Marty Hendin: Mayor of Trinket City
Like his love for the Cardinals, Marty Hendin wore his history on his sleeve — or spread across his desk, stacked on his bookshelves and displayed on any open piece of real estate he could find from Busch Stadium to UMSL. Hendin shared all of the treasures he could from his life as the conscious of the Cardinals and the personification of Cardinal Nation.
But he had two favorites.
This past season, over the course of a couple days, Hendin gave me a guided tour of Trinket City. Er, Trinket Cities. See, long ago Hendin’s vast collection of Cardinals memorabilia jumped its borders and ran amok. He annexed an area at his alma mater, UMSL, for some of the better items, and still his office runneth over with bobbleheads, framed pictures, knick-knacks, bric-a-bracs and Cardinals curious of all shapes, sizes and memories. It was there that the he told me two items he cherished were right there:
Baseballs signed by all of the living Hall of Famers.
He’d spent the better part of the last decade collecting the signatures, and was giddy that he had filled one ball already and was certain that getting Tony Gwynn that night would put him another name closer to filling the second ball.
Late Saturday night, Hendin died at a St. Louis hospital. He was 59.
Cardinal red isn’t quite as vibrant today because of the loss.
“If you were a Cardinals fan over the past 35 years, there was a good chance that you had either met Marty or heard his name,” Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt said in a statement released by the club Sunday. “He was friends with everyone from Hall of Famers to the casual fan. If you were a Cardinals fan, you were a friend of Marty.”
A University City native, Hendin joined the Cardinals in 1973. He worked for the organization in public relations, marketing and community relations. As the Cardinals’ Vice President of Community Relations he was, among many things, responsible for the spectacle that was Opening Day in St. Louis. He was part of its genesis, part of its organization and, yet, never part of its grandeur. He was often behind the scenes, but was instrumental in creating the scenes.
When Stan Musial waves to the crowd and pantomines his signature swing, that’s usually Marty there offering the Hall of Famer a hand.
You could recognize his grin.
In the late 1970s, Hendin moved into an office at the old Busch Stadium and the wood-paneled walls begged to be covered up. He started by taping up pictures of celebrities that came to the ballpark. Frames followed. Then pins. Then bobbleheads. Then enough pieces to call Trinket City a subsidiary of the Danbury Mint. Anything he received at the ballpark or was part of a giveaway went home. Trinket City had “unique” residency requirements.
Hendin’s collection was the history of the Cardinals in plastic and die-cast. Some items:
- – Hall of Fame induction pins. Pins from All-Star Games, including one from 2002 in Seattle that has a working compass in it. World Series pins from the 1980s to present.– A CD cover signed by Bruce Springsteen.
– Press passes used by Bob Costas and Billy Crystal to get into the clubhouse, both autographed by the bearer.
– Lenard Blaine, who is an unopened Cabbage Patch Kid dressed in the Cardinals’ home whites.
– A bat all gooped up to look like it’s covered in pine tar. It’s signed by George Brett.
– A harmonica signed by Musial.
Out at UMSL, on the first floor of the Millennium Student Center is part of Hendin’s labor of love, a sampling of Trinket City, right down to the sign that says so. “Welcome to Trinket City.” Stop by. Take in the sights. And remember who built the place. If you didn’t know Marty Hendin, get to know him there.
Musial may be the enduring face of the Cardinals. Mike Shannon the club’s voice, Bob Gibson its guts, and KMOX its (bygone) megaphone.
Hendin was more than the Cardinals’ archivist.
He was, to all corners of Cardinals Nation, the franchise’s ambassador.
- ***
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Marty Hendin Fund at B’nai El, Cardinals Care, March of Dimes and the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of St. Louis.
-30-
Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
Thirty nine years ago, when I was about to become a freshman at UMSL, Marty conducted the orientation session I attended. It was a small group that met in a regular clssroom and not one of the large lecture halls. I can still picture him in that session, with his black wavy hair and black framed glasses. It was easy to see, even in that first encounter that Marty was an idea man and a campus leader. Many times after that day, I would encounter Marty around the UMSL campus and he never failed to say “Hi.” While our paths never crossed after he graduated, It was especially satisfying to watch him do such a wonderful job with our beloved Cardinals.
Thanks for all you did Marty, we’re all gonna miss you.
My knowing Marty goes back to him covering the Fighting Rivermen UMSL Basketball teams and other sports at UMSL. I also served two terms with Marty on the Alumni Board. Besides all the work which for him was not work with the Cardinals, he was active in numerous charities. But I of course remember him most for everything he had done for UMSL. He had tireless energy and was always available whenever his Alma Mater wanted him. I was planning on going to the Cardinals UMSL Alumni spring training game in March was so looking forward to seeing Marty. He will be missed both on the field, off the field behind the scenes and in and around the halls of UMSL.
The Fans have lost a great man, God Bless you Marty!
I met Marty about 12 years ago when I was marketing director at the Library Ltd. Bookstore in Clayton. I had this idea about how we could convince John Grisham, who did not do many booksignings, to come to St. Louis to sign his latest book. My scheme was all tied into an event with the Cardinals. (Mr. Grisham was/and still is a big Cardinal fan.) Marty liked the idea and we worked out a plan for how the event would unfold. Unfortunately, because we never had direct contact with Mr. Grisham and were at the mercy of the publishers to pass on our proposal, the event never happened.
Marty and I worked together a lot when I moved on to KMOX and always said “Hello” and reprimanded me if I wasn’t wearing Cardinal red on game day. He was a man who made friends and made things happen. It was a pleasure knowing him.
By the way, several years after our initial meeting, John Grisham did pay a visit to the ballpark
and Marty made sure to get me an autographed copy of his book.
That was Marty Hendin.
I met Marty only about two years ago. I work a program involving Major League Baseball, and being a Cardinals fan, I wanted my beloved Redbirds to be a part of it. I met and talked to Marty when he was last in Washington for the Stan Musial Society. It was there that Marty decided not only to work with us, but become our best friend. Marty would call me every now and then to talk about the Cardinals. Sometimes the birds were playing a day game, and Marty was watching and giving me play-by-play. I really grew to love the guy — a man who loved the Cardinals as much as I. I will dearly miss my friend and all that me meant to me. Though I was a long way from St. Louis, I felt that I had a dear friend there who brought the Cardinals so close to me.
One thing that will always stay with me was last summer when the Cardinals visited Washington to play the Nationals. Marty had made arrangements for a group of wounded soldiers from Walter Reed Army Hospital to meet Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Duncan and Mike Maroth. But the van from the hospital arrived too later and the Nationals couldn’t allow us on the field while the Cardinals were taking batting practice. The soldiers went to their seats to watch the game, but I stayed looking for Brian Bartow, in hopes of getting them on the field. I watched as Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Duncan and Mike Maroth went to the area behind home plate where we would have been standing, and signed autographs for some kids and looking for us. Later, I was able to get Mike Maroth’s attention and after the game, he met with the wounded veterans, and that gave them a big thrill. I know Mike personally from his work with my group. I should point out that the veterans were decked out in Cardinals jerseys and hats which I got for them.
Marty really came through for them, and he was very upset when he found out we couldn’t get out on the field, but he understood that those are the rules. I also worked with Marty to produce baseball cards for just about every member of the team last season, including Fredbird and the announcers. I will keep my Cardinals cards, but from now on, they’re Marty’s cards.
Marty was a good businessman, but also a good hearted man. A man that I think should be honored by St. Louis and all Cardinals fans. He really was one of a kind. Not for his trinkets, but for his love of the team, the fans and the city. I wish I had known him longer.
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[...] Marty Hendin: Mayor of Trinket CitySt. Louis Post-Dispatch - Musial may be the enduring face of the Cardinals. Mike Shannon the club’s voice, Bob Gibson its guts, and KMOX its (bygone) megaphone. Hendin was more than the Cardinals’ archivist. He was, to all corners of Cardinals Nation, the franchise’s … [...]
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