Though just 23, Verlander had been the No. 2 overall draft pick just two years ago and was coming off a regular season that would earn him American League Rookie of the Year honors and a seventh-place finish in the Cy Young balloting. With a 17-9 record and 3.63 ERA, Verlander had tied veteran Kenny Rogers for the team lead in wins and had the lowest ERA in the Tigers’ starting rotation.

Meanwhile, with a 5-8 record and a 5.06 ERA in 17 regular-season starts, Reyes’ Game 1 start made him just the fifth pitcher with a losing record to open a World Series and his five regular-season wins were the fewest ever for a Game 1 starter.

After a seven-game battle with the Mets for the National League championship, the Cardinals’ top three pitchers – Chris Carpenter, Jeff Weaver, and Jeff Suppan – hadn’t had enough time to recover, leaving St. Louis manager Tony La Russa to choose between Reyes or Jason Marquis. However, since Marquis hadn’t pitched since late September, La Russa opted to go with Reyes.[1]

“We actually had a coaches’ dinner last night and each coach put down what they thought he would do,” La Russa said. “There were actually two coaches that said (he would pitch) into the eighth inning. I thought if he went five or six with low runs, he would have done a great job. So to get into the ninth inning. … you saw the Anthony Reyes we’ve seen for the prior two years. He doesn’t scare. He’s got great composure and gets it rolling.”[2]

At first, however, it looked as though the Tigers might continue the offensive success that had carried them through the American League playoffs. With one out in the first, Craig Monroe doubled to left field and Carlos Guillen singled him home to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.

Scott Rolen tied the game in the top of the second with a solo home run.

In the third inning the Cardinals broke the game open. After Yadier Molina singled, La Russa called for a hit-and-run and Molina broke for second. With Verlander’s pitch off the plate, So Taguchi was forced to literally throw the bat at the ball, resulting in a ground ball that allowed Molina to safely reach second. Had Taguchi missed, Molina likely would have been thrown out at second.

“We just didn’t feel we could score runs if we had to accumulate hits,” La Russa said. “He handles the bat really well and you try to be aggressive. He put the ball in play only because he has terrific bat control.”[3]

It proved to be a small but vital play. Two batters later, Chris Duncan stroked a two-out double into right field that scored Molina. Although first base was open, the Tigers opted to pitch to Pujols and he made them pay, blasting a two-run homer over the right-field wall to give St. Louis a 4-1 lead.

“I take the bullet there,” Leyland said. “The manager’s decision is either to pitch to him or walk him. I pitched to him and obviously he burned us.”[4]

“You don’t want to pitch around him,” Verlander said. “You want to make quality pitches. It wasn’t a horrible mistake. It was on the black, but I wanted it down and it was up. It wasn’t a bad pitch to most people, but it was a bad pitch to him.”[5]

From there, the game fell apart on the Tigers. In the sixth, they committed three errors, including one play in which third baseman Brandon Inge was charged with two errors on a single play. After Edmonds drove in a run with a single and Rolen hit a ground-rule double that put runners at second and third, Juan Encarnacion bounced a ground ball to Inge at third base.

Inge bobbled the ball before firing home to try and catch Edmonds coming to the plate. However, his throw sailed wide of catcher Ivan Rodriguez and reached the backstop. As Rolen rounded third, he collided with Inge, who was standing a few feet off the foul line. Rolen fell to the ground and though he was tagged out at the plate, he was ruled safe due to Inge’s interference.

“I was looking to see if the ball was going to bounce back (off the wall) and I was in mid-stride and suddenly he was right there,” Rolen said. “I just went over the top of him. I think I might have hit my head. I don’t really remember.”[6]

As the Cardinals took a 7-1 lead, Reyes continued to roll. After Guillen’s RBI single in the first inning, he retired 17 consecutive batters before Guillen got him again, this time with a single in the seventh. When Guillen, who finished the evening with three of the Tigers’ four hits, hit a home run to lead off the ninth, it marked the end of the best game in Reyes’s career.

“The presence he had on the mound and the confidence he threw the ball with is what everybody was most impressed with,” Rolen said. “He seemed to attack the hitters tonight. He went after everybody. … He never wavered.”[7]

Reyes needed just 91 pitches – including 67 strikes – as he matched his longest career outing.

“I tried to focus on the glove,” said Reyes, 25. “I forgot about what type of game this was and focused on the glove. Whatever signs (Molina) put down, I tried to hit the mitt as best I could and not worry about anything else.”[8]

Though Reyes was known for having a plus changeup, after the first inning he and Molina challenged the Tigers with a steady diet of fastballs.

“It seemed like they were trying to sit on my other pitches, so I didn’t feel like it was necessary to throw any other kind of pitch,” Reyes said. “Just try to hit the corners.”[9]

Braden Looper closed out the ninth inning to secure the 7-2 win. With momentum on their side, the Cardinals went on to win the series in five games.

“I don’t know if I can top this,” Reyes said. “It’s definitely the best thing that’s happened in my career.”[10]

Reyes’ dominant performance proved to be the highlight of his career. In 2007, he went just 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA. Ahead of the 2008 trade deadline, the Cardinals sent him to Cleveland for reliever Luis Perdomo. Reyes spent the rest of that season with the Indians and made eight starts in 2009 before his major-league career ended with a 13-26 record and a 5.12 career ERA.

Enjoy this post? Sign up below and get Cardinals history delivered directly to your inbox!

[1] Roger Rubin, “Young Cardinal earns his wings in Series,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

[2] David Wilhelm, “Reyes twists Tigers’ tails,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2006.

[3] John Lowe, “6^th-inning miscues seal Tigers’ fate,” Detroit Free Press, October 22, 2006.

[4] Sam Borden, “Reyes Hurls,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

[5] John Harper, “Leyland’s Bluff,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

[6] Sam Borden, “Reyes Hurls,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

[7] Roger Rubin, “Young Cardinal earns his wings in Series,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

[8] David Wilhelm, “Reyes twists Tigers’ tails,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2006.

[9] Roger Rubin, “Young Cardinal earns his wings in Series,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

[10] Roger Rubin, “Young Cardinal earns his wings in Series,” New York Daily News, October 22, 2006.

The post How Anthony Reyes won Game 1 of the 2006 World Series first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Suppan, 29, had signed with the Cardinals the previous December and responded with the best season of his career. On a staff that included Chris Carpenter, Matt Morris, Jason Marquis, and Woody Williams, Suppan led St. Louis with a career-high 16 wins and a 4.16 ERA (Carpenter, Morris, and Marquis each won 15 games).

Nonetheless, Suppan matched up against Clemens four times that season and Clemens had emerged victorious each time, including Game 3 of the NLCS, when Clemens held the Cards to just two runs over seven innings. In that contest, Suppan threw six innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks.

Early in Game 7, it looked as though Suppan might be in for another loss at the hands of Clemens and the Astros. On his fourth pitch of the night, Craig Biggio launched a solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole.

“Trying to stay out of the big inning was the key,” Suppan said. “If I walked somebody or gave up a solo home run, that was probably going to happen. I just had to stay out of the big innings.”[1]

If it weren’t for an incredible diving catch by Jim Edmonds, the Astros may have gotten that big inning in the second. After Jeff Kent and Jose Vizcaino reached base, Brad Ausmus hit a drive into the left-field gap only to see Edmonds run the ball down and then make a diving grab.

“I don’t want to say it cost us the game, but it ultimately turned the game in the Cardinals’ favor,” Ausmus said. “If that gets over Jimmy’s head, you’re looking at two runs in and a man on second. It’s a 3-0 game. That was a great play – and it went a long way to helping them win Game 7.”[2]

On the Fox broadcast, Edmonds’ grab was replayed five times. Astros bench coach John Tamargo, who was wearing a microphone, was beside himself.

“How in the world did he make that play?” he exclaimed. “Son of a gun.”[3]

“The guy’s been a human highlight film his entire career,” said broadcaster Bob Brenly.[4]

The importance of the catch wasn’t lost on the Cardinals dugout.

“That catch right there saved the game for us,” said Cardinals pitcher Woody Williams. “I said, ‘He just saved the game.’”[5]

“It basically kept me in the game,” agreed Suppan. “I was going pitch by pitch and giving it everything I had and he comes up like that … That’s the type of stuff that makes us the team we are.”[6]

The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Edmonds’ attempt to throw Carlos Beltran out at third skipped past both Scott Rolen and Suppan, who was backing up the play.

The Cardinals cut that lead in half in bottom of the inning. With Tony Womack on third, Tony La Russa called for a suicide squeeze with Suppan at the plate and one out. When Suppan successfully laid down the bunt, Womack scored easily.

“I screwed up one earlier in the year and I made sure I got this one down,” Suppan said. “When I got the sign, I just made sure I got it down.”[7]

The Cardinals took control of the game in the sixth inning. Roger Cedeno entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Suppan and singled. After Edgar Renteria and Larry Walker each grounded out, Albert Pujols jumped on a 1-and-2 pitch from Clemens to double down the left-field line and score Cedeno.

“I knew I had to get a base hit there to tie the game,” Pujols said.[8]

On Clemens’ next pitch, Rolen lined a 343-foot homer to left that put the Cardinals ahead 4-2.

“When we were little kids, this is what we did in the backyard,” Rolen said. “You were your favorite team and playing your rival and you’re in the World Series in Game 7. … It’s just a day that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.”[9]

With Suppan out of the game, Kiko Calero and Julian Tavarez each threw scoreless innings. In the eighth, Larry Walker added a key insurance run, grounding an RBI single into right field to give St. Louis a 5-2 lead.

In the ninth, Jason Isringhausen retired Kent, Morgan Ensberg, and Vizcaino in order to secure his third save of the postseason and send the Cardinals to the World Series for the 16^th time in franchise history.

“When we were getting ready to win, I took time to think about Jack (Buck) and Darryl (Kile),” La Russa said. “I think about the people in this organization that have treated all of us so great.”[10]

Suppan earned the win after allowing just one earned run over six innings. He held the Astros to just three hits and two walks while striking out six.

“That was a situation where that is an unbelievable team, the Astros,” Suppan said. “They’re a bunch of gamers and they play the game right and they play it well. I knew I was going to give up a couple of runs. I just tried to stay out of the big inning.”[11]

“Suppan did an amazing job,” Cardinals outfielder Reggie Sanders said. “You have to give credit to Suppan. He kept us in the ballgame long enough where we could bust out a couple of home runs.”[12]

Clemens allowed four earned runs over six innings.

“Any time you go against Roger, it’s a pleasure,” Suppan said. “You know it’s going to be a battle. He’s definitely one of the best. I played with him and I learned a lot from him. It was a very memorable night for me to go up against him again.”[13]

After the game, Pujols was named the NLCS MVP. In the seven games, he went 14-for-28 (.500) with four homers and nine RBIs. Unfortunately, the Cardinals’ dominance of the National League didn’t carry over to the World Series, where they fell to the Red Sox in four games.

Enjoy this post? Please consider buying a copy of my new book, The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals!

[1] Lori Schontz, “Suppan: key was avoiding the big inning,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 22, 2004.

[2] Norm Sanders, “Edmonds’ diving catch changed game’s tide,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[3] Dan Caesar, “Shannon’s thrilling call of HR is one to remember,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 22, 2004.

[4] Dan Caesar, “Shannon’s thrilling call of HR is one to remember,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 22, 2004.

[5] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards go national with win over Astros,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[6] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[7] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[8] David Wilhelm, “Pujols earns MVP after stellar series,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[9] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards go national with win over Astros,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[10] Joe Ostermeier, “Cards go national with win over Astros,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[11] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[12] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

[13] Rod Kloeckner, “Suppan recovers from early homer,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 22, 2004.

Find similar stories listed by decade or by player.

The post How Jeff Suppan outpitched Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On October 17, 2005, Pujols’ ninth-inning home run off the Astros’ dominant closer gave the Cardinals a 5-4 win in Game 5 of the NLCS. Though Houston won Game 6 to clinch the series, the moment remains one of the most electrifying in Cardinals postseason history. After Lidge struggled in the World Series and the 2006 season, many fans and sportswriters wondered aloud whether Pujols’ home run had knocked Lidge from his perch as arguably the best closer in baseball.

Game 5 of the NLCS matched Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter, who would be named the 2005 Cy Young Award winner later that month, against the Astros’ Andy Pettitte, a 33-year-old southpaw who had enjoyed a 17-9 record and 2.39 ERA in his second season in Houston.

Though the Cardinals had to rally in the game’s final inning, they actually led most of the contest. After Craig Biggio hit an RBI single in the bottom of the second, the Cardinals answered in the third. David Eckstein and Jim Edmonds led off with singles before Pettitte struck out Pujols and Reggie Sanders. With two outs, Larry Walker drew a walk to load the bases for Mark Grudzielanek, who scored two runs with a single to right field.

Carpenter made the 2-1 lead hold up until the seventh. With one out, Biggio reached on an error by Cardinals third baseman Hector Luna, who was playing in place of the injured Scott Rolen. Chris Burke followed with a single to right field before Lance Berkman hit the first pitch he saw over the wall for a three-run homer.

Suddenly, the Astros had a 4-2 lead.

As the Cardinals prepared to take their final at-bats in the ninth inning, the Astros called upon Lidge to close out the game, as he had 42 times that season. Lidge had claimed the closer’s job in 2004, as he saved 29 games with a 1.90 ERA, numbers that were good enough to place eighth in that year’s Cy Young Award voting.

In 2005, he cemented his place among baseball’s best relievers, earning the first all-star appearance of his career. In seven appearances against the Cardinals, Lidge was dominant, holding them scoreless with an .087 batting average.

At first, that appeared unlikely to change, as Lidge struck out the first two batters he faced, John Rodriguez and John Mabry. Eckstein was down to his last strike with a 1-2 count before he singled to left.

“I was just thinking, ‘Let Jimmy just hit a ball out of the park to tie the game or get a base hit,’” Pujols said. “I was like, ‘Jimmy, you either hit it out or give me a chance.’”[1]

Edmonds did exactly that, drawing a walk that brought Pujols to the plate and Astros manager Phil Garner out of the dugout for a mound visit.

On the first pitch, Lidge threw a devastating slider that dove out of the zone and nearly into the dirt. Pujols swung and missed. Ahead in the count 0-and-1, Lidge threw another slider. This one caught too much of the outer half of the plate. Pujols pulled it, far beyond the left-field wall.

“When I hit it, it was like, ‘Wow. I don’t believe I did that,’” he said. “It’s the best hit I’ve had in my career. … You’re facing the best closer in the game. It doesn’t get any better than that.”[2]

“Pujols took the oxygen out of Minute Maid Park, leaving 43,470 fans speechless and unable to comprehend what they’d just witnessed, a baseball traveling so high and so far that it probably appeared on a tracking system at Houston-based NASA headquarters,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote.[3]

“That wasn’t no Crawford Box homer, was it?” said Cardinals pitcher Matt Morris,[4] referring to Minute Maid Park’s left-field seats, where the 21-foot wall was just 315 feet away in the corner.

The ball actually cleared the Crawford Boxes and almost hit the train behind them.

“I was on the bench sitting between (Mark) Mulder and (Abraham) Nunez and I said, ‘Hit the train for a million bucks,’” Cardinals outfielder Larry Walker said. “I almost had to pay up.”[5]

In the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals called upon their own closer, Jason Isringhausen, for a second inning of work. Isringhausen retired the side in order, getting Willy Taveras and Jose Vizcaino to ground out before Chris Burke flied out to right.

“The NLCS is coming back to St. Louis in one of the most dramatic fashions you could ever imagine,” Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell wrote. “It is coming back because Albert Pujols reminded everyone why he is the best player in baseball with the most theatrical three-run, game-winning, ninth-inning blast in the glorious postseason history of Cardinals baseball.”[6]

Isringhausen, who retired all six batters he faced, earned the win. Carpenter received no decision after allowing three earned runs and striking out six over seven innings.

“It’s terrible,” Garner said. “You’re high as a kite one minute. The mistake we made was walking Edmonds. You have to let Edmonds hit the ball in the next count. You can’t walk him. Brad knows that and that was a mistake.”[7]

Though the Astros went on to win Game 6, Pujols’ home run remained the defining moment of the series. Some of that was the drama of the moment, but some of that also was the fact that Pujols’ blast suddenly made the unhittable Lidge less intimidating.

“Needless to say, I didn’t feel great after that,” Lidge said. “I was a little bit shell-shocked. Like, ‘What just happened?’ I’d had a run of a lot of good games against the Cardinals up to that point, including the previous year in the postseason and some in this postseason. But then when he hit that, it was almost hard to wrap your head around, hard to believe for a little bit. We were all kind of collectively hanging our heads.”[8]

Lidge later credited catcher Brad Ausmus with helping to turn the Astros’ mental state around – not on the field of play, but on their flight back to St. Louis. About half an hour after takeoff, the pilot came onto the intercom with a line that came from the future major-league manager.

“He’s like, ‘If you look out to your left, you can see whatever, whatever. And if you look out to your right, we can see Albert Pujols’ home run still flying by,’” Lidge recalled.[9]

In Game 2 of the World Series against the White Sox, his first appearance since the Pujols home run, Lidge entered a tie game in the ninth inning and allowed a walk-off, game-winning home run to Scott Podsednik. Two nights later, he retired all four White Sox that he faced, striking out three. However, in Game 4, he took his third loss of the postseason, allowing an RBI single to Jermaine Dye in a 1-0 loss that clinched Chicago’s championship.

In 2006, Lidge saved 32 games but his ERA ballooned to a career-high 5.28 (Lidge’s 3.79 FIP and a 3.22 xFIP indicate that this likely was the product of bad luck and an inflated home run-to-fly ball rate). Lidge blamed his participation in the World Baseball Classic for disrupting his spring training and a loss of his mechanics, particularly a tendency to fly open with his shoulder.

“When you’re not having success, your mind opens up and you catch yourself listening to too many people,” Lidge said. “Sometimes I had conflicting advice. Everyone was telling me so many different things, so it was hard to filter who to take advice from and who not to.”[10]

With his mechanics corrected, Lidge went 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 19 saves in 2007.

After the season, Lidge and Eric Bruntlett were traded to the Phillies for Michael Bourn, Mike Costanzo, and Geoff Geary. In Philadelphia, Lidge returned to his previous all-star form, posting a 1.95 ERA and 92 strikeouts over 69 1/3 innings in 2008.

Lidge had an up-and-down tenure with the Phillies. He placed fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2008 but followed that performance with a 7.21 ERA in 2009. In 2010, he returned to form with a 2.96 ERA and 27 saves but was limited to just 19 1/3 innings and one save in 2011, his final year in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ 2005 playoff run was just a precursor to their 2006 championship. Pujols, who was crowned the 2005 National League MVP just a few weeks after the homer off Lidge, won additional MVP trophies in 2008 and 2009. In 2011, he led the Cardinals to another World Series title.

Enjoy this post? Sign up below and get Cardinals history delivered directly to your inbox!

[1] Joe Strauss, “Ninth-inning clout lifts Redbirds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[2] Joe Strauss, “Ninth-inning clout lifts Redbirds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[3] Bernie Miklasz, “For Houston, Pujols’ HR is a wrecking ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[4] Bernie Miklasz, “For Houston, Pujols’ HR is a wrecking ball,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[5] Joe Strauss, “Ninth-inning clout lifts Redbirds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[6] Bryan Burwell, “Do you believe in miracles? You ought to,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[7] Joe Strauss, “Ninth-inning clout lifts Redbirds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 18, 2005.

[8] Josh Criswell, “Brad Lidge shares hilarious story from infamous Albert Pujols home run,” Houston Chronicle, September 19, 2023, https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/brad-lidge-albert-pujols-18375905.php.

[9] Josh Criswell, “Brad Lidge shares hilarious story from infamous Albert Pujols home run,” Houston Chronicle, September 19, 2023, https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/brad-lidge-albert-pujols-18375905.php.

[10] Associated Press, “Lidge ready to shake off 2006,” Orange Leader, March 20, 2007.

The post Did Albert Pujols break Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS? first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

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 Writers Association of America announcement, he endured a sleepless night wondering whether it was finally his turn to be named MVP.

“I slept two hours last night,” Pujols said. “I couldn’t wait for this moment. When I got that call, it felt like that home run I hit against Brad Lidge. Everyone was calling saying how much I deserved that. It’s a great feeling, but you still need to be humble. You can’t let this award take you too high.”[1]

If anything, it was Pujols’ season totals that were reaching new heights. For the third year in a row, he led the majors with 129 runs scored. Among National League players, he was tied for first in multi-hit games (57); second in batting average (.330), RBIs (117), total bases (360), OBP (.430), and slugging percentage (.609); third in home runs (41) and extra-base hits (81); and fourth in hits (195). For the fourth consecutive year, he had more walks (97) than strikeouts (65).

Despite battling plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Pujols not only led the majors in runs scored but also led the Cardinals with 16 stolen bases. As the season progressed, Pujols’ favoring of his right foot led to a hamstring strain that he endured for the final two months of the season. Pujols underwent surgery on the foot two weeks after the postseason ended.[2]

“I tried to hide it, but I couldn’t,” said Pujols, who appeared in 161 regular-season games. “It was bothering me almost since the season started.”[3]

Despite the pain, Pujols was the model of consistency throughout the season, totaling at least six homers and 16 RBIs every month of the season. On May 9, he hit two homers and drove in all four of the Cardinals’ runs in a 4-2 win over the Dodgers. Two months later, he extended his longest hitting streak of the season to 17 games with three hits, including a homer, in a 7-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

On August 31, an RBI triple gave him his 100^th RBI of the season. With the milestone, he joined Al Simmons, Ted Williams, and Joe DiMaggio as the only players to begin their careers with five seasons of at least 100 RBIs.

Though the MVP voting already had taken place, Pujols added one more memorable moment on October 17 when he hit a three-run, ninth-inning home run off Lidge, the Astros’ closer, to give the Cardinals a 5-4 win in Game 5 of the NLCS.

“Albert’s award was well-deserved because he was the most valuable to our team across the board, as soon as he showed up to the ballpark until he left,” La Russa said. “His value went beyond statistics, as he was active in mentoring younger players and always available to discuss the game of baseball.”[4]

Pujols became more and more important to the Cardinals’ offense as Scott Rolen, Reggie Sanders, and Larry Walker went down with injuries, combining to play in just 51% of St. Louis’s regular-season games. With Pujols leading the way, the Cardinals posted 100 wins for the best record in baseball.

“I kept running into people who said the one thing (Braves center fielder Andruw Jones) had going for him was he really had to pick up the slack when people (on the Braves roster) got hurt,” La Russa said. “Look at our situation and the reality of how Albert was able to sustain his season. With him in the lineup, he helped the people we plugged in be themselves. It’s a definition of ‘most valuable.’ He helped everyone play the game because he took the pressure off.”[5]

At season’s end, the voters rewarded Pujols with 18 of 32 first-place votes to finish with 378 points. Jones, who received 13 first-place votes, finished with 351 in the closest balloting since Braves third baseman (and former Cardinal) Terry Pendleton edged Pirates outfielder Barry Bonds in 1991.

Jones led the league with 51 homers and 128 RBIs but hit just .263 for the season, including a .207 average with runners in scoring position. In contrast, Pujols hit .340 with runners in scoring position and the NL with 36 go-ahead RBIs. He ranked second with 20 game-winning RBIs.

“I think he deserved it,” Jones said. “The voting was the right vote. He was the right choice. He had the most solid season average-wise, home run-wise, and RBI-wise.”[6]

Derek Lee, who was the National League batting champion with a .335 average, placed third in the voting with one first-place vote and 262 points. He led the league in hits, average, slugging percentage, and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) but played for a Cubs team that went just 79-83 on the season.

“Derek Lee had a strong case for the MVP but was penalized for being surrounded by losers,” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz. “Lee should have, at minimum, finished second to Pujols.”[7]

Pujols’ MVP trophy marked the 15^th time a Cardinal had been named most valuable player since the award was created in 1931 and the first time since Willie McGee won it in 1985. He became just the 13^th player in franchise history to be named MVP (Stan Musial won the award three times).

“That’s something you’re going to keep in your heart,” Pujols said. “I’ll never forget this day.”[8]

Pujols’ recognition combined with Chris Carpenter’s Cy Young Award win also made history, as the Cardinals became the first National League team to have players win both awards since Atlanta’s Tom Glavine won the Cy Young and Pendleton won the MVP in 1991.

Carpenter finished eighth in the NL MVP voting with 82 points, while teammates David Eckstein and Jim Edmonds also received votes.

“Now I can say I’ve got one,” Pujols said. “Now my next goal is to get that ring, for myself, for our team, for the Cardinals organization, and for the fans of St. Louis.”[9]

Pujols did exactly that the following year, helping to lead the Cardinals to the 2006 world championship. In 2008 and 2009, he won the second and third MVP trophies of his career, respectively, joining Musial as the only players in franchise history with multiple MVP seasons.

Enjoy this post? Get Cardinals history delivered straight to your inbox!

[contact-form]

[1] Joe Strauss, “No more worrying for Pujols: prize is his,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 16, 2005.

[2] Joe Strauss, “No more worrying for Pujols: prize is his,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 16, 2005.

[3] Joe Strauss, “No more worrying for Pujols: prize is his,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 16, 2005.

[4] Joe Ostermeier, “Pujols receives his highest honor,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 16, 2005.

[5] Joe Strauss, “No more worrying for Pujols: prize is his,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 16, 2005.

[6] Joe Ostermeier, “Pujols receives his highest honor,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 16, 2005.

[7] Bernie Miklasz, “Number 5 is the charm as Pujols gets his due,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 16, 2005.

[8] Joe Ostermeier, “Pujols receives his highest honor,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 16, 2005.

[9] Joe Ostermeier, “Pujols receives his highest honor,” Belleville News-Democrat, November 16, 2005.

The post How Albert Pujols won his first NL MVP Award in 2005 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On January 5, 2001, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty signed Bonilla Bonilla to a one-year, $900,000 contract.[1] In the switch-hitting Bonilla, who turned 38 the following month, the Cardinals sought a switch-hitting bench bat that could start against left-handed pitching.

In signing Bonilla and third baseman Shane Andrews and bringing back former Cardinals John Mabry and Bernard Gilkey all on the same day, Jocketty believed he had assembled a flexible bench for manager Tony La Russa.

“With the earlier addition of (Quinton) McCracken, we’ve achieved what we were trying to do,” Jocketty said. “We wanted to improve our speed off the bench with McCracken and we wanted to improve our power off the bench. With Bonilla and Andrews, and potentially Gilkey and Mabry, we’ve done that. We’ve continued to improve our versatility that Tony likes with two switch-hitters in Bonilla and McCracken.”[2]

The Cardinals represented Bonilla’s eighth ballclub in 16 seasons. He made his major-league debut for La Russa’s White Sox in 1986, though La Russa was fired that June and Bonilla was traded to the Pirates that July.

In Pittsburgh, Bonilla enjoyed the best years of his career, batting .284 with 114 homers and 500 RBIs over six seasons. He placed second in the National League MVP voting in 1990 and finished third in 1991 before signing a free-agent deal with the Mets.

After he was traded to the Orioles in 1995, Bonilla bounced around the majors, winning a World Series with the 1997 Marlins before going to the Dodgers, returning to the Mets, and playing for the Braves in 2000. In Atlanta, he hit .255 with a .372 average in 43 at-bats against southpaws.

Bonilla’s .311 average against left-handed pitching in the previous five seasons had La Russa considering Bonilla as a pinch-hit option against right-handers (he hit .320 as a pinch hitter for the Braves in 2000) and a possible No. 5 hitter against lefties, where he could provide protection for cleanup hitter Mark McGwire.

“I think Ray (Lankford) can do a good job against right-handers, but we’re looking for somebody against left-handers to hit behind McGwire who’s respected. Bobby Bonilla is respected. A lot of people are afraid of him. Now, for this to happen, he’s got to stay healthy.”[3]

Leg injuries had limited Bonilla to 100 games in 1998 and just 60 games in 1999, when he hit just .160 for the Mets.

“Last year was the first time I said yes to the role,” Bonilla said. “Last year was the first year I accepted the role. In New York, that wasn’t my role. I don’t know what New York was all about. Put an asterisk next to that year. I know what my role is here, and I’ll have the best box seat in the house watching Big Mac.”[4]

Bonilla admitted that his lack of speed meant the Cardinals would often insert a pinch runner when he reached base.

“They’ll probably get my butt out of there as fast as they can,” he said.[5]

Members of the St. Louis media, however, were not laughing. St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon noted that both Bonilla and Andrews had poor defensive reputations, writing, that they “may be great guys to have on the Cardinals bench, but what happens when the team puts them in the field?”[6]

Gordon also took a shot at Bonilla’s conditioning in February, writing, “Will Bobby Bonilla report in tip-top shape to the Cardinals or will the club have to weigh him with a livestock scale?”[7]

Fellow Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz facetiously asked, “After a 21 percent increase in ticket prices, the best that the Cardinals can do for their fans is sign retreads Bobby Bonilla, John Mabry, Shane Andrews, and Bernard Gilkey? What, was Geronimo Pena unavailable?”[8]

Bonilla responded with a strong performance in spring training, hitting .389 with four home runs. La Russa was so impressed with Bonilla’s performance that he considered starting him in left field against Rockies lefthander Mike Hampton on opening day.

On March 24, however, Bonilla suffered a hamstring injury that limited his ability to run. With the regular season looming, Bonilla was placed on the disabled list.

“This is my first time doing something like this,” he said. “The only other time I hurt the hamstring was late in the season in 1997. I played through the postseason with it, but I didn’t get any treatment after that because I could just rest it all winter. This is different, so I’m having to listen to the trainers.”[9]

With Bonilla off the roster, rookie Albert Pujols was inserted into the Cardinals’ opening-day lineup. Though Pujols went just 1-for-9 in his debut series at Colorado, he launched his first career home run on April 6. Pujols went on to hit .329 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs on his way to the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

On April 9, Bonilla returned from the disabled list just in time to play in the Cardinals’ home opener. After enjoying the St. Louis opening-day festivities, Bonilla led off the ninth inning with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner J.D. Drew. Though Drew was erased from the base paths on a forceout, the Cardinals won the game a few at-bats later on a wild pitch.

On April 17, Bonilla made the only pitching performance of his career. With the Cardinals trailing 15-4 in the ninth inning, La Russa asked Bonilla to take the mound. Bonilla allowed a leadoff home run to Erubiel Durazo and an RBI single to Danny Bautista, but got Craig Counsell to ground into a double play to end the inning.

In June, Bonilla enjoyed perhaps the highlight of his Cardinals tenure when he hit a grand slam off White Sox left-hander Kelly Wunsch.

“I wasn’t trying to clear the bases, trust me,” said Bonilla, who had only been trying to lift a sacrifice fly to the outfield.[10]

On July 18, Bonilla singled against the Astros’ Roy Oswalt for the 2,000^th hit of his career.

“It’s a pretty neat thing,” he said.[11]

Bonilla finished the season with a .213 batting average, five homers, and 21 RBIs in 174 at-bats. In February 2002, his agent, Dan Horwits, announced that Bonilla had retired.

“The further and further he got into the offseason, he just didn’t want to commit to a bench role,” Horwits said. “He just wanted to go on with his life.”[12]

“He’s been an everyday player. I don’t know if a limited role was that much fun for him,” La Russa said. “Because of his legs, that’s realistically the role he should really have. But when you’ve been an everyday player for so long, that’s a tough adjustment.”[13]

Bonilla finished his 16-year major-league career with a .279 career batting average. He totaled 2,010 hits, 287 homers, and 1,173 RBIs across 2,113 games.

Enjoy this post? Please consider buying my book, The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals, now available at Amazon!

[1] Rick Hummel, “Bonilla, Mabry, Gilkey, Andrews agree to terms,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 6, 2001.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Bonilla, Mabry, Gilkey, Andrews agree to terms,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 6, 2001.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Bonilla might play roles at multiple positions,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 14, 2001.

[4] Rick Hummel, “Bonilla might play roles at multiple positions,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 14, 2001.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Bonilla might play roles at multiple positions,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 14, 2001.

[6] Jeff Gordon, “Tipsheet,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 2001.

[7] Jeff Gordon, “Tipsheet,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 19, 2001.

[8] Bernie Miklasz, “Despite his behavior, it’s hard to root against Vermeil,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 13, 2001.

[9] Mike Eisenbath, “Bonilla’s status complicates late roster moves,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 2001.

[10] Vahe Gregorian, “Cards go deep to get themselves out of hole,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 16, 2001.

[11] Rick Hummel, “Jocketty denies reports about offer for Astacio,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 19, 2001.

[12] Joe Strauss, “Pujols, Garcia shine in intrasquad action,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 27, 2002.

[13] Joe Strauss, “Pujols, Garcia shine in intrasquad action,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 27, 2002.

The post Why the Cardinals signed Bobby Bonilla in 2001 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

The Cardinals’ final home game of the season – an October 3 contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates – had long been earmarked as a special occasion. That March, Pujols returned to the Cardinals for what he announced would be the final season of his 22-year career. Molina too had announced that 2022 would mark his final season, concluding a 19-year career in St. Louis.

When the Cardinals announced a pregame ceremony honoring the careers of Pujols and Molina, it was clear that Wainwright – who made his debut in 2005 – would play an important role, even though he was schedule to pitch that day. Wainwright had not announced whether he planned to return for 2023.

“I declined at first because I knew it was going to be in my warmup,” Wainwright said. “And I was asked again and I thought, you know what, this is a special time for those two and I feel like I owe it to them to be a part of it. I wouldn’t have done it if I was a second-year player. But I’ve been here a long time and been teammates with them a long time and felt like I ought to. I wouldn’t miss that.”[1]

“He could have done it a lot of different ways but he wanted to make sure it was special for those two guys,” said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, noting that Wainwright could have filmed his remarks in advance.[2]

Instead, Wainwright altered his pregame routine to be part of an on-field ceremony that saw Cardinals Hall of Famers Ray Lankford, Jason Isringhausen, and Matt Holliday in attendance to honor their former teammate. The ceremony included remarks from owner Bill DeWitt Jr., president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, Wainwright, and Pujols and Molina.

The team gifted both players with golf clubs and embroidered golf bags, plaques outlining their career accomplishments, and paintings commissioned from Puerto Rican artist Carlos Mercado. St. Louis mayor Tishaura O. Jones presented official proclamations from the city declaring that October 4 would be Yadier Molina Day and October 5 would be Albert Pujols Day. Molina, of course, wore No. 4 throughout most of his career (he wore No. 41 in 2004 and 2005) and Pujols wore No. 5 throughout his Cardinals career (he wore No. 55 with the Dodgers in 2021).

“It is extraordinary when you have the opportunity to see two young players play together and you watch their friendship become a brotherhood,” said Mozeliak, who drafted both players. “It is a special friendship that became family.”[3]

Even Pirates closer David Bednar was impressed. “How long have those guys been doing it?” he said. “To see them celebrated, it was really cool to watch.”[4]

It was a moment that seemed impossible after Pujols signed with the Angels following the 2011 season. His return, however, was just the beginning. After batting just .215/.301/.376 for a .676 OPS and an OPS+ of just 92 (8% below league average) during the first half, Pujols returned to the form so many Cardinals fans remembered.

“I’m really blessed to be back here and to finish my career where everything started for me,” Pujols said. “If you look around, the history of this organization is all about winning, from bringing guys here that can play the game and developing them in the system. … There’s no better feeling than to raise a championship trophy at the end of the year.”[5]

Pujols acknowledged his second-half resurgence in his pregame remarks.

“I have faith in the Lord, and there’s no way he brought me back to the city of St. Louis to embarrass myself,” he said.[6]

When the 40-minute ceremony concluded and the game began, Pujols continued his hot hitting. After Wainwright threw a 1-2-3 first inning, marking his record 328^th start with Molina as his catcher, Pujols got the Cardinals out to an early lead with a two-run double. Two batters later, Molina hit a sacrifice fly that scored Pujols and gave the Cardinals an early 3-0 lead.

It was as if the first inning had been scripted by the baseball gods.

The Pirates, however, were determined to play spoiler. Jack Suwinski drew a leadoff walk and Calvin Mitchell singled for Pittsburgh before Ben Gamel hit a three-run homer to right field to tie the game. An inning later, rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz singled and stole second, then scored on a sacrifice fly that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Pujols stepped to the plate for what would prove to be the final regular-season at-bat of his career in St. Louis. Facing Roansy Contreras, a rookie righthander and fellow native of the Dominican Republic, Pujols hammered the second pitch he saw over the center-field wall.

It marked the 702^nd home run of his career and tied him with Babe Ruth for second all-time with 2,214 career RBIs. Only Henry Aaron, with 2,297, had more.

The home run gave Pujols 23 homers for the year and 17 in 153 at-bats since the all-star break.

“He always rises to the occasion in big moments,” Wainwright said.[7]

In the fourth, after Wainwright threw another 1-2-3 inning, outfielder Dylan Carlson and shortstop Paul DeJong hit back-to-back doubles to regain the lead, 5-4. Although Wainwright originally had been slated to throw approximately 50 pitches and had already thrown 61, he returned for the fifth inning with a chance to earn the win.

It wasn’t meant to be.

Pirates second baseman Ji Hwan Bae led off the fifth with a single before Cruz followed with a double. After Wainwright struck out Bryan Reynolds, Miguel Andujar hit a ground ball that scored Bae and Suwinski hit an RBI single to score Cruz.

With the Pirates leading 6-5, Wainwright’s day was over. When Marmol emerged from the dugout to relieve Wainwright in favor of left-hander Zack Thompson, Wainwright was joined by Molina and Pujols. Together, the three Cardinals legends walked side-by-side off the field.

“That was a surprise,” Wainwright said. “I thought that was cool.”[8]

After Thompson struck out Rodolfo Castro on three pitches, Wainwright’s line was complete: six earned runs on six hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. He finished with four strikeouts.

“I was proud to walk off the field with those guys even though I was pouting a little bit,” he said. “It still was a good moment for me to say I was teammates with two of the greatest ever. That was a cool time for Albert and Yadi and our whole team to see how St. Louis celebrates some of the greatest players, not just Cardinals, but players ever.”[9]

After the game, Marmol said he regretted not removing them one inning earlier. Wainwright wouldn’t have been eligible for the win, which requires the starter to go five innings, but he would have left the game with the lead.[10]

Wainwright had allowed just five runs over his previous nine starts against the Pirates.

“We had a really good approach,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We did a nice job with the breaking ball, which we had not done in the past. We made him execute pitches. We made him work. That’s a challenge for a young group of players, but I thought they did a really nice job sticking to the game plan.”[11]

The Pirates added just one more run when Reynolds homered off Thompson in the seventh to make the final score 7-5. After Contreras and Pirates reliever Chase De Jong got Pittsburgh into the fifth inning, Duane Underwood Jr., Yohan Ramirez, Robert Stephenson, and Bednar combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings. De Jong earned his sixth win of the season and Bednar earned his 19^th save.

“Really proud of our guys,” Shelton said. “There was a lot of stuff going on and we battled. You get down 3-0 early with a young group, you could go away. We didn’t. We came right back, had good at-bats, and made things happen. We ran the bases well. This was definitely a growing moment.”[12]

With a sellout crowd of 46,680, the Cardinals’ season attendance exceeded 3.32 million, far exceeding the 2.75 million the Cardinals estimated prior to the season. Vice president of ticket sales Joe Strohm credited Pujols for the difference, estimating that the legend’s return and chase for 700 home runs drew an additional 500,000 fans.[13]

St. Louis finished with 93 wins to win the National League Central Division by seven games. Though the Cardinals hosted both games of the Wild Card Series, the Phillies swept the series on their way to the National League championship. As a result, the Cardinals’ final regular-season home game proved the best farewell St. Louis could offer for Molina and Pujols – at least until they received an invitation to Cooperstown.

“As part of DeWitt’s remarks, he acknowledged the Cardinals have had at least one person in uniform who is inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame every year since 1909,” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman. “Pujols and Molina will be a part of that stretch when their times come, and in so doing, will be as permanently embedded in the national baseball consciousness as they are locally, legends among legends, secure in their circle.[14]

Enjoy this post? Find similar stories listed by decade or by player.

[1] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[2] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[3] Benjamin Hochman, “Powerful ceremony honored two greats,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[4] Jason Mackey, “Pirates play role of spoilers,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 3, 2022.

[5] Benjamin Hochman, “Powerful ceremony honored two greats,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r9-4S4gu_w

[7] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[8] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[9] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[10] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[11] Jason Mackey, “Pirates play role of spoilers,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 3, 2022.

[12] Jason Mackey, “Pirates play role of spoilers,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 3, 2022.

[13] Rick Hummel, “Mikolas and Quintana set to pitch on Monday,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

[14] Jeff Jones, “Cardinals’ game vs. Pirates all about Pujols, Molina, Waino,” Belleville News-Democrat, October 4, 2022.

The post Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina bid farewell: October 2, 2022 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On September 14, 2022, Wainwright and Molina, both age 40, broke a major-league record even older than they were. With their 325^th start together, they topped the 324 games in which pitcher Mickey Lolich and catcher Bill Freehan started for the Tigers from 1963 through 1975.

Together, the Cardinals’ battery had 36 years of major-league experience, all with the Cardinals. Molina made his debut in 2004, then became the team’s starting catcher the following year, a position he held for 18 years. Over that span, he earned 10 all-star nods, nine Gold Glove awards, four Platinum Gloves, and a Silver Slugger Award.

Wainwright made his big-league debut one season after Molina. Acquired in a 2003 trade with the Braves, the 6-foot-7 righthander appeared in relief twice in 2005, then became a key part of the Cardinals’ bullpen in 2006, famously striking out Carlos Beltran to end the 2006 NLCS and send the Cardinals to the World Series.

In 2007, the Cardinals inserted Wainwright into the starting rotation. On April 6, 2007, with Molina starting at catcher, he won his first major-league start. Fifteen years, 194 wins, and three all-star selections later, Wainwright and Molina were poised to make history with a late-season home game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It hadn’t been an easy path. Wainwright had missed the entire 2011 season with Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he tore his Achilles tendon, and following elbow surgery at the end of the 2017 season, he looked as though he might nearing the end of his career. In the COVID-shortened 2020, however, he returned to form, and in 2021 he placed seventh in the Cy Young Award voting with a 17-7 record and 3.05 ERA.

Meanwhile, reports indicated that Molina was considering retiring ahead of 2022. The opportunity to break the battery record with Wainwright not only convinced him to come back for one more year, but also convinced him to return from a June knee injury that kept him out of the lineup until August.[1]

Wainwright and Molina received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 46,459 when they emerged from the bullpen for their record-setting start. Brewers leadoff hitter Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP, dug into the batter’s box as Wainwright, a veteran of 387 career starts and more than 2,500 major-league innings, battled to maintain his poise.

“It was a lot to manage, early on,” Wainwright said. “The crowd was so awesome, making me get constant chills and tearing up. (I) was trying to manage my adrenaline because it wanted to go through the roof.”[2]

Wainwright officially made history with an 87.2 mph sinker.[3] Yelich never moved.

“I had no intention of swinging at the first pitch, you know,” he said. “They deserve that moment, that respect to have that ball. You allow them to have that ball and do whatever they want with it, rather than, you know, swinging at it and who knows what happens. Just wanted to make sure that they had the ball.”[4]

Having safely landed in Molina’s mitt, the ball was returned to the Cardinals dugout for authentication.

“I thought that was a really classy move,” Wainwright said. “You could tell he was going to give that to us.”[5]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch later reported that Wainwright requested the ball be cut exactly in half – one for him and one for Molina.[6]

“It’s probably cooler for me than Yadi,” Wainwright said. “He has so many cool things. Next to the Roberto Clemente Award, this is probably the coolest thing of my career.”[7]

“Such a great feeling, just to reach that number,” said Molina. “To be at the top of that list. Such a great feeling.”[8]

Of course, before Wainwright and Molina could celebrate, they had a game to play. After Wainwright struck out Yelich, Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez followed with one-out singles. Former Cardinal Kolten Wong then drew a two-out walk to load the bases.

“I thought, ‘I’m getting out of this because we’re supposed to win today,’” Wainwright said. “Usually I feel like I’m going to get out of it anyways, but I really felt like I’m getting out of this because we’re supposed to win today, and we did.”[9]

On a 1-and-1 pitch, Wainwright got Andrew McCutchen to hit a ground ball back to him. Disaster averted.

The Brewers got to Wainwright for a run in the second inning when center fielder Tyrone Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. An inning later, the Cardinals took the lead with two runs off Corbin Burnes, the defending National League Cy Young Award winner. Nolan Arenado opened the second inning with a solo home run, and after Brendon Donovan and Alec Burleson each singled, Molina punched a single into left field to score Donovan.

Center fielder Lars Nootbaar made the score 3-1 in the fifth inning with a solo home run. When the Cardinals took the field for the sixth, Andre Pallante took the mound. Wainwright had thrown five innings, allowing one run on eight hits and two walks.

St. Louis maintained its two-run lead until the eighth, when Albert Pujols, the other member of the Cardinals’ over-40 club, doubled to score Tyler O’Neill. With the run driven in, Pujols, who was only three short of his 700^th career homer, joined Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only players with 2,200 RBIs.

“Seems like every day he passes them or comes up next to them or ties one of those legendary hitters,” Wainwright said. “He’s in that class.”[10]

Following scoreless innings from Pallante, Jordan Hicks, and Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley took the mound in the ninth inning. The all-star closer worked around a two-out single from Tellez to seal the win.

“We had the mindset ready to win this game, no matter what,” Molina said. “And that’s what we did.”[11]

The win was Wainwright’s 11^th of the season and the 195^th of his career. Of his 2,548 career innings, Molina caught 2,136 (83.8%).[12]

After the game, the Cardinals toasted Wainwright and Molina with custom bottles of champagne with the number “325” on the sides. Team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, and manager Oliver Marmol each said a few words, and then the longest-tenured battery in baseball history was tossed into laundry baskets and doused with Cherry Coke, Sprite, and any other liquids their teammates could obtain.

“You see me, right?” Wainwright said at the postgame news conference, his Cardinals hoodie drenched. “Do I look wet? I’m wet. I am soaked. A whole bunch of nasty stuff you don’t want on your head, but it’s a pretty sweet taste.”[13]

Marmol, who at age 36 was four years younger than Wainwright and Molina, noted that he was drafted by the Cardinals out of the College of Charlston the year the duo made their first start together.

“A lot has taken place in that time span,” Marmol said. “That’s why I don’t see anyone coming close to touching it ever again. When you can be in the record book and know that it’s not going to be touched? Just to be able to have the career that Yadi’s had behind the plate with the same team – that’s a lot of years catching – and then Waino being able to come close to matching him on years? Just to do it together for 325, it’s definitely meaningful.”[14]

Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon agreed.

“It’s hard to imagine anybody topping the new mark Wainwright and Molina are setting together,” he wrote. “How many high-end pitchers and catchers will keep pushing their physical limitations? And how often will an elite tandem spend so much time playing together?”[15]

Fellow columnist Benjamin Hochman summed it up: “A kid from Georgia and a kid from Puerto Rico have become eternal St. Louisans, representing and encapsulating the pride of the Cardinals, the bond of friends, the passion for winning, and the fun that can be had along the way.”[16]

Wainwright and Molina combined for three more starts together to finish with 328. At season’s end, Molina retired, concluding a 19-year major-league career that included 2,224 games. Along the way, he had appeared in 10 all-star games and helped lead the Cardinals to two World Series championships.

After the season, Wainwright announced that the 2023 campaign would be his final major-league season.

Enjoy this post? Sign up below and get Cardinals history delivered directly to your inbox!

[1] Derrick Goold, “A curve, a keepsake, Cherry Coke: How Cards battery made history,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 2022.

[2] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[3] Derrick Goold, “A curve, a keepsake, Cherry Coke: How Cards battery made history,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 2022.

[4] Derrick Goold, “A curve, a keepsake, Cherry Coke: How Cards battery made history,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 2022.

[5] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[6] Derrick Goold, “A curve, a keepsake, Cherry Coke: How Cards battery made history,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 2022.

[7] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[8] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[9] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[10] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[11] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[12] Jesse Rogers, “St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina make record 325^th start as battery,” ESPN.com, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34594137/st-louis-cardinals-adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-make-record-325th-start-battery.

[13] Derrick Goold, “A curve, a keepsake, Cherry Coke: How Cards battery made history,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 2022.

[14] Benjamin Hochman, “Duo’s bond extends to Cards fans,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 2022.

[15] Jeff Gordon, “Wainwright, Molina turn back clock,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 14, 2022.

[16] Benjamin Hochman, “Duo’s bond extends to Cards fans,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 2022.

The post September 14, 2022: Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina set new battery record with 325th start together first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On September 23, 2022, Pujols hit the 699^th and 700^th home runs of his career in front of a crowd of 50,000 fans who cheered him as though he was still wearing Dodger blue. While Pujols hit just 12 homers with the Dodgers in 2021, he might never have returned for his 22^nd big-league season and reached 700 without his tenure in L.A.

“To have my family in town and to do it here in Dodger Stadium, where my joy of this game came back last year being in the postseason and being in this clubhouse, was awesome,” Pujols said. “It was pretty special to do it with the Dodgers fans here.”[1]

Of course, the bulk of Pujols’ home runs – and accomplishments – came in St. Louis. After the Cardinals drafted him in the 13^th round of the 1999 draft, Pujols made his big-league debut in 2001 and immediately established himself as one of the game’s premier players, batting .329 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs. In recognition of his debut season, Pujols played in his first all-star game, won the Silver Slugger Award, and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.

It marked just the beginning of an 11-year stretch in which Pujols made nine all-star games, won the 2003 batting title, earned six Silver Slugger awards, two Gold Glove awards, and was named the National League MVP in 2005, 2008, and 2009. Along the way, Pujols and the Cardinals won World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.

Following that 2011 championship, Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels. Though he continued to add historic milestones to his resume, including his 500^th and 600^th career home runs and his 3,000^th hit, leg injuries and age slowed the monstrous pace he set in St. Louis.

Pujols was in the final year of his contract, batting just .198 with five homers and 12 RBIs, when the Angels cut him in May 2021. He signed with the nearby Dodgers, where he was used as a power bat off the bench. Pujols hit .254 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 204 plate appearances, including a .953 OPS (on-base plus slugging) against left-handed pitchers.

Pujols’ five-month tenure with the Dodgers not only showed teams like the Cardinals how he could continue to be an effective player in a more limited role, but also re-inspired Pujols’ love of the game.

“If they weren’t going to give me the opportunity, I don’t think I would be sitting here today,” Pujols said after hitting No. 700. “You guys wouldn’t see the history tonight. … It’s great when you have great people around you who believe in you.”[2]

On March 28, 2022, the Cardinals signed Pujols to a one-year deal for what he immediately announced would be his final season. Despite the initial excitement, Pujols got off to a slow start in his return to St. Louis, batting just .215 with six homers and 20 RBIs during the first half of the season. The all-star game, hosted at Dodger Stadium, proved to be both a showcase and a turning point for Pujols, who was revered by his all-star teammates and surprised audiences by reaching the semifinals of the home run derby.

When Pujols returned to St. Louis, he looked much more like the Albert of old. By September 23, his batting average had increased to .265 and he had slugged 13 homers since the all-star break. That total put him two away from 700 as the Cardinals entered their fourth contest in a seven-game road trip.

With his five children in the stands for the first time all season, Pujols wasted little time in making history. After Tommy Edman drew a one-out walk in the third inning, Pujols fouled off a 1-1 pitch, breaking his bat in the process. Dodger Stadium batboy Oswaldo Ramirez grabbed one of two Marucci model AP5 bats engraved with Pujols’ jersey number – 5 – and handed it to Pujols.[3]

Dodgers lefthander Andrew Heaney’s next pitch was a 94-mph fastball. Pujols sent it 434 feet into the left-field pavilion. The blast not only drew Pujols within one homer of 700, but also broke the scoreless tie to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

One inning later, Pujols got his first chance at the milestone. With runners on first and second, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled Heaney in favor of righthanded reliever Phil Bickford, a California native who had played alongside Pujols the previous year. As Pujols stepped to the plate, Yadier Molina, who had seen so many of Pujols’ homers over the years, warned his teammates they were about to witness history.

“This is it, boys,” he said.[4]

On his third pitch of the at-bat, Bickford hung a slider. Pujols hit it 389 feet, once again clearing Dodger Stadium’s left-field wall. As Pujols circled the bases, the theme from “The Natural” played over the public-address system.[5]

With the blast, Pujols joined Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Barry Bonds as the only players in MLB history with 700 home runs and the only player to join the 700-home run club with a multi-homer game. He also joined Aaron as the only two players in baseball history with 700 homers, 3,000 hits, and 2,000 RBIs.

“It’s pretty special,” Pujols said. “When it’s really gonna hit me is when I’m done at the end of the season and I’m retired, and a month or two after that I can look back at the numbers. Don’t get me wrong, I know where I stand in the game, but since day one, it was never about the numbers. It was always about winning championships and getting better in this game.”[6]

Pujols’ two-homer night was reminiscent of April 22, 2014, when he hit his 499^th and 500^th homers on the same day.

“Every night, you want to check the box score, and when he hits a home run, everybody’s talking about it,” said Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who played alongside Pujols throughout his tenure in Anaheim. “It’s crazy. When he was here and passing all the big-name guys, you had to pinch yourself sometimes just to be able to witness it.”[7]

Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, nearing the conclusion of a National League MVP season, shared Trout’s sentiment.

“It’s like, hey, don’t forget this because we might not ever see it again,” Goldschmidt said. “I know me, as a teammate, will never see it again. It’s been a blessing. It’s been an honor to be a small part and get to see this. You can play this game for a long time and not ever see it or be a part of it. Take it in. Remember it.”[8]

Even after Pujols had driven in the Cardinals’ first five runs, they continued to pile on. In the fifth, Dylan Carlson hit an RBI double and Lars Nootbaar followed with a two-run homer that made the score 8-0.

In the seventh, rookie Juan Yepez added a solo home run and Nootbar added an RBI single to extend the lead into double digits. In the eighth, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol gave Pujols the rest of the night off. Alec Burleson, batting in place of Pujols, hit a solo shot to right field for the first home run of this career.

“I think that’s the only way to pinch-hit for him right there – hit a homer,” Burleson said. “That’s the right way to do it. You don’t ever forget your first big-league home run. You definitely don’t forget when you hit it on a night like last night.”[9]

Burleson’s blast made the final score 11-0. Heaney took the loss for the Dodgers after allowing four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Bickford, the first of four relievers L.A. used in the game, allowed four runs – three earned – in 1 1/3 innings.

“At first, I was upset … and then when the crowd reacted and (seeing) all the smiles, it was a very special moment for MLB,” Bickford said. “Albert Pujols is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”[10]

Jose Quintana, who had come to St. Louis in a trade with the Pirates in July, earned the win after throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings. Lefthander Zack Thompson pitched 1 1/3 innings before outfielder Corey Dickerson threw the final inning.

“A lot of sensations. I almost cried,” said Quintana. “That happened on my day. I’m never going to forget this night.”[11]

It was a memorable night for several Dodgers fans as well. Cesar Soriano, a 37-year-old from Los Angeles, caught 699 and handed it over in exchange for meeting Pujols.[12] Another fan wearing a Hideo Nomo shirt caught No. 700. He chose to hold onto the historic ball, and Dodger Stadium security escorted him out of the ballpark.

“Souvenirs are for fans,” Pujols said. “If they want to give it back, great, but at the end of the day, I don’t focus on material stuff. I have the bat, the uniform, things that are special. If they want to keep that baseball, I don’t have a problem with it.”[13]

After the game, Pujols’ Cardinals teammates toasted him with champagne bearing special labels with Pujols’ signature and “700” in a neon glow.[14]

“I know he said he didn’t care. But we all cared,” bench coach Skip Schumaker said. “We cared. We got the moment to be a fan.”[15]

The Cardinals weren’t the only ones to savor Pujols’ milestone.

“This is like the Mount Rushmore of sluggers, so to reach that 700-home run mark, it’s remarkable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.[16]

Even previous generations of Cardinals sluggers were in awe.

“It’s a number that Babe and Hank set way back when, a number of longevity, of stability, of greatness,” Mark McGwire said, “but I’m not surprised at all. Listen, if he didn’t have those few years in Anaheim where he basically lost his legs, with his knee and foot injuries, we’d be talking about 800 homers, not 700. There’s no question in my mind that he would have blown by Barry’s record.”[17]

Pujols finished the season with a .270 batting average, 24 homers, and 68 RBIs. His .895 OPS was higher than any of the 10 seasons he spent in California.

At the conclusion of the season, Pujols retired, ending a 22-year major-league career with a .296 career batting average, 703 home runs, and 2,218 RBIs. He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.

Enjoy this post? Find similar stories listed by decade or by player.

[1] Mike DiGiovanna, “Cardinals’ Pujols homers twice, becoming just the fourth MLB player to reach 700,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2022.

[2] Derrick Goold, “Right bat, right time,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Right bat, right time,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[4] Derrick Goold, “Teammates offer perspective on Pujols’ 700^th homer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[5] Mike DiGiovanna, “Cardinals’ Pujols homers twice, becoming just the fourth MLB player to reach 700,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2022.

[6] Mike DiGiovanna, “Cardinals’ Pujols homers twice, becoming just the fourth MLB player to reach 700,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2022.

[7] Mike DiGiovanna, “Cardinals’ Pujols homers twice, becoming just the fourth MLB player to reach 700,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2022.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Teammates offer perspective on Pujols’ 700^th homer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[9] Derrick Goold, “Teammates offer perspective on Pujols’ 700^th homer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[10] Beth Harris (Associated Press), “Pujols’ 700-HR feat one for the ageless,” Newsday, September 25, 2022.

[11] Derrick Goold, “Right bat, right time,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[12] Beth Harris (Associated Press), “Pujols’ 700-HR feat one for the ageless,” Newsday, September 25, 2022.

[13] Mike DiGiovanna, “Cardinals’ Pujols homers twice, becoming just the fourth MLB player to reach 700,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2022.

[14] Derrick Goold, “Right bat, right time,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[15] Derrick Goold, “Teammates offer perspective on Pujols’ 700^th homer,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 25, 2022.

[16] Beth Harris (Associated Press), “Pujols’ 700-HR feat one for the ageless,” Newsday, September 25, 2022.

[17] Mike DiGiovanna, “Cardinals’ Pujols homers twice, becoming just the fourth MLB player to reach 700,” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2022.

The post How Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On March 28, 2022, after 10 seasons on the West Coast with the Angels and Dodgers, Pujols agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million plus incentives to return to St. Louis.

“This organization never closed the door on me, and I never closed the door on this organization either,” he said. “It’s just a great opportunity.”[2]

Pujols’ first stint with the Cardinals was the stuff legends were made of. A 13^th-round draft pick out of Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods, Pujols spent one season in the minors before making the major-league roster out of spring training in 2001. It marked the beginning of an 11-season run that included the National League Rookie of the Year Award, nine All-Star appearances, six Silver Slugger awards, two Gold Gloves, the 2003 batting title, and MVP trophies in 2005, 2008, and 2009. Along the way, Pujols and the Cardinals won the World Series in 2006 and 2011.

After the 2011 championship, however, Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels. Pujols continued to reach significant milestones, collecting his 500^th and 600^th home runs and his 3,000^th career hit with the Angels, but he never reached the same heights he enjoyed in St. Louis. Leg injuries, then age, slowed the big man down.

Pujols was in the final year of his contract, batting just .198 with five homers and 12 RBIs, when the Angels cut him in May 2021. He signed with the nearby Dodgers, where he was used as a power bat off the bench. Facing primarily left-handed pitchers, Pujols hit .254 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 204 plate appearances.

The 2022 season offered a unique opportunity for Pujols to return to St. Louis. After almost 50 years of use in the American League, Major League Baseball introduced the designated hitter to the National League that offseason.

With lefty-swinging outfielder Corey Dickerson signed to a one-year deal and righthanded-hitting rookie Juan Yepez set to make his big-league debut, the Cardinals had the makings of a platoon at the new position. However, the 24-year-old Yepez was just 3-for-16 without an extra-base hit that spring at the time of Pujols’ signing.

“We’re wanting to give Yepez the most opportunity and see what we got there,” first-year Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said one day before Pujols signed. “Has he performed the way he’d like to? No. Is he carrying himself in a way that gives us the belief he can do a good job? Yes. We want to see as much of that as possible. We’ll see a decent amount of at-bats for him moving forward.”[3]

Behind the scenes, Wainwright and another veteran Cardinals star, Yadier Molina, were pushing for Pujols’ addition. In fact, Molina was video chatting with Pujols at 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 27, as contract negotiations were being finalized.[4]

By the following day, it was official.

“This reunion with Albert was a wonderful opportunity, for not only him and the Cardinal organization, but for our great fans and the city of St. Louis,” team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “The players and staff and everyone connected to the Cardinal organization looks forward to seeing Albert with the birds on the bat.”[5]

Pujols didn’t wait long to make his first public appearance. Wainwright had just completed the first inning in his spring training outing against the Astros when the right-field gate at Roger Dean Stadium opened and Pujols walked onto the field and toward the dugout. The stadium – and Pujols’ new teammates – applauded.

“I felt like, yes, I might be wearing a different uniform, but I felt like I never left,” Pujols said. “The people still treat me the same way, whether I was wearing the Cardinal uniform, whether I was wearing the Angels or the Dodgers, they never change. That’s what’s so special about the Cardinals’ fans. They love you when you wear their uniform, but they still love you because you’re part of this organization.”[6]

With Pujols’ announcement that 2022 would be his final season, prices for the Cardinals’ home opener skyrocketed. There was also a run on tickets for the Cardinals’ final home games of the season – the final regular-season game for Pujols and Molina. The Cardinals catcher had also announced that 2022 would be his final campaign.[7]

“He will do amazing things in his last year,” said former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa after Pujols signed. “There’s no doubt in my mind. He did it last year with the Dodgers. He will rise to the occasion – and he’s got two legs to stand on to hit now, which hasn’t been true for years. I went to see him when he was playing with the Angels a couple of times, and he would pull his pant leg up, and his knee was swollen like a basketball.”[8]

“I think he’s motivated,” Wainwright said. “Any time Albert’s motivated, it’s a very, very dangerous thing. He’s motivated to show people he’s not too old and he’s not over the hill. I don’t think he wants it to be just nostalgia. I think he wants to go out and prove something.”[9]

Arenado, who hit with Pujols in Southern California during the offseason, said the veteran’s presence off the bench would be a game-changer for the Cardinals.

“He’s still got a lot of power, and he’s still scary,” Arenado said. “Nobody wants to go up there and face Albert Pujols. I don’t care who you are. Everybody knows in the back of their mind that when that guy steps up to the plate, damage can be done. And that’s a pretty uneasy feeling. I feel like last year we didn’t have that as much … and now we have him. It’s going to make a huge difference for us.”[10]

Arenado may have even underestimated Pujols’ impact on the 2022 season. Playing in 109 games, the 42-year-old posted his highest OPS (on-base plus slugging) since 2011 and his highest home run total since he blasted 31 in 2016. Across 351 plate appearances, Pujols hit .270 with 24 homers, 68 RBIs, and an .895 OPS.

At the All-Star Game (the 11^th of his career), Pujols was celebrated by his peers, and the summer showcase seemed to invigorate him. After batting .215 with six homers and 20 RBIs in the first half, Pujols hit .323 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs after the break. Along the way, he hit his 700^th career home run and passed Alex Rodriguez for fourth on baseball’s all-time list.

“What I’m doing right now, that was something that, when I signed here, I was really looking forward to – helping this organization,” Pujols said.[11]

By season’s end, Pujols was a mainstay in the Cardinals’ lineup, playing a key role alongside National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt and fellow All-Star Arenado.

“Obviously, growing up, he’s one of my favorite players ever, and to be in a Cardinal uniform with him, it’s a pretty surreal moment,” Arenado said. “Growing up watching him with the Cardinals, watching him hitting homers with the Cardinals – I’m in a Cardinals uniform and I get to play with Albert Pujols, one of the greatest Cardinals ever.”[12]

Pujols wasn’t only successful on the field, but he also appeared to enjoy the season more than ever before. Known for his singular focus during his first run with the Cardinals, Pujols seemed more relaxed and willing to share his knowledge than ever before. He even pitched an inning in a nationally broadcast 15-6 loss to the Giants.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson described Pujols’ new attitude this way:

“Pujols returned happier, quicker to smile and laugh. He called himself the grandpa of the club. He embraced a limited role and then expanded it with his production, never griping about at-bats that did not come his way.

“He taught by example before. He did again this season, but it was accompanied by bear hugs and arms thrown over shoulders. Not to be forgotten along with the records that will stand in baseball history forever are the images of Pujols laughing while pitching in a blowout, wrapping Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright in dugout embraces, and mentoring whatever young hitter came his way.”[13]

On October 2, before their final regular-season home game of the season, the Cardinals held a brief pregame ceremony honoring Pujols and Molina. When Wainwright, that day’s starter, was removed from the game with two outs in the fifth, Marmol took the opportunity to remove Pujols and Molina as well. Together, the three stars who had defined much of the Cardinals’ 21^st century walked off the field.

“The moment was great, just to walk with Albert and Waino next to me,” Molina said. “It was a great moment for baseball, I think.”[14]

After helping the Cardinals win the National League Central Division to qualify for the Wild Card Series, Pujols held true to his word and retired. His 22-year career included a .296 batting average, 703 home runs, and 2,218 RBIs. Pujols will be eligible for the Hall of Fame beginning in 2028.

Enjoy this post? Then you’ll love The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals, available now on Amazon!

[1] Jeff Jones, “‘This is it for me’: Pujols to play final year with Cardinals,” Belleville News-Democrat, March 30, 2022.

[2] Tyler Kepner, “For Albert Pujols, One Last Run Where It All Began,” New York Times, March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/sports/baseball/albert-pujols-cardinals.html.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Pujols returning to the Cardinals,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 28, 2022.

[4] Jeff Jones, “‘This is it for me’: Pujols to play final year with Cardinals,” Belleville News-Democrat, March 30, 2022.

[5] Jeff Jones, “‘This is it for me’: Pujols to play final year with Cardinals,” Belleville News-Democrat, March 30, 2022.

[6] Tyler Kepner, “For Albert Pujols, One Last Run Where It All Began,” New York Times, March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/sports/baseball/albert-pujols-cardinals.html.

[7] Derrick Goold, “This Is My Last Run,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 29, 2022.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Back Where It Began,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 30, 2022.

[9] Derrick Goold, “This Is My Last Run,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 29, 2022.

[10] Derrick Goold, “This Is My Last Run,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 29, 2022.

[11] Ben Frederickson, “You Can Go Home Again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 2, 2022.

[12] Derrick Goold, “This Is My Last Run,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 29, 2022.

[13] Ben Frederickson, “You Can Go Home Again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 2, 2022.

[14] Rick Hummel, “A big send-off for Pujols, Molina; Waino struggles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 3, 2022.

The post Albert Pujols returns to the Cardinals: March 28, 2022 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Pujols and more than 36,000 Cardinals fans[1] celebrated Easter on April 16, 2006, with an 8-7 win over the Reds that featured three homers and five RBIs from Pujols, including a walk-off, two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth. Each of his three homers came off different Cincinnati pitchers.

“This is one where you’ll be lost for words,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “No thoughts, no description of the game. … I’m at a loss to describe it, man. There’s a new memory for new Busch. … It’ll be tough to top that one.”[2]

The Cardinals had opened their season with a six-game road swing before opening Busch Stadium III with a 6-4 win over the Brewers. The Cardinals went on to take two of three from Milwaukee, and split their next two games against Cincinnati. The Easter ballgame marked the club’s final game of the homestand before heading to Pittsburgh for three games.

The Cardinals and Reds went back and forth from the outset. Mark Mulder, coming off a 16-win campaign in his first season in St. Louis, allowed an RBI single to Reds right fielder Austin Kearns in the first inning. The Cardinals immediately answered as their own right fielder, John Rodriguez, lined a two-run triple into the right-field corner off Reds starter Bronson Arroyo.

The Cardinals held a 2-1 lead until the top of the fifth. With two outs, Mulder gave up a two-run home run to Adam Dunn, followed by a solo homer by Kearns to give the Reds a 4-2 lead.

Once again, however, the Cardinals answered. After Aaron Miles singled, Pujols hit his first home run of the game, a line drive over the left-field wall that tied the score.

“He’s legit as they come in the game,” Arroyo said. “He doesn’t swing at bad pitches. He put a good swing on anything in the zone. It doesn’t matter what you’re throwing. He seems to track the ball good no matter what speed it is or where it’s located.”[3]

Scott Rolen followed with his third home run of the season to give St. Louis a 5-4 lead.

“I felt pretty good today,” Rolen said. “I had a tough night Friday. I couldn’t see the ball real well. Yesterday (Saturday), I made a couple adjustments, and it worked out for me. Now I’m seeing the ball pretty good.”[4]

Reds manager Jerry Narron called on reliever Rick White to replace Arroyo after five innings. While White retired the side in order in the sixth, Pujols took him the opposite way in the bottom of the seventh to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 6-4.

The Reds, however, had one more comeback in their tank. Pinch hitter Quinton McCracken led off the eighth with a home run off 24-year-old reliever Adam Wainwright, who was then replaced with left-hander Randy Flores. Flores retired Javier Valentin, but a walk and an error put runners on first and third before La Russa called on Braden Looper.

Reds first baseman Rich Aurilia greeted Looper with a two-run double into the right-field gap, pushing Cincinnati ahead once more, 7-6.

That lead held until the ninth inning. With his bench down to just backup catcher Gary Bennett, La Russa called upon starter Jason Marquis to pinch-hit for Looper. The move worked, as Marquis, who won the pitchers’ National League Silver Slugger Award in 2005, singled up the middle off Reds closer David Weathers to bring Pujols to the plate.

I’m just trying to put the bat on the ball and make something happen,” Marquis said. “Obviously, with the big guys coming up behind me, it’s their job to get it done. I’m up there just to try and make something happen.”[5]

“You’re watching all this happen, and you’re asking what else is (Pujols) going to do, hit another one?” Mulder said. “And that’s exactly what he does.”

Rather than pitch around Pujols, Weathers went after the Cardinals slugger. He was ahead in the count 1-and-2 when Pujols turned on his fourth pitch of the at-bat, pulling the ball into the third deck, an estimated 441 feet away,[6] to win the game, 8-7.

“I tried to come inside on him,” Weathers said. “I left it over the plate too much. A guy like that, you can’t do that, especially the way he was swinging today.”[7]

Just before he crossed home plate and was mobbed by his teammates, Pujols did a brief celebratory dance.

“Hey, you hit a walk-off homer, you get to do whatever you want,” Pujols said. “You need to be excited about it, and you don’t get too many of those, so you need to enjoy them when they come.”[8]

Pujols’ three home runs totaled 1,238 feet.[9]

It was the second three-homer game and the sixth walk-off home run of Pujols’ career.[10] His five RBIs and four runs scored also matched career highs.[11] Twelve games into the young season, Pujols was off to arguably the best start of his career, batting .341 with a league-high eight homers and 17 RBIs.

“Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll get three more and forget about today,” Pujols said.[12]

Looper earned the win in relief after allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings. In addition to Pujols’ big day, David Eckstein reached base three times, and Yadier Molina and Skip Schumacher each reached base twice.

“It was one of those days where it seemed like whoever was going to hit last was going to win,” Narron said.[13]

Altogether, the Cardinals trailed three times before pulling out the win.

“For us to do that tells me all I need to know about the ’06 Cardinals,” La Russa said.[14]

The 2006 Cardinals indeed proved to be fighters, winning the National League Central with an 83-78 record before topping the Padres, Mets, and Tigers in the postseason for the franchise’s 10^th world championship. Pujols finished the regular season with a .331 batting average and career-high 49 homers and 137 RBIs. He finished second to the Phillies’ Ryan Howard in the NL MVP race.

Get the perfect gift for the Cardinals fans in your life! Order The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals on Amazon!

[1] Joe Ostermeier, “Pujols propels Cards past Reds,” Belleville News-Democrat, April 17, 2006.

[2] Bernie Miklasz, “El Hombre makes mark on new Busch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

[3] John Fay, “Sunday just wasn’t Arroyo’s day,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 17, 2006.

[4] Joe Strauss, “Albert Pujols’ third homer of the day buries the Reds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

[5] Rod Kloeckner, “Marquis sets table for Pujols’ heroics,” Belleville News-Democrat, April 17, 2006.

[6] Bernie Miklasz, “El Hombre makes mark on new Busch,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

[7] John Fay, “Reds are star struck,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 17, 2006.

[8] Rod Kloeckner, “Walk-off blast leaves Albert dancing,” Belleville News-Democrat, April 17, 2006.

[9] Joe Ostermeier, “Pujols propels Cards past Reds,” Belleville News-Democrat, April 17, 2006.

[10] Joe Strauss, “Albert Pujols’ third homer of the day buries the Reds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

[11] Joe Strauss, “Albert Pujols’ third homer of the day buries the Reds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

[12] Joe Strauss, “Albert Pujols’ third homer of the day buries the Reds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

[13] John Fay, “Reds are star struck,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 17, 2006.

[14] Joe Strauss, “Albert Pujols’ third homer of the day buries the Reds,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 17, 2006.

The post Albert Pujols hits three homers on Easter: 4/16/2006 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.