Adam Wainwright and the Tomahawk

I remember sitting at my parent's house on the night of October 27, 2006. I was visiting from Athens, on my way down to Jacksonville for the annual Georgia-Florida showdown. That Friday night, October 27, was Game 5 of the 2006 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. In the top of 9th, with the Cardinals leading 4-2, manager Tony La Russa summoned closer Adam Wainwright into the game for the Cardinals. With a runner on and two outs, Wainwright delivered a 0-2 curveball to Brandon Inge. Inge swung on and missed. Game over! The Cardinals were World Series Champions for the first time since 1982.

Now, you might be wondering why I bring this up when referring to the tomahawk (Braves). Well, it just so happens that less than two years prior to him recording the final out of the 2006 World Series for the Cardinals, Adam Wainwright was a star prospect for the Atlanta Braves. That's right, the Braves had one of the best pitchers and a leading candidate for this year's NL Cy Young Award in their minor league system.

So what happened? On December 13, 2003, the Atlanta Braves, after posting the best record in the ML that year (102-60), had made another early-round, disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. Oh how we all wish Steve Bartman would have made his presence felt that series! That offseason, the Braves lost Greg Maddux, Vinny Castilla, Gary Sheffield, and Javier Lopez to free agency. Thus, it was clear GM John Schuerholz needed to reload the Braves. He proceeded to trade Jason Marquis, Ray King, and some prospect named Adam Wainwright to the Cardinals for J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero.

In the short-term, this trade proved to be very successful for Atlanta. J.D. Drew had a career-year in Atlanta, hitting .305, belting 31 homeruns, and driving in 93 runs. He actually managed to stay healthy most of the year. Eli Marrero proved to be a vital part of the Braves' bench. The Braves, despite the pundits and the odds, subsequently went on to win their 13th straight division title.

Following that season's success, Drew left Atlanta and signed a 5 year/$55 million deal with the Dodgers. For whatever reason, the Braves traded Eli Marrero after the season to the Royals. That is truly one I will never figure out. The following year, the Braves and their fans saw some of their worst fears come true. Adam Wainwright, the one no one wanted to see go, made his major league debut in a St. Louis uniform. A year later, he won the World Series for the Cardinals while the Braves streak of 14 straight division titles came to halt that 2006 Season.

Wainwright has truly been impressive since his major league debut. He is 63-31 for his career and just made his first All-Star appearance this 2010 Season in Anaheim. He has a remarkable 47-18 record since the start of the 2008 Season.  His 2010 record of 17-7 and ERA of 2.06 has put him right in the middle of this year's NL Cy Young talk. What's worse, the Braves and Cardinals could be on a collision course for this year's playoffs. Man, that is one pitcher I would not want to face, especially in St. Louis, where he is 11-1 this season.

I cannot help but picture Wainwright with a tomahawk across his uniform every time I see him pitch. I have been a Braves fan my whole life. I have seen many players come and go. There is not one that hurts more than this one!