Ryan Helsley's Mets debut elicits wistful response from Cardinals fans

For those of us who have toddlers or have experienced the toddler phase as parents, we know this feeling all too well.

One moment, a toddler will be playing with a toy happily. The next, he or she will tire of it, move on, and find a new activity. All is well in the toddler's world; they had fun with a toy and are now enjoying something else. However, once someone else comes along and plays with the aforementioned toy, things don't go so well.

All of a sudden, that child will want the original toy back. It's illogical; they've moved on to bigger and better things. They've seemingly forgotten about the old toy. However, the emotional connection to the initial form of enjoyment remains, and feelings of longing, covetousness, and nostalgia begin to surface.

St. Louis Cardinals experienced a similar rollercoaster of emotions over the last 48 hours.

Ryan Helsley's New York Mets debut reminds St. Louis Cardinals fans of what they once had, leaving them longing for better days.

Ryan Helsley made his debut for the New York Mets on Friday night, twirling a scoreless ninth inning in a 3-3 game for the Metropolitans. Helsley allowed two hits and struck out three batters, a line Cardinals fans grew all too familiar with over the last few years. The Mets would go on to lose the game 4-3 in the tenth inning following an RBI single by Dominic Smith for the San Francisco Giants.

After spending 10 years in the Cardinals' organization, Helsley was traded to the New York Mets just two days before Major League Baseball's annual trade deadline. Helsley ranked sixth among St. Louis Cardinals closers with 105 saves while wearing the Birds on the Bat. He finished his Cardinals career with a 2.67 ERA and 355 strikeouts in 299.2 innings, along with holding the single-season record in saves. He was a two-time All-Star as a Cardinal, too.

Seeing Helsley in a different uniform wasn't necessarily surprising; he had been seen as a trade candidate for 12 months now. However, that lack of surprise couldn't have prepared fans for seeing him walk out of the bullpen and trot to the mound with "Hells Bells" in the background.

Cardinals fans throughout social media lamented the fact that Helsley is no longer a Cardinal.

There's a chance that Ryan Helsley returns to the Cardinals via free agency next year. He's hinted at a possible reunion as well. Helsley has been quite open about his love for the Cardinals as an organization, and he has even said that he wants to be a Cardinal for life.

Relievers can be volatile year over year, but there's something to be said about building fanbase rapport as an ownership and executive perspective. While bringing Ryan Helsley back after this offseason may be more costly than the front office will be willing to do from a pure financial perspective, there's ample to be said of the sentimental payoff regarding a Ryan Helsley reunion.

Seeing Ryan Helsley wear a uniform that isn't the same one he wore for the first 10 years of his professional career is jarring and unfamiliar. It's never fun as a fan to see other fanbases enjoy what you once had. Take good care of him, New York.