I sat between two baseball legends last night, and it was awesome

Some moments in life require hindsight to understand how special they are. But last night, I knew something was unfolding that I would never forget.

There I was, seated between two, and I truly mean these, legends of both baseball and the city of St. Louis. Two men whose baseball acumen is unmatched and have provided myself and so many of you with some of the best St. Louis Cardinals coverage of our lifetimes.

With Derrick Goold on my left and Bernie Miklasz to my right, I just sat back and soaked it in. Sure, I had a microphone in front of me, but it would have felt like I was robbing myself and those who were watching of a “movement” to intercede.

Both Miklasz and Goold joined me for the Dealin’ the Cards charity livestream on Thursday evening over at 314 Sports Cards and Collectibles, raising money for Big League Impact as we talked Cardinals baseball with them and other incredible guests like Trevor Rosenthal, Jim Hayes, Brooke Grimsley, Jeff Jones, Will Leitch, and Kareem Haq. I highly recommend checking out the full livestream which is embedded below and linked here.

Miklasz has become a friend of mine this past year, something I am still wrapping my head around as well. His support of my work both on the site and on the podcast has been invaluable, and he graciously co-hosted the event with me and the rest of Dealin’ the Cards, Andrew Wang and Sandy McMillan.

Goold walked into 314 Sports Cards and Collectables well before his scheduled spot with us. Covering the Cardinals for over two decades now, Goold has cemented himself as one of the best baseball reporters of his generation.

Once Goold sat down to join us for the livestream, Miklasz was off to the races. I was quickly sucked into an incredible conversation between not just two legends, but two friends, who had forgotten more about baseball than I could know myself.

Of course we talked about the state of the Cardinals and the ramifications of decisions made in the last decade that led to organization-wide change. Nolan Arenado’s trade saga was updated, and John Mozeliak’s tenure was dissected.

But then the conversation expanded beyond that. The legacies of the late Rick Hummel and Joe Strauss were honored. Tales of experiences all around the baseball globe were remembered. Memories of a young Theo Epstein making his way up with the San Diego Padres. Even stories of chance encounters with former President Bill Clinton and Eddie Vedder were shared around the table.

It was truly a treat to soak in the breadth of life experiences Goold and Miklasz have had. The night flew by, and like many of our listeners, I wanted the conversation to continue on. All good things must come to an end though, and eventually, we kept the show moving on to our next guest.

Driving home later that evening, my mind just kept going back to that conversation, and I’ve already rewatched it a few times on YouTube. It’s one thing to listen to that kind of conversation on a screen, but it’s impossible to match the magic of that moment.

Nothing will top finding life in Jesus. There are too many stories to tell about meeting and marrying my wife, and that will always be second. There are plenty of moments in my life that I treasure and will continue to do so.

But last night, seated between two baseball legends, I knew another moment was added to that list.