The hard-throwing, fast-rising top prospect in the Cardinals’ organization had served his suspension, stomached his name in headlines, and, finally, returned to the rotation, ready to resume his climb toward the majors. Time served. Lesson learned.
And then Shelby Miller walked into the major league clubhouse.
“More than anything, at first, it was kind of embarrassing,” Miller said. “I get up to the big leagues and it’s Tony La Russa and Adam Wainwright and Jake Westbrook and Chris Carpenter and they’re all right there and whether they did or not I worried that I came in with this — what would you say?