Matt's moment
SLIPPERY ROCK — Matt Adams doesn't say much. He doesn't have to.
His baseball career is speaking loudly enough.
The former Slippery Rock University slugger and current St. Louis Cardinal first baseman officially had his uniform No. 25 retired by The Rock Saturday night in a ceremony at the Russell Wright Alumni House on campus.
Adams became the first Rock baseball player to ever have his number retired. The only two SRU athletes to have numbers retired previously were football players Jerry Bejbl and Jim McElhaney.
“This is a huge honor for me,” Adams said. “So many great players have come through this university ... great players, great people.”
Adams played at The Rock from 2007-09. He collected 27 home runs and 148 RBI in 137 games at SRU. He led all of NCAA Division II with a .495 batting average in 2009, being named Div. II All-American and Player of the Year that season.
The Cardinals selected him in the 23rd round of the MLB Draft that summer.
“All of those miles on the road, the hotels, nights away from family, this is what it's all about,” Cardinals regional scout Brian Hopkins said of signing Adams. “Watching Matt's first major league hit on ESPN was fantastic.
“Once you sign a player, your name is associated with his for the rest of his career. Even if Matt never made it to the major leagues, I'd have been just as happy I signed him because of the person he is.
“He's an outstanding role model who demonstrates how important character is and maximizing potential,” Hopkins added.
In only his second full major league season in 2014, Adams hit .288 with 15 homers, 34 doubles and 68 RBI with St. Louis last season. He hit three home runs during the postseason.
The Philipsburg High School and SRU standout is nicknamed “Big City” by his Cardinal teammates for his small-town roots.“When I watched him homer off (Cy Young Award winner) Clayton Kershaw in the playoffs, I thought to myself, 'I played with that guy,'” former Rock shortstop and Adams teammate Rich Michalek said. “That was pretty awesome.“You could tell he was something special when he was playing here. The sound of the ball off his bat ... It just sounded different from everybody else.”Adam Jury, another Rock teammate of Adams, grew up in Clearfield and played against Adams at varying levels of baseball from age 9 on up.“He had power at every level,” Jury said. “It was his hand-eye coordination. Such smooth hands — even hitting lefty-handed, he could turn on a 93 mile per hour fastball from a left-handed pitcher with no problem.“Looking back, it's a special feeling knowing I played baseball with somebody of that caliber.”SRU athletic director Paul Lueken joined Rock baseball coach Jeff Messer and university president Cheryl Norton in officially retiring Adams' jersey number.“This is a celebration of outstanding achievement and professional excellence,” Norton said. “We're pleased your journey took you through SRU.“Your skill, character and commitment ... You demonstrated the essence of what it means to be a Rock athlete.”Being drafted after his junior season at SRU, Adams has yet to graduate from the school.“Come back and do that,” Lueken said. “But feel free to play a whole lot of baseball first.”Messer said Adams has developed a following among Rock alumni “from age 22 through age 80.”“We've all had aspirations and dreams of playing major league baseball,” he said. “Now one of ours is doing that. Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, etc,. all of us had our heroes from years ago.“Now we have a chance to follow one of our own.”Adams came to The Rock through the recommendation of his high school coach, Doug Sankey, who played for Messer from 1991-95.“I can't take any credit for Matt's hitting, none at all,” Messer said. “The guy could just hit since the day he was born. He's what we call a 'womb' hitter. He came out swinging.”Adams was originally supposed to go to Pitt, but the Panthers wound up signing another player instead.“That happened late in recruiting,” Adams said. “I didn't know where to go. Coach Sankey suggested Coach Messer and Slippery Rock. I was fortunate to get the chance to come here.“The hospitality they've shown myself, my family and friends tonight — I'm very fortunate.”Approximately 15 of Adams' former teammates were on hand for the ceremony Saturday.“Matt was pretty upset when Pitt didn't sign him,” Sankey said. “I called Coach Messer and told him I had a ballplayer for him.“As soon as he (Messer) saw him take batting practice, he told me Matt didn't belong here. Then he thanked me.”Messer smiles when he recalled the day Adams arrived at The Rock.“Pitt, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, all of them ... They missed the boat on this kid,” he said.
Here is a look at former Slippery Rock University baseball player Matt Adams' career statistics:SRU (2007-09) — 137 games, 220 hits, 57 doubles, 27 home runs, 148 RBI, .453 batting averageMinor Leagues (2009-12) — 391 games, 476 hits, 109 doubles, 34 home runs, 132 RBI, .314 batting averageSt. Louis Cardinals (2012-14) — 277 games played, 257 hits, 54 doubles, 34 home runs, 132 RBI, .283 batting average*Statistics courtesy of Jon Holtz, SRU sports information director
