Home Baseball Death, Taxes, and Wainwright to Molina

Death, Taxes, and Wainwright to Molina

by W.E. Sauls

By W.E. Sauls 

I needed some good news today. It’s getting dark at 5pm for God’s sake. Then it came across my scroll that Wainwright is coming back for 2020 and a big ol’ grin was planted across my soon to be 38 year old face. 

Some of you wrote Uncle Charlie off. “He’s done…he can’t get healthy…he’s old as old can be.” All he needed was one thing… a normal off-season. And last winter he got just that. Health, a normal schedule, and fully charged right arm. 

What did that result in? His best season in half a decade.

14-10, 4.19 ERA, 31 starts, 171.2 innings, 153 k’s, and a WAR of 2.1

That postseason though…

16.2 innings, 3 earned runs and 11 k’s. (Not to mention a career postseason with a 2.81 ERA over 105.2 Innings…Verlander’s postseason ERA is 3.40)

Why would you not want that back? He did everything that was asked of him and finished the season better than he started it. In September and October Waino was money. His fastball stayed in the low 90’s and he mowed down team after team. He didn’t fizzle down the stretch as you would expect a guy at the end to do. He did the opposite. He got stronger, had more command, and owned the strike zone and nearly every man that dared enter the batter’s box. 

A Career in Historical Perspective

Here is where Adam Wainwright stands in Cardinals history. 

Wins: 162, 4th All-Time, one behind the woefully underrated Bob Forsch

Innings Pitched: 2103.2, 6th All-Time

Strike Outs: 1776, 2nd All-Time

WAR: 36.0, 4th All-Time, 3.7 out of 2nd

This franchise was founded in 1892. Those are insane places on a list peppered with Hall-Of-Famers like Gibson, Haines, and Dean. 

But, the main point is that he was mowing down Major League hitters without prejudice in September and October. That is my litmus…and Mr. Wainwright passed with an A+++

Now Let’s Talk Molina

To the people that want to send him to pasture…go pound sand you GD morons. You’re either a troll…or have no idea what a baseball even is. Close your browser and go back to commenting on posts you don’t have the talent to write. 

Now…to my fellow people who are correct in wanting Yadier Molina to continue turning borderline big leaguers into borderline All-Stars until the GD cows come home…let’s talk Yadi. 

Due to occupational hazards behind the dish this season Yadi was limited to 113 games. He still averaged a hit a game, drove in 57, stole 6 bags without ever getting caught, had a WAR of 1.3, and a fielding percentage of .993 for the 5th consecutive season. He had more doubles than last season in less games..and was clutch as clutch can be. 

Another Career in Historical Perspective

The history of the Cardinals organization offensive leaderboards are dominated by names like Musial, Hornsby, Mize, Brock, Boyer, Slaughter, Medwick, Pujols, and Lankford. And…a guy named Yadier Molina. 

Hits: 1963, 7th All-Time, 110 behind Pujols for 4th All-Time

Home Runs: 156, 11th All-Time, 2 behind Mize for 10th place

Doubles: 379, 4th All-Time

Total Bases: 2824, 8th All-Time

RBI’s: 916, 9th All-Time, and only 14 behind Ted Simmons for 7th place

WAR: 40.2, 10th All-Time

Defensive WAR: 25.2, 2nd All-Time behind some guy named Osborne Earl Smith. 

The dude has been insanely consistent, durable, and clutch over the past 15 years, and he did not slow down this past season despite overblown hyperbolic A-Holes publishing click-bait. 

Yadi is still money…still a gamer…and is still Adam Wainwright’s battery mate.
Exactly the way the baseball gods intended it. 

Follow W.E. Sauls  on Twitter

 

+ posts

Related Articles