Oli Marmol gave a proverbial nod toward a late Cardinals reporter with his attire on Monday night.
Oli Marmol infrequently wears his full uniform while managing the St. Louis Cardinals. On top, he typically dons a hoodie or a long-sleeve shirt instead of the jersey.
For some of the purists of the game, that's not right, but many managers in the modern era have taken that approach with their attire, bringing the full uniform out solely for key events like the postseason or Opening Day.
Marmol's decision to not wear the full uniform was something that sportswriter and famed Cardinals reporter Rick Hummel would critique him for and suggest he change. Hummel passed away on Saturday in his St. Louis home, and Marmol's attire was a clear nod to the distinguished media member.
Oli Marmol respects the uniform tradition in honor of Rick Hummel
Cardinals beat reporter John Denton pointed out on Twitter that Marmol wore the full uniform on Monday night in honor of Hummel.
Speaking to Denton, here's what Marmol said about the uniform choice:
"Once I got the phone call [informing me of Hummel's passing], it was pretty clear to me to make sure that I wore [the jersey] tonight," Marmol said with a big smile across his face. "He always asked me to wear [the jersey], at least on Opening Day… I was super grateful of how much time he spent with me — and he didn't need to, but he always made a point to do that," Marmol added. "From time to time in April, when we were struggling and going through a tough time, he sent some pretty encouraging texts that meant a lot to me."
As Denton points out, Hummel is a member of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame and Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and has also won multiple awards and recognitions from the BBWA. He was widely respected for his efforts covering the MLB and the Cardinals in particular.
Somewhat humorously, Hummel was known for unconventional attire choices of his own. Adam Wainwright's message honoring the reporter in light of his passing noted his "goofy hats and mismatched pants," which brought joy to the pitcher.
Hummel would have appreciated Marmol's attire choice on Monday, but from what we can tell, probably also reminded him he should have been dressing that way all along.
