Pujols can expect a hero’s welcome in St. Louis
Eight years after the beloved star led the Cardinals to two World Series, he returns as an Angel.
ST. LOUIS – Albert Pujols still has a home in the suburbs of St. Louis but hasn’t set foot inside Busch Stadium since Dec. 8, 2011.
This is the home he helped build, leading the Cardinals to two World Series championships, winning three National League MVP awards and a batting title, and earning nine All-Star Game selections.
“It was the time that he was the greatest player on earth,” Cards president John Mozeliak said Wednesday.
He was Mike Trout before Mike Trout.
He was Stan Musial after Stan Musial, the most beloved sports hero in this rabid baseball mecca.
“He was the greatest,” says his former manager and Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, “that I’ve ever seen. Really, he was the perfect player.”
Now, eight years after leaving for a 10year, $240 million contract with the Angels, Pujols is coming home.
Pujols will walk through the Busch Stadium doors for the first time Friday since he and his Cardinals teammates were gathered in the weight room before the 2011 World Series parade and was informed by an emotional La Russa that he was retiring after 33 years.
“It’s been such a long time, but the memories are like it just happened,” Pujols told USA TODAY. “It’s been crazy the last couple of weeks just thinking about it, letting it sink in.
“I’m so pumped up right now I can hardly believe it. I know I’m going to be so emotional when I see everyone. How can you not? You’re not human if you’re not.
“It’s going to be one of the most special moments of my career.”
A standing ovation to remember
The three-game series beginning Friday, and concluding on the Sunday night ESPN broadcast, has been sold out for months.
Dozens of former Cardinals teammates and executives, everyone from La Russa to former Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, will be there.
Pujols has received so many ticket requests from friends and family mem
bers that he has already purchased $35,000 worth of suite tickets, and that doesn’t include the tickets he’ll buy for those sitting in the stands.
“The buzz around town has been unbelievable,” Mozeliak said. “It doesn’t matter where you are. You’re grabbing a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and you hear it. People are talking about it wherever you go.
“It’s been a weekend that’s been circled a long time.”
Sure, there still might be a handful of fans in attendance who might resent Pujols for leaving, but they will be drowned out by the roar of 47,000 other fans.
“I still get these great ovations when I go back there,” said 2011 World Series hero David Freese, now with the Dodgers, “but just wait until this weekend. I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like it. I joked that if Albert is leading off an inning, the defense doesn’t need to go out for five minutes, because that’s how loud and long that cheer will be.
“You look at the history of that stadium, and you have the 2006 World Series. You have the 2011 World Series. And now you have Albert.
“So it’s going to be at least the thirdloudest ovation the stadium has ever heard.”
Cardinals All-Star catcher Yadier Molina, who along with starter Adam Wainwright are the two remaining St. Louis players who played with Pujols, telephoned last week with a message.
“When you come up,” Molina told Pujols, “don’t even bother bringing your bat to the plate. You’re going to be standing up there for a while.”
“It’s so special because this is where I started,” Pujols said. “This is where my roots are. This is where fans saw me as a kid, grow into a man and watched 11 of the best years in the history of the game. This is where people were even naming their dogs after me.
“I think the timing of me going back is perfect. Even those who were frustrated or mad that I left have forgiven me. They’re just as excited as I am now.”
Bidding war, bidding adieu
There will be the inevitable questions this weekend as to why Pujols left St. Louis.
He finished in the top five of MVP voting in 10 of his 11 years with the Cardinals and would have won seven MVPs if not for his four runner-up finishes to Barry Bonds. He won six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and a batting title. He batted .328, with a .420 on-base percentage and a .617 slugging percentage, in St. Louis. The only player in history with a higher WAR than Pujols (86.8) during any 11-year span was Ted Williams.
Pujols’ talent, persona and wholesome image produced an exorbitant free agent bidding war in the winter of 2011.
The Cardinals, who made a series of offers throughout the year, long- and short-term deals, came in with a final bid of nine years at $210 million, including a vesting option for a 10th season, according to a person directly involved in the talks but not authorized to speak publicly because of the sensitivity of contract negotiations.
They finished fourth in the bidding. The Marlins offered the most lucrative deal at $275 million, according to the person, which would have been worth about $300 million with no state income tax, but without a no-trade clause, and Pujols fearful of the Marlins being the Marlins, rejected their offer.
The mystery team that finished second in the negotiations was the Reds. They offered Pujols a 10-year, $225 million contract, according to the person, even with All-Star Joey Votto already at first base.
“We thought we were going to get him,” said Jocketty, the Reds’ executive adviser who was their general manager from 2008 to 2015 after 13 years as the Cardinals’ GM. “We thought he would certainly give our organization a lift with his presence, on and off the field.”
The Angels, behind owner Arte Moreno, were the stunning winners. Moreno offered Pujols a 10-year, $240 million contract with an additional 10-year, $10 million personal services contract upon retirement. He gave Pujols a 24hour window on Dec. 7, 2011, to accept it or reject it. The deal included a $3 million bonus for reaching 3,000 hits that was paid last year and a $7 million bonus if he eclipses Bonds’ homer record. (Pujols has 645 home runs to Bonds’ 762.)
Pujols accepted the offer the next morning. Mozeliak was informed of the decision just before the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings and immediately departed, trying to figure out how to soothe an infuriated fan base. The Reds turned around and signed Votto to a 10year, $225 million extension four months later.
“I think it worked out perfect for me, and the Cardinals, too,” Pujols says. “With all of the injuries and everything that happened to me, it was the bestcase scenario for me playing in the American League with a DH. It hasn’t been the best years of my career, but I’m still producing.”
Pujols, whose .767 OPS with the Angels is nearly 300 points lower than his days with St. Louis, has had 30 homers and at least 100 RBI in three of his seven seasons with the Angels.
Yet he has struggled with plantar fasciitis, undergone two knee surgeries and has missed 139 games the past six years. He finished fifth in the MVP voting his first year with the Angels but hasn’t placed higher than 17th since, with no MVP votes the past four years.
Pujols might have been the finest allaround player in the game in St. Louis, but not even he could beat Father Time. He’s 39 years old now, hitting .235 with 12 homers and 39 RBI, with $59 million owed him after this season.
“People look at him now, see the batting average and things like that, but no one can ever take away what he did for the Cardinals,” said David Eckstein, who played three years with Pujols, winning the 2006 World Series together. “You look at all of the all-time greats who ever wore a Cardinals’ uniform, and Albert is right there with them.”
The only Hall of Fame debate with Pujols is what cap he’ll wear on his plaque.
His greatest years were with the Cardinals.
His greatest gratitude is with Moreno and the Angels.
He likely will end up with no logo on his cap, just like La Russa and Greg Maddux in 2014, making sure he shows each franchise the ultimate respect.
“It’s too hard for me to think about that stuff now, but at some point it’ll be nice to look forward to that decision.” Pujols said. “For now, I just want to think about this weekend.
“I’m not a guy who ever gets real emotional, but this weekend I think I’ve got no choice.
“Come on, can you blame me?”