Albert Pujols' impact on the Cardinals will be felt forever

11/25/2024 12:00 PM

Pujols came out of nowhere to become an all-time great.

When reflecting on the history of the St. Louis Cardinals there are certain names that evoke a sense of pride and nostalgia. Among legends like Stan "The Man" Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Adam Wainwright, and Yadier Molina, one name stands out for his extraordinary impact both on and off the field: Albert Pujols. His contributions have left an unforgettable mark on the Cardinals' legacy, and, perhaps even more so, in the hearts of Cardinals fans who proudly boast about getting watch the greatest player in our generation wear the Birds on the Bat.

After being selected in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft out of Maple Woods Community College, there was little fanfare over the selection, but internally the Cardinals knew what they potentially had in the young Dominican ballplayer. John Kazanas, who is an MLB Scout for the Chicago White Sox scouted Albert before being drafted and told me when I interviewed him this past July that he "gave him a 75 grade on his raw power" (scouts grade on a 20-80 scale). Thanks to the ill-fated 2001 spring training that saw Bobby Bonilla get injured before the beginning of the season and a strong vote of confidence from then franchise slugger Mark McGwire, Albert was given the opportunity early that year and after his first homerun in Arizona he never looked back. He hit for a slash line of (.329/.403/.610) for (1.013) OPS and OPS+ of (157) (where 100 is considered league average) and smashed 47 doubles, 37 home runs, and drove in 130 RBIs, culminating in Rookie of the Year honors.

Compiling franchise stats that rank near the top in almost all offensive categories, Albert in his legendary Cardinals career slashed (.326/.417/.614) for a franchise best (1.031) OPS. Pujols also ranks second in HR (469), just 6 shy of Stan Musial's franchise mark of 475, 2nd in RBIs (1397), doubles (469), and walks (1003.) He also finished third in runs (1333), fourth in hits (2156) and sixth in all time games played as a Cardinal at (1814).

No stranger to accolades, Pujols was the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year, as a Cardinal, he amassed a whopping 10 All-Star selections (11 total), six Silver Slugger awards, two Rawlings Gold Glove awards, and was a 3-time NL MVP in '05, '08, and '09. Most importantly, he helped bring two World Series championships to St. Louis; one in 2006, the first since 1982, defeating the Detroit Tigers 4-1 and once again in 2011, defeating the Texas Rangers in seven games. Game 3 of that series featured Pujols becoming the second player ever to hit three home runs in a single World Series game, joining MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. Across 88 total games in his postseason career, Pujols hit (.319/.422/.572) which is good for an OPS of (.995). When the lights were the brightest and the stage was the biggest Pujols was leading the charge.

Pujols also won the 2008 Roberto Clemente award for his work in the community and his aid abroad through his Charity "The Pujols Family Foundation." According to their website The Pujols Family Foundation is "a national not-for-profit agency that exists to honor God and strengthen families through our works, deeds and examples. Since beginning this foundation in 2005, we have sought to help those living with Down syndrome here at home and to improve the lives of the impoverished in the Dominican Republic." A commendable cause, no doubt, and one that annually hosts different events, even ones that include the former Cardinal great, on a regular basis and the impact of that is still felt today throughout the region.

On top of those great accomplishments, Albert is likely to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York as a first-ballot member in 2028, as well as receive a Red Jacket and become a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame and have his number retired and his number and likeness added to the left field wall of Busch Stadium. All time across all of MLB Pujols Ranks 4th in Home Runs (703), 10th in Hits (3384), 2nd in RBI's (2218), 5th in Doubles (686) and 2nd in Total Bases (6211) and finished as one of the most prolific power bats/run producers in MLB history.

Reflecting on his career in 2022 Albert Pujols did an interview with MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and where he ending the conversation saying "If I had an open book, blank, with 1000 pages and the Lord would say 'I want you to write in this book how your life is gonna be at 42 years old and to what you're going to accomplish,' I don't think it would even come close to this." We know that book has a few unwritten chapters left in it as we are seeing in the Dominican Winter league that the legendary Pujols is exploring a future as a manager. In 2022 we saw, often times, Albert surrounded by young players such as Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and, of course, Juan Yepez. Imparting his wisdom to young players and giving back to a game that gave him everything in his incredible life.

Growing up as a kid in the St. Louis Metro area I had the pleasure of watching every single one of Albert's majestic Cardinals home runs. It was truly incredible how it seemed like a given that in a pressure situation, with the game on the line, that he was somehow, inevitably, going to come through. Brad Lidge made himself a household name in St. Louis by being on the receiving end of one these heroic Pujols feats (I think that baseball is STILL flying out of Minute Maid Park). It's hard to over-sell just how impactful Pujols was to my generation of Cardinals fans. When he returned in 2022, a common theme among those my age was how cool it was to be able to take our kids back to Busch Stadium for a chance to watch Albert the way we did when we were their age. With his iconic batting stance that we all tried to mimic, and his bat sticking straight up in the air, he will forever be my favorite player to don the "Birds on the Bat". I'm thankful I get the opportunity to write about the man who captivated mine and so many others in my generation's young imagination. Here's to you "El Hombre", "La Maquina", "Prince Albert", and as most of us knew you "The Machine."