ST. LOUIS — There are certain moments in St. Louis sports that are so profound, you remember exactly where you were in that point in time. I can vividly recall jumping around in my living room with my family after Adam Wainwright buckled Carlos Beltran to send the Cardinals to the 2006 World Series like it was yesterday.
That's how Wainwright STARTED his career. Nearly two decades and hundreds of memories later, it has come to an end.
We use the phrase "But he/she is an even better person than they are a player" an awful lot when a career wraps up. And yes, it is true most of the time. That phrase doesn't seem weighty enough to describe the impact of Adam Wainwright.
From his homer on the first pitch he ever saw in the big leagues, to the World Series clincher in '06, to his postseason dominance of the Pirates in 2013, to his legendary battery record with Yadier Molina and his 200th win earlier this year, the on-field accolades will get him a red jacket and perhaps even a bit of consideration for Cooperstown.
But for the fans that watched him and the kids that looked up to him, Adam Wainwright will be remembered for far more than just being a baseball player.
It's always dangerous to make an athlete your hero. They're humans like everyone else, and nobody is perfect. But if you were a kid growing up in St. Louis at some point in the last 20 years, you were gifted about as perfect of an athlete role model as possible in Wainwright.
His propensity for kindness, passion for helping others and humility are a rare combination to find in anyone today, let alone a professional athlete.
No matter how bad things got, Wainwright's positivity never wavered.
Listening to the speeches at his retirement ceremony showed again why Cardinals fans were right to revere Wainwright. He's the same guy behind the scenes with his teammates that we get to see on TV.
And it's easy to just shower praise on the guy, but the proof is actually out there in real life.
Wainwright's Big League Impact charity has changed countless lives all over the world. And it has inspired other big leaguers to follow his lead.
The example Wainwright sets has also resonated with fans, both young and old.
I recall doing a story on a young fan who was inspired by Wainwright to donate her allowance to his charity. His kindness has had a real world impact. Not many athletes can say that.
Simply said, they don't make 'em like Adam Wainwright.
The Cardinals were spoiled with luminaries like Stan Musial, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson around for so long to carry the torch of what it means to be a Cardinal during their careers, and then after that career was over.
How lucky are we to get another trio of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Wainwright to continue that tradition?
So thank you, Adam Wainwright. For the wins, the memories and most of all, showing us the importance of being a good person.