Albert Pujols: M.O.B (Money over Birds)

I think as baseball fans, we all remember where we were when we heard the Albert Pujols to the Angels news. I happened to be finishing up teaching and checked my phone fast at lunch to about 25 tweets in a row on my feed going crazy, discussing the effect this has on the AL West and the league at large. There is a lot to consider when you look at this decision for Albert Pujols. He will now have played in both the National League and American League expanding his Hall of Fame resume even further. But now the question at hand is whether his legend has grown or shrunk with this decision.

It's hard to feel bad for Cardinals' fans because of their recent championship run and two in the last 10 years. But I feel bad for Albert Pujols. That's right, I said it. I feel bad for Pujols. He made a hasty decision based on money that he will wind up regretting when he hangs up the cleats. He has already made all the money he could have ever dreamed of. At what point is money not an issue? To me, being a lifelong member of a legendary franchise like the Cardinals' is more important. He forever tarnished his legacy as a Cardinal by signing with the Angels in my eyes. Don't get me wrong, he will forever be a Cardinal. In fact he will come back in 25 years for their ceremonies in the pregame, and he will receive a rousing ovation. But things will never be the same again. He had the chance to cement himself as the greatest Cardinal ever. Stan Musial, your title is safe.

The next 10 years of his career will most likely be forgotten when we talk about his accomplishments no matter how great he may play. I have a feeling that we will sit back as old men and talk about Pujols on the Angels like they talked about Montana on the Chiefs. Irrelevant, meaningless. At least Montana was traded. Pujols left on his own free will, spurning the city that crowned him King. He now joins the class of athlete that is perceived as a hired gun, driven by money rather than the love of the game and city. It's so rare in this sport to see lifers on teams like Derek Jeter especially in this large pool of free agent money to be had. I never thought I'd see Pujols toss on a different uniform and call another city home. It's like seeing Mickey Mantle play on the Cubs. Cal Ripken Jr. on the Padres. It looks so wrong, that it almost seems fake. It's like some kid who is an Angel fan playing MLB the Show traded Pujols to the Angels during season mode to stack up his team. It looks that surreal.

I hate to be overly dramatic because in the end when Albert's plaque is carved by Cooperstown he will be wearing a Cardinal cap. But something about this does not fit right. Every time I see a picture of him in the Los Angeles uniform, I feel uneasy. I don't think that the fans of St. Louis will boo him, although they have every right to. They will be gracious for what he accomplished but left broken hearted. Pujols and St. Louis were high school sweet hearts, married happily. They just celebrated an anniversary and a great vacation making memories galore. Pujols dumped St. Louis because he was bored. I think he will miss the Cardinals and being in the National League.

I don't like the argument that Pujols went to the Angels for another opportunity to win. It obviously was about money and a large, long term contract more than it was about rings because St. Louis had a team in place that could have contended for a title for the next 6 seasons. People forget that they won the World Series without Wainwright. They were slated to only be better if Pujols had stayed. 

The hangover in St. Louis will be there but they will move on. They will look back fondly at what #5 accomplished with the Cardinals' name of his chest while as an old man, Pujols will wonder what could have been if he had stayed.