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
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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
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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
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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 »
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
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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
Cardinals sign Adam Wainwright to his first contract extension in 2008 Read More »