Cardinals' Alec Burleson Shares Funny Fact About Clutch Home Run

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off an unbelievable comeback on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays to open the 2026 season, winning 9-7 after falling behind 7-1. The rally was punctuated by a two-run homer from Alec Burleson in the bottom of the sixth inning, which gave St. Louis the lead.

Burleson is taking on a larger role, inheriting first base with Willson Contreras gone. He also may end up being one of the leaders in a young clubhouse.

Last season, Burleson and his wife welcomed a newborn son to the family, who was in attendance for Opening Day. However, Burleson shared that his son was not paying close attention when his dad hit his clutch home run.

Burleson homers, but son sleeps through it

Mar 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) reacts after hitting a go ahead two run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"Apparently, he was dead asleep when I hit it,” Burleson said, as quoted by Brenden Schaeffer of MLB.com. “Mary, my wife, picked him up from a dead sleep and he was not having that. So, he didn’t get to see it, but he was there, for sure.”

Burleson had a very animated celebration, flipping the bat and screaming towards the dugout in excitement before rounding the bases. His son, though, had a far different reaction.

Unfortunately, he was sound asleep, so he missed his dad putting the finishing touches on an epic comeback for the Cardinals. However, he was at least in attendance for the big moment.

There isn't exactly much Burleson and his wife can do about their child falling asleep for the home run, but at least he was having a good time and relaxing during a fun day of baseball.

The game certainly had its twists and turns, with St. Louis striking first but watching their lead vanish before Tampa Bay hung a six-spot on them in the top of the sixth, but the Cardinals punched right back in the bottom of the sixth to regain control of the game.

Still, Burleson's son was clearly not having it and was unable to stay awake for his dad's home run, but such is often the case with young children.

Fortunately, he was at least in attendance, and Burleson got to experience a truly special moment as one of the major centerpieces of the Cardinals' rebuilding efforts.

It will be interesting to see how he adapts to being the full-time first baseman now that Contreras is with the Boston Red Sox after an offseason trade.