The St. Louis Cardinals, in a season already not going their way, got even worse news on August 18 before their series opener against the Marlins. Brendan Donovan—their most consistent bat, their lone All-Star, and arguably the emotional center of the clubhouse—was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain, retroactive to August 15. Donovan had been playing through discomfort since August 8. His absence now leaves a lineup already thinned by injuries and inconsistency without its quiet heartbeat.

Which got me to thinking… how exactly did Donovan become the heart and soul of this team? I mean, he is, isn’t he? And it happened so slowly, so subtly, I almost didn’t notice. It just was a fact I felt.

Maybe it started with the way he never complained about being shuffled acro

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