Adam Wainwright officially retires as a Cardinal in the most wholesome way possible

We've known for quite some time that St. Louis Cardinals' legend Adam Wainwright would be retiring from the game of baseball after the 2023 season. Now he's officially done so in an incredible way.

When submitting his retirement papers to Major League Baseball, Wainwright had to give a reason for his impending retirement, and chose the most wholesome reason of all - "because I got a puppy!".

I doubt anyone has ever submitted that as their reason for retiring! In case you missed Wainwright's retirement ceremony with the Cardinals, the team gifted him and his family a brand new puppy, something Wainwright told his family he would only get them once he was retired from baseball. So, technically, he's not wrong in that reasoning!

Fans are going to miss Wainwright for so many reasons, and one of those is the joyful personality he brought to this organization. Everyone loved Wainwright, and one quick Google or Twitter search will have you stumble across so many funny clips of Wainwright over the years. He knew how to make people laugh, and it's something that will also help him be an excellent broadcaster in this next stage of life.

In all seriousness, Wainwright's body was failing him throughout the 2023 season, as he later revealed he was pitching with a partial labrum tear all year and fully tore it during his start against the Baltimore Orioles. The fact that Wainwright was able to deliver the gem of a performance that he had against the Milwaukee Brewers for career with 200 with a fully torn labrum is an incredible feat.

So, if there was any question about whether or not Wainwright was retiring, those can now be put to rest. His plate is now full taking care of a new puppy at home!