Remembering the St. Louis Cardinals of Yesteryear
Heading into the 2014 trade deadline, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak knew that he needed to shake up his ballclub. As the defending National League champions prepared to play the final game of a three-game series against the Padres, they sat in third place in the Central Division, 2 ½ games behind the Brewers and…
On July 20, 2018, Matt Carpenter laid claim to arguably the most productive offensive game in Cardinals history, clubbing three homers and two doubles in an 18-5 win over the Cubs. Carpenter tied a team record with 16 total bases, matching Mark Whiten’s four-home run game on September 7, 1993. Carpenter’s five extra-base hits made…
Adam Wainwright may not have gotten nervous on the days he took the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals, but the morning that he and the Cardinals were set to announce the five-year, $97.5-million contract extension that would keep him in St. Louis through the 2018 season, he found that he couldn’t eat. The deal…
Before they even had a chance to play their first spring training game, the Cardinals’ road to the 2011 World Series became significantly more difficult. On February 24, 2011, the Cardinals officially announced that Adam Wainwright would require season-ending Tommy John surgery. “Not to be melodramatic, but you’re losing an ace,” general manager John Mozeliak…
When Allen Craig signed a five-year, $31 million contract extension with the Cardinals ahead of the 2013 season, he appeared primed for a long career in the middle of the St. Louis lineup. Less than 17 months later, Craig was playing for the Red Sox and searching for a batting stroke he never was able…
Less than three months after the Cardinals lost Albert Pujols to free agency, they ensured that Yadier Molina remained a franchise cornerstone with a five-year, $75 million contract. “I’m happy to be a Cardinal for 5-6 more years,” Molina said. “This is a great organization. I grew up here, I feel good here. It was…
At age 40, Jim Edmonds hoped to tack one more year on the end of a major-league career that had spanned 17 seasons and more than 2,000 games. Unfortunately, just two weeks after Jim Edmonds signed a minor league contract to return to the Cardinals, a lingering Achilles injury forced him to announce his retirement.…
Just a few days away from his 90th birthday, Stan Musial picked up the phone at his office at Stan the Man Inc. On the other end of the line was a White House representative, calling to tell him that he was being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award.…
It took longer than either side was entirely comfortable with, but in the end, the Cardinals got their man. On January 5, 2010, Matt Holliday agreed to a deal that would keep him in St. Louis through the 2016 season and gave the Cardinals a pair of franchise cornerstone sluggers in Holliday and Albert Pujols…
After Albert Pujols signed a record 10-year, $254-million contract with the Angels following the 2011 season, the Cardinals had a short list of free agents who could fill their sudden need for an impact bat. Carlos Beltran’s name was at the top of the list. On December 22, 2011, the Cardinals signed the 1999 American…