We all believe that the next statue erected would have been Albert Pujols, if he wouldn’t have left for the money in Los Angeles. I am here to tell you who will be the next to be casted in iron and be in front of Busch Stadium.
A few things may still have to happen, but if they do, that next person will be Chris Carpenter.
Everyone in the St. Louis area thought that Chris Carpenter was done for the year, including myself. But can any of us say that it is a surprise that he battled his way back?
No. We have seen it with our own eyes. This guy has battled in the most pressured situations. Just notch this up for another victory for Chris Carpenter, in the face of adversity.
Nobody thought he would be able to come back when the Cardinals first signed him in 2002-2003, or after surgery shut him down after the Cardinals miracle run in 2006.
Nobody thought he had a chance to win the Divisional Round game 5 against his close friend Roy Halladay. Then there was game 7 of the World Series, Chris Carpenter came off short rest to defeat the potent lineup of the Texas Rangers.
Not only has Carpenter defied all of these odds, he has performed when the lights have shined the brightest during the post season.
| Year | W | L | GS | CG | SHO | IP | ER | BB | SO | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Yrs (9 Series) | 9 | 2 | 3.05 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 94.1 | 32 | 30 | 59 | 1.219 |
If the Cardinals do have another magical October up their sleeves, it will start and end with Chris Carpenter.
When Chris Carpenter decides to hang them up, the Cardinals should honor him in the way they honor all of their greatest players. Cast the six foot, six inch bulldog in iron.
Anthony Wiber is a columnist for StlSportsMinute.com and is a main contributor on the Cruddy Show (@CruddyShow), a St. Louis sports talk show that airs on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9:30 pm CT. You can follow Wiber on Twitter as well (@AWibes).
