Caravan of champions

~ World Series star Adam Wainwright was joined by Chris Duncan, Tyler Johnson and John Rodriguez.

The St. Louis Cardinals ended a 24-year drought in October, when the franchise captured its 10th World Series title and first since 1982.

Cardinals players Adam Wainwright, Tyler Johnson, Chris Duncan and John Rodriguez were at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau on Sunday to discuss the championship and sign autographs as part of the annual Cardinals Caravan.

They attracted a standing-room crowd of more than 1,000 people.

For Wainwright, Johnson and Duncan, the last Cardinals title came with the trio still in diapers. All three were born in 1981.

"It was awesome," outfielder Duncan said. "First to get a chance to come up in the year, then to get a chance to play was even better, and to get a chance to win the World Series your first year was an awesome experience."

Johnson, a rookie left-handed reliever, allowed just one run in 7 1/3 innings spanning 10 games in the playoffs. During the regular season, Johnson had a 4.95 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with 37 strikeouts and a 2-4 record.

"It was a dream come true basically," Johnson said. "It was a fantastic experience and hopefully I'm a part of it again."

Rodriguez, a reserve outfielder in his second season with the Cardinals, thanked the crowd for its help.

"You guys are what made it happen for us," he said.

All four players had a role in helping the Cardinals earn their third straight playoff berth. St. Louis limped its way through the regular season, finishing with an 83-78 record. The Cardinals clinched the division on the final day of the regular season despite a loss.

St. Louis had the worst record among the eight playoff teams and had to start each series on the road. Despite the underdog role, St. Louis finished the postseason with an 11-5 record. They ultimately dispatched of the Detroit Tigers four games to one in the World Series.

"I think we overcame a lot of stuff, a lot of injuries," Wainwright said. "We pushed through, and things took a change right when we needed to."

The run to the World Series was made even more special for Duncan, as he got to experience the season with his father, pitching coach Dave Duncan, in the dugout by his side. Chris Duncan hit .293 with 22 home runs in 280 at-bats during the regular season. For Duncan, it was the first time he's had his dad -- who has always been involved with a professional team during the summer -- coach his team.

"It was awesome being able to experience something like that with your father," Chris Duncan said. "That's as good as it gets."

One of the biggest factors in the Cardinals' postseason success was the play of the bullpen. St. Louis' top five relievers in innings pitched allowed a combined five runs. Wainwright, rookie Josh Kinney and Randy Flores were unscored upon, and Johnson allowed just one run.

"The attitude was almost unspoken," Johnson said of the bullpen. "Everyone knew what their job was. We simplified it. ... It's fun to be part of something like that. It was one of those things we all had a part, all had a routine, and we executed when we were in there."

With the World Series in the rearview mirror and spring training less than 40 days away, talk is already starting to focus on next year.

"I think we have to forget about last year, work hard and think about next year," Duncan said. "It's going to be a little tough for us [to repeat], but I think we have a good shot."