St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Adam Wainwright Headlining Concert Before Retirement
With his retirement looming, the St. Louis Cardinals are making preparations for Adam Wainwright's final start at Busch Stadium.
Wainwright, who has appeared in 477 games for the Cardinals since 2005, is preparing for life after baseball himself. The 42-year-old right-hander has attempted to carve out a career in the arts, and he will get a chance to once again show off his pipes in St. Louis later this month.
As was first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold, Wainwright will hold a live concert after the Cardinals' game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 30. The performance will feature three original songs from Wainwright's upcoming album, and it will end with a fireworks display.
The following day, the team is giving away 25,000 playable Adam Wainwright guitars.
Wainwright sang the National Anthem prior to the Cardinals' home opener back on March 30, two months after he held a concert in front of 500 fans in Springfield, Illinois. The three-time All-Star also plays the guitar and is an aspiring country music star.
Retirement couldn't come at a better time for Wainwright, who is 4-11 with a career-worst 7.95 ERA and 1.979 WHIP. It was a sharp dropoff for Wainwright, as he was still one of the game's top pitchers as recently as last year.
Wainwright was tied for the seventh-most starts in baseball from 2020 to 2022 with 74, all while posting a 3.34 ERA and 1.150 WHIP in that span. As he approached his 40th birthday, Wainwright still led the league in complete games in both 2020 and 2021.
With 17 games left in the season, Wainwright likely only has three starts left to reach 200 career wins. He currently sits at 199.
Wainwright ranks No. 2 in WAR, No. 2 in strikeouts, No. 2 in starts and No. 3 in wins among pitchers in Cardinals franchise history. He is 199-128 with a 3.54 ERA and 2,199 strikeouts.
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