Even in retirement, allegiances never cease. This is certainly the case for St. Louis Cardinals lifer Adam Wainwright. He spent all 19 years of his big-league life with the Cardinals, and during his stint with the franchise, they won a total of two World Series titles, and he made the All-Star Game a total of three times. He was one of the most consistent pitchers of the past 20 years, and he was also a certified playoff riser.

During his time with the Cardinals, they basically ran the NL Central. From 2005 to 2023, they won the division eight times and made the postseason 12 times. Of his 19 seasons with the team, only twice did St. Louis have a losing record: in 2007 and 2023.

Simply put, if there's anyone who believes in Cardinals supremacy, it's Wainwright. This explains why he's so repulsed to see the Chicago Cubs logo whenever he sees fans wear merchandise of their NL Central rival.

“When I see a Cubs fan walking down the street with a Cubs shirt on or a hat on, my instant thought is, ‘Ugh'. But at the same time, there's this wonderful rivalry there,” Wainwright said in an appearance on the Wake Up Barstool podcast. “There's like a very cordial polite Midwest love-hate relationship there. It's unlike the East Coast, where it's like, ‘We don't like you, but here, please, I'll open the door for you.'”

Article Continues Below

Cardinals lie dormant as youth movement takes shape

© Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The past few seasons have not gone according to plan for the Cardinals, to say the least. They have not made it to the postseason in three consecutive years, and it's going to be a difficult climb for them yet again this season especially when they're residing in a division where the Milwaukee Brewers, Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds all made it to the postseason in 2025, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have Paul Skenes.

Once the Cardinals figure it out in their youth movement, this rivalry is about to hit like it used to. But for now, the silent animosity lives on.