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In praise of Adam Wainwright - A Hunt and Peck

Basically me just going on about how much I like Waino.

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Wainwright has been with the St. Louis Cardinals for over sixteen years. That is a long time to stay with a city and in that time St. Louis and Waino have gotten to know each other pretty well. Certainly we don’t know Waino personally, but his time spent in such prominence in our lives has granted us some familiarity that only that level of exposure can bring. We don’t know him, but due to his accessibility to us, we kinda do know him, ya know?

That is entirely because of Adam Wainwright, too. There are many athletes that do not allow fans into their lives the way Waino has. That is not a bad thing at all, to be clear. Everyone should be allowed the level of privacy that makes them most comfortable and Waino does not just put his personal life on display without care. What I mean is no one owes anyone that level of insight into their personality. That is why Adam Wainwright is special and why many people find him so likable. He has always been his authentic self with us. He is confident in who he is, but does not take himself so seriously that he isn’t sincere. Adam Wainwright is very cool, but he never felt like he was too cool for us. He never made St. Louis feel like we have to impress him. It is one of the greatest gifts a public figure can grant a fanbase. It is how I always imagine Stan Musial was with fans based on the stories I hear.

I thought about all this while I was watching Bally Sports Midwest’s (still not used to that) most recent interview of the Cardinal veteran. He mentions his wife in the interview and says some really beautiful things about her. He talks about taking care of his family and trusts us with this peek into in his life. Even before that though, when he is talking about his pitching performance he is so candid and honest, speaking with the familiarity of a friend. It made me feel sentimental, thinking this could be the last season we see Adam Wainwright like this. I do not think I am ready for it to be over just yet, but I suppose that is not my call.

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