According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, one of the best pitchers, and toughest competitors of our generation is calling it a career after the season, with Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter hanging it up.
Carpenter, who started with the Toronto Blue Jays, really made his name after moving to St. Louis. He leaves with a career 144-94 record, a 3.76 ERA, the 2005 CY Young Award, and two World Series rings with the Cardinals (2006 and ’11).
Carpenter has not pitched at the Major League level this season after yet another surgery to try to fix nerve damage in his neck and shoulder. He did try a comeback, but just couldn’t get enough velocity and control at the minor league level.
Carpenter’s agent, Bob LaMonte, said the right hander, “may have an opportunity to work for the Cardinals organization. Chris basically came back from five career-ending surgeries. I don’t think you’ll ever see anyone do that again. He had a sixth and it was too many. He had a great career, a great human being.”
The ability to add a smart and knowledgeable pitcher, and one who learned at the feet of pitching guru Dave Duncan for so many years, to the front office is one that many organizations would take advantage of and of course the Cardinals are no different.
Cardinals’ general manager John Mozeliak has also publicly stated the organization’s interest in seeing Carpenter take on a role with the team. “If he wants to do something with the St. Louis Cardinals, we would certainly welcome that. When the time comes to discuss that my door will be open. I look forward to that conversation. He is someone who is so competitive and so passionate about this game that I don’t know if working in the front office is going to appease that. But we’ll see. Great guy. Wonderful teammate. So, we’ll see.”
Carpenter has been cheering on his Cardinals teammates throughout the playoffs as the team is up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
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