2009 St. Louis Cardinals season
Encyclopedia
The St. Louis Cardinals
' 2009 season
was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri
and the 118th season in the National League
. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown caused them to fall behind the Cubs in the NL Central standings. Brilliant seasons from starting pitchers Chris Carpenter
, Adam Wainwright
, and Joel Pineiro
helped St. Louis to stay in contention until the key midseason acquisitions of Matt Holliday
, Mark DeRosa
, and Julio Lugo
revived the Cardinal offense. A 20–6 August effectively ended the NL Central race, and the Cardinals won the division with a 91-71 record. However, their playoff run ended quickly when they were swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series
.
, signing him to another one-year contract.
On December 4, 2008, the Cardinals agreed to a trade with the San Diego Padres
sending reliever Mark Worrell
and a player-to-be-named-later (the Padres eventually chose minor-league pitcher Luke Gregerson) in exchange for shortstop Khalil Greene
, who will make $6.5 mil, and will be eligible for free agency
after 2009. Greene replaced Cesar Izturis
, who departed via free agency.
Utility infielder
Aaron Miles
, a member of the 2006 World Series
champion Cardinals, signed a two-year deal on December 31 to play with the Cubs
. Felipe Lopez, who became the starting second baseman after a 2008 deadline trade and hit .385 for the Cardinals in two months, became a free agent and signed with the Diamondbacks. The third and last second baseman on the 2008 Cardinals, Adam Kennedy
, was given his unconditional release on February 9. With no second baseman with significant big-league experience on the roster, outfielder Skip Schumaker
was tabbed to make the unusual transition. Late in training camp Schumaker was designated the official starting second baseman.
Third base
man Troy Glaus
underwent right shoulder surgery on January 21, 2009, and was originally expected to miss Opening Day (April 6) and probably most of April. Glaus' progress in rehabbing his repaired right shoulder stalled, and he did not return until September (see below).
, who went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA after signing a one-year contract with the 2008 Cardinals, was re-signed to a hefty four-year, $41 mil. contract on September 29, 2008, the day after the season ended. Mark Mulder
's injury-plagued time in St. Louis ended when the Cardinals declined to pick up his $11 mil. option, but instead bought out the remaining year of his contract in 2009 for $1.5 mil.
In December, the Cardinals declined to offer arbitration to relief pitchers Russ Springer
and Jason Isringhausen
, starter Braden Looper
, and relievers Tyler Johnson
and Randy Flores
. St. Louis made no attempt to retain lefty reliever Ron Villone
, who eventually signed with the Mets. On Dec. 3, to fill the lack of left-handed relievers caused by the departure of Flores, Johnson, and Villone, they signed lefty relief specialist Trever Miller
to a one year deal potentially worth $2 million if he reaches all the incentives in the contract.
On January 5, the Cardinals signed lefty reliever Royce Ring
who was with the 2008 Atlanta Braves
, to a one-year contract. However, two months later the Cardinals signed Dennys Reyes
, a 31-yr.-old left-handed relief specialist, to a two-year deal worth approximately $3 mil. A few weeks after the acquisition of Reyes, Ring was placed on waivers, eventually accepting an assignment to the minor leagues.
. Attendance at RDS
was 106,266 in 18 home games (9-7-2) for an average home attendance of 5,901. In 15 road games (10-5-0), attendance 84,499; road average 5,633.
On March 30, relief pitcher Chris Perez
was optioned to AAA, finalizing the pitching situation for Opening Day. Cardinals will carry 12 pitchers, including seven relievers which include long-reliever Brad Thompson
. Rookie Jason Motte
appeared to win the closer job, although the Cardinals made no official announcement.
Joe Mather
was the final cut in spring training. Among the players making the Cardinals out of camp were utility infielders Joe Thurston
and Brian Barden
and two players making their big-league debuts: David Freese
, who took the injured Troy Glaus' spot at third base, and former first-round draft pick (and highly anticipated prospect) Colby Rasmus
. Mather's demotion left Ryan Ludwick
as the only outfielder on the roster who hits right-handed.
gave up four runs with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Pirates beat the Cardinals 6-4.
On April 7, the Cardinals beat the Pirates 9-3 as Albert Pujols
hit his first home run of the season and reached base five times. As such, Pujols became only the third Cardinals player in the last 55 years to reach base four or more times in each of the first two games of the season. On April 8, the Cardinals lost to the Pirates by a score of 7-4, but Albert Pujols set the franchise record for most assists by a first baseman in a 9-inning game with seven. It was the most assists by a Major League first baseman since the National League record of eight was set in 1971. Pujols also collected his 700th career walk in the game.
On April 9, Chris Carpenter and relievers Franklin and Reyes combined on a one-hitter as the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 2-1. It was Carpenter's first victory since Game 3 of the 2006 World Series
, October 24. St. Louis followed up the Pittsburgh series with a three game sweep over Houston. In the second game of the Astro series (Apr. 11), Pujols tied a career best with seven RBI as the Cardinals won 11-2; while in the final game Kyle Lohse retired 24 consecutive batters en route to a 3-0 complete game victory.
On April 14, staff ace Chris Carpenter
injured his left rib cage while batting. Early estimates were that he would miss at least a month, and it might be as long as two months. An MRI
exam on April 16 revealed an oblique tear on his left side. On April 17, rookie pitcher P. J. Walters
was called up from AAA-Memphis
to take Carpenter's spot in the rotation.
On April 20 the Cardinals attempted to buttress a sagging bullpen by trading former Rule 5 draft pick Brian Barton
for Atlanta Braves
' relief pitcher Blaine Boyer
. Boyer was tabbed to join the big-league club, leaving St. Louis with 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster, with David Freese
optioned to Memphis
.
On Saturday, April 25, in a nationally televised game on Fox
, with the Cardinals leading 3-1 in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs
, Albert Pujols
hit his 8th career grand slam
, helping the team win its 5th consecutive game (8-2) and solidifying their lead in the NL Central division. The slam also gave him 1,002 RBIs, making him the 260th player to reach the 1,000-level.
Brendan Ryan went to the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain on April 30, and former first-round draft pick Tyler Greene
was called up to be Ryan's replacement. The Cardinals finished the month of April with a 16-7 record, best in baseball. Albert Pujols was named Player of the Month for April and Brian Barden Rookie of the Month.
ran face-first into the outfield wall while making a catch on May 4. Three days later, he was placed on the DL (retroactive to May 5), and minor-league outfielder Shane Robinson
was called up to take his place on the roster. On May 12, right fielder Ryan Ludwick
joined Ankiel on the DL after straining his right hamstring
against the Pirates
. The team recalled Nick Stavinoha
from its AAA-Memphis team to take Ludwick's spot on the roster.
The injuries to Ankiel and Ludwick, combined with the continuing absence of Carpenter, contributed to a 4-10 stretch that dropped the Cardinals out of first place in the NL Central. In a showdown series between the Cardinals and Brewers May 16–18, Milwaukee swept St. Louis in St. Louis, winning three games by a combined score of 17-6. In the opener, Wainwright held the Brewers to two hits in eight innings but still lost, 1-0, on a Corey Hart home run. In the second game, Cardinal pitchers walked eight batters and hit four; in the third game, they walked eleven and hit one. Milwaukee took over first place in the Central.
On May 20, Chris Carpenter
returned after missing a month with a strained oblique
. Carpenter pitched five shutout innings, and the Cards won a pitching duel with the Cubs, 2-1. In his next start Carpenter was perfect for six innings, but St. Louis lost in 10 innings to Milwaukee, 1-0. Carpenter's ERA remained at 0.00 after his first four appearances. The two Carpenter starts were part of a nine-game streak for Cardinal pitching in which they held the opposition to three runs or less in every game and did not allow a home run.
On the 29th Ludwick was activated from the DL. To make room, the Cardinals put Khalil Greene on the DL with "social anxiety disorder
". Greene, signed with the intention of being the everyday shortstop in 2009, played poorly in the field, was hitting .200 at the time he hit the DL, and had been playing less and less frequently in May. St. Louis went 13-14 in May and finished the month at 29-21, one game behind Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Cardinals spent the month of May in a horrific team batting slump that saw them post a .299 OBP for the month, dead last in baseball; exceptionally strong pitching in May (3.56 team ERA) helped St. Louis stay close to the top of the NL Central standings.
and called up Jess Todd
to take his place. One day later, Kyle Lohse
, still suffering from the aftereffects of a hit-by-pitch on his throwing forearm, May 23, went to the DL for the first time in his career, and infielder Tyler Greene
recalled. The day after that (June 6), pitcher Blake Hawksworth
became the 13th rookie to play for the Cardinals in 2009 (a major-league high for any team) and the seventh to make his major-league debut, when he was called up and Jess Todd was sent down.
The continuing team-wide offensive blackout reached its nadir in the second week of June, when the Colorado Rockies, second-worst team in the NL with a 21-32 record prior to the series, came to St. Louis and swept the Cardinals in four games, outscoring the Cardinals 33-9.
Khalil Greene
, after three weeks on the disabled list due to anxiety disorder, was activated on June 18. In his first start since being activated, on June 19, Greene started at third base and hit a home run. He went on to hit a home run in each of his first three games back, helping the Cardinals to sweep Kansas City in Kansas City and reclaim sole possession of first place in the NL Central. However, Greene went 0 for his next 16, suffered a relapse of his social anxiety disorder, and went back on the disabled list.
On June 27, in an effort to revive a sputtering offense, the Cardinals acquired Mark DeRosa
from Cleveland for Chris Perez and a player to be named later
. DeRosa, who in his career has played every position but pitcher, catcher, and center field, was expected to play third base for St. Louis. One month later Cleveland selected Jess Todd
to complete the deal.
A continuing inability to hit (.310 OBP for June) weighed down the Cardinals for another month: they went 12-17 for June to drop their record for 2009 to 41-38.
and Yadier Molina
were named as winners of the fan balloting and starters for the National League
in the 80th All-Star Game
. Ryan Franklin
, 20 for 21 in save opportunities with a 0.84 ERA, was selected to be one of the relief pitchers. On July 14, St. Louis hosted the All-Star Game
for the first time in 43 years
. The AL beat the NL 4-3. Albert Pujols
was 0-for-3 with an error that led to an AL run, Yadier Molina
had an RBI single, and Ryan Franklin
pitched a scoreless inning.
After appearing in only three games for St. Louis, new addition Mark DeRosa
went onto the disabled list (retroactive to July 1) on July 7, suffering from a strained wrist
. However, the rest of the Cardinals, buoyed by Pujols, a hot Colby Rasmus
, and a resurgent Ryan Ludwick
, went 6-4 on their ten-game road trip before the break, and entered the All-Star break with a 49-42 record and a 2.5 game lead in the NL Central.
The middle of July saw major changes to the Cardinals lineup. On July 18, Mark DeRosa
, suffering from a torn tendon
sheath in his wrist that eventually required offseason surgery, was reactivated from the DL and returned to the starting lineup. Four days later, Chris Duncan
, one of the few remaining players from the 2006 world champion Cardinals
, was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for shortstop
Julio Lugo
, along with a player-to-be-named-later or cash; and the team recalled Brian Barden
. Two days after that, on July 24, the Cardinals traded three prospects, including their #1 prospect, third baseman Brett Wallace
, pitcher Clayton Mortensen
, and outfielder Shane Peterson, for Oakland Athletics outfielder Matt Holliday
.
On July 28, Todd Wellemeyer
was demoted to the bullpen. Mitchell Boggs
was called up from AAA-Memphis
to take his July 31 start. At the time of the move, Wellemeyer's 5.79 ERA was second-worst in the National League among players with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.
Buoyed by the arrival of Holliday and Lugo plus the return of DeRosa to the lineup and a hot Rick Ankiel
, the Cardinals won six of their last nine games in July, and went 16-11 for the month. They ended July 1/2 game ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central. Ryan Ludwick
earned honors as the National League Player of the Month
for July, after batting
.340 with 6 HR’s and a league-high 28 RBI. The Cardinals have had the NL’s top player three of the first four months with Albert Pujols winning the award in both April and June.
tied the all-time NL season record set by Ernie Banks
in 1955
by hitting his fifth grand slam
of the year, (and his second HR of the game) on August 4 at New York
. Pujols' slam was the exclamation point in a 12-7, 10-inning victory, in which Pujols went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. The Cardinals previously forced extra innings by rallying for two runs in the ninth off Mets' ace closer Francisco Rodriguez.
After briefly returning to the starting rotation, Todd Wellemeyer went on the DL with elbow inflammation. Mitchell Boggs was again tabbed to take his place in the rotation. Later in the month, starting pitcher Kyle Lohse
joined him on the DL with a strained groin.
The team came to terms and signed their #1 draft pick, pitcher Shelby Miller
, on August 17, just hours before the deadline.
John Smoltz
signed with the team on August 19 as a probable fifth starter and also possible reliever after the Red Sox
released him. In his first start, against San Diego, Smoltz threw five scoreless innings, striking out nine, and got the win.
The Cardinals played some of their best baseball of the season in the middle of August. Consecutive series victories against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Los Angeles, plus a win in the first game of another series with San Diego, pushed St. Louis to 17 games over .500 at 70-53, the furthest over .500 the franchise had reached since the 2005 team went 100-62. St. Louis opened up a six-game lead over the second-place Cubs during this stretch.
A 7-0 victory from Chris Carpenter
, giving him an NL-tying 14th win, over San Diego
at Petco Park
on August 22, was the unofficial 10,000th win in franchise history. The official total (9,219) is lower because the Cardinals franchise does not count its ten years in the American Association
in its all-time statistics.
On August 28, Albert Pujols
hit his eighth career walk-off home run in John Smoltz
's first home game at Busch Stadium
in a 3-2 win over Washington
.
A sweep of the Nationals ended one of the best Augusts in franchise history. The Cardinals went 20-6 for the month, pushing their overall record to 22 games over .500 at 77-55, and opening up a ten-game lead over the Cubs. They did not lose a series all month. Albert Pujols
had a 1.092 OPS for the month while Matt Holliday
, whose acquisition at the end of July coincided with the sudden takeoff of the Cardinals, posted a .963 OPS for August. Aces Adam Wainwright
and Chris Carpenter
had ERAs of 1.30 and 2.20 for August. Closer Ryan Franklin
did not allow a run all month. Wainwright's 2-1 win over the Nationals on August 30 made him MLB's first 16-game winner. Carpenter was named the NL's Pitcher of the Month for August.
, out all year with a shoulder injury, became the first September call-up after maximum roster size expanded to 40. Adam Wainwright was touched for six runs in five innings by the Pirates but still earned his league-leading 17th victory on Sept. 4. Albert Pujols
hit only his second career pinch-hit
home run in the 10th for a dramatic 2-1 game-winner over the Pirates
, at PNC Park
, Sept. 5.
Chris Carpenter
threw a one-hitter on Sept. 7 against the Brewers
at Miller Park, striking out 10, earning his first shutout
since Sept. 11, 2006, and reaching 1,300 career strikeouts.
A three-game sweep by the Braves Sept. 11-13 marked the first time St. Louis had lost a series since July 24–26 against Philadelphia, and the first time the Cardinals lost the opening game of a series since July 20 against Houston.
After the Memphis Redbirds
' season ended with a loss in the AAA National Championship Game, the Cardinals announced four more September call-ups: David Freese, Tyler Greene, Josh Kinney, and Matt Pagnozzi
. Pagnozzi, nephew to former Cardinals All-Star catcher Tom Pagnozzi
, first appeared in a game on September 29, becoming the tenth player to make his big-league debut with the 2009 Cardinals. The other nine rookies were Freese, Greene, P.J. Walters, Shane Robinson
, Jarrett Hoffpauir
, Colby Rasmus
, Blake Hawksworth
, Clayton Mortensen
, and Jess Todd
.
The Cardinals finally clinched the NL Central championship at Colorado (September 26), with their 90th win, 6-3, on a tie-breaking home run by replacement catcher Jason LaRue
in the 7th inning.
Ryan Ludwick
later added a pinch-hit 2-run home run in the 9th inning. Adam Wainwright
got his NL-leading 19th win, going 8 innings with 130 pitches, giving up 10 hits, walking one, and striking out 11. It was the Cardinals' seventh NL division championship in the last ten seasons, and eighth for manager Tony LaRussa in 14 seasons as Cardinal manager, although one championship was a shared one with Houston
in 2001
.
On October 1, Chris Carpenter threw five shutout innings in a 13-0 victory over Cincinnati. Carpenter finished his season with a 17-4 record. He lowered his ERA to 2.24, securing his first ERA title and the first ERA title for any Cardinal since Joe Magrane
was National League ERA champion in 1988. Carpenter also hit the first home run of his big league career, a grand slam, and drove in six runs to double his career RBI total.
In that same game Carpenter pitched (Oct. 1, 2009), Tony La Russa
passed John McGraw
for second-most games managed in baseball with his 4,770th game managed (2,552-2,214-4). La Russa gets three more games (October 4) to extend his managed games to 4,773 (2,552-2,217-4) by the end of the 2009 season.
The next night, a bullpen collapse robbed Adam Wainwright of his chance to be the only 20-game winner in baseball, but Wainwright still finished as the National League leader in wins, with a 19-8 record and a 2.63 ERA.
The Cardinals finished the 2009 season losing 8 of their last 10 and 14 of their last 21 to go 91-71 for the year. Albert Pujols
won his first home run title with 47, despite not homering after September 9. He also broke the all-time single-season record for assist
s by a first baseman
with his record 185th in the last game.
On October 5, Chris Carpenter
was named NL Comeback Player of the Year (second time) for his superb season, after leading the NL with a 2.24 ERA and an .810 winning percentage (17-4).
, St. Louis faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers, NL West champions. The Cardinals went 5-2 against the Dodgers in the regular season, and were the favorites in the National League, but the Dodgers swept the Cardinals in three games to bring St. Louis' 2009 season to a quick end. It was only the second time in eight trips to the postseason that a LaRussa-led Cardinals team lost in the first round.
despite getting the most first place votes (12). Chris Carpenter finished second (94 pts.), six points behind winner Tim Lincecum
. Albert Pujols won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player
award, winning all 32 first place votes.
Regular Season Schedule (sortable text)
http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/schedule/downloadable.jsp?c_id=stlDownloadable Schedule for Microsoft Outlook
, Palm (PDA)
]
National Broadcast Schedule
All game times are in Central Time Zone
.
|-
! colspan="3" | Legend
|-
! bgcolor="bbffbb" | Cardinals WIN
! bgcolor="ffbbbb" | Cardinals LOSS
! bgcolor="bbbbbb" | Game POSTPONED
>
Bold indicates that the Cardinals have finished their season schedule with an opponent.
(through October 4)
Cardinals HITTING statistics
Sortable TEAM HITTING statistics
* Currently not on active roster
† on 15-day disabled or rehab list
^ Traded to or away from Cardinals dates
BOLD = Leading NL
(FINAL through October 4)
Cardinals PITCHING statistics
Sortable TEAM PITCHING Statistics
* not on active roster
† on 15-day disabled list
Bold = leading NL
22-17, 3.61 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 432.0 IP, 379 H, 193 R, 173 ER, 42 HR, 191 BB, 335 SO
(through October 3)
Saves / Opp: 43/58 (74%) 1st Batter / Retired: 338/474 (71%)
Holds: 86 Inherited Runners / Scored: 56/242 (23%)
Blown Saves by bullpen: 17 Franklin
(5), McClellan
(4), Perez
(1), Kinney
(1), Miller
(2), Motte
(4)
Games lost by bullpen: 16
Home 46-35
Away 45-36
Scoring first 71-25
Opp. scores first 20-46
Scoring more than 3 runs 66-19
Scoring 3 runs 17-17
Scoring fewer than 3 runs 8-35
Leading after 7 innings 72-5
Tied after 7 innings 9-7
Trailing after 7 innings 9-59
Leading after 8 innings 79-3
Tied after 8 innings 7-9
Trailing after 8 innings 4-59
Blown Saves by bullpen: 17 (Franklin
(5), McClellan
(4), (Perez
[1], Kinney
[1], (Miller
[2], Motte
[4])
Games lost by bullpen: 16
In errorless games 56-33
Extra innings 5-6
Shutouts 11-10
One-run games 24-21
Out-hit opponents 62-12
Same hits as opponents 13-5
Out-hit by opponents 16-54
Runs via HR 249
Opp. Runs via HR 213
By Day
Mon. 8-9
Tue. 14-11
Wed. 15-10
Thu. 14-5
Fri. 15-10
Sat. 15-11
Sun. 10-15
By Opponent
DIVISION
HOME ROAD TOTAL
NL Central 24-16 22-18 46-34
NL East 7-7 10-9 17-16
NL West 10-8 9-7 19-15
AL Central 5-4 4-2 9-6
TOTALS 46-35 45-36 91-71
(Interleague 9-6)
2009 (100 = Neutral Park, > 100 Ballpark favors, < 100 Ballpark inhibits
81 HOME G; Cardinals: 2,654 AB; Opponents: 2,790 AB)
81 AWAY G: Cardinals: 2,811 AB; Opponents: 2,670 AB)
R 92
H 98
HR 74
(Cardinals batting: HOME .263 ROAD .263 OVERALL .263)
(Opponents batting: at StL .254 on ROAD .261 OVERALL .258)
2007-2009 Index (3-yr. composite)
HOME 243 G; Cardinals: 8,089 AB; Opponents: 8,503 AB)
BA 100
R 93
H 99
2B 93
3B 90
HR 80
BB 99
SO 95
E 107
E-inf. 108
LHB-BA 101
LHB-HR 82
RHB-BA 99
RHB-HR 78
at MLB Network Studios, New York
on June 9-June 11, .
For the entire draft, the Cardinals selection breakdown was as follows: 29 pitchers
(21-RHP, 8-LHP), 11 infielders, six catchers and four outfielders. The Cardinals
second-round pick, Robert Stock out of USC, will begin his pro career as a catcher
and that is reflected in these numbers. St. Louis selected 43 college players and
seven high school prospects.
bold = agreed to terms
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' 2009 season
2009 Major League Baseball season
The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to...
was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and the 118th season in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. The Cardinals, coming off a 86-76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown caused them to fall behind the Cubs in the NL Central standings. Brilliant seasons from starting pitchers Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
, Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright
Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
, and Joel Pineiro
Joel Piñeiro
Joel Alberto Piñeiro is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is right-handed and made his major league debut on August 8, .-Career:...
helped St. Louis to stay in contention until the key midseason acquisitions of Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
, Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
, and Julio Lugo
Julio Lugo
Julio Cesar Lugo is a Dominican professional baseball infielder but is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo....
revived the Cardinal offense. A 20–6 August effectively ended the NL Central race, and the Cardinals won the division with a 91-71 record. However, their playoff run ended quickly when they were swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series
2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
.
Hitters
The Cardinals retained the services of backup catcher Jason LaRueJason LaRue
Michael Jason "Rusty" LaRue is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and St...
, signing him to another one-year contract.
On December 4, 2008, the Cardinals agreed to a trade with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
sending reliever Mark Worrell
Mark Worrell
Mark Robert Worrell is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Playing career:He was called up to the major leagues by the St...
and a player-to-be-named-later (the Padres eventually chose minor-league pitcher Luke Gregerson) in exchange for shortstop Khalil Greene
Khalil Greene
Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
, who will make $6.5 mil, and will be eligible for free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after 2009. Greene replaced Cesar Izturis
César Izturis
César David Izturis is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He is the half-brother of shortstop Maicer Izturis, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Julio Izturis, who plays in the minor leagues in the San Francisco Giants organization.Izturis' greatest...
, who departed via free agency.
Utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
Aaron Miles
Aaron Miles
Aaron Wade Miles is a Major League Baseball infielder who is currently a free agent.-Houston Astros:Miles was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 19th round of the 1995 amateur draft...
, a member of the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
champion Cardinals, signed a two-year deal on December 31 to play with the Cubs
2009 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2009 season was the 137th season of American baseball for the Chicago Cubs. It involved the Cubs attempting to win the NL Central division for the third consecutive season, although falling short in second place.-Minor League affiliates:...
. Felipe Lopez, who became the starting second baseman after a 2008 deadline trade and hit .385 for the Cardinals in two months, became a free agent and signed with the Diamondbacks. The third and last second baseman on the 2008 Cardinals, Adam Kennedy
Adam Kennedy
Adam Thomas Kennedy is an American Major League Baseball second baseman who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Seattle Mariners and had two stints with the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early years:Kennedy...
, was given his unconditional release on February 9. With no second baseman with significant big-league experience on the roster, outfielder Skip Schumaker
Skip Schumaker
Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
was tabbed to make the unusual transition. Late in training camp Schumaker was designated the official starting second baseman.
Third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
man Troy Glaus
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
underwent right shoulder surgery on January 21, 2009, and was originally expected to miss Opening Day (April 6) and probably most of April. Glaus' progress in rehabbing his repaired right shoulder stalled, and he did not return until September (see below).
Pitchers
Kyle LohseKyle Lohse
Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in , Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. Lohse made his MLB debut with the Twins on June 22, .Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki...
, who went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA after signing a one-year contract with the 2008 Cardinals, was re-signed to a hefty four-year, $41 mil. contract on September 29, 2008, the day after the season ended. Mark Mulder
Mark Mulder
Mark Alan Mulder is a retired left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Oakland Athletics:...
's injury-plagued time in St. Louis ended when the Cardinals declined to pick up his $11 mil. option, but instead bought out the remaining year of his contract in 2009 for $1.5 mil.
In December, the Cardinals declined to offer arbitration to relief pitchers Russ Springer
Russ Springer
Russell Paul Springer is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Springer made his major league debut on April 17, , with the New York Yankees. He also pitched for the California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, St...
and Jason Isringhausen
Jason Isringhausen
Jason Derik Isringhausen is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-New York Mets:Isringhausen was chosen as a draft-and-follow prospect by the New York Mets in the 44th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft...
, starter Braden Looper
Braden Looper
Braden LaVerne Looper is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school:Looper was a scholar athlete while a student at Mangum High School in Mangum, Oklahoma...
, and relievers Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson
Tyler James Johnson is a left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Professional career:...
and Randy Flores
Randy Flores
Randy Alan Flores is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Flores is a career left-handed relief specialist.-Early life and career:...
. St. Louis made no attempt to retain lefty reliever Ron Villone
Ron Villone
Ronald Thomas Villone Jr. is a Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently with the Somerset Patriots. He has not been on the same team for more than two years in his major league career and due to his many baseball travels, some of his teammates have affectionately referred...
, who eventually signed with the Mets. On Dec. 3, to fill the lack of left-handed relievers caused by the departure of Flores, Johnson, and Villone, they signed lefty relief specialist Trever Miller
Trever Miller
Trever Douglas Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-High school:...
to a one year deal potentially worth $2 million if he reaches all the incentives in the contract.
On January 5, the Cardinals signed lefty reliever Royce Ring
Royce Ring
Roger Royce Ring is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Schools:Ring graduated from Monte Vista High School and attended San Diego State University where he was a star closer....
who was with the 2008 Atlanta Braves
2008 Atlanta Braves season
The Atlanta Braves' 2008 season featured the team's attempt to reclaim a postseason berth for the first time since 2005. The Braves were once again skippered by Bobby Cox, now in his 19th season managing Atlanta...
, to a one-year contract. However, two months later the Cardinals signed Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes
Dennys Reyes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He has played for ten teams since his major league career began in . Reyes throws left-handed and is considered a lefty specialist. He stands 6'3" and weighs 250 pounds. His nickname is "The Big Sweat."...
, a 31-yr.-old left-handed relief specialist, to a two-year deal worth approximately $3 mil. A few weeks after the acquisition of Reyes, Ring was placed on waivers, eventually accepting an assignment to the minor leagues.
Spring Training
St. Louis went 19-12-2 in Grapefruit League play, their most victories since they had 21 wins in 19971997 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians ; Liván Hernández, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Marquis Grissom**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Liván Hernández...
. Attendance at RDS
Roger Dean Stadium
Roger Dean Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Abacoa community of the town of Jupiter, Florida. The stadium was built in 1998, holds 6,871 people, and features luxury sky-box seating, 2 levels of permanent seating, parking and concessions...
was 106,266 in 18 home games (9-7-2) for an average home attendance of 5,901. In 15 road games (10-5-0), attendance 84,499; road average 5,633.
On March 30, relief pitcher Chris Perez
Chris Perez (baseball)
Christopher Ralph Perez is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. His pitches have been clocked at 98 mph on the radar gun. He is 6' 4", 225 lbs. In 2010, fans began referring to him by the nickname "Pure Rage."Perez grew up on Anna Maria Island in Florida. Perez...
was optioned to AAA, finalizing the pitching situation for Opening Day. Cardinals will carry 12 pitchers, including seven relievers which include long-reliever Brad Thompson
Brad Thompson
Bradley Joseph Thompson , is an American baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Career:Thompson was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2002 amateur draft out of Dixie State College of Utah. He holds the AA single-season scoreless innings streak. He made his major...
. Rookie Jason Motte
Jason Motte
Jason Louis Motte is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Career:Motte graduated from Valley Central High School, Montgomery, N.Y., in 2000 where he was a catcher...
appeared to win the closer job, although the Cardinals made no official announcement.
Joe Mather
Joe Mather
Joseph Paul Mather is an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman who is a free agent.-Early life:Mather was born on July 23, 1982, in Sandpoint, Idaho. At Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee, Arizona he played basketball and was also an All-State performer in baseball...
was the final cut in spring training. Among the players making the Cardinals out of camp were utility infielders Joe Thurston
Joe Thurston
Joseph William Thurston is an American professional baseball utility player for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, St...
and Brian Barden
Brian Barden
Brian David Barden is an American professional baseball infielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball. He has played as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.-Early life:...
and two players making their big-league debuts: David Freese
David Freese
David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
, who took the injured Troy Glaus' spot at third base, and former first-round draft pick (and highly anticipated prospect) Colby Rasmus
Colby Rasmus
Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
. Mather's demotion left Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
as the only outfielder on the roster who hits right-handed.
April
Opening Day 2009 looked a lot like 2008: a blown save and a bullpen loss. Rookie closer Jason MotteJason Motte
Jason Louis Motte is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Career:Motte graduated from Valley Central High School, Montgomery, N.Y., in 2000 where he was a catcher...
gave up four runs with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Pirates beat the Cardinals 6-4.
On April 7, the Cardinals beat the Pirates 9-3 as Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
hit his first home run of the season and reached base five times. As such, Pujols became only the third Cardinals player in the last 55 years to reach base four or more times in each of the first two games of the season. On April 8, the Cardinals lost to the Pirates by a score of 7-4, but Albert Pujols set the franchise record for most assists by a first baseman in a 9-inning game with seven. It was the most assists by a Major League first baseman since the National League record of eight was set in 1971. Pujols also collected his 700th career walk in the game.
On April 9, Chris Carpenter and relievers Franklin and Reyes combined on a one-hitter as the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 2-1. It was Carpenter's first victory since Game 3 of the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, October 24. St. Louis followed up the Pittsburgh series with a three game sweep over Houston. In the second game of the Astro series (Apr. 11), Pujols tied a career best with seven RBI as the Cardinals won 11-2; while in the final game Kyle Lohse retired 24 consecutive batters en route to a 3-0 complete game victory.
On April 14, staff ace Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
injured his left rib cage while batting. Early estimates were that he would miss at least a month, and it might be as long as two months. An MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
exam on April 16 revealed an oblique tear on his left side. On April 17, rookie pitcher P. J. Walters
P. J. Walters
Phillip DeWayne "P. J." Walters is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Personal life:Walters was born March 12, 1985, in Dothan, Alabama. He is married to Brittney....
was called up from AAA-Memphis
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
to take Carpenter's spot in the rotation.
On April 20 the Cardinals attempted to buttress a sagging bullpen by trading former Rule 5 draft pick Brian Barton
Brian Barton
Brian Deon Barton is a Major League Baseball outfielder, who is currently with the Cincinnati Reds.-Early life:...
for Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
' relief pitcher Blaine Boyer
Blaine Boyer
Blaine Thomas Boyer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.-Baseball career:...
. Boyer was tabbed to join the big-league club, leaving St. Louis with 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster, with David Freese
David Freese
David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
optioned to Memphis
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
.
On Saturday, April 25, in a nationally televised game on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, with the Cardinals leading 3-1 in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs
2009 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2009 season was the 137th season of American baseball for the Chicago Cubs. It involved the Cubs attempting to win the NL Central division for the third consecutive season, although falling short in second place.-Minor League affiliates:...
, Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
hit his 8th career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
, helping the team win its 5th consecutive game (8-2) and solidifying their lead in the NL Central division. The slam also gave him 1,002 RBIs, making him the 260th player to reach the 1,000-level.
Brendan Ryan went to the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain on April 30, and former first-round draft pick Tyler Greene
Tyler Greene
Benjamin Tyler Greene is an American Major league baseball shortstop, currently playing in the minor leagues of the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early and personal life:...
was called up to be Ryan's replacement. The Cardinals finished the month of April with a 16-7 record, best in baseball. Albert Pujols was named Player of the Month for April and Brian Barden Rookie of the Month.
May
Center fielder Rick AnkielRick Ankiel
Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
ran face-first into the outfield wall while making a catch on May 4. Three days later, he was placed on the DL (retroactive to May 5), and minor-league outfielder Shane Robinson
Shane Robinson (baseball)
Shane Robinson is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.-College career:...
was called up to take his place on the roster. On May 12, right fielder Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
joined Ankiel on the DL after straining his right hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
against the Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. The team recalled Nick Stavinoha
Nick Stavinoha
Nicholas Lee "Nick" Stavinoha is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
from its AAA-Memphis team to take Ludwick's spot on the roster.
The injuries to Ankiel and Ludwick, combined with the continuing absence of Carpenter, contributed to a 4-10 stretch that dropped the Cardinals out of first place in the NL Central. In a showdown series between the Cardinals and Brewers May 16–18, Milwaukee swept St. Louis in St. Louis, winning three games by a combined score of 17-6. In the opener, Wainwright held the Brewers to two hits in eight innings but still lost, 1-0, on a Corey Hart home run. In the second game, Cardinal pitchers walked eight batters and hit four; in the third game, they walked eleven and hit one. Milwaukee took over first place in the Central.
On May 20, Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
returned after missing a month with a strained oblique
Abdominal external oblique muscle
The external oblique muscle is the largest and the most superficial of the three flat muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen.-Structure:...
. Carpenter pitched five shutout innings, and the Cards won a pitching duel with the Cubs, 2-1. In his next start Carpenter was perfect for six innings, but St. Louis lost in 10 innings to Milwaukee, 1-0. Carpenter's ERA remained at 0.00 after his first four appearances. The two Carpenter starts were part of a nine-game streak for Cardinal pitching in which they held the opposition to three runs or less in every game and did not allow a home run.
On the 29th Ludwick was activated from the DL. To make room, the Cardinals put Khalil Greene on the DL with "social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life...
". Greene, signed with the intention of being the everyday shortstop in 2009, played poorly in the field, was hitting .200 at the time he hit the DL, and had been playing less and less frequently in May. St. Louis went 13-14 in May and finished the month at 29-21, one game behind Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Cardinals spent the month of May in a horrific team batting slump that saw them post a .299 OBP for the month, dead last in baseball; exceptionally strong pitching in May (3.56 team ERA) helped St. Louis stay close to the top of the NL Central standings.
June
On June 4, the Cardinals released newly-acquired pitcher Blaine BoyerBlaine Boyer
Blaine Thomas Boyer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.-Baseball career:...
and called up Jess Todd
Jess Todd
Jesse Ray Todd is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. From the University of Arkansas, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in second round of the 2007 amateur entry draft...
to take his place. One day later, Kyle Lohse
Kyle Lohse
Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in , Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. Lohse made his MLB debut with the Twins on June 22, .Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki...
, still suffering from the aftereffects of a hit-by-pitch on his throwing forearm, May 23, went to the DL for the first time in his career, and infielder Tyler Greene
Tyler Greene
Benjamin Tyler Greene is an American Major league baseball shortstop, currently playing in the minor leagues of the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early and personal life:...
recalled. The day after that (June 6), pitcher Blake Hawksworth
Blake Hawksworth
Blake Edward Hawksworth is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is 6' 3" and weighs 195 pounds.-Career:...
became the 13th rookie to play for the Cardinals in 2009 (a major-league high for any team) and the seventh to make his major-league debut, when he was called up and Jess Todd was sent down.
The continuing team-wide offensive blackout reached its nadir in the second week of June, when the Colorado Rockies, second-worst team in the NL with a 21-32 record prior to the series, came to St. Louis and swept the Cardinals in four games, outscoring the Cardinals 33-9.
Khalil Greene
Khalil Greene
Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
, after three weeks on the disabled list due to anxiety disorder, was activated on June 18. In his first start since being activated, on June 19, Greene started at third base and hit a home run. He went on to hit a home run in each of his first three games back, helping the Cardinals to sweep Kansas City in Kansas City and reclaim sole possession of first place in the NL Central. However, Greene went 0 for his next 16, suffered a relapse of his social anxiety disorder, and went back on the disabled list.
On June 27, in an effort to revive a sputtering offense, the Cardinals acquired Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
from Cleveland for Chris Perez and a player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
. DeRosa, who in his career has played every position but pitcher, catcher, and center field, was expected to play third base for St. Louis. One month later Cleveland selected Jess Todd
Jess Todd
Jesse Ray Todd is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. From the University of Arkansas, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in second round of the 2007 amateur entry draft...
to complete the deal.
A continuing inability to hit (.310 OBP for June) weighed down the Cardinals for another month: they went 12-17 for June to drop their record for 2009 to 41-38.
July
On July 5, Albert PujolsAlbert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
and Yadier Molina
Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
were named as winners of the fan balloting and starters for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in the 80th All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
. Ryan Franklin
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Ray Franklin is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Early life:...
, 20 for 21 in save opportunities with a 0.84 ERA, was selected to be one of the relief pitchers. On July 14, St. Louis hosted the All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
for the first time in 43 years
1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 37th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 12, 1966 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri...
. The AL beat the NL 4-3. Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
was 0-for-3 with an error that led to an AL run, Yadier Molina
Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive...
had an RBI single, and Ryan Franklin
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Ray Franklin is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Early life:...
pitched a scoreless inning.
After appearing in only three games for St. Louis, new addition Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
went onto the disabled list (retroactive to July 1) on July 7, suffering from a strained wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
. However, the rest of the Cardinals, buoyed by Pujols, a hot Colby Rasmus
Colby Rasmus
Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
, and a resurgent Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
, went 6-4 on their ten-game road trip before the break, and entered the All-Star break with a 49-42 record and a 2.5 game lead in the NL Central.
The middle of July saw major changes to the Cardinals lineup. On July 18, Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
, suffering from a torn tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
sheath in his wrist that eventually required offseason surgery, was reactivated from the DL and returned to the starting lineup. Four days later, Chris Duncan
Chris Duncan
Christopher Edwin Duncan is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who is currently a free agent.He is the youngest son of Dave Duncan, a former catcher and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, one of the few remaining players from the 2006 world champion Cardinals
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
, was traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Julio Lugo
Julio Lugo
Julio Cesar Lugo is a Dominican professional baseball infielder but is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo....
, along with a player-to-be-named-later or cash; and the team recalled Brian Barden
Brian Barden
Brian David Barden is an American professional baseball infielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball. He has played as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.-Early life:...
. Two days after that, on July 24, the Cardinals traded three prospects, including their #1 prospect, third baseman Brett Wallace
Brett Wallace
Brett Alexander Wallace is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.-High school:...
, pitcher Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Grant Mortensen is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals 36th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. After graduating from Madison High School, Mortensen went on to play at Treasure Valley Community College, then...
, and outfielder Shane Peterson, for Oakland Athletics outfielder Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
.
On July 28, Todd Wellemeyer
Todd Wellemeyer
Todd Allen Wellemeyer is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is the brother of American entrepreneur Jeff Wellemeyer...
was demoted to the bullpen. Mitchell Boggs
Mitchell Boggs
Mitchell Thomas Boggs is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is of no relation to former MLB third baseman, Wade Boggs.-High school:...
was called up from AAA-Memphis
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
to take his July 31 start. At the time of the move, Wellemeyer's 5.79 ERA was second-worst in the National League among players with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.
Buoyed by the arrival of Holliday and Lugo plus the return of DeRosa to the lineup and a hot Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel
Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
, the Cardinals won six of their last nine games in July, and went 16-11 for the month. They ended July 1/2 game ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central. Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
earned honors as the National League Player of the Month
Player of the Month
The Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
for July, after batting
.340 with 6 HR’s and a league-high 28 RBI. The Cardinals have had the NL’s top player three of the first four months with Albert Pujols winning the award in both April and June.
August
Albert PujolsAlbert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
tied the all-time NL season record set by Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
in 1955
1955 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Johnny Podres, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce...
by hitting his fifth grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
of the year, (and his second HR of the game) on August 4 at New York
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. Pujols' slam was the exclamation point in a 12-7, 10-inning victory, in which Pujols went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. The Cardinals previously forced extra innings by rallying for two runs in the ninth off Mets' ace closer Francisco Rodriguez.
After briefly returning to the starting rotation, Todd Wellemeyer went on the DL with elbow inflammation. Mitchell Boggs was again tabbed to take his place in the rotation. Later in the month, starting pitcher Kyle Lohse
Kyle Lohse
Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in , Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. Lohse made his MLB debut with the Twins on June 22, .Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki...
joined him on the DL with a strained groin.
The team came to terms and signed their #1 draft pick, pitcher Shelby Miller
Shelby Miller
Shelby Charles Miller is a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He is considered one of the top 10 prospects in baseball.-Professional career:Miller was drafted by the St...
, on August 17, just hours before the deadline.
John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
signed with the team on August 19 as a probable fifth starter and also possible reliever after the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
released him. In his first start, against San Diego, Smoltz threw five scoreless innings, striking out nine, and got the win.
The Cardinals played some of their best baseball of the season in the middle of August. Consecutive series victories against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Los Angeles, plus a win in the first game of another series with San Diego, pushed St. Louis to 17 games over .500 at 70-53, the furthest over .500 the franchise had reached since the 2005 team went 100-62. St. Louis opened up a six-game lead over the second-place Cubs during this stretch.
A 7-0 victory from Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
, giving him an NL-tying 14th win, over San Diego
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
at Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
on August 22, was the unofficial 10,000th win in franchise history. The official total (9,219) is lower because the Cardinals franchise does not count its ten years in the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
in its all-time statistics.
On August 28, Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
hit his eighth career walk-off home run in John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
's first home game at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in a 3-2 win over Washington
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
A sweep of the Nationals ended one of the best Augusts in franchise history. The Cardinals went 20-6 for the month, pushing their overall record to 22 games over .500 at 77-55, and opening up a ten-game lead over the Cubs. They did not lose a series all month. Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
had a 1.092 OPS for the month while Matt Holliday
Matt Holliday
Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger...
, whose acquisition at the end of July coincided with the sudden takeoff of the Cardinals, posted a .963 OPS for August. Aces Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright
Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
and Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
had ERAs of 1.30 and 2.20 for August. Closer Ryan Franklin
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Ray Franklin is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Early life:...
did not allow a run all month. Wainwright's 2-1 win over the Nationals on August 30 made him MLB's first 16-game winner. Carpenter was named the NL's Pitcher of the Month for August.
September/October
Third baseman Troy GlausTroy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
, out all year with a shoulder injury, became the first September call-up after maximum roster size expanded to 40. Adam Wainwright was touched for six runs in five innings by the Pirates but still earned his league-leading 17th victory on Sept. 4. Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
hit only his second career pinch-hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
home run in the 10th for a dramatic 2-1 game-winner over the Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, at PNC Park
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It opened during the 2001 Major League Baseball season, after the controlled implosion of the Pirates' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium...
, Sept. 5.
Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
threw a one-hitter on Sept. 7 against the Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Miller Park, striking out 10, earning his first shutout
Shutout (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a shutout refers to the act by which a single pitcher pitches a complete game and does not allow the opposing team to score a run...
since Sept. 11, 2006, and reaching 1,300 career strikeouts.
A three-game sweep by the Braves Sept. 11-13 marked the first time St. Louis had lost a series since July 24–26 against Philadelphia, and the first time the Cardinals lost the opening game of a series since July 20 against Houston.
After the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
' season ended with a loss in the AAA National Championship Game, the Cardinals announced four more September call-ups: David Freese, Tyler Greene, Josh Kinney, and Matt Pagnozzi
Matt Pagnozzi
Matthew Thomas Pagnozzi is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball....
. Pagnozzi, nephew to former Cardinals All-Star catcher Tom Pagnozzi
Tom Pagnozzi
Thomas Alan Pagnozzi is a former Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a catcher, Pagnozzi also made 40 appearances at first base and seven appearances at third base during his 12-season career, which spanned from 1987 to 1998.Initially a backup catcher and utility...
, first appeared in a game on September 29, becoming the tenth player to make his big-league debut with the 2009 Cardinals. The other nine rookies were Freese, Greene, P.J. Walters, Shane Robinson
Shane Robinson (baseball)
Shane Robinson is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.-College career:...
, Jarrett Hoffpauir
Jarrett Hoffpauir
Jarrett Lee Hoffpauir is a second baseman for the San Diego Padres. He is a distant cousin to Micah Hoffpauir, who is also a baseball player.Hoffpauir was drafted by the St...
, Colby Rasmus
Colby Rasmus
Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
, Blake Hawksworth
Blake Hawksworth
Blake Edward Hawksworth is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is 6' 3" and weighs 195 pounds.-Career:...
, Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Mortensen
Clayton Grant Mortensen is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals 36th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. After graduating from Madison High School, Mortensen went on to play at Treasure Valley Community College, then...
, and Jess Todd
Jess Todd
Jesse Ray Todd is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. From the University of Arkansas, he was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in second round of the 2007 amateur entry draft...
.
The Cardinals finally clinched the NL Central championship at Colorado (September 26), with their 90th win, 6-3, on a tie-breaking home run by replacement catcher Jason LaRue
Jason LaRue
Michael Jason "Rusty" LaRue is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and St...
in the 7th inning.
Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Ludwick
Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada....
later added a pinch-hit 2-run home run in the 9th inning. Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright
Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St...
got his NL-leading 19th win, going 8 innings with 130 pitches, giving up 10 hits, walking one, and striking out 11. It was the Cardinals' seventh NL division championship in the last ten seasons, and eighth for manager Tony LaRussa in 14 seasons as Cardinal manager, although one championship was a shared one with Houston
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in 2001
2001 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Arizona Diamondbacks*Postseason - October 9 to November 4Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
.
On October 1, Chris Carpenter threw five shutout innings in a 13-0 victory over Cincinnati. Carpenter finished his season with a 17-4 record. He lowered his ERA to 2.24, securing his first ERA title and the first ERA title for any Cardinal since Joe Magrane
Joe Magrane
Joseph David Magrane is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and is currently a color commentary broadcaster for the MLB Network. He was teamed with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats from 1998 to 2008 as part of the Tampa Bay Rays television team.Magrane served as an analyst for NBC Sports'...
was National League ERA champion in 1988. Carpenter also hit the first home run of his big league career, a grand slam, and drove in six runs to double his career RBI total.
In that same game Carpenter pitched (Oct. 1, 2009), Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
passed John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
for second-most games managed in baseball with his 4,770th game managed (2,552-2,214-4). La Russa gets three more games (October 4) to extend his managed games to 4,773 (2,552-2,217-4) by the end of the 2009 season.
The next night, a bullpen collapse robbed Adam Wainwright of his chance to be the only 20-game winner in baseball, but Wainwright still finished as the National League leader in wins, with a 19-8 record and a 2.63 ERA.
The Cardinals finished the 2009 season losing 8 of their last 10 and 14 of their last 21 to go 91-71 for the year. Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
won his first home run title with 47, despite not homering after September 9. He also broke the all-time single-season record for assist
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
s by a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
with his record 185th in the last game.
On October 5, Chris Carpenter
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
was named NL Comeback Player of the Year (second time) for his superb season, after leading the NL with a 2.24 ERA and an .810 winning percentage (17-4).
Division Series
In the 2009 National League Division Series2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
, St. Louis faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers, NL West champions. The Cardinals went 5-2 against the Dodgers in the regular season, and were the favorites in the National League, but the Dodgers swept the Cardinals in three games to bring St. Louis' 2009 season to a quick end. It was only the second time in eight trips to the postseason that a LaRussa-led Cardinals team lost in the first round.
Awards
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina won Gold Gloves, the first for Wainwright and second for Molina. Albert Pujols won the Silver Slugger Award as the best hitting first baseman in the NL, and the Hank Aaron Award as the best hitter in the National League. In a close race, Wainwright finished third in voting (90 pts.) for the Cy Young AwardCy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
despite getting the most first place votes (12). Chris Carpenter finished second (94 pts.), six points behind winner Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. Albert Pujols won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
award, winning all 32 first place votes.
Season standings
MLB StandingsGame log
Regular Season Schedule (calendar style)Regular Season Schedule (sortable text)
http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/schedule/downloadable.jsp?c_id=stlDownloadable Schedule for Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
, Palm (PDA)
Palm (PDA)
Palm handhelds were Personal Digital Assistants which ran the Palm OS. Palm devices have evolved from handhelds to smartphones which run Palm OS, WebOS, and Windows Mobile...
]
National Broadcast Schedule
All game times are in Central Time Zone
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
.
! colspan="3" | Legend
|-
! bgcolor="bbffbb" | Cardinals WIN
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
! bgcolor="ffbbbb" | Cardinals LOSS
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
! bgcolor="bbbbbb" | Game POSTPONED
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
>
| 2009 Game Log | |
|---|---|
Record vs. opponents
(through October 4)| Team | W-L Record |
|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field... |
4–2 |
| Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997.... |
2–4 |
| Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |
10–6 |
| Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890.... |
8-8 |
| Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona... |
1-2 |
| Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains... |
1–6 |
| Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant... |
2–1 |
| Florida Marlins Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at... |
3–3 |
| Houston Astros Houston Astros The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field... |
9–6 |
| Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium... |
5–1 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
5–2 |
| Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... |
9–9 |
| Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the... |
1-2 |
| New York Mets New York Mets The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... |
5-4 |
| Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League... |
1-4 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... |
10–5 |
| San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
6–1 |
| San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... |
3–4 |
| Washington Nationals Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium... |
6–1 |
Bold indicates that the Cardinals have finished their season schedule with an opponent.
Roster
| 2009 St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager Coaches (pitching) (bullpen) (first base) (hitting) (third base) (bench) |
||||||
Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B= Doubles; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In; BB = Walks; Avg. = Batting Average; OBP = On-base Percentage; SLG = Slugging Percentage(through October 4)
Cardinals HITTING statistics
Sortable TEAM HITTING statistics
| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | Avg. | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Pujols Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent... |
160 | 568 | 124 | 186 | 45 | 47 | 135 | 115 | 64 | .327 | .443 | .658 |
| Skip Schumaker Skip Schumaker Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:... |
153 | 532 | 85 | 161 | 34 | 4 | 35 | 52 | 69 | .303 | .364 | .393 |
| Ryan Ludwick Ryan Ludwick Ryan Andrew Ludwick is a Major League Baseball right fielder. His brother Eric played four seasons in Major League Baseball as a pitcher.-High school, college, and minor leagues:Ludwick attended Durango High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.... |
139 | 486 | 63 | 129 | 20 | 22 | 97 | 41 | 106 | .265 | .329 | .447 |
| Yadier Molina Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamin Molina known affectionately by fans as "Yadi", is a Major League Baseball catcher who plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.Molina was the third catcher to play in two World Series before age 25, along with Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. He is considered one of the best defensive... |
140 | 481 | 45 | 141 | 23 | 6 | 54 | 50 | 39 | .293 | .366 | .383 |
| Colby Rasmus Colby Rasmus Colby Ryan Rasmus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-Early years:... |
147 | 474 | 72 | 119 | 22 | 16 | 52 | 36 | 95 | .251 | .307 | .407 |
| Brendan Ryan Brendan Ryan (baseball) Brendan Wood Ryan is an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Seattle Mariners. While he has typically fielded at shortstop in his professional career, Ryan has been known to play at second and third base and has dabbled with pitching.-Early and personal life:Ryan was born in Los... |
129 | 390 | 55 | 114 | 19 | 3 | 37 | 24 | 56 | .292 | .340 | .400 |
| Rick Ankiel Rick Ankiel Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed.... |
122 | 372 | 50 | 86 | 21 | 11 | 38 | 26 | 99 | .231 | .285 | .387 |
| Joe Thurston Joe Thurston Joseph William Thurston is an American professional baseball utility player for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, St... |
124 | 267 | 27 | 60 | 17 | 1 | 25 | 33 | 56 | .225 | .316 | .330 |
| Chris Duncan Chris Duncan Christopher Edwin Duncan is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who is currently a free agent.He is the youngest son of Dave Duncan, a former catcher and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals... ^ (4/6-7/21) |
87 | 260 | 25 | 59 | 15 | 5 | 32 | 41 | 67 | .227 | .329 | .358 |
| Mark DeRosa Mark DeRosa Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th... ^ (6/28-10/4) |
68 | 237 | 31 | 54 | 10 | 10 | 28 | 18 | 58 | .228 | .291 | .405 |
| Matt Holliday Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is an American Major League Baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft.Holliday is a five-time All-Star and Silver Slugger... ^ (7/24-10/4) |
63 | 235 | 42 | 83 | 16 | 13 | 55 | 26 | 43 | .353 | .419 | .604 |
| Khalil Greene Khalil Greene Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:... |
77 | 170 | 21 | 34 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 15 | 35 | .200 | .272 | .347 |
| Julio Lugo Julio Lugo Julio Cesar Lugo is a Dominican professional baseball infielder but is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo.... ^ (7/24-10/4) |
51 | 148 | 24 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 27 | .277 | .351 | .432 |
| Tyler Greene Tyler Greene Benjamin Tyler Greene is an American Major league baseball shortstop, currently playing in the minor leagues of the St. Louis Cardinals.-Early and personal life:... * |
48 | 108 | 9 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 32 | .222 | .270 | .327 |
| Jason LaRue Jason LaRue Michael Jason "Rusty" LaRue is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals and St... |
51 | 104 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 22 | .240 | .288 | .298 |
| Brian Barden Brian Barden Brian David Barden is an American professional baseball infielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball. He has played as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.-Early life:... * |
52 | 103 | 13 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 21 | .233 | .286 | .379 |
| Adam Wainwright Adam Wainwright Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St... |
39 | 89 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 26 | .180 | .189 | .326 |
| Nick Stavinoha Nick Stavinoha Nicholas Lee "Nick" Stavinoha is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.-Early life:... * |
39 | 87 | 6 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 15 | .230 | .242 | .379 |
| Joel Pineiro Joel Piñeiro Joel Alberto Piñeiro is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is right-handed and made his major league debut on August 8, .-Career:... |
32 | 66 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 33 | .136 | .186 | .167 |
| Chris Carpenter Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the... |
26 | 63 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 13 | .175 | .212 | .270 |
| Todd Wellemeyer Todd Wellemeyer Todd Allen Wellemeyer is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is the brother of American entrepreneur Jeff Wellemeyer... |
30 | 39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .128 | .128 | .128 |
| Kyle Lohse Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in , Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. Lohse made his MLB debut with the Twins on June 22, .Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki... |
23 | 37 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | .216 | .275 | .216 |
| David Freese David Freese David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later... * |
17 | 31 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 7 | .323 | .353 | .484 |
| Troy Glaus Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA... |
14 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | .172 | .250 | .241 |
| Shane Robinson Shane Robinson (baseball) Shane Robinson is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.-College career:... * |
11 | 25 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .240 | .231 | .280 |
| Mitchell Boggs Mitchell Boggs Mitchell Thomas Boggs is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is of no relation to former MLB third baseman, Wade Boggs.-High school:... |
16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .071 | .071 | .143 |
| John Smoltz John Smoltz John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996... |
7 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .077 | .143 | .077 |
| Jarrett Hoffpauir Jarrett Hoffpauir Jarrett Lee Hoffpauir is a second baseman for the San Diego Padres. He is a distant cousin to Micah Hoffpauir, who is also a baseball player.Hoffpauir was drafted by the St... |
8 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | .250 | .438 | .417 |
| Brad Thompson Brad Thompson Bradley Joseph Thompson , is an American baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Career:Thompson was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2002 amateur draft out of Dixie State College of Utah. He holds the AA single-season scoreless innings streak. He made his major... |
31 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .083 | .083 | .083 |
| TOTALS | 162 | 5,465 | 730 | 1,436 | 294 | 160 | 694 | 528 | 1,041 | .263 | .332 | .415 |
BOLD = Leading NL
Starting pitchers
Note: GS = Games Started; IP = Innings Pitched; W = Wins; L = Loss; ERA = Earned Run Average; WHIP = (Walks + Hits) per Innings Pitched; HBP = Hit by Pitch; BF = Batters faced; O-AVG = Opponent Batting Ave.; O-SLG = Opponent Slugging Ave.; R support avg = Average Runs support from his team per Games Started(FINAL through October 4)
Cardinals PITCHING statistics
Sortable TEAM PITCHING Statistics
| Player | GS | IP | W | L | ERA | H | HR | BB | SO | WHIP | HBP | BF | O-AVG | O-SLG | R support avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Wainwright Adam Wainwright Adam Parrish Wainwright is a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted 29th overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 amateur draft. He made his major league debut for the St... |
34 | 233.0 | 19 | 8 | 2.63 | 216 | 17 | 66 | 212 | 1.21 | 3 | 970 | .244 | .349 | 5.4 |
| Joel Pineiro Joel Piñeiro Joel Alberto Piñeiro is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is right-handed and made his major league debut on August 8, .-Career:... |
32 | 214.0 | 15 | 12 | 3.49 | 218 | 11 | 27 | 105 | 1.14 | 8 | 865 | .268 | .377 | 4.6 |
| Chris Carpenter Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the... |
28 | 192.2 | 17 | 4 | 2.24 | 156 | 7 | 38 | 144 | 1.01 | 7 | 750 | .226 | .310 | 4.4 |
| Kyle Lohse Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in , Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. Lohse made his MLB debut with the Twins on June 22, .Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki... |
22 | 116.2 | 6 | 10 | 4.78 | 125 | 16 | 36 | 76 | 1.38 | 3 | 509 | .269 | .450 | 4.1 |
| Todd Wellemeyer Todd Wellemeyer Todd Allen Wellemeyer is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is the brother of American entrepreneur Jeff Wellemeyer... |
21 | 114.0 | 7 | 9 | 6.08 | 152 | 18 | 48 | 74 | 1.75 | 3 | 521 | .332 | .515 | 4.2 |
| Mitchell Boggs Mitchell Boggs Mitchell Thomas Boggs is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is of no relation to former MLB third baseman, Wade Boggs.-High school:... |
9 | 48.1 | 2 | 2 | 4.10 | 63 | 2 | 25 | 35 | 1.82 | 3 | 223 | .326 | .466 | 5.3 |
| Brad Thompson Brad Thompson Bradley Joseph Thompson , is an American baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Career:Thompson was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2002 amateur draft out of Dixie State College of Utah. He holds the AA single-season scoreless innings streak. He made his major... |
8 | 43.0 | 2 | 5 | 5.65 | 47 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 1.44 | 4 | 189 | .278 | .450 | 3.0 |
| John Smoltz John Smoltz John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996... |
7 | 38.0 | 1 | 3 | 4.26 | 36 | 3 | 9 | 40 | 1.18 | 0 | 158 | .248 | .379 | 2.7 |
| P. J. Walters P. J. Walters Phillip DeWayne "P. J." Walters is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Personal life:Walters was born March 12, 1985, in Dothan, Alabama. He is married to Brittney.... * |
1 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 6.75 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2.00 | 0 | 19 | .375 | .438 | 7.0 |
| TOTAL | 162 | 1,003.2 | 69 | 53 | 3.66 | 1,019 | 80 | 266 | 709 | 1.28 | 31 | 4,204 | .266 | .392 | 4.5 |
Bold = leading NL
Relief pitchers
(through October 3)22-17, 3.61 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 432.0 IP, 379 H, 193 R, 173 ER, 42 HR, 191 BB, 335 SO
(through October 3)
Saves / Opp: 43/58 (74%) 1st Batter / Retired: 338/474 (71%)
Holds: 86 Inherited Runners / Scored: 56/242 (23%)
Blown Saves by bullpen: 17 Franklin
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Ray Franklin is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Early life:...
(5), McClellan
Kyle McClellan
Kyle William McClellan is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He attended Hazelwood West High School. After graduating from high school, McClellan was drafted by the St...
(4), Perez
Chris Perez (baseball)
Christopher Ralph Perez is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. His pitches have been clocked at 98 mph on the radar gun. He is 6' 4", 225 lbs. In 2010, fans began referring to him by the nickname "Pure Rage."Perez grew up on Anna Maria Island in Florida. Perez...
(1), Kinney
Josh Kinney
Joshua Thomas Kinney is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He throws a slider, 4-seam fastball, curveball, and a 2-seam fastball.-Early and personal life:...
(1), Miller
Trever Miller
Trever Douglas Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-High school:...
(2), Motte
Jason Motte
Jason Louis Motte is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Career:Motte graduated from Valley Central High School, Montgomery, N.Y., in 2000 where he was a catcher...
(4)
Games lost by bullpen: 16
Scoring by inning
(FINAL through October 4)| INNING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARDINALS | 97 | 43 | 82 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 80 | 87 | 52 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 730 |
| OPPONENTS | 92 | 62 | 58 | 68 | 78 | 81 | 88 | 62 | 39 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 640 |
Cardinals Record When
(FINAL through October 4)Home 46-35
Away 45-36
Scoring first 71-25
Opp. scores first 20-46
Scoring more than 3 runs 66-19
Scoring 3 runs 17-17
Scoring fewer than 3 runs 8-35
Leading after 7 innings 72-5
Tied after 7 innings 9-7
Trailing after 7 innings 9-59
Leading after 8 innings 79-3
Tied after 8 innings 7-9
Trailing after 8 innings 4-59
Blown Saves by bullpen: 17 (Franklin
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Ray Franklin is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals.-Early life:...
(5), McClellan
Kyle McClellan
Kyle William McClellan is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He attended Hazelwood West High School. After graduating from high school, McClellan was drafted by the St...
(4), (Perez
Chris Perez (baseball)
Christopher Ralph Perez is a right-handed relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. His pitches have been clocked at 98 mph on the radar gun. He is 6' 4", 225 lbs. In 2010, fans began referring to him by the nickname "Pure Rage."Perez grew up on Anna Maria Island in Florida. Perez...
[1], Kinney
Josh Kinney
Joshua Thomas Kinney is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He throws a slider, 4-seam fastball, curveball, and a 2-seam fastball.-Early and personal life:...
[1], (Miller
Trever Miller
Trever Douglas Miller is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-High school:...
[2], Motte
Jason Motte
Jason Louis Motte is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Career:Motte graduated from Valley Central High School, Montgomery, N.Y., in 2000 where he was a catcher...
[4])
Games lost by bullpen: 16
In errorless games 56-33
Extra innings 5-6
Shutouts 11-10
One-run games 24-21
Out-hit opponents 62-12
Same hits as opponents 13-5
Out-hit by opponents 16-54
Runs via HR 249
Opp. Runs via HR 213
By Day
Mon. 8-9
Tue. 14-11
Wed. 15-10
Thu. 14-5
Fri. 15-10
Sat. 15-11
Sun. 10-15
By Opponent
DIVISION
HOME ROAD TOTAL
NL Central 24-16 22-18 46-34
NL East 7-7 10-9 17-16
NL West 10-8 9-7 19-15
AL Central 5-4 4-2 9-6
TOTALS 46-35 45-36 91-71
(Interleague 9-6)
Busch Stadium (Indexes)
(FINAL through October 4)2009 (100 = Neutral Park, > 100 Ballpark favors, < 100 Ballpark inhibits
81 HOME G; Cardinals: 2,654 AB; Opponents: 2,790 AB)
81 AWAY G: Cardinals: 2,811 AB; Opponents: 2,670 AB)
R 92
H 98
HR 74
(Cardinals batting: HOME .263 ROAD .263 OVERALL .263)
(Opponents batting: at StL .254 on ROAD .261 OVERALL .258)
2007-2009 Index (3-yr. composite)
HOME 243 G; Cardinals: 8,089 AB; Opponents: 8,503 AB)
BA 100
R 93
H 99
2B 93
3B 90
HR 80
BB 99
SO 95
E 107
E-inf. 108
LHB-BA 101
LHB-HR 82
RHB-BA 99
RHB-HR 78
Draft picks
St. Louis' picks at the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft2009 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held June 9 to June 11 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.The drafting order is as follows:-First-round selections:Key-Supplemental first-round selections:From Baseball America...
at MLB Network Studios, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on June 9-June 11, .
For the entire draft, the Cardinals selection breakdown was as follows: 29 pitchers
(21-RHP, 8-LHP), 11 infielders, six catchers and four outfielders. The Cardinals
second-round pick, Robert Stock out of USC, will begin his pro career as a catcher
and that is reflected in these numbers. St. Louis selected 43 college players and
seven high school prospects.
bold = agreed to terms
| Round | # | Player | Position | Class, Bats/Throws, Ht/Wt., birthdate (birthplace) | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Shelby Miller Shelby Miller Shelby Charles Miller is a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He is considered one of the top 10 prospects in baseball.-Professional career:Miller was drafted by the St... |
P | Senior (HS), R/R, 6' 3" / 195 lb., Oct. 10, 1990 (Brownwood, Texas Brownwood, Texas Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,813 at the 2000 census.-History:The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was on the east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced... ) |
Brownwood High School Brownwood High School Brownwood High School is a 3A high school located in Brownwood, Texas . It is part of the Brownwood Independent School District located in central Brown County... (TX) |
| 2 | 67 | Robert Stock | C | Junior, L/R, 6' 1" / 195 lb., Nov. 21, 1989 (Westlake Village, California Westlake Village, California Westlake Village is a planned community that straddles the Los Angeles and Ventura county line. The eastern portion is the incorporated city Westlake Village, located on the western edge of Los Angeles County, California. The city, located in the region known as the Conejo Valley, encompasses half... ) |
USC University of Southern California The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... |
| 3 | 98 | Joseph Kelly | RP | Junior, R/R, 6' 1" / 170 lb., Jun. 9, 1988 (Corona, California Corona, California Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census... ) |
University of California-Riverside University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United... |
| 4 | 129 | Joseph Bittle | P | 5S, R/R, 6' 2" / 190 lb., Aug. 27, 1986 (Texarkana, Texas Texarkana, Texas Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other half, the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, lies on the other side of State Line Avenue... ) |
University of Mississippi University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the... |
| 5 | 159 | Ryan Jackson | SS | Junior, R/R, 6' 2" / 175 lb., May 10, 1988 (Miami Springs, Florida Miami Springs, Florida Miami Springs is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates... ) |
University of Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... |
| 6 | 189 | Virgil Hill | CF | J2, R/R, 6' 0" / 185 lb., Sept. 9, 1989 (Valencia, California Valencia, California Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the... ) |
Los Angeles Mission College Los Angeles Mission College Los Angeles Mission College is a two-year community college located in Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College District... |
| 7 | 219 | Kyle Conley | RF | Senior, R/R, 6' 4" / 215 lb., May 7, 1987 (Richland, Washington Richland, Washington Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the... ) |
University of Washington University of Washington University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University... |
| 8 | 249 | Jason Stidham | SS | Junior, L/R, 5' 11" / 170 lb., Feb. 26, 1988 (Palm Bay, Florida Palm Bay, Florida Palm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as 100,786 on 1 July 2008; it is the most populous city in the county... ) |
Florida State University Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... |
| 9 | 279 | Nick McCully | P | Junior, R/R, 5' 10" / 195 lb., Sept. 5, 1988 (Lakeland, Florida Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406... ) |
Coastal Carolina University Coastal Carolina University Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus... |
| 10 | 309 | Hector Hernandez | P | Senior (HS), S/L, 6' 1" / 198 lb., Feb. 20, 1991 (Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo... ) |
Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School The Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School is a non-profit organization combining academics and sports programs into one curriculum. Its goal is to prepare its students for higher education, competitive college scholarship opportunities, and the Major League Baseball Draft... |
| 11 | 339 | Alan Ahmady | 1b | Junior, R/R, 5' 11" / 195 lb., Dec. 14, 1987 (Fresno, California Fresno, California Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation... ) |
Fresno State University |
| 12 | 369 | Pat Daugherty | P | J2, L/L, 6' 5" / 215 lb., Aug. 30, 1988 (Bailey, Mississippi) | Pearl River Community College Pearl River Community College Pearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:... |
| 13 | 399 | Matt Carpenter | 3b | Senior, L/R, 6' 3" / 200 lb., Nov. 26, 1985 (Sugar Land, Texas Sugar Land, Texas Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a... ) |
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ... |
| 14 | 429 | Ross Smith | CF | J3, R/R, 6' 2" / 200 lb., Oct. 6, 1987 (Eastman, Georgia Eastman, Georgia Eastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,541 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dodge County... ) |
Middle Georgia College Middle Georgia College Middle Georgia College is a publicly supported, residential,charter unit of the University System of Georgia, in the city Cochran in the U.S. state of Georgia. Founded in 1884, the school is the oldest two-year college in the United States. It is currently being transformed into a 4 year college... |
| 15 | 459 | David Washington | 1b | Senior (HS), L/L, 6' 5" / 200 lb., Nov. 20, 1990 (University City, California) | University City High School (San Diego, CA) University City High School (San Diego) -School Overview:University City High School, located in the University City section of San Diego, California, is a comprehensive, four-year public high school, part of the San Diego Unified School District. The school opened in September 1981. The school, commonly referred to as UC High, ranked... |
| 16 | 489 | Daniel Bibona | P | Junior, L/L, 5' 11" / 165 lb., Jun. 19, 1988 (Lake Forest, California Lake Forest, California Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s... ) |
University of California-Irvine University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA... |
| 17 | 519 | Jonathan Rodriguez | 1b | J2, R/R, 6' 2" / ? lbs., Aug. 21, 1989 (San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of... ) |
Manatee Community College (FL) Manatee Community College State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, formerly known as Manatee Community College, is a Florida state college with campuses in Bradenton, Venice and Lakewood Ranch... |
| 18 | 549 | Anthony Garcia | C | Senior (HS), R/R, 6' 0" / 180 lb., Jan. 4, 1992 (Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo... ) |
San Juan Educational School (PR) |
| 19 | 579 | Travis Tartamella | C | Junior, R/R, 6' 0" / 205 lb., Dec. 17, 1987 (Alta Loma, California) | California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system... |
| 20 | 609 | Scott Schneider | P | Junior, R/R, 6' 0" / 175 lb., Jun. 7, 1988 (Fallbrook, California Fallbrook, California Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census.... ) |
St. Mary's College St. Mary's College, Kansas Saint Mary's Academy and College is a religious school of the Society of St. Pius X located in St. Marys, Kansas, 25 miles west of Topeka.- St. Mary's College :... (xx) |