“Right back where we started from!”
Those antiquated lyrics ring true today, as MLB legend Albert Pujols has signed back with the team that made him a household name: the St. Louis Cardinals.
“This is it for me,” Pujols said of his one-year, $2.5 million deal. “This is my last run.”
The 42-year-old rejoins the Cards after parts of 10 seasons with the Angels and a half-season with the Dodgers. His time away from St. Louis saw his batting average drop more than 30 points.
Pujols, who won two World Series titles (2006, 2011) and three MVPs in his 11 years with the Cardinals, sits at 679 home runs, 2,150 RBI, and a 144 OPS+ for his career. He could become the fourth player in MLB history with 700 homers if things pan out.
“Seldom does one get to share in watching or being a part of ‘living’ history,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. “From the day we called Albert’s name in the draft room back in 1999, to now, as we set our sights on 2022, this reunion just makes sense in so many ways.
“We are all looking forward to reuniting Albert with his Cardinals family, and for the fan in all of us, including myself, this feels like looking through the pages of a favorite scrapbook or baseball card album and seeing those images and memories jump off the pages.”
“I’m happy for him to be here,” said 39-year-old Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who was teammates with Pujols for eight seasons and is most likely also in his final season. “It’s going to be a fun year.
“We’ve only got one thing in mind: winning another championship.”
Pujols played his last game for the Cards on Oct. 28, 2011—a win over the Texas Rangers in Game 7 of the World Series.
