ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright wrapped up his 18-year career with his 200th win, an on-field ceremony and a concert all at Busch Stadium this year.
Now that his retirement is final, and he has moved on to the next chapter of his life, he looked back at his amazing Cardinals career in a letter published in The Players' Tribune. He said it all started in the living room of his future in-laws.
"I’m sitting with her dad in their living room, in my best clothes, trying to find the right words: 'Sir, as you know, I love your daughter, and—' When all of a sudden I hear this sound. BZZZ. BZZZ BZZZ. It’s my cell phone vibrating," Wainwright wrote.
Once he got around to answering the phone, he got some news his mom considered devastating.
"I can tell instantly — Mom has been crying her eyes out. I’m like, 'What’s wrong? Is everything OK?' And (still sobbing) she goes, 'NO. You’ve been TRADED.'"
So just like that, the Georgia boy went from the top prospect in the Braves system to one of the top pitchers in the Cardinals system.
Waino then went on to describe the many turning points in his life and career. He said two of the biggest ones happened when he wasn't even able to play.
After being left off the playoff roster in 2005, he was told he wouldn't be joining the team on the trip to Houston during the National League Championship Series.
One of the best moments in Cardinals history — Albert Pujols' ninth-inning home run off Brad Lidge in Game 5 — was a nightmare for Wainwright. After the home run, Wainwright said he decided to go out into the dark and paddle his john boat into the middle of a pond.
"But I just started yelling, real loud … and, honestly, asking God for answers. I was like, Why am I here tonight instead of there?? What’s so wrong about me??? Why is what I’m doing not enough???"
When he returned to the team for spring training of 2006, it was with a renewed fire.
The rest, you could say, was history. Wainwright goes through the rest of his incredible career in the letter, which you can read here.
His letter ended with his favorite part of being a Cardinal:
"How every time I stepped on the field, I was helping write a story. Not my story, but bigger than mine. Bigger than anyone’s.
"It’s the story of a city that loves baseball.
"It started before I got here and I’m pretty sure never ends."