Up For Grabs Cardinalpalooza: Adam Wainwright

Previously on the Cardinalpalooza: Joe Torre | Scott Rolen | Willie McGee | Red Schoendienst | Enos Slaughter | Bruce Sutter | Albert Pujols | Ray Lankford | Mark McGwire | J.D. Drew | Colby Rasmus | Yadier Molina | Allen Craig | Stan Musial | Rick Ankiel | David Freese

We're down to just three more players to feature on the Cardinalpalooza, a feature I expected would last through the summer of 2013 at the latest. I'm slow, I can't help it! The final two players to be featured are my two all-time favorite Cardinals, so it is fitting that I am talking about one of my favorites from the current team here today. As always, the list of available cards follows at the end of the post.

Adam Wainwright is indelibly etched into Cardinal lore for his role in the 2006 playoffs, where as a rookie he was thrust into the closer's role after Jason Isringhausen's injury and Braden Looper's ineffectiveness. That 2006 team was running on fumes, having floored it through the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons without remembering to stop at the gas station on the way back into town. Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds were fraying at the seams, and the team had to rely on young blood like Wainwright to push them across the finish line.

Wainwright was the prospect piece in the J.D. Drew trade. Atlanta sent over serviceable but frustrating starter Jason Marquis, who logged quite a few innings (and headaches). Ultimately, the deal would be all about Wainwright, who was on the path to be a upper crust starting pitcher.

By the time the Cardinals would find themselves back in the playoffs in 2009, Wainwright was leading the National League in pitching wins and innings pitched. Only Chris Carpenter's brilliance kept the spotlight from being firmly on Wainwright alone.

Oddly enough, the Cardinals would find themselves again a World Series winner by 2011, but it would with Waino on the sidelines. He sat out the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but returned to form in 2013 after an up-and-down 2012.

The list:

2006 Fleer Flair Showcase Wave of the Future #WF-3
2006 Fleer Tradition #48
2006 Upper Deck #424
2006 Upper Deck Star Attractions #SA-AW
2007 Fleer #48 [2 available]
2007 Fleer Ultra Retail #152 [5 4 available]
2007 Fleer Ultra SE #152
2007 Topps Update #UH79
2007 Topps Finest Finest Moments #RFM-AW
2007 Upper Deck #954
2008 Topps #244 [11 10 available]
2008 Upper Deck #61 [4 3 available]
2009 Bowman #137 [5 4 available]
2009 O-Pee-Chee #131 [2 available]
2009 Upper Deck #348 [4 3 available]
2009 Upper Deck #883 [4 3 available]
2010 Bowman #104 [2 available]
2010 Bowman Gold #104
2010 Topps #136 [8 7 available]
2011 Topps Update (All-Star) #US-125
2010 Topps Attax Code [5 4 available]
2010 Topps Chrome #43
2010 Topps National Chicle #102 [3 2 available]
2010 Topps Opening Day #62 [3 2 available]
2010 Upper Deck #467 [3 2 available]
2011 Bowman #42 [3 2 available]
2011 Topps #645 [4 2 available]
2011 Topps (League Leaders w/ Roy Halladay + Ubaldo Jimenez) #11 [4 3 available]
2011 Topps (League Leaders w/ Josh Johnson + Roy Halladay) #82
2011 Topps Topps 60 #T60-39
2011 Topps Gypsy Queen #202
2011 Topps Lineage #83 [3 2 available]
2011 Topps Lineage Diamond Anniversary Refractors #83
2011 Topps Opening Day #151 [3 2 available]
2012 Bowman #59
2012 Topps #495 [2 available]
2012 Topps Archives #53 [2 available]
2012 Topps Gypsy Queen #196 [2 available]
2012 Topps Opening Day #60 [5 4 available]
2013 Topps #50 [2 available]
2013 Topps Update (All-Star) #US93
2013 Topps Archives #135 [2 available]
2013 Topps Mini #50

[updated 01/14/14]