Long-time first baseman and future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols has re-joined the St. Louis Cardinals for what will be his final season.
The veteran Pujols has been in the game for over twenty years, making his MLB debut with the Cardinals on April 2, 2001. That appearance marked the first time in history that a Major League player was born in the 1980s (as he was born on January 16, 1980).
At age 42, Pujols is currently the oldest active MLB player, but that will change after this season. Yesterday, March 28, Pujols announced that the 2022 season would, in fact, be his last. After joining the Angels in 2012 and playing for them until 2021, and then finishing the season with the Dodgers, Pujols also signed a one-year deal with the team that gave him Major League life, and whose fanbase still adores him.
“This is it for me,” the 42-year-old Pujols said Monday. “This is my last run. I had to put a little smile on. I was getting a little emotional.”
.@PujolsFive announced that his return to St. Louis will be his final season in the big leagues. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/vr09mNsML4
— MLB (@MLB) March 28, 2022
The slugger was a major contributor to the Cardinals’ two World Series victories in 2006 and 2011. He is also a three-time NL MVP and a ten-time All-Star, earning the honor for eight straight seasons from 2003 to 2010.
“Seldom does one get to share in watching or being a part of ‘living’ history,” Cardinals president 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.
With the Cardinals already having an All-Star first baseman in Nolan Arenado, Pujols will fit nicely in the Designated Hitter role, which has come to the National League this season for the first time in the game’s history. There is no doubt that the name Pujols rings an honorable bell in the hearts of St. Louis fans, and there was arguably no better place for him to end his ride.
What do you think of Albert Pujols’ retirement announcement following this season, and his return to the Cardinals? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
