The last time a member of the St. Louis Cardinals was called a mensch in the Jewish Light was 2013, when our Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Bob Cohn penned a tribute to Stan Musial. He wrote of a man who played the game with grace, gave back with heart and lived with humility.
Now, more than a decade later, it’s time to name another.
Adam Wainwright may never have worn No. 6, but his No. 50 came with its own quiet legacy—on the mound, in the locker room and out in the world. This Sunday, July 27, Wainwright is back in St. Louis headlining Big League Bash at The Factory in Chesterfield, blending music, baseball and his trademark generosity in support of Big League Impact, the nonprofit he founded back in 2013.
We don’t take the word mensch lightly. But we also know it when we see it.
A moment in the clubhouse
Back in spring training 2013, I was in Jupiter, Fla. producing “The Cardinal Nation Show” for KSDK. Wainwright’s contract status was the story of camp. Reporters packed into the clubhouse, circling him with questions. Everyone wanted a quote.
Our show wasn’t about strikeouts or contracts—it was about the stories around the game, the people who played it. That day, we needed to interview Wainwright. He had just been through the ringer—mobbed by reporters, pressed on his contract, clearly drained and running late for workouts. But once the crowd cleared, he noticed me standing off to the side.
“You with Rene’s show?” he asked.
I nodded. “Well, I got some time,” he said.
That moment sealed it. Wainwright wasn’t just doing his job. He saw me trying to do mine, and he made space for it. That’s what a mensch does.
When I reminded him of that moment this week, I asked if he knew of the word mensch. “I’ve heard it,” he said, laughing. “But you might have to describe it.”
After I did, he said: “That’s a great compliment. What I want people to remember me as—more than just a Cardinals player or a good player—is a servant. That’s the whole crux of Big League Impact.”
From fantasy football to real-world change
That same spring, Wainwright launched Big League Impact raising more than $110,000 for Operation Food Search in St. Louis.
“I believed it would be a big thing here,” he said. “But I hoped it could grow.”
Local support, national impact
It did. Today, Big League Impact has raised over $11 million and involves more than 120 MLB players. And the work is real.
“In Honduras, we brought clean water and sanitation to 1,500 people,” he said. “In Haiti, we built a water station for 6,500. But we’ve also done big things right here in St. Louis—working with groups like Crisis Aid, Operation Food Search and even raising over $40,000 in just a few days after the tornadoes hit around Forest Park in May.”
That’s why this weekend’s Big League Bash matters. It’s not just a concert—it’s a call to action. A chance for St. Louis to give back to a group that’s already given so much to us.
Big League Bash brings it all together
The all-ages event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a tailgate-style party featuring food trucks, games, a kid’s area, DJ That One Guy, Fredbird, raffles and appearances by several Cardinals players, past and present—including Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz.
At 7 p.m., the stage lights up. Wainwright will perform alongside Joanna Cotten (of Eric Church’s band) and rising Nashville artist Austin Bohannon. Cardinals’ broadcaster Brad Thompson and KMOV’s Claire Kellett will emcee.
“I want people to have fun,” Wainwright said. “But more importantly, I want them to walk away feeling like they helped make a difference.”
Tickets are available online right now. General admission is $70, balcony seats are $90, VIP access is $250. Use code BASH25 for a buy-one, get-one-free offer—just make sure to add two tickets to your cart.
