Adam Wainwright News: Pro Sports Daily

Wainwright got jobbed in Cy Young voting

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November 19

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

columnist Jeff Gordon

"Chris Carpenter was the best starting pitcher in the National League. When he pitched, he was the toughest starter to hit. That is why he won the league's earned-run average title. Adam Wainwright built the best season -– from start to finish -- so he deserved the NL's Cy Young Award this season. But Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum got it instead, to the great agitation of Cardinal Nation. What went wrong? * Many baseball writers downplayed the value of actually winning games, since Lincecum won just 15 times with a decent supporting team. * Wainwright and Carpenter split a lot of votes as teammates. Wainwright earned the most first-place votes, but still finished third in the balloting. ..."

Giants' Lincecum repeats as Cy Young winner

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November 19

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"San Francisco Giants starter Tim Lincecum won the 2009 Cy Young Award, the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced this afternoon, giving the righthander his second consecutive award as he edged St. Louis Cardinals starters Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Lincecum is the first pitcher to repeat as a Cy Young winner since Randy Johnson won four consecutive in the National League from 1999-2002. The voting was exceptionally close with Wainwright receiving the most first-place votes of any of the three. The vote tallies on a 5-3-1 points system with five points going to first on each ballot and one point going to No. 3 on the ballot. 1. Lincecum … 100 pts 2. Carpenter … ..."

WAINO: Why Carpenter should win Cy Young

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November 15

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

columnist Adam Wainwright

"What Chris Carpenter did to deserve the Cy Young Award sort of speaks for itself. He went 17-4, had that 2.24 ERA, missed six weeks of the season and still had as many wins as everybody else. The discussion really should be over there. Chris Carpenter, besides maybe Tim Lincecum, has the best stuff of anyone in the major leagues that I have seen. He is, really, an amazing specimen of a pitcher. He has missed years of his career with shoulder and elbow issues, then he had the nerve trouble, and he pitched most of this season with an oblique strain that probably no one knows about. But there he was wearing these patches for every game and just going out there and battling through it, ..."

Two St. Louis Cardinals win Gold Glove awards

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November 12

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The tradition in the last 20 years of Cardinals catchers winning Rawlings Gold Gloves continued Wednesday with the announcement that Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina had won his second straight defensive award. Molina is the third Cardinals catcher to have won multiple Gold Gloves since 1991 with Tom Pagnozzi (1991, 1992, 1994) and Mike Matheny (2000, 2003, 2004) each one award ahead of Molina. So far. Molina is only 27. On the other hand, no Cardinals pitcher had won a Gold Glove since Joaquin Andujar in 1984, and before that, Bob Gibson, who captured the last of his nine Gold Gloves in 1973. But righthander Adam Wainwright surprisingly ended that streak. The 28-year-old Wainwright, the ..."

Rollins, Victorino again get Gold Gloves

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November 12

Philadelphia Inquirer

"Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino did not win the World Series again this year, but they are repeat winners of the Gold Glove at their positions.Rollins won his third consecutive National League Gold Glove at shortstop yesterday, while Victorino claimed his second straight in the outfield.Rollins, who will turn 31 on Nov. 27, led all major-league shortstops with a .990 fielding percentage and made just six errors, fewest among full-time big-league shortstops. He had an 86-game errorless streak during the season.Rollins is the first NL shortstop to win three straight Gold Gloves since Rey Ordonez did so with the New York Mets (1997-99). He is the first Phillie to win three in a row at any ..."

Phils, Cards, LA each take two Gold Gloves

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November 11

MLB.com

"They flashed leather, pulled off web gems, picked it, got their uniforms dirty, and stoked stadiums with razor-sharp routes, dazzling dives and wall-scraping wows. They're the 2009 National League winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, announced on Wednesday. At first base, San Diego Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez repeated his 2008 crown by tying for fourth in the league with a fielding percentage of .995. Gonzalez made only seven errors in 1,367 total chances in the midst of his second straight All-Star campaign. The second base Gold Glove returned to the possession of Orlando Hudson, the Dodgers veteran who won Senior Circuit hardware in 2006 and 2007 while with the D-backs after ..."

The inner rookie drives Wainwright

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October 8

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The last time Adam Wainwright traveled through a baseball October, he entered as a rookie and left as a veteran. He grew up in a hurry. He didn't think like a rookie, didn't act like a rookie and didn't scare like a rookie. The Cardinals shoved him into the pressurized role of postseason closer, and you'd think the kid had spent his entire career in the fire. Time after time, Wainwright would inherit a ninth-inning lead. He would break off curveballs, and break the will of the opposing hitters. It was a fast-moving blur of nasty pitches, swings and misses, and fist-pumping exuberance on the mound. He was Bruce Sutter with a baby face. Nine appearances, 9 2/3 innings, 15 strikeouts, four ..."

Cards' Wainwright, Carpenter make imposing pair on mound

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October 6

USA Today

"It is Sunday morning. They are sitting next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, as if they're in a crowded church pew.Only they are in the St. Louis Cardinals' visiting clubhouse in Colorado, sitting on a sprawling leather couch. Adam Wainwright is wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey, No. 24, representing running back Marion Barber III. Chris Carpenter, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, is looking intently into the computer on Wainwright's lap. They are watching numbers, yardage and touchdowns flash across the screen."

Cardinals' collapse costs Wainwright

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October 4

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"There will be no 20-game winner in major league baseball this season. The Cardinals probably won't have any home-field advantage in the divisional playoffs. And you probably won't see for a long time as hideous an exhibition by Cardinals relief pitching and defense as there was in the seventh and eighth innings Friday night at Busch Stadium. How bad was it? The Milwaukee Brewers, who overcame a 6-0 deficit to win 12-6, scored six of their 11 runs in the seventh and eighth innings without a hit. Four came on four of five wild pitches by the Cardinals, who had not tossed that many in a game since 1954. Two more scored on errors. Nineteen-game winner Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals seemed ..."

Wainwright's 20th win vaporizes in 6-run 7th

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October 3

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The first teammate to greet reliever Kyle McClellan after his meltdown in the seventh inning robbed Adam Wainwright of his 20th win was at least a teammate who can empathize with the lost lead - Wainwright himself. "He was the first to say, 'I could care less about that (20th win). Get your head ready for the playoffs,'" McClellan said. "As hard as he's worked and all that he's done and it just comes down to my lack of execution." Wainwright left the game to McClellan with two runners on and no outs in the seventh inning, but a five-run lead that appeared ample enough to assure Wainwright of being baseball's only 20-game winner. The righthander, a leading candidate for the Cy Young Award, ..."

Timing off on incentive

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September 16

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"From a contractual standpoint Adam Wainwright may win a Cy Young Award one year too early. Under terms of the multi-year contract Wainwright signed in March 2008, the final two seasons of the righthander's deal automatically vest if he finishes among the top five in balloting for the award in 2010 or 2011. There is no such stipulation if he ranks that high for this season's award. The Cardinals hold options of $9 million on Wainwright for 2012 and $12 million for 2013. They must exercise both options at the same time, according to the contract. Wainwright is guaranteed $4.65 million next season and $6.5 million in 2011. The club can decline the two option years without penalty after the ..."

Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols lead St. Louis Cardinals past Brewers

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September 10

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The story of the Cardinals pitching staff isn't limited to quality starts. It's increasingly about a quality finish. Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright penned another chapter Wednesday at Miller Park. With first baseman Albert Pujols as co-author, the Cardinals rolled to a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to complete a three-game sweep in front of an afternoon crowd of 37,784. Holding an 11 1/2-game lead with 21 games remaining, their season no longer qualifies as a suspense thriller. A how-to book may be more like it. Wainwright (18-7) stretched his major league lead in wins while becoming the National League's first pitcher to reach 200 innings. Pujols generated his 10th multi-homer game ..."

Wainwright racks up No. 16 in win over Nats

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August 31

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The Cardinals are 10 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs with 30 to play, a fact four noted college basketball coaches in attendance at Busch Stadium on Sunday might think is like having a 10-point cushion with three minutes to play. The Cardinals' Adam Wainwright took over the major-league lead in wins at 16 with his 26th consecutive start of six innings or longer as John Beilein of Michigan, Bruce Weber of Illinois, and former coaches Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State and Bob Knight of Texas Tech watched. "That's three coaches and one media (member)," corrected Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, finally able to relax after his team won 2-1 and swept a hard-fought three games from a pesky ..."

Cardinals 9, Padres 2 Pitcher Wainwright also hits his second home run of the season to get scoring going in rout against San Diego.

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August 15

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright on Friday night became the first National League pitcher to reach 14 wins, and he tied Boston's Josh Beckett for most victories by any big-league pitcher this year. But Wainwright has more home runs. American League wins leader Beckett did hit a homer in interleague play this season, but Wainwright rocketed his second of the year to break a scoreless tie in the third inning with the San Diego Padres. Returning to what he does best, Wainwright proceeded to blank the Padres for seven innings in a 9-2 Cardinals victory before a sellout house of 42,208 paid at Busch Stadium."

Flaw uncovered in delivery of St. Louis Cardinals' Wainwright

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May 11

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The Cardinals' most important development Sunday might have taken place in their clubhouse rather than on the field during a 10-inning, 8-7 win over the Reds. Pulled after six innings from another high pitch count start, Adam Wainwright spoke optimistically about detecting a flaw in his delivery. The bug has compromised his command and forced him to expend disproportionate effort in his six starts. Teammate Chris Carpenter sat with Wainwright during Sunday's late innings to compare video of his no-decision against the Reds against a look from his solid 2008 season. Wainwright was alarmed to learn his arm slot is "three to four inches, probably, five inches maybe" more vertical than typical ..."

Wainwright to start again

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August 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Still classified by the Cardinals as a start-to-start starter, Adam Wainwright did will enough in his return Friday to merit a start Wednesday, in the homestand finale against Milwaukee. Manager Tony La Russa confirmed Saturday his starting pitchers for the two-game series against the wild-card-leading Brewers. Todd Wellemeyer will go Tuesday and Wainwright, fresh from his six-inning start and win Friday, will follow. "Pencil everything in and you adjust as you go," La Russa said of fitting his rotation around the schedule. "We are trying to win games and we have got no cushion. Quite literally, we're game to game. Look at how we've done it all year long. We're not going to make ..."

Wainwright will start Friday

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August 21

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Manager Tony La Russa today finally answered the burning question of what to do with righthander Adam Wainwright. La Russa said Wainwright, who has had a sprained middle finger on his right hand, will start Friday night here against the Atlanta Braves. Wainwright, who had lobbied La Russa to return to the rotation rather than coming back as a reliever, will be making his first appearance in the majors since he got hurt on June 7 at Houston. La Russa said that righthander Joel Pineiro, who was to have started Friday, will back up Wainwright, who is targeted to go as high as 80 pitches. "(Wainwright) feels like he's 100 percent and ready to go," La Russa said. In theory, Wainwright then ..."

Wainwright says he's ready

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August 20

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Suggesting a modification of the team's previously stated blueprint, disabled Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright insisted Tuesday he is ready to pitch, preferably in the team's starting rotation as early as Friday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves. Wainwright completed a bullpen throw Tuesday little more than an hour after fellow disabled starter Chris Carpenter threw for about 10 minutes in the Busch Stadium outfield. Tuesday's abbreviated session was Carpenter's first throw since leaving an Aug. 10 start against the Chicago Cubs with posterior shoulder discomfort. Carpenter emerged insisting that he experienced no residual pain; however, it is increasingly clear that Wainwright ..."

Wainwright in pitching limbo

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August 18

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The Cardinals have not yet decided when Adam Wainwright will be activated or even how he will be used. But it is increasingly apparent to pitching coach Dave Duncan that the staff's current needs call for Wainwright and Chris Carpenter to perform different chores. In other words, Duncan is not projecting Wainwright and Carpenter as 40 percent of the late August or September rotation. "It's unlikely. I'm not saying it couldn't happen. But it's unlikely," Duncan said before Sunday's loss to the Reds. Duncan spoke to Wainwright after the pitcher's 4 2/3-inning rehab start Saturday night at Class AA Springfield. Wainwright struck out seven, did not allow a run and told Duncan he had much ..."

Wainwright's rehab

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August 17

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Adam Wainwright pitched well enough and felt good enough in Saturday's rehab start for Class AA Springfield to say he's ready for whatever role awaits in the majors. "I feel like I'm ready, for sure," Wainwright said in a phone interview after his 4 2/3 scoreless innings. "Eighty (pitches) would be no problem (in the next start). Eighty-five would be no problem. I'm ready for that. I just have to wait and see what role I'm in." Rehabbing a severely sprained right middle finger, Wainwright threw 64 pitches, and of the 14 outs he worked, half were strikeouts. Most of those strikeouts were on his off-speed pitches, including a curve that was the best it has been, Wainwright said. The ..."

Wainwright's role up in air

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August 13

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Even as Chris Carpenter made his way to St. Louis to meet with the team doctor about pain in his right arm, the Cardinals began to prepare in case the righthanded pitcher misses more than just Friday's start. That includes a change in Adam Wainwright's rehab plan. Carpenter, who was removed from Sunday's game after feeling discomfort in his right triceps, met with Dr. George Paletta and was diagnosed with a muscle strain in his posterior shoulder, the area on the backside of the shoulder near the joint. The club released a statement late Tuesday night saying a scan showed no damage to Carpenter's rotator cuff. The righthander will rejoin the team in Florida, though he will miss his start ..."

Wainwright continues to improve

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August 12

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Adam Wainwright continued his climb back toward the majors and his planned late-inning role in the Cardinals' bullpen with an increase in pitches and an improvement in performance Monday. He threw 48 pitches in Memphis in his three innings for the Cardinals' Class AAA affiliate. The righthander allowed four hits, two runs (both earned) and struck out two and was not involved in the decision in a 3-2 loss to New Orleans. At pitching coach Dave Duncan's urging, the Cardinals upped Wainwright's pitch count from the planned 25. Duncan said it was "to give him a better chance to work on all of his pitches." In his first rehab start Friday, Wainwright had to throw his curveball at odd counts ..."

Wainwright waiting; La Russa miffed at media

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July 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Pitcher Adam Wainwright will not go on a rehab assignment Friday after mixing in only "about eight strikes" during a bullpen session Tuesday. Pitching coach Dave Duncan previously suggested Wainwright could go out Friday if Tuesday's session was flawless. However, manager Tony La Russa insisted Tuesday that Duncan's comments were intentionally misrepresented and that no plan was in place to begin Wainwright's rehab this week. La Russa was also miffed by media queries about Wainwright's role -- starter or closer? -- once he returns from a sprained right middle finger. General manager John Mozeliak estimated Wainwright's rehab would begin in seven to 10 days, suggesting Aug. 5 as a target ..."

Wainwright ready to rehab

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July 29

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The timeline may be written in pencil, but barring complications during today's bullpen session pitcher Adam Wainwright will begin a rehab assignment Friday with an abbreviated start for an unspecified affiliate. Wainwright was noncommittal about what might be planned. "I plan on throwing a side (today) and finding out what's next after that," he said. Last week, Wainwright believed he might be 2 1/2 weeks away from being activated. He has been on the disabled list since early June after suffering damage to the sheath protecting his right middle finger during a start in Houston. Pitching coach Dave Duncan did not project Wainwright's role upon returning, but an abbreviated rehab would ..."

No surgery for Wainwright

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June 11

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The club will probably put Wainwright on the disabled list today with what it describes as a sprained right middle finger but is more specifically a tear of a "pulley" that connects to the finger's flexor tendon.The injury, which forced Wainwright from Saturday night's start against the Houston Astros, is less serious than a tear of the flexor tendon itself and, according to the club, will not require surgery. However, it is not considered minor."

Wainwright heading to DL

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June 10

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright spent most of Monday meeting with doctors about the injured middle finger on his pitching hand, and ended the day with the finger in a splint and an uncertain timetable for his return.Wainwright will be placed on the 15-day disabled list today with a sprained finger, the Cardinals announced Monday evening. It will be at least a week before the righthander grabs a baseball."