2009 St. Louis Cardinals season

2009 St. Louis Cardinals
NL Central Champions
Major League affiliations
Location
  • St. Louis, Missouri (since 1882)
Results
Record 91–71 (.562)
Divisional place 1st
Other information
Owner(s) William DeWitt, Jr., Fred Hanser
Manager(s) Tony La Russa
Local television FSN Midwest
(Dan McLaughlin, Al Hrabosky)
KSDK (NBC 5)
(Jay Randolph, Rick Horton)
Local radio KTRS
(Mike Shannon, John Rooney)
 < Previous season     Next season  >

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2009 season was the 128th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 118th season in the National League. 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 the Cubs in the NL Central standings. Brilliant seasons from starting pitchers Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Joel Piñeiro helped St. Louis to stay in contention until the key midseason acquisitions of Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Julio Lugo revived the Cardinal offense. An August 20–6 effectively ended the NL 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 the Division Series.

Offseason departures and acquisitions

Hitters

The Cardinals retained the services of backup catcher Jason LaRue, signing him to another one-year contract.[1]

On December 4, 2008, the Cardinals agreed to a trade with the San Diego Padres sending reliever Mark Worrell and a player-to-be-named-later (the Padres eventually chose minor-league pitcher Luke Gregerson[2]) in exchange for shortstop Khalil Greene, who will make $6.5 mil, and will be eligible for free agency after 2009.[3] Greene replaced César Izturis, who departed via free agency.

Utility infielder Aaron Miles, a member of the 2006 World Series champion Cardinals, signed a two-year deal on December 31 to play with the Cubs.[4] Felipe Lopez, 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, outfielder Skip Schumaker was tabbed to make the unusual transition.[7] Late in training camp Schumaker was designated the official starting second baseman.[8]

Third baseman Troy 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).

Pitchers

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 pitchers Russ Springer and Jason Isringhausen, starter Braden Looper,[12] and relievers Tyler Johnson and Randy Flores.[13] St. Louis made no attempt to retain lefty reliever Ron 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 specialist Trever 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 reliever Royce Ring who was with the 2008 Atlanta Braves, to a one-year contract.[16] However, two months later the Cardinals signed Dennys 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]

Spring Training

St. Louis went 19-12-2 in Grapefruit League play,[20] their most victories since they had 21 wins in 1997. Attendance at RDS 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 pitcher Chris Perez was optioned to AAA, finalizing the pitching situation for Opening Day. Cardinals will carry 12 pitchers, including seven relievers which include long-reliever Brad Thompson.[22] Rookie Jason 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 infielders Joe Thurston and Brian 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 left Ryan Ludwick as the only outfielder on the roster who hits right-handed.

Regular season

April

Opening Day 2009 looked a lot like 2008: a blown save and a bullpen loss. Rookie closer Jason 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 as Albert 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 the 2006 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 ace Chris 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] An MRI exam on April 16 revealed an oblique tear on his left side.[34] On April 17, rookie pitcher P. J. Walters was called up from AAA-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 pick Brian Barton for Atlanta Braves' relief pitcher Blaine Boyer. Boyer was tabbed to join the big-league club, leaving St. Louis with 13 pitchers on the 25-man roster, with David Freese optioned to Memphis.[36][37]

On Saturday, April 25, in a nationally televised game on Fox, with the Cardinals leading 3-1 in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs, Albert Pujols hit his 8th career grand 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 pick Tyler 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]

May

Center fielder Rick 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 outfielder Shane Robinson was called up to take his place on the roster.[43] On May 12, right fielder Ryan Ludwick joined Ankiel on the DL after straining his right hamstring against the Pirates. The team recalled Nick 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 strained oblique. 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]

June

On June 4, the Cardinals released newly acquired pitcher Blaine Boyer and called up Jess 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 infielder Tyler Greene recalled.[52] The day after that (June 6), pitcher Blake 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 acquired Mark DeRosa from Cleveland for Chris Perez and a player 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 selected Jess 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.

July

On July 5, Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were named as winners of the fan balloting and starters for the National League in the 80th 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 the All-Star Game for the first 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, and Ryan Franklin pitched a scoreless inning.

After appearing in only three games for St. Louis, new addition Mark DeRosa went onto the disabled list (retroactive to July 1) on July 7, suffering from a strained wrist.[61] However, the rest of the Cardinals, buoyed by Pujols, a hot Colby Rasmus, and a resurgent Ryan 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 torn tendon 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 the 2006 world champion Cardinals, was traded to the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Julio Lugo, along with a player-to-be-named-later or cash; and the team recalled Brian Barden.[63][64] Two days after that, on July 24, the Cardinals traded three prospects, including their #1 prospect, third baseman Brett Wallace, pitcher Clayton Mortensen, and outfielder Shane Peterson, for Oakland Athletics outfielder Matt Holliday.[65]

On July 28, Todd Wellemeyer was demoted to the bullpen. Mitchell Boggs was called up from AAA-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 hot Rick 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 League Player 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]

August

Albert Pujols tied the all-time NL season record set by Ernie Banks in 1955 by hitting his fifth grand slam of the year, (and his second HR of the game) on August 4 at New 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 closer Francisco 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 pitcher Kyle Lohse joined him on the DL with a strained groin.[71]

The team came to terms and signed their #1 draft pick, pitcher Shelby 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 the Red 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 from Chris Carpenter, giving him an NL-tying 14th win, over San Diego at Petco 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 the American Association in its all-time statistics.[75]

On August 28, Albert Pujols hit his eighth career walk-off home run in John Smoltz's first home game at Busch Stadium in a 3-2 win over Washington.[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 while Matt Holliday, whose acquisition at the end of July coincided with the sudden takeoff of the Cardinals, posted a .963 OPS for August.[77] Aces Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter had ERAs of 1.30 and 2.20 for August. Closer Ryan 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]

September/October

Third baseman Troy 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 career pinch-hit home run in the 10th for a dramatic 2-1 game-winner over the Pirates, at PNC Park, September 5.[83]

Chris Carpenter threw a one-hitter on September 7 against the Brewers at Miller Park, striking out 10, earning his first shutout 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 the Memphis Redbirds' season ended with a loss in the AAA National Championship Game, the Cardinals announced four more September call-ups: David Freese, Tyler Greene, Josh Kinney, and Matt Pagnozzi.[85] Pagnozzi, nephew to former Cardinals All-Star catcher Tom 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, and Jess 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 catcher Jason 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 manager Tony La Russa in 14 seasons as Cardinal manager, although one championship was a shared one with Houston 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 since Joe 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 passed John 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 the 2009 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 for assists by a first 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]

Postseason

Division Series

In the 2009 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.

Awards

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina won Gold Gloves, the first for Wainwright and second for Molina.[92] Albert Pujols won the Silver 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 the Cy Young Award despite getting the most first place votes (12). Chris Carpenter finished second (94 pts.), six points behind winner Tim Lincecum.[95] Albert Pujols won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award, winning all 32 first place votes.[96]

Season standings

NL Central W L Pct. GB Home Road
St. Louis Cardinals 91 71 0.562 — 46–35 45–36
Chicago Cubs 83 78 0.516 7½ 46–34 37–44
Milwaukee Brewers 80 82 0.494 11 40–41 40–41
Cincinnati Reds 78 84 0.481 13 40–41 38–43
Houston Astros 74 88 0.457 17 44–37 30–51
Pittsburgh Pirates 62 99 0.385 28½ 40–41 22–58

Game log

Regular Season Schedule (calendar style)
Regular Season Schedule (sortable text)
Downloadable Schedule for Microsoft Outlook, Palm (PDA)
National Broadcast Schedule
All game times are in Central Time Zone.[97]

Legend
Cardinals WIN Cardinals LOSS Game POSTPONED
2009 Game Log

Record vs. opponents

(through October 4)

Team W-L Record
Arizona Diamondbacks 4–2
Atlanta Braves 2–4
Chicago Cubs 10–6
Cincinnati Reds 8-8
Cleveland Indians 1-2
Colorado Rockies 1–6
Detroit Tigers 2–1
Florida Marlins 3–3
Houston Astros 9–6
Kansas City Royals 5–1
Los Angeles Dodgers 5–2
Milwaukee Brewers 9–9
Minnesota Twins 1-2
New York Mets 5-4
Philadelphia Phillies 1-4
Pittsburgh Pirates 10–5
San Diego Padres 6–1
San Francisco Giants 3–4
Washington Nationals 6–1

Bold indicates that the Cardinals have finished their season schedule with an opponent.

Roster

2009 St. Louis Cardinals
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Players

Player stats

Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B= Doubles; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In; BB = Walks; Avg. = Batting Average; OBP = On-base Percentage; SLG = Slugging Percentage

(through October 4)

Cardinals HITTING statistics
Sortable TEAM HITTING statistics

Player G AB R H 2B HR RBI BB SO Avg. OBP SLG
Albert Pujols 160 568 124 186 45 47 135 115 64 .327 .443 .658
Skip Schumaker 153 532 85 161 34 4 35 52 69 .303 .364 .393
Ryan Ludwick 139 486 63 129 20 22 97 41 106 .265 .329 .447
Yadier Molina 140 481 45 141 23 6 54 50 39 .293 .366 .383
Colby Rasmus 147 474 72 119 22 16 52 36 95 .251 .307 .407
Brendan Ryan 129 390 55 114 19 3 37 24 56 .292 .340 .400
Rick Ankiel 122 372 50 86 21 11 38 26 99 .231 .285 .387
Joe Thurston 124 267 27 60 17 1 25 33 56 .225 .316 .330
Chris Duncan ^ (4/6-7/21) 87 260 25 59 15 5 32 41 67 .227 .329 .358
Mark DeRosa ^ (6/28-10/4) 68 237 31 54 10 10 28 18 58 .228 .291 .405
Matt Holliday ^ (7/24-10/4) 63 235 42 83 16 13 55 26 43 .353 .419 .604
Khalil Greene 77 170 21 34 7 6 24 15 35 .200 .272 .347
Julio Lugo ^ (7/24-10/4) 51 148 24 41 9 2 13 17 27 .277 .351 .432
Tyler Greene * 48 108   9 24 5 2 7 4 32 .222 .270 .327
Jason LaRue 51 104 10 25 3 2 6 3 22 .240 .288 .298
Brian Barden * 52 103 13 24 3 4 10 6 21 .233 .286 .379
Adam Wainwright 39   89 7 16 5 2 4 1 26 .180 .189 .326
Nick Stavinoha * 39   87 6 20 7 2 17 2 15 .230 .242 .379
Joel Piñeiro 32   66 4 9 2 0 4 4 33 .136 .186 .167
Chris Carpenter 26   63 3 11 3 1 7 2 13 .175 .212 .270
Todd Wellemeyer 30   39 1 5 0 0 0 0 16 .128 .128 .128
Kyle Lohse 23   37 3 8 0 0 2 1 7 .216 .275 .216
David Freese * 17   31 3 10 2 1 7 2 7 .323 .353 .484
Troy Glaus 14   29 2 5 2 0 2 3 8 .172 .250 .241
Shane Robinson * 11   25 1 6 1 0 1 0 2 .240 .231 .280
Mitchell Boggs 16   14 1 1 1 0 0 0 6 .071 .071 .143
John Smoltz   7   13 1 1 0 0 0 1 5 .077 .143 .077
Jarrett Hoffpauir   8   12 1 3 2 0 2 4 2 .250 .438 .417
Brad Thompson 31   12 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 .083 .083 .083
TOTALS 162 5,465 730 1,436 294 160 694 528 1,041 .263 .332 .415

* Currently not on active roster
† on 15-day disabled or rehab list
^ Traded to or away from Cardinals dates

BOLD = Leading NL

Starting pitchers

Note: GS = Games Started; IP = Innings Pitched; W = Wins; L = Loss; ERA = Earned Run Average; WHIP = (Walks + Hits) per Innings Pitched; HBP = Hit by Pitch; BF = Batters faced; O-AVG = Opponent Batting Ave.; O-SLG = Opponent Slugging Ave.; R support avg = Average Runs support from his team per Games Started

(FINAL through October 4)

Cardinals PITCHING statistics

Sortable TEAM PITCHING Statistics

Player GS IP W L ERA H HR BB SO WHIP HBP BF O-AVG O-SLG R support avg
Adam Wainwright 34 233.0 19 8 2.63 216 17 66 212 1.21 3 970 .244 .349 5.4
Joel Piñeiro 32 214.0 15 12 3.49 218 11 27 105 1.14 8 865 .268 .377 4.6
Chris Carpenter 28 192.2 17 4 2.24 156 7 38 144 1.01 7 750 .226 .310 4.4
Kyle Lohse 22 116.2   6 10 4.78 125 16 36   76 1.38 3 509 .269 .450 4.1
Todd Wellemeyer 21 114.0   7 9 6.08 152 18 48   74 1.75 3 521 .332 .515 4.2
Mitchell Boggs  9   48.1   2 2 4.10  63 2 25   35 1.82 3 223 .326 .466 5.3
Brad Thompson  8   43.0   2 5 5.65  47 6 15  16 1.44 4 189 .278 .450 3.0
John Smoltz  7   38.0   1 3 4.26  36 3   9   40 1.18 0 158 .248 .379 2.7
P. J. Walters *  1     4.0   0 0 6.75   6 0   2    7 2.00 0   19 .375 .438 7.0
TOTAL 162 1,003.2 69 53 3.66 1,019 80 266 709 1.28 31 4,204 .266 .392 4.5

* not on active roster
† on 15-day disabled list

Bold = leading NL


Relief pitchers

(through October 3)

22-17, 3.61 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 432.0 IP, 379 H, 193 R, 173 ER, 42 HR, 191 BB, 335 SO[98]

(through October 3)

Saves / Opp: 43/58 (74%)   1st Batter / Retired: 338/474 (71%)
Holds: 86         Inherited Runners / Scored: 56/242 (23%)[98]


Blown Saves by bullpen: 17   Franklin (5), McClellan (4), Perez (1), Kinney (1), Miller (2), Motte (4)
Games lost by bullpen:   16

Scoring by inning

(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

Cardinals Record When

(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

Blown Saves 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)

Busch Stadium (Indexes)

(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)

R 92   H 98   HR 74  

(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)

BA 100   R 93   H 99   2B 93   3B 90   HR 80   BB 99   SO 95   E 107   E-inf. 108   LHB-BA 101   LHB-HR 82   RHB-BA 99   RHB-HR 78[99]


Draft picks

St. Louis' picks at the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft at MLB Network Studios, New York 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 Cardinals second-round pick, Robert Stock out of USC, will begin his pro career as a catcher and that is reflected in these numbers. St. Louis selected 43 college players and seven 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 Hector Hernandez 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)

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Memphis Redbirds Pacific Coast League Chris Maloney
AA Springfield Cardinals Texas League Ron Warner
A Palm Beach Cardinals Florida State League Tom Spencer
A Quad Cities River Bandits Midwest League Steve Dillard
Short-Season A Batavia Muckdogs New York–Penn League Mark DeJohn
Rookie Johnson City Cardinals Appalachian League Mike Shildt
Rookie GCL Cardinals Gulf Coast League Steve Turco

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Memphis

Draft selections

St. Louis Cardinals 2009 Draft Selections

References

  1. ↑ Cards sign LaRue
  2. ↑ "Cards send Gregerson to Padres". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Cardinals finalize deal for Greene: Day after signing Miller, St. Louis acquires shortstop from Friars". MLB.com. December 4, 2008. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  4. ↑ Miles signs with Cubs
  5. ↑ "Lopez signs with Dbacks". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Cardinals give Kennedy his release: Club required to pay rest of contract; second base up in air". MLB.com. February 9, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Schumaker committed to second base: Former outfielder attempting transition to Cards' infield". MLB.com. 2009-02-19. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  8. ↑ Schumaker nails down 2B job
  9. ↑ "Glaus sidelined after shoulder surgery: Third baseman expected to be out for 12 weeks". MLB.com. January 22, 2009.
  10. ↑ Lohse, Cards agree to four-year deal
  11. ↑ "Cards are done with Mulder". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 20, 2008.
  12. ↑ No arbitration for Cardinals
  13. ↑ "Cards decline to offer contracts to trio: Miles, Flores, Johnson, aren't tendered deals for '09 season". MLB.com. December 13, 2008.
  14. ↑ "Villone signs with Mets". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  15. ↑ Miller signs
  16. ↑ "Cards Ring in New Year by inking lefty: Reliever to become third southpaw in a bolstered bullpen". MLB.com. January 5, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
  17. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals sign LH reliever Dennys Reyes; righthanders shine". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 5, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  18. ↑ "Ring's stint with Cardinals finished: Left-hander reportedly placed on outright waivers Wednesday". MLB.com. March 25, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Ring accepts assignment". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  20. ↑ Cardinals have solid Grapefruit League run
  21. ↑ Myount (April 4, 2009). "St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES" (PDF). p. 1. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  22. ↑ "Cardinals option Perez to Triple-A: Thompson to make club; desire for long reliever deciding factor". MLB.com. March 30, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  23. ↑ "LaRussa not naming closer". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  24. ↑ Keith Law prospect rankings
  25. ↑ "Scout.com prospect rankings". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Mather the last cut". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Pirates 6, Cardinals 4". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  28. ↑ Myount. "St. Louis Cardinals Game Notes" (PDF). Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  29. ↑ Myount. "St. Louis Cardinals Game Notes" (PDF). Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  30. ↑ "Cards 2, Pirates 1". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  31. ↑ "Cards 11, Astros 2". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  32. ↑ Cards 3, Astros 0
  33. ↑ "Cardinals place Carpenter on DL: Rib-cage strain sidelines hard-luck ace four to eight weeks, (Apr. 15)". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  34. ↑ "MRI confirms oblique tear for Carpenter: Time-table remains four to eight weeks; rehab next week". MLB.com. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  35. ↑ "Cards Preview: Spotlight on rookie P.J. Walters". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 17, 2009.
  36. ↑ "Boyer-Barton trade". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  37. ↑ St. Louis Cardinals trade for reliever Blaine Boyer
  38. ↑ "Pujols' slam backs Boggs vs. Cubs: Slugger passes 1,000 RBIs; rookie allows unearned run". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  39. ↑ "Pujols passes milestone with slam: Slugger 23rd active player to reach 1,000 RBIs". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  40. ↑ "Ryan to DL". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  41. ↑ Standings after April 30
  42. ↑ Pujols, Barden honored
  43. ↑ Ankiel to DL
  44. ↑ Cardinals place Ludwick on DL: Hamstring strain sidelines outfielder; Stavinoha recalled, (May 13). Accessed August 11, 2009. Archived 2009-08-14.
  45. ↑ "Cards 2, Cubs 1". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  46. ↑ Brewers 1, Cards 0
  47. ↑ Ludwick activated
  48. ↑ Greene game log
  49. ↑ May batting splits
  50. ↑ May pitching splits
  51. ↑ "Boyer gone, Todd up". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  52. ↑ "Lohse to DL". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  53. ↑ Myount (June 6, 2009). "St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES" (PDF). p. 1. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
  54. ↑ "Greene activated". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  55. ↑ "Cards 10, Royals 5". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  56. ↑ "Greene to DL". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  57. ↑ Cards acquire DeRosa
  58. ↑ "RHP Jess Todd sent to Cleveland to complete DeRosa Deal: Memphis (AAA) Reliever Becomes Part of Package in June 27 Trade for Mark DeRosa". MLB.com. July 26, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  59. ↑ All-Star Game starters
  60. ↑ All-Star Game rosters
  61. ↑ "DeRosa to DL". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  62. ↑ "DeRosa back from DL". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  63. ↑ "Cardinals acquire Lugo from Red Sox: Veteran shortstop arrives in deal for outfielder Duncan". MLB.com. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  64. ↑ "Cardinals option Duncan to Triple-A: Slumping utilityman sent down; infielder Barden recalled". MLB.com. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  65. ↑ "Cardinals acquire Holliday from A's: Prospects Wallace, Mortensen, Peterson shipped to Oakland". MLB.com. July 24, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  66. ↑ "Wellemeyer to bullpen". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  67. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES ('Ludwick Captures July Honors')" (PDF). MLB.com. August 4, 2009. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  68. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES ('Double Trouble')" (PDF). MLB.com. August 5, 2009. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  69. ↑ "Grand finale: Pujols caps Cardinals' rally: Fifth grand slam ties NL record in 10th-inning win over Mets". MLB.com. August 5, 2009. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  70. ↑ Wellemeyer to DL, (August 11). Accessed August 16, 2009. Archived 2009-08-22.
  71. ↑ Lohse to DL
  72. ↑ "Cardinals beat the clock with first-rounder: Redbirds sign Miller to $2.875 million deal on deadline day". MLB.com. August 17, 2009. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  73. ↑ "St. Louis Cardinals beat deadline, get Shelby Miller signed". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 18, 2009. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
  74. ↑ "Smoltz joins Cards; could start or relieve - Postseason wins leader expected to help in stretch drive". MLB.com. August 19, 2009. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  75. ↑ "Carp stymies Padres". Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  76. ↑ "Pujols' heroics give Cards walk-off win: Greene's game-tying home run sets up slugger's big blow". MLB.com. August 29, 2009. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  77. ↑ August hitting splits
  78. ↑ August pitching splits
  79. ↑ "Wainwright wins 16th". Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  80. ↑ Carp Pitcher of Month
  81. ↑ "Glaus activated". Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  82. ↑ Cardinals 14, Pirates 7
  83. ↑ "Pujols' pinch-hit homer in 10th lifts Cards: Rookie Boggs allows just one run over seven innings". MLB.com. September 5, 2009. Archived from the original on September 8, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  84. ↑ "Carpenter tosses one-hit shutout: Starter magnificent; gets offensive support from Pujols". MLB.com. September 7, 2009.
  85. ↑ "September callups". Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
  86. ↑ Nightengale, Bob (September 27, 2009). "Cardinals win NL Central: Wainwright masterful vs. Rox". USA Today. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  87. ↑ "Cardinals 13, Reds 0". Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  88. ↑ Brewers 12, Cards 6
  89. ↑ "Cards force extras, but fall in series finale: Regular season ends with sweep at hands of Brewers". MLB.com. October 4, 2009.
  90. ↑ "Carpenter earns NL Comeback nod: MLB.com reporters honor hurler's dominant campaign". MLB.com. October 5, 2009.
  91. ↑ Vegas odds
  92. ↑ Gold Gloves
  93. ↑ Silver Slugger
  94. ↑ Hank Aaron Awards
  95. ↑ Lincecum wins Cy Young
  96. ↑ Pujols wins MVP
  97. ↑ "2009 Cardinals Schedule". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  98. ↑ 98.0 98.1 "St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES ('Bullpen Briefs')" (PDF). MLB.com. October 4, 2009. p. 2. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
  99. ↑ Baseball Info Solutions and Bill James (2009). The Bill James Handbook 2010. ACTA Sports. p. 388.
  100. ↑ "Draft: 2009 DraftTracker - St. Louis Cardinals". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  101. ↑ 101.0 101.1 101.2 "St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES ("2009 First-Year Player Draft")" (PDF). MLB.com. July 20, 2009. p. 5.
  102. ↑ Shelby Miller - scouting report
  103. ↑ Cards draft hard-throwing high schooler: Committed to Texas A&M, Miller happy to fall to St. Louis, MLB.com (June 9, 2009). Accessed August 11, 2009. Archived 2009-08-14.
  104. ↑ "Joseph Kelly - scouting report". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  105. ↑ 105.0 105.1 105.2 105.3 105.4 105.5 105.6 105.7 105.8 105.9 105.10 105.11 "Cards get defensive on Draft Day 2: St. Louis selects Miami shortstop Jackson in fifth round, (June 10)". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  106. ↑ "Ryan Jackson - scouting report". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2009 St. Louis Cardinals season.