Four years ago, Busch Stadium got one of those scenes that sticks with a franchise forever.
The Cardinals were wrapping up the regular season at home, and the day already had the feel of a sendoff. Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were honored with a retirement ceremony before the final home game, and Adam Wainwright was on the mound for St. Louis.
The game itself was rough for Wainwright, who gave up six runs. But the box score ended up being only part of the story. Pujols launched what would be his final home run at Busch Stadium, and then, in the top of the fifth, manager Oli Marmol came out to make a move that turned into one of the most memorable images in Cardinals history.
Marmol wasn’t only taking Wainwright out. He was bringing out Pujols and Molina too.
That meant the three Cardinals icons walked off the field together one last time, with the crowd rising for a standing ovation. It was a goodbye that carried both the sadness of the moment and the beauty of how it played out. Wainwright’s start didn’t go the way anyone wanted, and fans were saying farewell to two of the most beloved players in franchise history, but the shared walk to the dugout made it all feel complete.
Pujols, Molina and Wainwright had spent 2005-11 together as teammates, winning two World Series titles in that stretch. Pujols left after 2011, then came back for his final season alongside his two longtime friends. For Cardinals fans, the sight of all three leaving the field together brought back a flood of memories tied to some of the most decorated years the club has had.
The day was emotional, and it showed. The crowd knew exactly what it was witnessing, and the legends did too.
A few days later, Pujols and Molina’s careers ended when the Cardinals were knocked out by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the playoffs. Even so, their exits had a fitting finish: Pujols reached 700 home runs, and Molina and Wainwright finished with the record for the most starts together as a battery.
Now, four years on, Pujols and Molina are already in the Cardinals Hall of Fame, and Wainwright looks headed there in 2027.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Look Built To Pounce As Cubs Window Gets Shaky
The National League Central may look tilted toward Chicago right now, but the longer view is starting to favor St. Louis. The Cubs still have the better major league roster at the moment, yet the gap is built on a group that is getting older and a depth chart that does not have much help coming from the farm. For the Cardinals, the picture is different: a stronger system, a younger core and more roster control give them a cleaner path to staying competitive without having to buy every answer on the open market.
Chicago is going to need a meaningful spending spree just to keep up with the turnover ahead, and that kind of winter can get expensive fast when key pieces reach free agency. St. Louis, meanwhile, looks more like a club that can wait for the right moment to pounce, with the kind of starting pitching production projected for 2026 that could make the rest of the division nervous. The window is not wide open yet, but it is getting easier to see why the Cardinals believe they are moving into position to challenge for the division again soon. [Read more 🡒]
Nolan Arenado Gave Arizona Hope At Third Base Again For Now
For the Cardinals, Nolan Arenados move to Arizona in 2026 became one of those trades that always invites a second look once the season settles in. He still showed why the Diamondbacks were willing to take the chance, putting together a strong start and then finding his best swing again in September, even if the middle months were rough enough to keep the overall picture from feeling clean.
Arenado finished with a .255 average, 30 home runs and a 120 wRC+, a line that still carried real value at the plate. But the deeper indicators were less encouraging, with drops in exit velocity and hard-hit rate hinting that the power production may not be as sturdy as the final totals suggest, which leaves Arizona with hope at third base for now and a decision to sort through later. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Real Third Base Question To Watch
The Cardinals farm system did not end the season with championship banners in Memphis or Springfield, but there was still plenty for the organization to keep an eye on. Jesus Baez and Tai Peete both gave the club reasons to feel better about what comes next, with Peete turning in a strong run in Double-A and Baez continuing to look like a real bat to track as he moves through the system.
For St. Louis, the timing matters because third base remains one of the clearer long-term questions on the roster. Baez, who piled up 39 home runs and stayed hot in the playoffs with a 1.156 OPS, is starting to look like a legitimate candidate to eventually answer it. The Cardinals are not there yet, but performances like this are the kind that can change how an internal battle looks a year from now. [Read more 🡒]