St. Louis Cardinals Update: Chris Carpenter's Last Stand

How many fans really watch baseball games anymore?  How many fans follow their team anymore? Who notices when a guy can't lay a bunt down to move a runner to second?  Is anybody watching when the closer has men on first and second with nobody out?

Blame it on SportsCenter.  Blame it on Web Gems, YouTube and the nightly "Top 10."  We are all highlight driven sports fans.

Because of this phenomenon, everybody knows the superstar players: Jose Bautista, A-Rod, Pujols, and Justin Verlander—every Cubs fan knows who they are.  We all see the highlights, and we all keep up with these players.  Look no further than ESPN's Sunday night game. 

"It's Albert Pujols and the Cardinals taking on Ryan Howard and the Phillies."  It's the world we live in.

But what about the role players?  What about the comeback stories and the overachievers?  What about that pitcher who gets by with guts and luck?  How about that guy who gets his uniform dirty and plays the game the way we all say we did when we were kids?  These are the guys that only the true fans of any given team know and love.

They come in all shapes and sizes.  Every franchise has at least one or two.  I grew up a die hard St. Louis Cardinals fan, and we have had our fair share of these players through the years.  A couple years ago, the Cardinals even came up with a really clever slogan that captured this thought.

"Play Like A Cardinal."

During my time as a Cardinal fan, I can rattle off a couple dozen of these players without even thinking about it.  David Eckstein always got the most out of his ability.  Woody Williams was a clutch pitcher despite not having great "stuff." Ditto for Jeff Suppan.  And who can forget Rick Ankiel's amazing comeback story?  If you follow a team everyday, you just fall in love with these kinds of players. 

Perhaps the greatest example of this type of player in Cardinals history is Willie McGee—a humble, selfless, hard-working player who had perhaps the ugliest swing in the history of baseball.  Willie was a really good Major League player, but how many fans outside of St. Louis really, really appreciate, or even remember, Willie McGee?  Chances are, not many.  But to Cardinals fans, Willie McGee is like another member of the family.

I will never forget going to a Cardinals game versus the Florida Marlins in Willie's last season, which was also in the middle of "McGwire Mania."  McGwire coming to the plate was an event all by itself, kind of like Hulk Hogan coming down the aisle at a wrestling match.  But back to Willie: He was 40 years old, and we all knew it was the end.  So when he got called to pinch hit late in the game, Willie got a bigger ovation than Mark McGwire.  We were screaming like crazy for him.  Well, of course, he delivered a clutch hit, the Cards went into extra innings and ended up winning the game.

So fast forward to here and now.  We have another aging Cardinal who might be at the end of his time with the club.  Chris Carpenter is 36 years old, and by any measure, he has been an outstanding pitcher in his career.  He won the 2005 Cy Young Award, going 12-1 down the stretch, where he looked unhittable for about a two month stretch.  He was dominant during the Cardinals 2006 World Series Run.  I will never forget sitting on my couch, watching him mow down the Detroit Tigers.  That night he pitched eight innings, allowing no runs on three hits.

Simply put, when healthy, Chris Carpenter has been a stud for the Cardinals.

Injuries robbed Carpenter of three full seasons and parts of others.  Who knows how many more games he would have won if he could've stayed healthy?  Not having a healthy Carp hurt the Cardinals' chances in the 2004 World Series, and it wrecked promising teams in 2007 and 2008. 

Yes, injuries cost Chris Carpenter the chance to win 200-250 games. 

His right shoulder didn't always cooperate with the pitcher, who competed like a hockey player.  Injuries cost Chris Carpenter a spot on the marquee for Sunday Night Baseball.  He could have been a household name.  Maybe he would have been a Hall of Famer.  Who knows? 

Instead, he will will have to settle for being beloved by just the Cardinals fans forever. 

I hope the team tries to bring him back next year.  He is still a good pitcher.  Lord knows that any young pitcher could benefit from watching his work ethic up close.  And with Adam Wainwright coming back next year, along with Jaime Garcia, the Cardinals could be right back in the playoffs with a healthy Chris Carpenter.

Of course, they would also need to resign that Pujols fella.

But Cardinals fans should get ready, just in case this is the end.  Let's appreciate every start he makes.  Let's get on our feet and let Carp know that we've appreciated his determination and guts for the last eight seasons.  Let's let him know we'll miss him when he's gone.

And let's let him know we will be saving a seat at the table for him, right beside Willy.