Contrary to popular belief, the Grand Bridge is not the only bridge under construction at Saint Louis University. Medical students, have no fear. This one will not cause you any further delays.
Throughout Darin Hendrickson’s five-year tenure as head baseball coach at SLU, he has been building up a bridge of his own between his program and Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“The connection between Saint Louis University and the St. Louis Cardinals has been just unimaginable,” Hendrickson said. “You can’t put a price on it. It’s been wonderful for our team, our university and all our athletes to be around such a first class organization.”
Hendrickson cultivated this relationship 16 years ago—when he was the skipper of another collegiate program— after earning a spot in the Cardinals organization as one of their five batting practice pitchers. The only prerequisite for the job was the ability to throw the hide down the strike zone, and Hendrickson, a former pitcher, fit the bill perfectly.
Since coming aboard at SLU, he has put a great emphasis on strengthening this bond between the two programs, whose home diamonds sit a mere 3.5 miles apart from each other.
Hendrickson’s role with the Cardinals creates a number of opportunities for his squad at SLU. In his first year as head coach, his team took on the Cardinals in an exhibition match at their spring training facilities in Jupiter, Fla. Busch Stadium was also home to a fundraising homerun derby for the Billikens.
This past August, recently retired Cardinals manager Tony La Russa hosted an intimate dinner for Hendrickson and 24 other guests and friends of the Billiken baseball program. All proceeds from the dinner were put toward the team.
“The Cardinals have embraced us,” Hendrickson said.
Not all of the benefits of the relationship are tangible. In Hendrickson’s case, he has had a front row seat to witness one of the premier managers in the game go about his business. He has been sure to soak up his time with the Cards, taking back both personal memories and attitudes he can share with his team.
When La Russa is mentioned, Hendrickson immediately brings up and stresses his unparalleled “respect for the game.” The SLU coach also cited La Russa’s uncanny ability to motivate and get the best from his players as traits he continues to strive for when he takes his post in the Billiken dugout.
“It inspires me, especially this year when I’ve been in an intimate setting and watching [La Russa] from afar,” Hendrickson said. “In my profession, I’m pretty darn lucky to experience all that up-close.”
Hendrickson’s run with the Cardinals has included three World Series appearances, one shattered single-season homerun record and a chance to throw batting practice to the likes of Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki after being “traded” to the American League when St. Louis played host to the 2009 All Star Game.
Despite the struggle to balance his family life, overseeing all 33 of his players and survive the constantly changing landscape of the recruiting trail, Hendrickson continues to loan his right arm to the Cardinals in the summers in hope that his SLU team will continue to grow because of this relationship.
