This Day in Cardinals History: Three Icons Walk Off Together One Last Time

This was the last time fans saw these three icons on the field together.

Oct 2, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) and first baseman Albert Pujols (5) walk off the field together after all three were removed from the game during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Over the past several years, the St. Louis Cardinals have not been quite the team they once were, having missed the playoffs four straight years, but there have still been some memorable moments at Busch Stadium. The team last reached the playoffs in 2022, which was the final curtain call for Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.

On this day four years ago, the Cardinals celebrated the two of them with a retirement ceremony before the last home game of the regular season. In addition, Adam Wainwright started the game for St. Louis.

Wainwright allowed six runs that day, but Pujols hit his final home run at Busch Stadium. In the top of the fifth inning, manager Oli Marmol went out to pull Wainwright from his start, but ended up creating one of the most iconic images in Cardinals history. Marmol wasn't just out there to take Wainwright out of the game, but also Pujols and Molina.

And so, the three of them walked off the field together one last time as the crowd gave a standing ovation to the franchise legends.

Cardinals icons created memorable image in franchise history

It was certainly bittersweet. The start didn't go the way Wainwright had hoped, and fans were sad to say goodbye to Pujols and Molina, but the three walking off the field together was also a beautiful moment in a lot of ways.

These three legends had been teammates from 2005-11, having won two World Series titles together. Pujols had left after 2011, but returned for his final season with his two close friends, and as they walked off the field, fans were flooded with memories created by some of their favorite players.

It's safe to say that there wasn't a single dry eye in sight that day, but it was only fitting that they all walked off together one last time. The crowd certainly appreciated the moment, and so did the franchise legends.

The careers of Pujols and Molina came to a close a few days later when the Cardinals were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the playoffs, but they ultimately had a storybook ending, with Pujols reaching 700 home runs and Molina and Wainwright setting the record for the most starts together as a battery.

Now, four years later, Pujols and Molina are enshrined in the Cardinals Hall of Fame, with Wainwright almost certain to follow in 2027.

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