By Rob Rains
As he watches the World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, former Cardinals’ pitcher Jake Woodford will find himself in a unique position.
He has the possibility of getting a World Series ring regardless of which team wins.
“Obviously I was pretty aware of this with how I bounced around this year, and was fortunate to play for some pretty good teams so I knew I had a chance,” Woodford said Thursday in a phone interview from his home in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In a chaotic season that had him moving all across the country, Woodford spent time with both the Brewers and the Rays, in addition to the Cubs, and he also pitched for all three of their Triple A affiliates.
“It’s two pretty incredible teams that I got to witness first-hand this year,” Woodford said. “It’s a cool thing. The goal as a player is to be playing in the World Series and on an active roster but it’s a cool experience, something that is unique.”
Woodford, who was a first-round pick by the Cardinals out of a Tampa high school in 2015, pitched for the major-league team from 2020 to 2023. After moving through a couple of other organizations, Woodford signed with the Rays as a free agent last November. His odyssey began in March, when he was traded to the Brewers.
Woodford pitched in 16 games while he was there, winning one and saving another, before he moved on to the Cubs in July, where he pitched in two games. He re-signed with the Rays in August and was promoted to the majors near the end of the season in September, pitching in one game, before he was released at the end of the regular season.
“I was traded once, opted out of a minor-league contract once and got DFA’d (designated for assignment) three times,” Woodford said. “It was definitely a chaotic year.
“I was grateful for the opportunity like always. I didn’t have the year I was hoping to have. Always looking for the next job, and I’ve already stated working (for next year); we will see what God has in store for me.”
It was while he was on a flight to New York to join the Rays that Woodford thought about all of the teams he had pitched for this season, and what it could possibly mean.
“After I left the Cubs I was kind of like, ‘Wow, I’ve played for a couple of pretty good NL teams now, that’s not bad odds,’” Woodford said. “The Rays added me late and on that flight it kind of hit me that, ‘I’ve got two NL clubs that have already clinched and now I’m on the AL favorite too.’
“As the playoffs were unfolding, the Brewers took care of business, the Rays swept the Yankees and I was like, ‘This is kind of getting a little more real.’ Watching the games, following along, once the Rays clinched the pennant I was like, ‘Here we go.’”
In addition to the Cardinals, Woodford also has pitched for the White Sox, Pirates and Diamondbacks in his seven years in the majors.
“I was grateful to play for two organizations and two teams that were good this year,” Woodford said. “The playoffs are so unpredictable you never know what’s going to happen.”
He is looking forward to watching the Series when it begins on Friday night.
“I feel I am just going to enjoy the Series and good baseball, not really pulling one way or the other,” Woodford said. “Two really good teams and more importantly two really good clubhouses. I enjoyed my time in both organizations; nothing but a ton of respect and admiration for the players, staff and coaches.
“They are two organizations that are run really well and they do a lot of things the right way. It’s really easy to root for those guys when you know the people they are.”
Woodford said he might try to go to one of the games next week in St. Petersburg with his son, Jett, who was born in January. Woodford will celebrate his 30th birthday on Oct. 28.
Woodford isn’t certain what the rule is about teams issuing rings to players who were on the roster in the regular season but not on the playoff roster.
“I wasn’t going to really advertise this but it was something I was telling my friends and my buddies at the gym and my family of course knew,” he said.
When the reality of him having pitched for both teams started showing up on social media, however, Woodford’s connection to the Brewers and Rays made him an instant celebrity.
“I looked up and my phone was kind of blowing up,” Woodford said. “The story caught a little bit of traction. It’s just one of those cool baseball things.”
Photos by The Associated Press
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