Albert Pujols received plenty of love from Cardinals fans in his return to Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Pujols on Friday played at Busch Stadium for the first time since leaving the Cardinals to sign with the Angels in free agency after the 2011 season. Prior to the start of the game, the Cardinals played him a tribute, and a lengthy standing ovation ensued.
Here is the tribute video:
11 seasons. Countless memories. Thanks for giving us a front row seat! pic.twitter.com/xMcZTHS8mr
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 22, 2019
And here’s a look at the ovation:
Standing ovation No. 2 as a pregame video tribute to Pujols is played. We might set a record tonight for standing ovations. pic.twitter.com/h61rRluS8V
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) June 22, 2019
The love for Pujols was continual. He also received a standing ovation as he headed onto the field for warmups prior to the game too.
Standing ovation for Pujols as he takes the field for pregame warmups, roughly 30 minutes before first pitch. This is pretty awesome. #stlcards pic.twitter.com/JR3r2aFWMO
— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) June 21, 2019
Then the ovation was the loudest when he came to the plate in the top of the first inning. Catcher Yadier Molina, his former teammate, even gave him a big hug.
Gotta love that respect! @Angels | @Cardinals | @PujolsFive pic.twitter.com/vGOf9SO15w
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) June 22, 2019
Pujols flied out, but the feeling in the park was special.
The love from the Cardinals fans was well-deserved. Pujols spent 11 seasons with the Cardinals, winning three NL MVP Awards and two World Series. During his time with St. Louis, he established himself as the best player in the league and got off to one of the most impressive starts to a career in MLB history.
Some Cardinals fans were upset that Pujols chose to leave St. Louis in free agency, but the stats show it all worked out well for the franchise. He gave the Cardinals his best seasons and never came close to replicating that success with the Angels. He was a career .328 hitter with the Cardinals and has batted .258 with the Angels. His OPS has gone from 1.037 to .767 as well.
