After placing second in 2002 and 2003 and finishing third in the balloting in 2004, Albert Pujols finally won the first MVP Award of his career on November 15, 2005. Though in previous years Pujols had dismissed the importance of individual recognition in a team game, he admitted that on the eve of the Baseball […]
How Albert Pujols won his first NL MVP Award in 2005 Read More »
Bobby Bonilla may have twice finished in the top three of the National League MVP voting, but to many Cardinals fans, his greatest legacy may lie in the six games he missed at the beginning of the 2001 season. On January 5, 2001, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty signed Bonilla Bonilla to a one-year, $900,000
Why the Cardinals signed Bobby Bonilla in 2001 Read More »
When the St. Louis Cardinals named John Mozeliak the 12th general manager in franchise history on October 31, 2007, the 38-year-old made two things clear: first, that everything he did would be about helping the Cardinals win. Secondly, he planned to be aggressive in free agency and the trade market to make that happen. “I
Why John Mozeliak was named Cardinals GM in 2007 Read More »
In 2001, Tino Martinez was so eager to come to St. Louis that he called Walt Jocketty to be sure the Cardinals’ general manager knew he was available – and interested. “I approached them and asked them to consider me in their plans, if I’d fit in,” Martinez said. “‘My agent will be in Boston.
Why Tino Martinez disappointed in two seasons with the Cardinals Read More »
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 was struck by a foul ball in the on-deck circle, fracturing the bones around his eye, impacting his vision, and ending his career. By the time he came to the Cardinals, Encarnacion was a veteran outfielder who already had
How Juan Encarnacion suffered a 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
Bo Hart makes his debut and sparks the Cardinals: June 19, 2003 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 »