[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 4, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4925-S4926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Tribute to Adam Wainwright

  Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I rise to honor a St. Louis great who, 
although he has thrown his last pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals, has 
left a lasting impression on Cardinal Nation.
  In 2003, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Adam Wainwright, Ray King, 
and Jason Marquis in exchange for J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero. Little did 
we know the impact that trade would have on the Cardinals--the crown 
jewel of the National League, of course--for years to come.
  Wainwright--or Waino, as we call him--just recently notched his 200th 
win, a huge milestone, which, by the way, in the game today may never 
be reached again. Starters just generally don't pitch that many games 
and don't get as many wins. So it is a big milestone. And he is retired 
from baseball now. He did that in front of thousands of fans at Bush 
Stadium.
  But his career was more than just 200 wins; it was 18-plus years of 
just nasty curveballs and heart-stopping wins, years of camaraderie and 
postseason excellence, and countless memories for all of us Cardinals 
fans.
  In his first full season in the majors with the Cardinals, Waino 
pitched in 61 games and boasted an impressive 3.12 ERA. It was in that 
first full season that he showed the ice in his veins that he became 
known for, as he became closer at the end of the season due to an 
injury to Jason Isringhausen.
  In the bottom of the ninth in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, Wainwright 
stood on the mound, bases loaded, with the mighty Carlos Beltran at the 
plate. Historically, Beltran had kind of owned the Cardinals, even back 
to his Astros days. You have two strikes on Beltran, and Wainwright 
kicked back and delivered a knockout curveball that Beltran watched all 
the way into Yadier Molina's glove. Strike three. The game was over. 
The series was over. In that moment, the Cardinals headed to the World 
Series, and St. Louis knew they had a star.
  On a personal note, I know exactly where I was when that pitch was 
delivered. I was at a bar in Kirkwood, near my home. I was at the very 
last seat of that bar. For every clinching away game for the next 15 
years, I and a couple of friends went back to that same place. It had 
some magic for a while. It ran out, as these things often do.
  But it was a great moment and a great way to start his career with 
the Cardinals.
  He would go on to secure the final out in the 2006 World Series with 
a strikeout by way of his signature 12-to-6 curveball--otherwise known 
as Uncle Charlie--becoming the only player to close out the World 
Series in the 21st century as a rookie and delivering a World Series 
championship that the Cardinals hadn't had since 1982.
  Bolstered by his batterymate and self-professed ``brother,'' the 
legendary Yadier Molina, who retired last year, Wainwright delivered 
countless gems and showed up at the most crucial moments.
  Wainwright tossed seven innings and won his first MLB start against 
the Astros in April of 2007. While he was injured during the Cardinals' 
storybook run in 2011, he was a monumental presence in the clubhouse, 
as he was for over 18 years. He hit a home run on the first pitch of 
his first at bat in the majors. He pitched a complete game in the 
winner-take-all game 5 of the 2013 NLDS, fanning six and catapulting 
the Cardinals into another deep October run.
  During the 2022 season that saw the return of Albert Pujols to St. 
Louis and the end of the Yadier Molina era, Wainwright and Molina set 
an alltime record for the most starts as a battery at 325. I am pretty 
sure that record will never be broken either.
  Two of the most beloved St. Louis Cardinals, starting there as mere 
teammates, had an incredible run together, and they are best friends 
and St. Louis legends.
  Although this season has been a difficult one for the Cardinals and 
not everything we had hoped for, we at least got to see Adam Wainwright 
reach one more milestone--200 wins--in his farewell season.
  A three-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champion, a two-time 
Gold Glover, and a Silver Slugger, Wainwright's success on the mound is 
well-documented. But aside from all of those accomplishments on the 
field, he also shined as an ambassador for the city of St. Louis and 
the sport of baseball.
  The 2020 Roberto Clemente Award winner, which is given to the player 
who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community 
involvement, Wainwright had an unrivaled passion for our community in 
St. Louis and helping others. He founded a nonprofit in 2013, Big 
League Impact, which has since raised over $8 million for a host of 
charitable organizations and foundations. He served as the 
unrelentingly optimistic beating heart of Cardinals teams that have 
seen stunning victories and heartbreaking losses.
  Despite growing up in Georgia, Wainwright truly embodies what it 
means to be a St. Louis Cardinal and has served brilliantly as an 
ambassador for the beloved franchise--a franchise that is steeped in 
rich history, and some of the greatest players of all time have proudly 
worn the birds on the bat. It is a franchise that has won more World 
Series than any other, save the Yankees. I have been blessed, along 
with family members--my dad and my kids--to watch a lot of those greats 
over the years. Wainwright is undoubtedly one of those greats, not only 
for his prowess on the field but for his philanthropy and dedication to 
St. Louis off the field.
  Today, I think I speak for all of Cardinal Nation when I say: Thank 
you, Waino. It has been a pleasure watching you all these years. 
Congrats on a fantastic career, and good luck in your next chapter.
  I yield the floor.

[[Page S4926]]

  

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.