I try not to let go to my head, but it lets me know "Hey you can do more, you can make an impact in this field". There's a lot of people in the military community that need help, and we can make a difference there."

Cardinals' Brendan Donovan is stepping up to help better the lives of military veterans

These comments came in the context of a second straight Winter Warm-Up where Donovan was constantly raved about by other members of the Cardinals organization. Donovan isn't just inspired by Paul Goldschmidt's leadership from the last three seasons, but he's already being viewed by other Cardinals as someone who can step into those shoes.

When I asked Donovan about his plans for furthering his impact this next year, he shared with us that he's going to host his first-ever charity event this year and has met with the Kauffman Fund as well. Donovan has already been a strong partner of Team Red, White, and Blue, and it's clear that he is motivated to do as much as he can for the military community over the coming years.

The Cardinals' organization has lost some heavyweight leaders in both the clubhouse and community in recent years in Goldschmidt, Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright. The next era of Cardinals' baseball needs its own set of leaders to emerge, and Donovan seems to be cementing himself as such.