Waino and Yadi: Two storybook careers in one jersey

Their field partnership is arguably the most unique in baseball history.

It’s true. You can attempt to imagine the careers of Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina taking place in different cities for different teams, but it’s a thought that evaporates quickly upon recognition that these two men are bound to each other in ways that few MLB players can dream of.

Example: Wainwright has made 369 starts in his career, all with St. Louis. 315 of those have come with Molina behind home plate. This afternoon at Busch Stadium on a warm yet beautiful day in downtown St. Louis, they’ll make their 316th start together, tying the Milwaukee Braves tandem of Warren Spahn and Del Crandall.

Those two Braves played catch from 1949 to 1963. Nearly 60 years later, Wainwright and Molina will match them before taking the inevitable lead next week for start #317. It’s been one of the constants in Cardinal Nation for many years. No matter who else was on the roster, barring injury, these two Birds were going to play catch at least 30 times a season.

Whether or not Wainwright retires after this season-Molina has done everything except insist this is his final rodeo-this illustrious battery will go down as one of the best couples in the game in history. Tom Glavine and Javy Lopez of the Atlanta Braves finished off their 248 start run in 2002. Fernando Valenzuela and Mike Scioscia completed 239 starts run in 1990. Those batteries only lasted for eight and nine years, respectively.

“Waino” and “Yadi” have been at this thing since 2005, when the pitcher was a reliever/closer. In 2007, the starts began. 15 years and 315 starts later, their rhythm and overall sharpness in working together against numerous lineups and hitters hasn’t diminished.

While his bat speed and ability have declined each of the past three seasons, Molina can still receive and frame like the nine-time Gold Glover he is. Wainwright could continue to start for at least two more seasons with his rejuvenated mechanics and deadly two-seamer/curveball mix.

Think about it. In 2007, Ichiro Suzuki led the league with 238 hits. The now diminished Robinson Cano led all infielders with a 2.8 dWAR. Barry Bonds led the league with a ridiculous .480 on-base percentage. Albert Pujols led all NL hitters with an 8.7 WAR. Grady Sizemore was roaming around the Indians outfield. Crazy stuff.

Today, Bonds is out of the game and has his accomplishments shrouded in PED controversy. Cano is costing the Mets loads of cash to not be good at his job. Sizemore is long gone from the game. Suzuki retired with a bajillion hits. Waino and Yadi remain viable.

Imagining all the good and hard times they’ve gone through is incredible. The 2006 World Series. Losing a teammate shortly afterwards in Josh Hancock’s drunk-driving accident. Wainwright tutelage under Chris Carpenter, before becoming the team’s Carp for many years. Tommy John for Wainwright in 2011, and the team wins another World Series. They’ve gone through four managers together, one of them a Hall of Famer and three others without any previous MLB managing experience.

Wainwright and Molina have seen it all and then some. Countless injuries, playoff appearances, disappointments, teammate sendoffs like Matt Holliday’s tearful departure, and more. They’ve played with Pujols in three different decades, on just one team.

That’s the very, very unique thing about these two players. They never left, and they could have. At the height of their game, Wainwright and Molina could have taken a higher, more lucrative road. Molina after Pujols departed in 2011, and Wainwright in a similar time frame.

They were never worried about being leaders. Pujols left for more money and a tag team partner called Mike Trout in Los Angeles, and Jason Heyward signing with Chicago because he thought the core of the Cards was aging rapidly. Well, with no offense to Heyward’s own G.G. collection, Waino and Yadi aged better than he did. What is Jason using now? His fifteen batting stance? #50 and #4 just keep doing what they’ve done for 15 years now. Pitch and catch.

Here’s another unique aspect about these two. They are best friends. Legit best friends. Some of the world’s best genius duos could never get along. Steve Jobs and Dan Wozniak are distant friends. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant don’t even want to do another tour together. Most stage duos looked like friends on the field, but were bound by nothing more than contracts, money, and a boss.

Waino and Yadi are pals for life. No doubt or hyperbole required. They’ll be old and gray, hanging inside a dugout somewhere chirping about young bucks and the proper way to build a garden and how to properly rock neck tattoos. They’re unique.

Other teams have tried to duplicate it and failed. They looked for it and came up empty. Or they got greedy with the rest of their roster and traded off pieces before something incredible like this could happen. Few people will know who won the World Series in a random year between 2007-2022, but they’ll know all about Waino, Yadi, and St. Louis.

That’s the unique thing. They did it here, under one roof, for 15 years.

Back in 2007, I was living in Florissant and starting a job at a chemicals distribution warehouse. Today, I am a married freelance sportswriter and film critic with a kid and five pets. Baseball, like any sport, is something that passes the time with you. It’s beside you on the ride of life, and you lean on it in order to get through the toughest of times. It’s an ally, friend, foe, mood shifter, and generally an immovable force.

For the longest time in this town, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina have passed the time with St. Louis baseball fans. They’ve arrived, thrilled crowds, built families and homes, spread their goodwill around the area, and aged right along with us. In a game that can separate the fan from the player at times, these two made that relationship seem closer and more palpable.

If they make nine more starts after today, Waino and Yadi will hold the record for starts made by a pitcher and catcher for one team. 325 is the number. Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan of the Detroit Tigers accomplished 324 starts in just around 12 seasons. This Cardinal partnership is longer and more special, in my humbled yet slightly biased opinion.