The St. Louis Cardinals have three of the oldest players in MLB.
One of them is Albert Pujols, as you might imagine, and the other two are catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright.
Wainwright has been a major leaguer with the Cardinals since 2005, but he started to really contribute in 2006.
Molina, in turn, made his MLB debut at 21 years old in 2004, but took over as the starting catcher in 2005.
Both have been with the Cardinals for their whole careers, so you might imagine they have formed a battery once or twice.
In total, they are getting ready for their 306th game together, and that’s about to become a record, as MLB writer and analyst Sarah Langs states.
“This is Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina’s 306th regular-season start as a battery, tying Red Faber & Ray Schalk for the 3rd-most common regular-season starting battery since 1900, trailing only: Mickey Lolich–Bill Freehan: 324 Warren Spahn–Del Crandall: 316 h/t @EliasSports,” Langs tweeted.
This is Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina's 306th regular-season start as a battery, tying Red Faber & Ray Schalk for the 3rd-most common regular-season starting battery since 1900, trailing only:
Mickey Lolich-Bill Freehan: 324
Warren Spahn-Del Crandall: 316h/t @EliasSports
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 14, 2022
We Could Be Witnessing Some Real History This Season
Wainwright and Molina have a chance to make some real history later this season: if both remain healthy, they have a shot at catching Lolich and Freehan’s 324 regular season starts.
They will have to do it this season, though, because Molina will hang up his cleats after the season.
But a typical pitcher who is a member of a five-man rotation will have between 30 and 35 starts in the regular season.
The season is just getting started, so both men have a real shot at having the most regular season starts as a pitcher-catcher tandem.
It’s just another cool fact about the Cardinals and their veteran players.
They have been so good for so long that they should be celebrated.
NEXT: Brewers Manager Comments On The Cardinals' Veteran Core