ARLINGTON, Texas >> Now in his seventh big-league season, Kolten Wong has had a nice run at second base for the Cardinals since his 2013 debut.

However, last July, his time in St. Louis got even better when the Cardinals hired someone he bonded with in the minors, Mike Shildt, to replace fired manager Mike Matheny on an interim basis. Shildt, who was named full-time manager in late August, had managed Wong, a Hilo native and University of Hawaii product, in 2012 at Double-A Springfield.

That season was Wong’s first full campaign in professional baseball after being a first-round pick in 2011, and Wong was a midseason and postseason Texas League All-Star for a team that captured the league championship.

“I love playing for Shildt,” Wong, now 28, said. “He was one of those guys that truly believed in me, was always a fan of mine and how I played the game.

“When he came up last year, it was that breath of fresh air I needed with someone I knew was going to have my back and was going to allow me to play my game.”

And after asking Shildt’s thoughts on Kolten as a player and how he’s evolved since he managed him in 2012, it’s clear the respect between player and manager is mutual.

“He’s always had talent, no question about that,” Shildt said. “Good player. You just see the evolution of his consistency and his ability to deal with a lot of different aspects of the game. He’s become an elite defender.

“He was a good defensive player (then), but you can always rely a little bit more on athleticism at that point. Now, he’s turned into a superior, elite Gold Glove-caliber defender, and he knows what his skill set looks like.”

Shildt saw another prime example of how much Wong has evolved earlier this season during a late-game situation.

“He’s got the beautiful ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark, but I think (earlier in his career) he got caught up in trying to be more of a home run-type hitter. Now he realizes what kind of player he is,” he said. “The other day, we were down two and he drops a bunt down to bring the tying run to the plate. He’s understanding how the game’s played a little bit more.”

During his year in the Texas League, Wong played at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, a northern suburb in the Dallas area home to the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate, the Frisco Roughriders. However, Wong’s trip to Arlington with the Cardinals last weekend was his first opportunity to play at Globe Life Park, built in 1994 and now in its final year, as the Rangers will relocate next door to the retractable-roofed Globe Life Field next season.

“Very cool. I’ve been to mostly every big league city so far except here and Oakland,” he said. “It’s cool I get to knock this out before they open the new one.”

However, he wasn’t only excited about playing in Arlington for the first time because it would be his first look at the Rangers’ home field. He was also happy to see fellow Hawaii native Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a Mid-Pacific graduate in his second season with the Rangers, because he and Kiner-Falefa know each other well from working out together in previous offseasons back home.

Wong, a Kamehameha-Hawaii product, is proud to see how quickly Kiner-Falefa, originally an infielder, has developed into a solid big league catcher over the years.

“To be able to do that, for the defensive player that he was up the middle and what not, he’s got a lot of talent,” Wong said. “One of those guys where he took what they told him to heart and made the best of it. Now, he’s a really good catcher.

“He’s one of those guys who has the ability to stay in this league for a long time because he can play anywhere on the field.”

During his time in the big leagues, Wong has seen a lot from second base with the Cardinals. But one thing he’d like to experience that has so far eluded him is the opportunity to play against his younger brother, Waiakea grad Kean, who is in the Tampa Bay organization and still awaiting his shot in “the show.”

“Not yet. I hope so,” Wong said. “I think the kid deserves it, that’s for sure. He’s been hitting .300 the past three years and is stuck in an organization (where) they have a lot of talent in that organization. It sucks for him, but hopefully he’ll get a chance soon.”