| 2009 St. Louis Cardinals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League Central champions | ||||
 | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | Central | |||
| Ballpark | Busch Stadium | |||
| City | St. Louis, Missouri | |||
| Record | 91–71 (.562) | |||
| Divisional place | 1st | |||
| Owners | William DeWitt, Jr., Fred Hanser | |||
| General managers | John Mozeliak | |||
| Managers | Tony La Russa | |||
| Television | FS Midwest (Dan McLaughlin,Al Hrabosky) KSDK (NBC 5) (Jay Randolph,Rick Horton) | |||
| Radio | KTRS (Mike Shannon,John Rooney) | |||
| ||||
The2009 St. Louis Cardinals season was the128th season for theSt. Louis Cardinals, aMajor League Baseballfranchise inSt. Louis,Missouri. It was the 118th season for the Cardinals in theNational League and their 4th atBusch Stadium III.
The Cardinals, coming off an 86–76 season and fourth place in the NL Central, got off to a strong start in April before a team-wide offensive breakdown caused them to fall behind theCubs in the NL Central standings. Brilliant seasons from starting pitchersChris Carpenter,Adam Wainwright, andJoel Piñeiro helped St. Louis to stay in contention until the key midseason acquisitions ofMatt Holliday,Mark DeRosa, andJulio Lugo revived the Cardinal offense. An August 20–6 effectively ended theNational League Central race, and the Cardinals won the division with a 91–71 record, seven-and-a-half games better than the second-place Cubs. However, their playoff run ended quickly when they were swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers in theNLDS. The Cardinals also hosted theAll-Star Game on July 14.
The Cardinals retained the services of backup catcherJason LaRue, signing him to another one-year contract.[1]
On December 4, 2008, the Cardinals agreed to a trade with theSan Diego Padres sending relieverMark Worrell and a player-to-be-named-later (the Padres eventually chose minor-league pitcher Luke Gregerson[2]) in exchange for shortstopKhalil Greene, who will make $6.5 mil, and will be eligible forfree agency after 2009.[3] Greene replacedCésar Izturis, who departed via free agency.
Utility infielderAaron Miles, a member of the2006 World Series champion Cardinals, signed a two-year deal on December 31 to play with theCubs.[4]Felipe López, who became the starting second baseman after a 2008 deadline trade and hit .385 for the Cardinals in two months, became a free agent and signed with the Diamondbacks.[5] The third and last second baseman on the 2008 Cardinals,Adam Kennedy, was given his unconditional release on February 9.[6] With no second baseman with significant big-league experience on the roster, outfielderSkip Schumaker was tabbed to make the unusual transition.[7] Late in training camp Schumaker was designated the official starting second baseman.[8]
Third basemanTroy Glaus underwent right shoulder surgery on January 21, 2009, and was originally expected to miss Opening Day (April 6) and probably most of April.[9] Glaus' progress in rehabbing his repaired right shoulder stalled, and he did not return until September (see below).
Kyle Lohse, who went 15–6 with a 3.78 ERA after signing a one-year contract with the 2008 Cardinals, was re-signed to a hefty four-year, $41 mil. contract on September 29, 2008, the day after the season ended.[10]Mark Mulder's injury-plagued time in St. Louis ended when the Cardinals declined to pick up his $11 mil. option, but instead bought out the remaining year of his contract in 2009 for $1.5 mil.[11]
In December, the Cardinals declined to offer arbitration to relief pitchersRuss Springer andJason Isringhausen, starterBraden Looper,[12] and relieversTyler Johnson andRandy Flores.[13] St. Louis made no attempt to retain lefty relieverRon Villone, who eventually signed with the Mets.[14] On Dec 3, to fill the lack of left-handed relievers caused by the departure of Flores, Johnson, and Villone, they signed lefty relief specialistTrever Miller to a one-year deal potentially worth $2 million if he reaches all the incentives in the contract.[15]
On January 5, the Cardinals signed lefty relieverRoyce Ring who was with the2008 Atlanta Braves, to a one-year contract.[16] However, two months later the Cardinals signedDennys Reyes, a 31-yr.-old left-handed relief specialist, to a two-year deal worth approximately $3 mil.[17] A few weeks after the acquisition of Reyes, Ring was placed on waivers,[18] eventually accepting an assignment to the minor leagues.[19]
St. Louis went 19-12-2 inGrapefruit League play,[20] their most victories since they had 21 wins in 1997. Attendance atRDS was 106,266 in 18 home games (9-7-2) for an average home attendance of 5,901. In 15 road games (10-5-0), attendance 84,499; road average 5,633.[21]
On March 30, relief pitcherChris Perez was optioned to AAA, finalizing the pitching situation for Opening Day. Cardinals will carry 12 pitchers, including seven relievers which include long-relieverBrad Thompson.[22] RookieJason Motte appeared to win the closer job, although the Cardinals made no official announcement.[23]
Joe Mather was the final cut in spring training. Among the players making the Cardinals out of camp were utility infieldersJoe Thurston andBrian Barden and two players making their big-league debuts:David Freese, who took the injured Troy Glaus' spot at third base, and former first-round draft pick (and highly anticipated prospect)[24][25]Colby Rasmus.[26] Mather's demotion leftRyan Ludwick as the only outfielder on the roster who hits right-handed.
Opening Day 2009 looked a lot like 2008: a blown save and a bullpen loss. Rookie closerJason Motte gave up four runs with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Pirates beat the Cardinals 6–4.[27]
On April 7, the Cardinals beat the Pirates 9-3 asAlbert Pujols hit his first home run of the season and reached base five times. As such, Pujols became only the third Cardinals player in the last 55 years to reach base four or more times in each of the first two games of the season.[28] On April 8, the Cardinals lost to the Pirates by a score of 7–4, but Albert Pujols set the franchise record for most assists by a first baseman in a 9-inning game with seven. It was the most assists by a Major League first baseman since the National League record of eight was set in 1971. Pujols also collected his 700th career walk in the game.[29]
On April 9, Chris Carpenter and relievers Franklin and Reyes combined on a one-hitter as the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 2–1. It was Carpenter's first victory since Game 3 of the2006 World Series, October 24.[30] St. Louis followed up the Pittsburgh series with a three-game sweep over Houston. In the second game of the Astro series (Apr. 11), Pujols tied a career best with seven RBI as the Cardinals won 11–2;[31] while in the final game Kyle Lohse retired 24 consecutive batters en route to a 3-0 complete game victory.[32]
On April 14, staff aceChris Carpenter injured his left rib cage while batting. Early estimates were that he would miss at least a month, and it might be as long as two months.[33] AnMRI exam on April 16 revealed an oblique tear on his left side.[34] On April 17, rookie pitcherP. J. Walters was called up fromAAA-Memphis to take Carpenter's spot in the rotation.[35]
On April 20 the Cardinals attempted to buttress a sagging bullpen by trading former Rule 5 draft pickBrian Barton forAtlanta Braves' relief pitcherBlaine Boyer. Boyer was tabbed to join the big-league club, leaving St. Louis with 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster, withDavid Freese optioned toMemphis.[36][37]
On Saturday, April 25, in a nationally televised game onFox, with the Cardinals leading 3–1 in the seventh inning against theChicago Cubs,Albert Pujols hit his 8th careergrand slam, helping the team win its 5th consecutive game (8-2) and solidifying their lead in the NL Central division. The slam also gave him 1,002 RBIs, making him the 260th player to reach the 1,000-level.[38][39]
Brendan Ryan went to the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain on April 30, and former first-round draft pickTyler Greene was called up to be Ryan's replacement.[40] The Cardinals finished the month of April with a 16–7 record, best in baseball.[41] Albert Pujols was named Player of the Month for April and Brian Barden Rookie of the Month.[42]
Center fielderRick Ankiel ran face-first into the outfield wall while making a catch on May 4. Three days later, he was placed on the DL (retroactive to May 5), and minor-league outfielderShane Robinson was called up to take his place on the roster.[43] On May 12, right fielderRyan Ludwick joined Ankiel on the DL after straining his righthamstring against thePirates. The team recalledNick Stavinoha from its AAA-Memphis team to take Ludwick's spot on the roster.[44]
The injuries to Ankiel and Ludwick, combined with the continuing absence of Carpenter, contributed to a 4-10 stretch that dropped the Cardinals out of first place in the NL Central. In a showdown series between the Cardinals and Brewers May 16–18, Milwaukee swept St. Louis in St. Louis, winning three games by a combined score of 17–6. In the opener, Wainwright held the Brewers to two hits in eight innings but still lost, 1–0, on a Corey Hart home run. In the second game, Cardinal pitchers walked eight batters and hit four; in the third game, they walked eleven and hit one. Milwaukee took over first place in the Central.
On May 20,Chris Carpenter returned after missing a month with a strainedoblique. Carpenter pitched five shutout innings, and the Cards won a pitching duel with the Cubs, 2–1.[45] In his next start Carpenter was perfect for six innings, but St. Louis lost in 10 innings to Milwaukee, 1–0.[46] Carpenter's ERA remained at 0.00 after his first four appearances. The two Carpenter starts were part of a nine-game streak for Cardinal pitching in which they held the opposition to three runs or less in every game and did not allow a home run.
On the 29th Ludwick was activated from the DL. To make room, the Cardinals put Khalil Greene on the DL with "social anxiety disorder".[47] Greene, signed with the intention of being the everyday shortstop in 2009, played poorly in the field, was hitting .200 at the time he hit the DL, and had been playing less and less frequently in May.[48] St. Louis went 13–14 in May and finished the month at 29–21, one game behind Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Cardinals spent the month of May in a horrific team batting slump that saw them post a .299 OBP for the month, dead last in baseball;[49] exceptionally strong pitching in May (3.56 team ERA) helped St. Louis stay close to the top of the NL Central standings.[50]
On June 4, the Cardinals released newly acquired pitcherBlaine Boyer and called upJess Todd to take his place.[51] One day later,Kyle Lohse, still suffering from the aftereffects of a hit-by-pitch on his throwing forearm, May 23, went to the DL for the first time in his career, and infielderTyler Greene recalled.[52] The day after that (June 6), pitcherBlake Hawksworth became the 13th rookie to play for the Cardinals in 2009 (a major-league high for any team) and the seventh to make his major-league debut, when he was called up and Jess Todd was sent down.[53]
The continuing team-wide offensive blackout reached its nadir in the second week of June, when the Colorado Rockies, second-worst team in the NL with a 21–32 record prior to the series, came to St. Louis and swept the Cardinals in four games, outscoring the Cardinals 33–9.
Khalil Greene, after three weeks on the disabled list due to anxiety disorder, was activated on June 18.[54] In his first start since being activated, on June 19, Greene started at third base and hit a home run.[55] He went on to hit a home run in each of his first three games back, helping the Cardinals to sweep Kansas City in Kansas City and reclaim sole possession of first place in the NL Central. However, Greene went 0 for his next 16, suffered a relapse of his social anxiety disorder, and went back on the disabled list.[56]
On June 27, in an effort to revive a sputtering offense, the Cardinals acquiredMark DeRosa from Cleveland for Chris Perez and aplayer to be named later. DeRosa, who in his career has played every position but pitcher, catcher, and center field, was expected to play third base for St. Louis.[57] One month later Cleveland selectedJess Todd to complete the deal.[58]
A continuing inability to hit (.310 OBP for June) weighed down the Cardinals for another month: they went 12-17 for June to drop their record for 2009 to 41–38.
On July 5,Albert Pujols andYadier Molina were named as winners of the fan balloting and starters for theNational League in the80th All-Star Game.[59]Ryan Franklin, 20 for 21 in save opportunities with a 0.84 ERA, was selected to be one of the relief pitchers.[60] On July 14, St. Louis hosted theAll-Star Game for thefirst time in 43 years. The AL beat the NL 4–3.Albert Pujols was 0-for-3 with an error that led to an AL run,Yadier Molina had an RBI single, andRyan Franklin pitched a scoreless inning.
After appearing in only three games for St. Louis, new additionMark DeRosa went onto the disabled list (retroactive to July 1) on July 7, suffering from a strainedwrist.[61] However, the rest of the Cardinals, buoyed by Pujols, a hotColby Rasmus, and a resurgentRyan Ludwick, went 6–4 on their ten-game road trip before the break, and entered the All-Star break with a 49–42 record and a 2.5 game lead in the NL Central.
The middle of July saw major changes to the Cardinals lineup. On July 18,Mark DeRosa, suffering from a torntendon sheath in his wrist that eventually required offseason surgery, was reactivated from the DL and returned to the starting lineup.[62] Four days later,Chris Duncan, one of the few remaining players from the2006 world champion Cardinals, was traded to theBoston Red Sox forshortstopJulio Lugo, along with a player-to-be-named-later or cash; and the team recalledBrian Barden.[63][64] Two days after that, on July 24, the Cardinals traded three prospects, including their #1 prospect, third basemanBrett Wallace, pitcherClayton Mortensen, and outfielderShane Peterson, for Oakland Athletics outfielderMatt Holliday.[65]
On July 28,Todd Wellemeyer was demoted to the bullpen.Mitchell Boggs was called up fromAAA-Memphis to take his July 31 start. At the time of the move, Wellemeyer's 5.79 ERA was second-worst in the National League among players with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.[66]
Buoyed by the arrival of Holliday and Lugo plus the return of DeRosa to the lineup and a hotRick Ankiel, the Cardinals won six of their last nine games in July, and went 16-11 for the month. They ended July 1/2 game ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central.Ryan Ludwick earned honors as the National LeaguePlayer of the Month for July, after batting.340 with 6 HR's and a league-high 28 RBI. The Cardinals have had the NL's top player three of the first four months with Albert Pujols winning the award in both April and June.[67]
Albert Pujols tied the all-time NL season record set byErnie Banksin 1955 by hitting his fifthgrand slam of the year, (and his second HR of the game) on August 4 atNew York. Pujols' slam was the exclamation point in a 12–7, 10-inning victory, in which Pujols went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. The Cardinals previously forced extra innings by rallying for two runs in the ninth off Mets' ace closerFrancisco Rodríguez.[68][69]
After briefly returning to the starting rotation, Todd Wellemeyer went on the DL with elbow inflammation. Mitchell Boggs was again tabbed to take his place in the rotation.[70] Later in the month, starting pitcherKyle Lohse joined him on the DL with a strained groin.[71]
The team came to terms and signed their #1 draft pick, pitcherShelby Miller, on August 17, just hours before the deadline.[72][73]
John Smoltz signed with the team on August 19 as a probable fifth starter and also possible reliever after theRed Sox released him.[74] In his first start, against San Diego, Smoltz threw five scoreless innings, striking out nine, and got the win.
The Cardinals played some of their best baseball of the season in the middle of August. Consecutive series victories against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Los Angeles, plus a win in the first game of another series with San Diego, pushed St. Louis to 17 games over .500 at 70–53, the furthest over .500 the franchise had reached since the 2005 team went 100–62. St. Louis opened up a six-game lead over the second-place Cubs during this stretch.
A 7–0 victory fromChris Carpenter, giving him an NL-tying 14th win, overSan Diego atPetco Park on August 22, was the unofficial 10,000th win in franchise history. The official total (9,219) is lower because the Cardinals franchise does not count its ten years in theAmerican Association in its all-time statistics.[75]
On August 28,Albert Pujols hit his eighth career walk-off home run inJohn Smoltz's first home game atBusch Stadium in a 3–2 win overWashington.[76]
A sweep of the Nationals ended one of the best Augusts in franchise history. The Cardinals went 20-6 for the month, pushing their overall record to 22 games over .500 at 77–55, and opening up a ten-game lead over the Cubs. They did not lose a series all month.Albert Pujols had a 1.092 OPS for the month whileMatt Holliday, whose acquisition at the end of July coincided with the sudden takeoff of the Cardinals, posted a .963 OPS for August.[77] AcesAdam Wainwright andChris Carpenter had ERAs of 1.30 and 2.20 for August. CloserRyan Franklin did not allow a run all month.[78] Wainwright's 2–1 win over the Nationals on August 30 made him MLB's first 16-game winner.[79] Carpenter was named the NL's Pitcher of the Month for August.[80]
Third basemanTroy Glaus, out all year with a shoulder injury, became the first September call-up after maximum roster size expanded to 40.[81] Adam Wainwright was touched for six runs in five innings by the Pirates but still earned his league-leading 17th victory on September 4.[82]Albert Pujols hit only his second careerpinch-hit home run in the 10th for a dramatic 2–1 game-winner over thePirates, atPNC Park, September 5.[83]
Chris Carpenter threw a one-hitter on September 7 against theBrewers atMiller Park, striking out 10, earning his firstshutout since September 11, 2006,[84] and reaching 1,300 career strikeouts.
A three-game sweep by the Braves September 11–13 marked the first time St. Louis had lost a series since July 24–26 against Philadelphia, and the first time the Cardinals lost the opening game of a series since July 20 against Houston.
After theMemphis Redbirds' season ended with a loss in theAAA National Championship Game, the Cardinals announced four more September call-ups: David Freese, Tyler Greene, Josh Kinney, andMatt Pagnozzi.[85] Pagnozzi, nephew to former Cardinals All-Star catcherTom Pagnozzi, first appeared in a game on September 29, becoming the tenth player to make his big-league debut with the 2009 Cardinals. The other nine rookies were Freese, Greene,P. J. Walters,Shane Robinson,Jarrett Hoffpauir,Colby Rasmus,Blake Hawksworth,Clayton Mortensen, andJess Todd.
The Cardinals finally clinched the NL Central championship at Colorado (September 26), with their 90th win, 6–3, on a tie-breaking home run by replacement catcherJason LaRue in the 7th inning.[86]Ryan Ludwick later added a pinch-hit 2-run home run in the 9th inning.Adam Wainwright got his NL-leading 19th win, going 8 innings with 130 pitches, giving up 10 hits, walking one, and striking out 11. It was the Cardinals' seventh NL division championship in the last ten seasons, and eighth for managerTony La Russa in 14 seasons as Cardinal manager, although one championship was a shared one withHouston in 2001.
On October 1, Chris Carpenter threw five shutout innings in a 13–0 victory over Cincinnati. Carpenter finished his season with a 17–4 record. He lowered his ERA to 2.24, securing his first ERA title and the first ERA title for any Cardinal sinceJoe Magrane was National League ERA champion in 1988. Carpenter also hit the first home run of his big league career, a grand slam, and drove in six runs to double his career RBI total.[87]
In that same game Carpenter pitched (Oct 1,2009),Tony La Russa passedJohn McGraw for second-most games managed in baseball with his 4,770th game managed (2,552-2,214-4). La Russa gets three more games (October 4) to extend his managed games to 4,773 (2,552-2,217-4) by the end of the2009 season.
The next night, a bullpen collapse robbed Adam Wainwright of his chance to be the only 20-game winner in baseball, but Wainwright still finished as the National League leader in wins, with a 19–8 record and a 2.63 ERA.[88]
The Cardinals finished the 2009 season losing 8 of their last 10 and 14 of their last 21 to go 91-71 for the year.Albert Pujols won his first home run title with 47, despite not homering after September 9. He also broke the all-time single-season record forassists by afirst baseman with his record 185th in the last game.[89]
On October 5,Chris Carpenter was named NL Comeback Player of the Year (second time) for his superb season, after leading the NL with a 2.24 ERA and an .810 winning percentage (17-4).[90]
In the2009 National League Division Series, St. Louis faced off against the Los Angeles Dodgers, NL West champions. The Cardinals went 5–2 against the Dodgers in the regular season, and were the favorites in the National League,[91] but the Dodgers swept the Cardinals in three games to bring St. Louis' 2009 season to a quick end. It was only the second time in eight trips to the postseason that a LaRussa-led Cardinals team lost in the first round.
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina wonGold Gloves, the first for Wainwright and second for Molina.[92] Albert Pujols won theSilver Slugger Award as the best hitting first baseman in the NL,[93] and the Hank Aaron Award as the best hitter in the National League.[94] In a close race, Wainwright finished third in voting (90 pts.) for theCy Young Award despite getting the most first place votes (12). Chris Carpenter finished second (94 pts.), six points behind winnerTim Lincecum.[95] Albert Pujols won his second consecutiveMost Valuable Player award, winning all 32 first place votes.[96]
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | 91 | 71 | .562 | — | 46–35 | 45–36 |
| Chicago Cubs | 83 | 78 | .516 | 7½ | 46–34 | 37–44 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 80 | 82 | .494 | 11 | 40–41 | 40–41 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 78 | 84 | .481 | 13 | 40–41 | 38–43 |
| Houston Astros | 74 | 88 | .457 | 17 | 44–37 | 30–51 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 62 | 99 | .385 | 28½ | 40–41 | 22–58 |
Regular Season Schedule (calendar style)Archived February 15, 2009, at theWayback Machine
Regular Season Schedule (sortable text)Archived March 10, 2009, at theWayback Machine
Downloadable Schedule forMicrosoft Outlook,Palm (PDA)
National Broadcast ScheduleArchived February 10, 2009, at theWayback Machine
All game times are inCentral Time Zone.[97]
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| Cardinals WIN | Cardinals LOSS | Game POSTPONED |
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APRIL (16–7)
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MAY (13–14)
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JUNE (12–17)
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JULY (16-11)
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AUGUST (20-6)
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SEPTEMBER (13-13)
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OCTOBER (1-3)
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Source:MLB Standings Grid – 2009 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LAD | MIL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | WAS | AL |
| Arizona | – | 3–4 | 4-2 | 1–5 | 7-11 | 5–3 | 5–4 | 7-11 | 2–5 | 5–2 | 1–5 | 6–1 | 11-7 | 5-13 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 5–10 |
| Atlanta | 4–3 | – | 4–2 | 3–6 | 4–4 | 8-10 | 3-3 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 13–5 | 10-8 | 3–4 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 10-8 | 7–8 |
| Chicago | 2-4 | 2–4 | – | 10-5 | 2–4 | 4–3 | 11–6 | 3–5 | 10-7 | 3-3 | 1–5 | 10-4 | 4–5 | 4-2 | 6-10 | 5–2 | 6–9 |
| Cincinnati | 5-1 | 6-3 | 5-10 | – | 0-7 | 3-3 | 12-4 | 1-5 | 8-7 | 2-4 | 2-5 | 13-5 | 1-6 | 3-3 | 8-8 | 3-4 | 6-9 |
| Colorado | 11-7 | 4-4 | 4-2 | 7-0 | – | 2-4 | 2-5 | 4-14 | 6-0 | 3-4 | 2-4 | 6-3 | 10-8 | 8-10 | 6-1 | 6-0 | 11-4 |
| Florida | 3-5 | 10-8 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 4-2 | – | 4–3 | 3-3 | 3-4 | 11-7 | 9-9 | 2-4 | 4-2 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 12-6 | 10-8 |
| Houston | 4–5 | 3-3 | 6-11 | 4-12 | 5-2 | 3-4 | – | 4–3 | 5-10 | 1-5 | 6-2 | 10-5 | 6-1 | 2-4 | 6-9 | 3-3 | 6-9 |
| Los Angeles | 11-7 | 3-4 | 5-3 | 5-1 | 14-4 | 3-3 | 3-4 | – | 3–3 | 5-1 | 4-3 | 4-3 | 10-8 | 11-7 | 2-5 | 3-2 | 9-9 |
| Milwaukee | 5-2 | 3-3 | 7-10 | 7-8 | 0-6 | 4-3 | 10-5 | 3-3 | – | 3-3 | 4-3 | 9-5 | 2-4 | 4-5 | 9-9 | 5-3 | 5-10 |
| New York | 2-5 | 5-13 | 3-3 | 4-2 | 4-3 | 7-11 | 5-1 | 1-5 | 3-3 | – | 6-12 | 4-3 | 2-5 | 5-3 | 4-5 | 10-8 | 5–10 |
| Philadelphia | 5-1 | 8-10 | 5-1 | 5-2 | 4-2 | 9-9 | 2-6 | 3-4 | 3-4 | 12-6 | – | 4-2 | 5-2 | 3-4 | 4-1 | 15-3 | 6-12 |
| Pittsburgh | 1-6 | 4-3 | 4-10 | 5-13 | 3-6 | 4-2 | 5-10 | 3-4 | 5-9 | 3-4 | 2-4 | – | 3-4 | 2-4 | 5-10 | 5-3 | 8–7 |
| San Diego | 7-11 | 3-3 | 5-4 | 6-1 | 8-10 | 2-4 | 1-6 | 8-10 | 4-2 | 5-2 | 2-5 | 4-3 | – | 10-8 | 1-6 | 4-2 | 5–10 |
| San Francisco | 13-5 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 10-8 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 7-11 | 5-4 | 3–5 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 8-10 | – | 4–3 | 4–2 | 9–6 |
| St. Louis | 4-2 | 2-4 | 10-6 | 8-8 | 1-6 | 3-3 | 9-6 | 5-2 | 9-9 | 5-4 | 1-4 | 10-5 | 6-1 | 3-4 | – | 6–1 | 9–6 |
| Washington | 5-1 | 8-10 | 2-5 | 4-3 | 0-6 | 6-12 | 3-3 | 2-3 | 3-5 | 8-10 | 3-15 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1-6 | – | 7–11 |
| 2009 St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders | Outfielders | Manager Coaches
| ||||||
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B= Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Walks; Avg. = Batting average; OBP = On-base percentage; SLG = Slugging percentage
(through October 4)
2009 St. Louis Cardinals batting stats at Baseball Reference
2009 St. Louis Cardinals hitting stats at Baseball Almanac
| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | Avg. | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Pujols | 160 | 568 | 124 | 186 | 45 | 1 | 47 | 135 | 115 | 64 | .327 | .443 | .658 |
| Skip Schumaker | 153 | 532 | 85 | 161 | 34 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 52 | 69 | .303 | .364 | .393 |
| Ryan Ludwick | 139 | 486 | 63 | 129 | 20 | 1 | 22 | 97 | 41 | 106 | .265 | .329 | .447 |
| Yadier Molina | 140 | 481 | 45 | 141 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 54 | 50 | 39 | .293 | .366 | .383 |
| Colby Rasmus | 147 | 474 | 72 | 119 | 22 | 2 | 16 | 52 | 36 | 95 | .251 | .307 | .407 |
| Brendan Ryan | 129 | 390 | 55 | 114 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 37 | 24 | 56 | .292 | .340 | .400 |
| Rick Ankiel | 122 | 372 | 50 | 86 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 38 | 26 | 99 | .231 | .285 | .387 |
| Joe Thurston | 124 | 267 | 27 | 60 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 33 | 56 | .225 | .316 | .330 |
| Chris Duncan ^ (4/6-7/21) | 87 | 260 | 25 | 59 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 32 | 41 | 67 | .227 | .329 | .358 |
| Mark DeRosa ^ (6/28-10/4) | 68 | 237 | 31 | 54 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 28 | 18 | 58 | .228 | .291 | .405 |
| Matt Holliday ^ (7/24-10/4) | 63 | 235 | 42 | 83 | 16 | 2 | 13 | 55 | 26 | 43 | .353 | .419 | .604 |
| Khalil Greene | 77 | 170 | 21 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 15 | 35 | .200 | .272 | .347 |
| Julio Lugo ^ (7/24-10/4) | 51 | 148 | 24 | 41 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 27 | .277 | .351 | .432 |
| Tyler Greene | 48 | 108 | 9 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 32 | .222 | .270 | .327 |
| Jason LaRue | 51 | 104 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 22 | .240 | .288 | .298 |
| Brian Barden | 52 | 103 | 13 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 21 | .233 | .286 | .379 |
| Adam Wainwright | 39 | 89 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 26 | .180 | .189 | .326 |
| Nick Stavinoha | 39 | 87 | 6 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 15 | .230 | .242 | .379 |
| Joel Piñeiro | 32 | 66 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 33 | .136 | .186 | .167 |
| Chris Carpenter | 26 | 63 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 13 | .175 | .212 | .270 |
| Todd Wellemeyer | 30 | 39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | .128 | .128 | .128 |
| Kyle Lohse | 23 | 37 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | .216 | .275 | .216 |
| David Freese | 17 | 31 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 7 | .323 | .353 | .484 |
| Troy Glaus | 14 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | .172 | .250 | .241 |
| Shane Robinson | 11 | 25 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .240 | .231 | .280 |
| Mitchell Boggs | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .071 | .071 | .143 |
| John Smoltz | 7 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .077 | .143 | .077 |
| Jarrett Hoffpauir | 8 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | .250 | .438 | .417 |
| Brad Thompson | 31 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .083 | .083 | .083 |
| P.J. Walters | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Kyle McClellan | 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Josh Kinney | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jason Motte | 66 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Clay Mortensen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Blaine Boyer | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| TOTALS | 162 | 5,465 | 730 | 1,436 | 294 | 29 | 160 | 694 | 528 | 1,041 | .263 | .332 | .415 |
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO Avg. OBP SLG -->
Note: Pitchers batting stats included (at least one at-bat).
^ Traded to or away from Cardinals dates
BOLD = Leading NL
Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; H = Hits allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed, SO = Strikeouts; WHIP = (Walks + Hits) per innings pitched; HBP = Hit by pitch; BF = Batters faced
(FINAL through October 4)
2009 St. Louis Cardinals pitching stats at Baseball Reference
2009 St.Louis Cardinals pitching stats at Baseball Almanac
| Player | G | GS | SV | IP | W | L | ERA | H | HR | BB | SO | WHIP | HBP | BF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Wainwright | 34 | 34 | 0 | 233.0 | 19 | 8 | 2.63 | 216 | 17 | 66 | 212 | 1.210 | 3 | 970 |
| Joel Piñeiro | 32 | 32 | 0 | 214.0 | 15 | 12 | 3.49 | 218 | 11 | 27 | 105 | 1.145 | 8 | 865 |
| Chris Carpenter | 28 | 28 | 0 | 192.2 | 17 | 4 | 2.24 | 156 | 7 | 38 | 144 | 1.007 | 7 | 750 |
| Todd Wellemeyer | 28 | 21 | 0 | 122.1 | 7 | 10 | 5.89 | 160 | 19 | 57 | 78 | 1.774 | 3 | 561 |
| Kyle Lohse | 23 | 22 | 0 | 117.2 | 6 | 10 | 4.74 | 125 | 16 | 36 | 77 | 1.368 | 3 | 512 |
| Brad Thompson | 32 | 8 | 0 | 80.0 | 2 | 6 | 4.84 | 85 | 8 | 23 | 34 | 1.350 | 7 | 345 |
| Kyle McClellan | 66 | 0 | 3 | 66.2 | 4 | 4 | 3.38 | 56 | 4 | 34 | 51 | 1.350 | 2 | 288 |
| Ryan Franklin | 62 | 0 | 38 | 61.0 | 4 | 3 | 1.92 | 49 | 2 | 24 | 44 | 1.147 | 1 | 250 |
| Mitchell Boggs | 16 | 9 | 0 | 58.0 | 2 | 3 | 4.19 | 71 | 3 | 33 | 46 | 1.793 | 4 | 268 |
| Jason Motte | 69 | 0 | 0 | 56.2 | 4 | 4 | 4.76 | 57 | 10 | 23 | 54 | 1.412 | 2 | 244 |
| Trever Miller | 70 | 0 | 0 | 43.2 | 4 | 1 | 2.06 | 31 | 5 | 11 | 46 | 0.962 | 2 | 173 |
| Dennys Reyes | 75 | 0 | 1 | 41.0 | 0 | 2 | 3.29 | 35 | 2 | 21 | 33 | 1.366 | 3 | 180 |
| Blake Hawksworth | 30 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 4 | 0 | 2.03 | 29 | 2 | 15 | 20 | 1.100 | 1 | 160 |
| John Smoltz | 7 | 7 | 0 | 38.0 | 1 | 3 | 4.26 | 36 | 3 | 9 | 40 | 1.184 | 0 | 158 |
| Chris Perez | 29 | 0 | 1 | 23.2 | 1 | 1 | 4.18 | 17 | 3 | 15 | 30 | 1.352 | 3 | 106 |
| Blaine Boyer | 15 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 | 0 | 0 | 4.41 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1.163 | 1 | 70 |
| P. J. Walters | 8 | 1 | 0 | 16.0 | 0 | 0 | 9.56 | 21 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 1.875 | 0 | 80 |
| Josh Kinney | 17 | 0 | 0 | 15.1 | 1 | 0 | 8.80 | 23 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 2.217 | 2 | 81 |
| Clayton Mortensen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.000 | 1 | 16 |
| Jess Todd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 10.80 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3.000 | 0 | 10 |
| TOTALS | 162 | 162 | 43 | 1,440.2 | 91 | 71 | 3.66 | 1,407 | 123 | 460 | 1,049 | 1.296 | 53 | 6,087 G GS SV IP W L ERA H HR BB SO WHIP HBP BF --> |
Bold = leading NL
(FINAL through October 4)
22–17, 3.61 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 432.0 IP, 379 H, 193 R, 173 ER, 42 HR, 191 BB, 335 SO[98]
(FINAL through October 4)
Saves / Opp: 43/58 (74%) 1st Batter / Retired: 338/474 (71%)
Holds: 86 Inherited Runners / Scored: 56/242 (23%)[98]22-17, 3.61 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 432.0 IP, 379 H, 193 R, 173 ER, 42 HR, 191 BB, 335 SO
Saves / Opp: 43/58 (74%) 1st Batter / Retired: 338/474 (71%)
Holds: 86 Inherited Runners / Scored: 56/242 (23%)
-->
BlownSaves by bullpen: 17 Franklin (5),McClellan (4),Perez (1),Kinney (1),Miller (2),Motte (4)
Games lost by bullpen: 16
(FINAL through October 4)
| INNING | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARDINALS | 97 | 43 | 82 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 80 | 87 | 52 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 730 |
| OPPONENTS | 92 | 62 | 58 | 68 | 78 | 81 | 88 | 62 | 39 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 640 |
(FINAL through October 4)
Home 46-35
Away 45-36
Scoring first 71-25
Opp. scores first 20-46
Scoring more than 3 runs 66-19
Scoring 3 runs 17-17
Scoring fewer than 3 runs 8-35
Leading after 7 innings 72-5
Tied after 7 innings 9-7
Trailing after 7 innings 9-59
Leading after 8 innings 79-3
Tied after 8 innings 7-9
Trailing after 8 innings 4-59
BlownSaves by bullpen: 17 (Franklin (5),McClellan (4), (Perez [1],Kinney [1], (Miller [2],Motte [4])
Games lost by bullpen: 16
In errorless games 56-33
Extra innings 5-6
Shutouts 11-10
One-run games 24-21
Out-hit opponents 62-12
Same hits as opponents 13-5
Out-hit by opponents 16-54
Runs via HR 249
Opp. Runs via HR 213
By Day
Mon. 8-9
Tue. 14-11
Wed. 15-10
Thu. 14-5
Fri. 15-10
Sat. 15-11
Sun. 10-15
By Opponent
DIVISION
HOME ROAD TOTAL
NL Central 24-16 22-18 46-34
NL East 7-7 10-9 17-16
NL West 10-8 9-7 19-15
AL Central 5-4 4-2 9-6
TOTALS 46-35 45-36 91-71
(Interleague 9-6)
(FINAL through October 4)
2009 (100 = Neutral Park, > 100 Ballpark favors, < 100 Ballpark inhibits
81 HOME G; Cardinals:2,654 AB; Opponents: 2,790 AB)
81 AWAY G: Cardinals:2,811 AB; Opponents: 2,670 AB)
R92 H98 HR74
(Cardinals batting: HOME.263 ROAD.263 OVERALL.263)
(Opponents batting: at StL .254 on ROAD .261 OVERALL .258)
2007–2009 Index (3-yr. composite)
HOME 243 G; Cardinals: 8,089 AB; Opponents: 8,503 AB)
BA100 R93 H99 2B93 3B90 HR80 BB99 SO95 E107 E-inf.108 LHB-BA101 LHB-HR82 RHB-BA99 RHB-HR78[99]
St. Louis' picks at the2009 Major League Baseball draft atMLB Network Studios,New York City on June 9 – 11, 2009.[100][101]
For the entire draft, the Cardinals selection breakdown was as follows: 29 pitchers(21-RHP, 8-LHP), 11 infielders, six catchers and four outfielders. The Cardinalssecond-round pick, Robert Stock out of USC, will begin his pro career as a catcherand that is reflected in these numbers. St. Louis selected 43 college players andseven high school prospects.[101]
bold = agreed to terms[101]
| Round | # | Player | Position | Class, Bats/Throws, Ht/Wt., birthdate (birthplace) | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Shelby Miller[102][103] | P | Senior (HS), R/R, 6' 3" / 195 lb., Oct 10, 1990 (Brownwood, Texas) | Brownwood High School (TX) |
| 2 | 67 | Robert Stock | C | Junior, L/R, 6' 1" / 195 lb., Nov 21, 1989 (Westlake Village, California) | USC |
| 3 | 98 | Joseph Kelly[104] | RP | Junior, R/R, 6' 1" / 170 lb., Jun 9, 1988 (Corona, California) | University of California-Riverside |
| 4 | 129 | Joseph Bittle[105] | P | 5S, R/R, 6' 2" / 190 lb., Aug 27, 1986 (Texarkana, Texas) | University of Mississippi |
| 5 | 159 | Ryan Jackson[105][106] | SS | Junior, R/R, 6' 2" / 175 lb., May 10, 1988 (Miami Springs, Florida) | University of Miami |
| 6 | 189 | Virgil Hill | CF | J2, R/R, 6' 0" / 185 lb., September 9, 1989 (Valencia, California) | Los Angeles Mission College |
| 7 | 219 | Kyle Conley[105] | RF | Senior, R/R, 6' 4" / 215 lb., May 7, 1987 (Richland, Washington) | University of Washington |
| 8 | 249 | Jason Stidham[105] | SS | Junior, L/R, 5' 11" / 170 lb., Feb 26, 1988 (Palm Bay, Florida) | Florida State University |
| 9 | 279 | Nick McCully[105] | P | Junior, R/R, 5' 10" / 195 lb., September 5, 1988 (Lakeland, Florida) | Coastal Carolina University |
| 10 | 309 | Héctor Hernández | P | Senior (HS), S/L, 6' 1" / 198 lb., Feb 20, 1991 (Carolina, Puerto Rico) | Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School |
| 11 | 339 | Alan Ahmady[105] | 1b | Junior, R/R, 5' 11" / 195 lb., Dec 14, 1987 (Fresno, California) | Fresno State University |
| 12 | 369 | Pat Daugherty[105] | P | J2, L/L, 6' 5" / 215 lb., Aug 30, 1988 (Bailey, Mississippi) | Pearl River Community College |
| 13 | 399 | Matt Carpenter[105] | 3b | Senior, L/R, 6' 3" / 200 lb., Nov 26, 1985 (Sugar Land, Texas) | Texas Christian University |
| 14 | 429 | Ross Smith | CF | J3, R/R, 6' 2" / 200 lb., Oct 6, 1987 (Eastman, Georgia) | Middle Georgia College |
| 15 | 459 | David Washington | 1b | Senior (HS), L/L, 6' 5" / 200 lb., Nov 20, 1990 (University City, California) | University City High School (San Diego, California) |
| 16 | 489 | Daniel Bibona[105] | P | Junior, L/L, 5' 11" / 165 lb., Jun 19, 1988 (Lake Forest, California) | University of California-Irvine |
| 17 | 519 | Jonathan Rodriguez[105] | 1b | J2, R/R, 6' 2" / ? lbs., Aug 21, 1989 (San Juan, Puerto Rico) | Manatee Community College (FL) |
| 18 | 549 | Anthony Garcia | C | Senior (HS), R/R, 6' 0" / 180 lb., Jan 4, 1992 (Carolina, Puerto Rico) | San Juan Educational School (PR) |
| 19 | 579 | Travis Tartamella[105] | C | Junior, R/R, 6' 0" / 205 lb., Dec 17, 1987 (Alta Loma, California) | California State University, Los Angeles |
| 20 | 609 | Scott Schneider[105] | P | Junior, R/R, 6' 0" / 175 lb., Jun 7, 1988 (Fallbrook, California) | St. Mary's College (xx) |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Memphis
St. Louis Cardinals 2009 Draft Selections