The Cardinals just keep playing the Cardinal Way. They haven’t been as good as the Brewers, as dramatic as the Cubs, or as divisive as the Reds, but after trouncing Milwaukee last night, the Cardinals are just 1.5 games out of the second wild card spot. It was a familiar pair leading the way as Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina synced up as the starting battery for the 300th time. They are now the fourth most-prolific duo of all-time, and if they make 25 more starts together, they’ll be at the top of the all-time list.
Unsurprisingly, the Cardinals are planning a one-year extension offer for their longtime ace, whenever he’s ready, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Molina is already locked in for 2022 — his final season before retirement. There are not sufficient superlatives to quantify Wainwright’s standing in baseball, but even isolating his contributions this year, he’s one of the most reliable starters in the game: 27 starts, 176 innings, 2.91 ERA, 3.6 fWAR. The 40-year-old amazingly ranks third in the Majors in innings pitched, behind only Zack Wheeler and Walker Buehler.
In terms of the Cardinals’ other ace, Jack Flaherty could return this season in a bullpen/piggyback role, notes Goold. Just a few weeks ago it seemed that the prudent call would be to shut Flaherty down for the year, but with a wild card spot very much in play, Flaherty could still make an impact. An oblique injury put Flaherty on the 60-day injured list earlier, but after a brief return, he went back on the shelf with a shoulder strain. His return could be a huge boon to the Cardinals in September if he’s able to come back firing on all cylinders.
Junior Fernandez, however, has been shut down for the year with a Grade 2 right lat strain, per MLB.com’s Zachary Silver (via Twitter). The injury will not require surgery, and Fernandez should have no problem getting ready for 2022. The 24-year-old has made 18 appearances out of the pen, tossed 20 2/3 innings, and logged a 5.66 ERA/5.14 FIP.
Love um or hate um……this is just something you don’t see anymore. Very impressive for sure. Much respect.
Yep. Hitting batters and getting away with it; the Cardinal Way.
Waaaahhhhhhhh. Reds fans might just be bigger cry babies than Cubs fans.
Like the Reds aren’t notorious for stirring up shiz, especially with the Cardinals.
Waaaa
Challenging the use of a bat after its use for 15 at bats including a previous home run; the Cardinal Way.
You’re mad lol
Cheating, then giving it to a fan to not get caught. Then not making the playoffs, the Reds way.
Casty didn’t cheat
How did he cheat? You just sound like a crybaby, just like your weak manager.
Sounds like Reds fans are upset. Must be the fact that they are dropping n the standings. And VERY quickly. Bye bye Cincy. Bahahahahahaha!!!!
Say what you will, this is one impressive battery. I hope they attain the 325 starts needed for the record.
Even more impressive when you consider that the record was set in the time of 4-man rotations. There were several seasons where Mickey Lolich started at least 40 games.
So Lolich and Freehan weren’t impressive?
Personally I think Shildt was just giving Happ and the team time to regroup and quell the momentum. Didn’t work but he didn’t have anything to lose, they were teeing off.
Shildt is a bush leaguer
Is Wainwright a HOFer? Genuinely curious, I dont follow him closely enough.
Sadly he likely isn’t
My option as a Cards fan no. Doesn’t have the numbers.
If he has one more year as good as this year, he’s got a borderline case to be made. He unfortunately never won a Cy Young, but he’s gotten quite a lot of votes for it over the years. His time out with injuries has hurt him for sure though so even with a good year next year I’m guessing he will spend some time on the ballot but not quite get there
Yeah if he could hang on for 200 wins (I know they don’t mean much anymore) he might get in.
Cy Young, this year?
Wainwright isn’t a HOF and this year and possibly next still won’t make a case for him.
That’s literally what I said. Thank you for regurgitating my point back at me.
No I didn’t. You said “borderline case.” He’s not borderline. He’s not fine line. He’s not crossing any line to the HOF. Even Wainwright would tell you that.
You are blinded by your hate of the Cardinals man. Wainwright is absolutely a borderline case (assuming he has a respectable year next year), which will be evident when he survives his first year on the ballot. He’s been a really good pitcher for a really long time who happened to get derailed in his peak one too many times from injuries. He has a chance to set an all time record with Yadi. He’s won a Roberto Clemente award. He’s been very close to a Cy Young multiple times. All of these things go into the consideration and will keep him on the ballot multiple years.
Stan, I’m not blinded by anything. I like Wainwright. He’s just not a HOF. Let me ask you this. Is Jon Lester a HOF? Orel Hershiser? David Cone? Shall I continue?
I never said he was a hall of famer. I personally don’t think he’s going to get in unless it’s a veterans committee selection. But not being a hall of famer and not having a case to argue is two completely different things. There are going to be enough voters who think he is deserving of the hall of fame that he will stick on the ballot. That’s it.
Go look at Hershiser and Cone, just to name TWO pitchers better or as good as Wainwright, and tell me how many years they lasted on the ballot. Neither was longer than TWO YEARS. Wainwright is 142nd in Career WAR among pitchers. There are MANY that are way ahead of him NOT in the HOF. Wainwright will be one and done. You are the blinded one BECAUSE YOU’RE a Cards fan. It’s that simple.
His numbers are very good and I respect the hell out of him as a player, but he hasn’t put up the superb stats to warrant the hall. One could argue that at his peak he was one of the top two or three starting pitchers in the game, but the same can be said for scores of players.
He had a 7 yr stretch where he was consistently a top 5 pitcher in NL, but those numbers alone arent HOF worthy.
He’d likely be in if it weren’t for injuries. That can be said for a lot of players though.
I think he’ll end up being a veterans committee selection eventually.
This is how I see it as well. I think he has a pretty decent shot at a veterans committee selection.
Why don’t we just start a HALL OF VERY GOOD? The first class of inductees would be 200 strong.
Cards fan and I love Waino but he seems like he will be one of those guys who get into like the 30% vote range maybe and added later in a vet committee. He was very good for a long time but I don’t think elite long enough. His secondary contributions: WS rings, Clemente award, general length of career might get him in at a later date. It’ll also depend on the class he goes up against too.
No. Neither is Molina.
@dishointedteam…lol have nothing better to do than hating on the cardinals…I want to know what the cardinals did to you that made you hate them so much lol always on here hating…did Molina duck your wife ha ha ha ha ha
@cards81, do you have any real response? Or is a 4th grade comment the best you have? That goes the same for your other comment below. Grow up you little turd.
Molina IS a HOFer… the only debate in that is if he gets enough in the first year…. He will get in just based off of defense and longevity… his offense is just a bonus at this point.
And no that’s not being just a cardinals fan… that’s recognizing a bunch of gold and platinum gloves as well as fielding bibles, games played at catcher, the chance to end with around 2300 hits… and two WS rings… he’s in.. everyone with a vote has already stated that he’s pretty much a lock
Wow! Over 400 voters have already decided? That’s great. Somehow I missed those comments from all of them.
Waino needs to comeback for 1 last stand and get that record!
Man I called this back in June, Cards going to surge while the Brewers and Reds flounder about, making for an interesting final week of the season. Wish I would’ve screencapped it. But really guys, I totally did, honest
Flounder? Brewers just took 3 out of 4 from the Giants and lost one game against the Cards, maybe wait a little longer than the 4th of September before you start patting yourself on the back.
Man you guys have the collective sense of humor of a hornets nest
We just don’t know the Cardinal Way
There’s a reason no one holds comedy shows for hungover baseball fans at 10 in the morning.
It’s called MLBNow
I stand by my statement.
So in a room with 99 other people who don’t think your funny, it must be the other 99 people that don’t have a since of humor, eh? May I propose an alternative hypothesis? Your delivery is off. =}
I’m still not sure what the joke is. Are you being facetious about the Brewers floundering because they are actually dominating the division. Are you mocking those who say they called this or that prediction?
This place used to be fun
Yeah sure.
Secretly, me too.
Waino may not make the Hall of Fame as a player but as a person he does. His charitable work off the field ensures that.
Cardinals aren’t making the playoffs this year. No need to rush Flaherty back and risk an injury that will keep him out next year.
Wainwright has been an outstanding pitcher, but his success has been too spread out by injuries.
His lack of a long, consistent peak will keep him out of the HOF
Just keep re-signing Wainwright until he wants to retire. He is a special talent and like a fine wine, he keeps getting better with age. If he didn’t lose about 2 full years of playing time due to injury, he very well could have made the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately I think he’s going to fall a little short of the Hall, but he’s had one heck of a career for sure.
Funny how the media came up with “the cardinal way”, and everyone tries to use it in a negative connotation towards cards fans. Thing is, real cardinals fans hate it too,and I never hear anyone use it. Waino and yadi for another year! Waino been the backbone of rotation this year, and another year of yadi gives Herrera time to get ready
The Cardinal Way isn’t a media creation, it’s literally a manual with the teams mission statement that they give to every drafted player to explain how they run the organization, why they run it that way, and what each players’ expectations are. It’s the exact same thing as the employee handbook every new hire in every organization gets.
It got attached to a negative connotation by opposing fans simply because it worked and the Cardinals had a massive run of sustained success. It’s easy to hate the team that keeps on winning. If they had sucked over that same period of time, no one would give a rats butt about the Cardinal Way.
Nobody cares about the Cardinal Way, or any team’s “way”, whether they win or lose. And how many people actually read their company handbook anyway?
A lot of people care about the Cardinal Way. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be having this dialogue. It’s ingrained in St. Louis culture and there has been article after article discussing it, dissecting it, and trying to figure out why it worked so well for so long.
The Cardinal Way is very important to a lot of Cardinals fans and it’s clearly very important to the team. So by nobody, you actually meant Disjointed Team doesn’t care about the Cardinal Way and wants to impose his viewpoints on everyone.
So you think this forum is the only place people have opinions? I know plenty of people who have the same thought as me about this, “Cardinal Way.” Just because they aren’t on here saying it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You say a lot of people care. I say a lot don’t. I’m not imposing anything, but you sure seem to be. I can always tell by reading comments on here who the liberal hypocrites are.
Much of Wainwrights success has been due to Molina. Too bad other good pitchers didn’t have a catcher of his quality. And their careers suffered because of it.
Don’t insult Wainwright’s talent.
The Cardinal Way? WTF is that exactly? Is that different than the Dodger Way? Or Tampa Way? Gimme a break with this nonsense.
Lol hater going to hate…maybe the team ran a train on your wife
The world according to Cards81. If you don’t make nice comments about the Cardinals, and you don’t agree with her opinions, then by that reason you must “hate” the Cardinals? Go move to Portland where you belong.