'Because I got a puppy!' Waino puts bow on 18-year career
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After an 18-year MLB career, pitcher Adam Wainwright has officially retired -- and for the best of reasons.
The career Cardinal displayed his retirement paperwork Monday on social media, confirming the end of his standout career after 478 games, 2,668 1/3 innings and 2,202 strikeouts. His listed reason for retirement? ¡°Because I got a puppy!¡±
That¡¯s right: At a pregame ceremony Oct. 1 at Busch Stadium, Wainwright opened a picnic basket to find a fluffy brown puppy inside as his retirement gift. (The pitcher had previously told his family they could only get a puppy once he had retired, so the Wainwright family knew it was time.)
Wainwright certainly has more free time to enjoy with his new friend, although he¡¯s still been busy. He joined the FOX Sports broadcast booth for the Astros-Twins American League Division Series, going from on the mound to behind the mic.
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The 42-year-old right-hander delivered a special moment in his last career start on Sept. 18. Taking the ball against the Brewers at Busch Stadium, Wainwright tossed seven shutout innings to join the vaunted 200-win club. It was the perfect moment to cap a Cardinals career that started way back in 2005, resulting in three All-Star appearances and four top-three finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting. Wainwright got the chance to go out on top -- and with an official retirement announcement that will be hard to beat.