ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright entered the 200-win club on Monday night with a vintage performance against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Wainwright pitched seven complete innings, struck out three batters and allowed four hits in the win. As he finished off the night, he was met by a standing ovation from the crowd walking off the field.
The bullpen held on to the one-run lead, delivering Wainwright his fifth win of the season and the 200th of his career.
"That's one of the most fun games I've ever pitched in my whole life. Certainly, will go down as a top three moment for me ever baseball-wise," Wainwright said after the game.
Wainwright joined one of the most exclusive clubs in the history of baseball on Monday, so here are some facts about Wainwright and his place in baseball history.
How many MLB pitchers have 200 wins?
Wainwright is the 122nd pitcher to reach 200 wins, according to baseball statistics database Baseball Reference.
He's currently tied with four other pitchers, who also have exactly 200 career wins, including former teammate Jon Lester.
He is the third pitcher to win 200 games as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise, trailing only Jesse Haines' 210 wins and Bob Gibson's 251.
When does Adam Wainwright pitch again?
The Cardinals have not announced when Wainwright will pitch again. If he continues on his regular schedule, he could start over the weekend in a road game against San Diego or early next week against the Brewers in Milwaukee.
The Cardinals have a weekend of Wainwright festivities planned for the final weekend of the season. The Cardinals are holding a pregame ceremony for Waino before the final game of the season on Oct. 1, but don't be surprised if he makes an appearance in the game that day. Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols both started the final game of the 2022 season after their sendoff ceremony.
Why is Adam Wainwright called Uncle Charlie?
Baseball has a lot of fun phrases for common occurrences. A pop fly can be called a can of corn. A fastball can be called a heater. And some people call a curveball the old Uncle Charlie. So with the curveball being Waino's signature pitch, it makes sense that it would become his nickname.
According to an article on MLB.com, the nickname really came from his fantasy football team name. When he created a Twitter account, he used the same name, and it has become a moniker for the Cardinals veteran.
“Everywhere I go, people call me Waino or Uncle Charlie,” Wainwright told MLB.com. “No one ever calls me Adam. I don’t even know my first name anymore.”
How did the Cardinals get Adam Wainwright?
Wainwright has spent most of his adult life as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Cardinals did not draft him. His hometown team, the Atlanta Braves, drafted him with the 29th overall pick in the 2000 MLB Draft out of Glynn Academy High School in Brunswick, Georgia.
In December of 2003, the Cardinals acquired the then-22-year-old prospect in a trade that sent J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero to the Braves. The Cardinals also acquired Jason Marquis and Ray King in the deal.
Wainwright was the No. 18 prospect in all of baseball before the 2003 season but fell to No. 49 on the list ahead of the 2004 season. He made his MLB debut in 2005 and was a key member of the 2006 World Series-winning team, picking up four saves and closing out the NLCS and World Series.
What's next for Adam Wainwright?
He may be retiring at the end of the season, but Wainwright is not likely to slow down.
He will be performing three songs from his upcoming country album after the game on Saturday, Sept. 30. A release date has not been set for his album, but you can bet it'll fly off the shelves in St. Louis.
In addition to singing into a microphone, Wainwright has gotten rave reviews as a member of broadcast teams during the playoffs in recent seasons. He has appeared multiple times on Fox broadcasts and could be the voice you hear the next time the Cardinals are in the playoffs.
Wainwright will also have more time to spend with his wife Jenny and their five children.