Adam Wainwright gave us a 'Billy Chapel' moment at Busch Stadium

In the movie "For Love of the Game", the fictional character Billy Chapel, played by Kevin Costner, is an aging hurler who finds himself pitching a perfect game at Yankee Stadium.

Late in the game, famed broadcaster Vin Scully says: "And you know, Steve, you get the feeling that Billy Chapel isn't pitching against left handers, he isn't pitching against pinch hitters, he isn't pitching against the Yankees. He's pitching against time. He's pitching against the future, against age, and even when you think about his career, against ending. And tonight, I think he might be able to use that aching old arm one more time to push the sun back up in the sky and give us one more day of summer."

Those same words feel appropriate for what we witnessed Sept. 18 as St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright secured his 200th career victory at Busch Stadium. Wainwright joined only two other Cardinals — Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines — in reaching the 200-win milestone.

This hasn't been an easy year for Wainwright. Following last season's sendoff for teammates Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols, the righthander opted to return for the 2023 season. It was a chance to play in the World Baseball Classic, secure the milestone 200th career victory and hopefully pitch in the postseason one final time.

Wainwright did pitch for Team USA in the WBC, but following the tournament he was placed on the injured list, which is where he started the season.

Still, there was hope.

Opening Day in St. Louis included a surprise performance of the National Anthem by the pitcher, who has embraced his love for country music and is set to soon release his first album.

Once he returned to the mound, finding consistency remained a challenge. Still, he kept pushing. And even as the Cardinals fell out of contention for the postseason, the opportunity remained for one of the all-time great Cardinals to secure the milestone victory.

On Sept. 18, Adam Wainwright looked like the Waino of old. No, his velocity wasn't the same. But over the course of seven innings against central division rival Milwaukee, his final line was 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, zero runs.

We'll see whether Wainwright pitches anymore this season. But we think his performance Sept. 18 was a fitting finish on the mound to Wainwright's career in St. Louis.

While the righthander is known for his impressive curveball — a pitch that's earned him the nickname Uncle Charlie — and winning some key games for the Cardinals over the last 18 seasons, his work off the field has endeared him to many. He's raised money for water mission projects abroad and charitable efforts in the St. Louis area through Big League Impact. He has been recognized by Major League Baseball with the Roberto Clemente Award, an honor that goes to a player for his humanitarian work. And his outspoken faith story is inspiring.

Even when he struggled on the field, Wainwright made it easy to cheer for him. He played the game the right way — with heart, hustle and grit. He was talented, but he is also a first-class person, who has a fun sense of humor.

We haven't seen the last of him. He's talked about broadcasting after his playing days are finished. And he'll certainly be in the Red Jacket Club soon as a Cardinal Hall of Fame member.

Count us among those happy to see Waino get No. 200. What a career for No. 50!