The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most successful franchises in the 21st century. Since the 2000 season, the Cardinals have only finished with a losing record only once, a 78-84 record in 2007, perennially being in the playoff hunt despite a revolving cast of stars. However, through all that roster turnover, one pair has been a staple of the Cardinals' identity for the past 16 years – starter Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina.
In the Cardinals' most recent victory against division rivals Milwaukee Brewers, a 4-1 win, Wainwright and Molina made their 325th major league start as a battery, breaking the MLB record in front of a sellout crowd in Busch Stadium. Before the game, the 40-year old catcher couldn't contain his emotions as the Busch Stadium faithful showered their longtime franchise players with so much love, per Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required).
“I looked around and I see everybody cheering and clapping, it was just great times,” Molina said. “Emotionally I was way over the top.”
Wainwright couldn't wrap his head around all the applause he and his batterymate received as they made their way from the bullpen towards the dugout. Thankfully, the emotional nature of the moment didn't prove to be too much of a distraction for the 41-year old starter, who pitched five innings, allowing only one run.
“The crowd was so awesome, making me get just constant chills and tear up,” Wainwright recalled. “I was trying to manage my adrenaline because I was wanting to just go through the roof. … More than anything, I’ll remember that. I’ll remember walking in from the bullpen with Yadi and the crowd going crazy.”
Adam Wainwright's had a bit of a career revival in the past two seasons, making 61 starts and throwing 384.1 innings for a solid 3.16 ERA. And while Yadier Molina's offensive production has been in decline for years now, his defense, pitch calling and framing, and leadership prove that his impact goes way beyond the box score.
“It’s such a great feeling, just to reach that number,” Molina added. “Hopefully (the record) will never be broken, but it’s a great feeling. And doing it with Waino, a great human being, is just amazing. … He’s a really great teammate, a friend and a brother to me.”
The Cardinals, primed to win the NL Central, will need their record-holding veteran duo of Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina to continue defying their age in their quest to win their longtime battery's third World Series as teammates.
Follow Us
Subscribe