ST. LOUIS – When going down the list of the greatest Cardinals it will not take long to get to Adam Wainwright’s name.
The big league has spent all 18 years of his career in the gateway city.
“This is a career that should be celebrated,” said 101 ESPNs Randy Karraker.
Uncle Charlie’s been both an ace for the Cardinals on the mound and in the community for nearly 20 years. In 2020, Wainwright was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award. It’s given to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement.
“There couldn’t be a more fan-friendly or community-friendly athlete than Adam Wainwright,” Karraker said.
On Sunday, the only thing that mattered for some fans were the 11 hits and seven earned runs given up by Wainwright against the Cubs with some taking to Twitter to express their frustration, leading to the pitcher deactivating his account.
“It’s amazing to me there are enough people out there that are angry enough to have Adam Wainwright leave Twitter,” Karraker said on Monday.
It seems the Cardinals ace is taking all the heat for this season’s lackluster performance. Karraker’s covered the Cardinals for 40 years.
“Cardinal fans are intense they are really into it,” he said.
Riley Nickols is a sport psychologist at Mind Body Endurance and works with professional and amateur athletes.
“I think it’s important to remember that athletes are human beings,” Nickols said.
In his 15 years, he said social media distractions can be a popular topic of discussion with the athletes he sees. Nickols said it’s the best athletes that can find a balance between the positives and the negatives.
“I have no doubt Wainwright and other athletes in these slumps will find a way through them,” he said.