When the Cardinals signed Chris Carpenter, they hoped to add depth for the second half of the 2003 season. Instead, they discovered an ace for their 2006 and 2011 World Series championships. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound righthander was drafted by the Blue Jays 15th overall in the first round of the 1993 draft out of Trinity …
How the Cardinals signed future Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter Read More »
The pitching matchup between Cardinals starter Jeff Weaver and Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander certainly appeared lopsided on paper. But in Game 5 of the 2006 World Series, Weaver outpitched that season’s American League Rookie of the Year, needing just 99 pitches to get through eight innings in a 4-2 win that clinched the 10th world …
Hours after becoming the third player in Cardinals history to hit his 300th career home run wearing the birds on the bat, Jim Edmonds returned to the clubhouse at Busch Stadium and discovered a voicemail from a man who had become synonymous with home run milestones – Mark McGwire. “He said, ‘Congratulations, you only need …
September 4, 2004: Jim Edmonds hits his 300th career home run Read More »
Less than a year after celebrating the 2006 World Series championship with his teammates, Juan Encarnacion’s career was cut short when he was struck by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle awaiting his opportunity to pinch-hit. By the time he came to the Cardinals, Encarnacion was a veteran outfielder who already had …
August 31, 2007: Juan Encarnacion suffers career-ending eye injury Read More »
The Cardinals got more than they bargained for when they called Bo Hart up from Triple-A Memphis to replace injured infielder Miguel Cairo. A 33rd-round pick in the 1999 draft who was signed for $1,000,[1] Hart was an unlikely major leaguer. After playing his college baseball as a shortstop at Gonzaga, Hart hit just .184 …
June 19, 2003: Bo Hart makes his debut and sparks the Cardinals Read More »
With three home runs, including a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, Albert Pujols closed Busch Stadium III’s first homestand in style. Pujols and more than 36,000 Cardinals fans[1] celebrated Easter on April 16, 2006, with an 8-7 win over the Reds that included three home runs and five RBIs from …
April 16, 2006: Albert Pujols hits three home runs, including walk-off, to beat the Reds Read More »
It didn’t take long for Jim Edmonds to officially introduce himself to Cardinals fans. Just two weeks after the Cardinals traded Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy to acquire the two-time Gold Glover, Edmonds launched his first home run as a Cardinal in a 10-4 victory over the Cubs. Two days earlier, the Cardinals opened their …
April 5, 2000: Jim Edmonds hits his first Cardinals home run Read More »
After three years of trade rumors, Angels general manager Bill Stoneman emphatically announced that he had no intention of trading Jim Edmonds. Four days later, on March 23, 2000, Edmonds became a St. Louis Cardinal in a deal that sent pitcher Kent Bottenfield and second base prospect Adam Kennedy to the Angels. “When we heard …
March 23, 2000: Cardinals trade Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy for Jim Edmonds Read More »
After just one season as a major-league starting pitcher, it was already becoming clear that Adam Wainwright was destined to become a cornerstone of the Cardinals’ starting rotation. On March 20, 2008, the Cardinals made it official, signing Wainwright to a four-year, $15 million contract extension with a two-year team option that ultimately made the …
March 20, 2008: Cardinals sign Adam Wainwright to his first contract extension Read More »
With less than three weeks remaining before their March 31 season opener, the 2008 Cardinals were quickly running out of healthy starting pitchers. Mark Mulder was rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Chris Carpenter was working his way back from elbow surgery. Joel Pineiro was questionable with shoulder stiffness and Matt Clement had yet to pitch since …
