(Updated Aug. 23, 2018)
In a last hurrah to a stellar career, John Smoltz got one win for the Cardinals and it was a gem.
On Jan. 6, 2015, Smoltz was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. The right-hander is the only big-league pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He also earned 15 postseason wins: seven in the National League Division Series, six in the NL Championship Series and two in the World Series.
If not for the opportunity given to him by the Cardinals, Smoltz would have had a sour ending to his career.
Saved by St. Louis
Smoltz pitched for the Braves from 1988 through 2008. He made his last appearance for them on June 2, 2008, before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.
A free agent, Smoltz signed with the Red Sox in 2009. He was a flop, posting a 2-5 record and a 8.32 ERA in eight starts.
On Aug. 7, 2009, the Red Sox designated Smoltz for assignment. Ten days later, they released him.
The Cardinals, in first place in the NL Central, were seeking pitching depth. They had tried four pitchers as the fifth starter _ Todd Wellemeyer, Brad Thompson, Mitchell Boggs and P.J. Walters _ and weren’t satisfied with any. They also wanted to bolster the bullpen.
Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa, who had played with Smoltz for seven seasons with the Braves, suggested to general manager John Mozeliak and manager Tony La Russa that the pitcher would be a good fit with the Cardinals, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. DeRosa and Smoltz also were represented by the same agency.
On Aug. 19, 2009, Smoltz, 42, signed with the Cardinals for $100,000. The team planned to give Smoltz two starts to determine whether he would remain in a rotation with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro and Kyle Lohse, or move to the bullpen in a setup role for closer Ryan Franklin.
“There is no downside to this move,” Carpenter said.
Mozeliak called it “a unique opportunity” and “too inviting not to take a chance on.”
Said Smoltz: “You’re going to get a nasty guy on the mound … I still believe in everything I’m doing to get myself prepared for battle … You’ve got to want it. I still want it.”
To the rescue
Two days after Smoltz signed, Lohse suffered a groin injury running the bases and was placed on the disabled list. The Cardinals saw Smoltz as the replacement for Lohse. The question was whether Smoltz could be effective.
On Aug. 23, 2009, Smoltz provided the answer. In his first Cardinals appearance, Smoltz started against the Padres at San Diego and displayed the form that had made him an eight-time all-star with the Braves.
Smoltz struck out nine, including seven in a row, in five innings and held the Padres scoreless. Using a mix of split-fingered pitches, a slider, curve and fastball, Smoltz struck out the last batter of the second inning and struck out the side in the third and fourth innings.
Departing with a 5-0 lead, Smoltz earned the win _ the 213th and last of his career in the majors _ in a 5-2 Cardinals victory. Boxscore
“I couldn’t ask for a better beginning (with St. Louis),” Smoltz said. “All the pitches that were giving me trouble, I was able to throw.”
Wrote Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell: “No one could have seen this coming. I mean no one.” Video
Postseason finale
Smoltz stayed in the Cardinals rotation, made seven total starts and finished 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA. His ERA was 3.18 before he got shelled for six runs in four innings in his final career start on Sept. 30, 2009, against the Reds at Cincinnati.
The last pitching appearance for Smoltz came in a relief stint for the Cardinals in Game 3 of the 2009 NL Division Series against the Dodgers at St. Louis. Smoltz, pitching the sixth and seventh innings, struck out five in a row _ Ronnie Belliard, Russell Martin and Vicente Padilla to end the sixth and Rafael Furcal and Matt Kemp to start the seventh. Boxscore
“For me personally, this was an incredible opportunity after surgery,” Smoltz said to the Post-Dispatch. “No one thought I could come back … I got a chance and I thank the organization for giving me that chance.’
His final career numbers: 213-155 with 154 saves, 3,084 strikeouts and a 3.33 ERA. In the postseason, Smoltz was 15-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 41 games.
Against the Cardinals, Smoltz was 11-11 with a 4.13 ERA in 40 regular-season appearances, including 29 starts. He was 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA vs. St. Louis in the 1996 NL Championship Series.
Previously: Reaching 3,000 strikeouts was low-key event for Bob Gibson
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