Camila Sosa
Albert Pujols could not begin his final season in the Major Leagues in any other way but as an Opening Day starter for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
According to Derrick Goold of St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on Monday, St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced that the Dominican will be the designated hitter for his team’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, April 7 at Busch Stadium.
Albert Pujols, 42, made his debut with the Cardinals in the 2001 campaign and played the first game of that season. From then on, he has never missed an Opening Day as a starter, so this will be his 22nd one in a row.
The last time Albert Pujols took a turn in a season opener with the St. Louis team was in the 2011 campaign, which was his last campaign with the organization after signing a multi-million dollar, ten-season contract with the Anaheim Angels.
As for his Opening Day statistics, the Dominican was consistent with his performance. While he was with the Cardinals, where he had his best years in the Major Leagues, facing him during the first game of the season was a real nightmare for opponents. However, with Anaheim, where he did not produce what was expected, his first games of the season were to be forgotten.
Here’s some evidence. In 11 Opening Days with St. Louis, he batted .415 (41-17), with four home runs, six doubles, 13 RBIs, 10 walks, just three strikeouts and went hitless on only two occasions. His two best productions came in 2006 when he hit two homers and drove in four in his visit to Philadelphia, while in 2010 he also hit two home runs and produced three at the Cincinnati Reds’ stadium.
His batting average with the Angels was .086 (35-3). In 10 Opening Days with the organization, he struck out eight times, hit only one home run, produced three runs, received nine tickets and struck out eight times.
Albert Pujols’ Historic Time in St. Louis
“The Machine”, as Albert Pujols is known, will wear a Major League Baseball uniform for the last time with the team where he lived his best moments in the circuit and with which he will retire once he reaches the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.
During his time with the Cardinals, Albert Pujols won three National League MVPs, received nine All-Star Game call-ups and posted some of the best offensive numbers in the league, hitting .328/.420/.617 with 445 home runs and 1,329 RBIs in 1,705 games.
In addition, on four occasions he was the leading scorer in the National League and all the Major Leagues, on six occasions he hit at least 40 home runs to lead the old circuit on a couple of occasions, in 2010 he was a champion hitter, in 2013 he was the batting leader in the Majors with .359 and on three occasions no one had a better OPS than him. In 2001 he was the Nationals’ Rookie of the Year, won six Silver Bats, two Gold Gloves and was captain of the two World Series won by the organization in 2006 and 2011.
