Arch Awards: Adam Wainwright’s Rapid Return was the Best Storyline in St. Louis Sports During 2015
Our readers decided that Adam Wainwright’s rapid return from a torn Achilles was the top storyline in St. Louis sports during 2015.
Here at Arch Authority, we’ve been in the final stages of announcing the winners of our 2015 Arch Awards. We’ve already given the Rising Star Award to the Cardinals’ Stephen Piscotty and the Best Under-the-Radar Performer Award to the Rams’ Mark Barron. Today, we hand out the Arch Award for Best St. Louis Sports Storyline, which goes to the storyline that inspired the most excitement and positive emotion during the 2015 calendar year and will live on most prominently in St. Louis sports history.
Our three nominees were the incredible return of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright from a torn Achilles in just five months, the strong season delivered by Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez as he mourned his fallen teammate and friend, Oscar Taveras, and the improbable comeback victory over the Chicago Blackhawks that the St. Louis Blues were able to pull off on November 4 at the United Center, one that was made famous by the Blues’ inadverent #RoarBacon hashtag that they posted on Instagram in an attempt to write that the Blues “#RoarBack”.
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In a rather unsurprising result, Wainwright’s comeback won him the Best Storyline award. The 33-year-old suffered a torn Achilles in the batter’s box at Milwaukee on April 25 and was initially projected to be out for 9-12 months, a recovery period that definitely would have sidelined him for the rest of 2015 and possibly into the 2016 season. But Wainwright, always the resilient type, started working out again by June, and by August there was serious belief that he’d be able to make a comeback near the end of the 2015 season.
Wainwright, who by June had insisted that he’d pitch again during 2015, delivered on his promise on September 30 as the Cardinals activated him from the 60-day disabled list. Due to his lack of rehab time, Wainwright had to move to the bullpen, but he was a valuable weapon for the Cardinals nonetheless. He made the playoff roster and delivered two perfect multi-inning performances against the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS.
We’ve now given Wainwright–who’s arguably the face of St. Louis sports at the moment–three Arch Awards over the past two years. Prior to winning the Best Storyline Award, he was also a double-winner last year as a Community MVP and as the on-field St. Louis Sports MVP.
Join us next week when we announce the winner of the Arch Award for St. Louis’s top team in 2015.