Flashback: John Smoltz as a St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher

Most fans remember Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz as an Atlanta Brave. Some might not remember that Smoltz had a short stint with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009.

As people watch the World Series, they might recognize a familiar face in the broadcast booth. John Smoltz brings his valuable in-game experience to the broadcast and it is always nice to get a Hall of Fame player’s perspective. I thought it would be a good time to take a look back and remind fans that Smoltz, indeed, was a St. Louis Cardinals player.

John Smoltz is most well known for his career with the Atlanta Braves. Nobody would try to convince otherwise. He played with them from 1988-2008. A twenty-year run of tremendous success and accolades that cemented his place in both Braves and MLB history.

In 2009, though, Smoltz began the season with the Boston Red Sox. In 8 starts, he went 2-5. On August 17, 2009, he was released by the Red Sox. Two days later he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the Cardinals, Smoltz started 7 games. He went 1-3 in those starts and had a 4,26 ERA. However, his FIP was 2.73, over a whole run lower.

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It was a very small sample size, but I think it is a cool and forgotten piece of recent Cardinals history. John Smoltz was always a player that I respected and enjoyed watching. When he became a Cardinal it was a fun experience to see an MLB legend wearing the birds on the bat after having seen him in a Braves jersey for twenty years.

By the time Smoltz played for the Cardinals briefly in 2009 he was 42 years of age. The overall numbers in his 2009 and final season don’t look great on paper, but for a baseball great to still be pitching at the highest level and doing so in a competitive manner at that age is impressive.

John Smoltz has made his mark in MLB history and continues to be a relevant name for baseball fans in his new role as a broadcaster. Although he only made a brief stop in St. Louis at the end of his career, it is still a cool thing for Cardinals fans to look back on.

Smoltz’s last career MLB win was as a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher. How cool is that?