Kuzul

The rosters for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game will be announced Saturday evening, and one of the big questions on everyone’s mind going into the selection show is the status of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig. Is the 22-year-old worthy of an All-Star bid or not?

Entering Saturday’s game against the Giants, Puig has only played in 30 games for the Dodgers. That number right there would disqualify almost any player from the All-Star team. After all, how can a player who has only played a third of the first half be considered for an All-Star spot?

If you look at what Puig has done offensively and defensively for the Dodgers during that time, it is hard to imagine that there is a player who has had more of an impact on his team over the last month of the season than Puig has had on Los Angeles.

Puig is currently batting .420 with eight home runs, 19 RBI, an on base percentage of .449 and a slugging percentage of .706. The numbers he has put up are absolutely mind-boggling. Now remember that this is only his first month and a half as a major league player and these statistics are even more impressive.

During the month of June, Puig led all major league hitters with 44 hits, he had the highest batting average for any player who had over 61 at bats. Puig had the top slugging percentage among players with at least 50 at bats, while his on base percentage and OPS were both ranked inside the top-five for players with at least 50 at bats, as well.

Sabermetric statistics also show how great of a player Puig has been. Throughout the month of June, Puig trailed only Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians for the most runs created at 29.6.

Not only has Puig been great offensively, but it is obvious to those who watch him play on a regular basis that he is a great all-around player. Puig has displayed an exceptional arm in right field numerous times already, and shows great speed and awareness when he is on the bases.

There is no question that when the All-Star rosters come out on Saturday night that Yasiel Puig should be included. So what if he has only played in 30 games? He already has more innings than every pitcher who will be in the All-Star Game, and he has had the single-greatest impact of any player on his team throughout the last month and a half of the season.

The MLB is all about showcasing its young talent. Well, here is the opportunity.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly have no shortage of young star pitching prospects in their farm system. Shelby Miller sat at the top of that list of prospects coming into this season, and he has done an outstanding job fitting into a starting rotation that is arguably the best in the entire MLB right now.

The Cardinals bullpen this year has certainly not been the best in baseball, though. In fact, the Cardinals have had one of the worst bullpens in baseball this year, and it has forced general manager John Mozeliak to make some moves with the club.

The Cardinals sent both Marc Rzepczynski and Mitchell Boggs to Memphis this week and they called up prospects Seth Maness and Carlos Martinez. Maness and Martinez both made their major league debuts on Friday night in Milwaukee, and both pitchers pitched one scoreless inning of work for the Cardinals.

It is hard to tell if Maness and Martinez will both have the same success that Shelby Miller is having in the majors right now, but based on their track records they may just have that same amount of success.

In his time in the minors, Maness has a record of 18-7, an ERA of 2.80, 172 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.04; Martinez has a record of 16-12 in the minors, an ERA of 2.74, 277 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.14.

While both relievers, Maness and Martinez are both very different pitchers. Martinez throws smoke just like many of the Cardinals’ pitching prospects who have arrived in St. Louis over the last few seasons.

Maness does not throw hard, but he has a very interesting and astounding stat that goes along with the rest of his resume. Maness has a career K/BB ratio of 9.56 in the minors. This is simply an outstanding number considering that the only pitcher last year to have a K/BB ratio above five was Cliff Lee, who posted a K/BB ratio of 7.39.

The Cardinals hope that Maness and Martinez will be the answer to the biggest problem they have faced so far throughout the first month of the season.

It is impossible for them to be much worse then what Boggs and Rzepczynski were for the Cardinals in the month of April. Over 10.2 innings this season, Boggs has given up 15 earned runs for a disastrous ERA of 12.66. Over seven innings this season, Rzepczynski has given up seven earned runs for an ERA of 7.88.

Normally, you would figure that if Boggs and Rzepczynski ironed out their problems in Memphis that they would be called back to the major league team as soon as possible. After all, both pitchers were essential to the 2011 and 2012 bullpens that helped the Cardinals win a World Series title two years ago and reach the NLCS last year. The hope is that once their stint in the minors is over, Boggs and Rzepczynski will be able to return to St. Louis to help the Cardinals make another deep playoff run.

What if Maness and Martinez each have great deals of success at the major league level though?

It would be hard to send both pitchers back down to the minors if they are as successful as a guy like Shelby Miller has been at the major league level. It would also be hard to leave Boggs and Rzepczynski down in the minors if they are able to fix their pitching problems.

Certainly this problem would be a great one for the Cardinals to have. It means that they would have depth at the pitching position in case more injuries occur, but it also would mean that the future is very bright for this bullpen.

Regardless of how things turn out, it will be very interesting over the next few weeks to see if there are any new faces in the St. Louis bullpen, and to see if Boggs and Rzepczynski are able to get their pitching together and get back to St. Louis.

For now, though, hopefully, Seth Maness and Carlos Martinez are the answer that the Cardinals have been waiting for to help out their bullpen problems.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The United States, Italy, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico advanced through from Pools C and D to make it to the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The Dominican Republic and the United States won Pools C and D, respectively, to make it to the second round while Puerto Rico and Italy were runners-up in Pools C and D, respectively.

The second round of the tournament is a modified double-elimination format. This means that the first five games will be played just like a normal double-elimination tournament, but when the team from the loser’s side makes it to the finals to play the team from the winner’s side, they will only need to win one game as opposed to winning two, which is the case in a true double-elimination format.

The reason behind this is that both of these teams in the finals will be advancing to the next round regardless of the outcome of their final game against one another; that final game is just being used to determine who goes through as the pool winner and as the pool runner-up.

All games from Pool 2 of the second round can once again be seen on MLB Network, and all games will take place from Marlins Park in Miami, Fla. All times listed in the schedule are EST.

Schedule

March 12, 1 p.m.- Italy vs Dominican Republic

March 12, 8 p.m,- Puerto Rico vs United States

March 13, 7 p.m.- Game 1 Loser vs Game 2 Loser

March 14, 7 p.m.- Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner

March 15, 7 p.m.- Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Loser

March 16, 1 p.m.- Game 5 Winner vs Game 4 Winner

Predictions

United States (3-0)

Things will get significantly harder for the United States in Pool 2 play, but the Americans will be up for the challenge. The United States began to swing the bats very well over the course of this past weekend, and it eventually led to the Americans blowing away Canada in the final innings of their game on Sunday.

The Dominican Republic will prove to be the toughest test for the United States, but thanks to an incredibly strong bullpen, the Americans will be able to get through Pool 2 undefeated and advance into the semifinals.

Dominican Republic (2-2)

The Dominican Republic lineup is absolutely stacked with MLB superstars. The pitching is not nearly as good, however, and that will ultimately be the downfall of the Dominican team.

That downfall will not come in this round, though. The firepower on offense will be enough to lead them through games against Italy and Puerto Rico but not against the United States. Ultimately, the Dominican team will end up as the runner-up in Pool 2, which is good enough for a semifinal spot.

Puerto Rico (1-2)

Puerto Rico opens up with a tough matchup against the United States, but after advancing through a very difficult Pool C, this team is no stranger to tough matchups.

Much like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico should have little trouble against the Italian side but will not quite have enough to beat the United States. In the end, the fifth game of Pool 2 will be a showdown between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with the winner advancing into the semifinals. On Sunday, the Dominican Republic showed that it is a little stronger then Puerto Rico, and the Dominicans will show that once again this week.

Italy (0-3)

Most people are surprised that the Italians even made it this far. Give credit where credit is due, but we also have to acknowledge that they defeated two very inconsistent teams in Mexico and Canada.

This time around, the competition is going to be a lot tougher, and Italy will not be ready for the challenge. The Italians had a good run, but this round will be a little too tough for them.

Final Line

The Dominican Republic and the United States will likely square off in two very exciting battles in Pool 2. Ultimately, the United States will show that it is the more balanced side because of its pitching, and it will go to the semifinals as the champion while the Dominicans advance as the runners-up.

Make sure to check back and see all the previews for each game of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The first game of the World Baseball Classic will be taking place in this pool on March 2. If you are not familiar with the setup of the World Baseball Classic, each pool consists of four teams. These four teams play a round-robin format, where the top two teams will advance into the next round. All games in the World Baseball Classic can be seen on MLB Network.

Here is a complete schedule of the action in Pool B, along with predictions for each game. All times are eastern, and all games in Pool B will take place at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan.

Schedule

March 2, 11:30 p.m. – Australia vs. Chinese Taipei

March 2, 6:30 a.m. – South Korea vs. Netherlands

March 3, 1:30 a.m. – Netherlands vs. Chinese Taipei

March 4, 5:30 a.m. – South Korea vs. Australia

March 5, 11:30 p.m. – Australia vs. Netherlands

March 5, 6:30 a.m. – Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea

Predictions

South Korea (3-0)

This is certainly the toughest pool of the four, with all teams being ranked in the top 10 in the world (according to the IBAF World Rankings), but South Korea will be ready for the challenge. For MLB fans, they will not be familiar with any of the players on the roster, but that does not mean that they should take any of them lightly.

There are a lot of great players in this lineup, but the most important one will be Seung-Yeop Lee. He is 36 and near the end of his career, but South Korea will need some pop from his bat. He has nearly 500 career home runs, and if the South Koreans can get him going, they could be very tough to beat.

The toughest test will come from Chinese Taipei in the final game, but South Korea should be able to get through to the next round with a 3-0 record.

Chinese Taipei (2-1)

South Korea is the best team in this pool, but the battle for second is going to turn out to be a war. Chinese Taipei should have enough firepower to make it through.

One of the things that could play to their advantage is that they do not have to face South Korea until the final game of the pool, which could help out their confidence, knowing that if they just take care of things against Australia and the Netherlands, then they will not have to face South Korea with a quarterfinal spot on the line.

Cheng-Min Peng will be one of the biggest threats in Chinese Taipei’s lineup. He is a five-time batting champion, and if he can come through offensively, Chinese Taipei will be able to cruise behind their incredibly strong pitching.

Netherlands (1-2)

The biggest matchup in this pool is likely going to be the battle between the Netherlands and Chinese Taipei. The game is the second for both sides and could be an essential tiebreaker if they end up having the same record in pool play.

Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons is one of the best hitters on the Dutch team. Hitting is likely not going to be the problem for the Dutch, though. The reason they will come up short to Chinese Taipei will be because of pitching.

Taipei has outstanding pitching, while the Netherlands’ pitching is very bad.

Australia (0-3)

It is not that Australia is a bad team; in fact, they are ranked as the 10th best international team. Unfortunately, they wound up in the group of death. The opponents in this group appear to be just too strong for Australia to handle. 

The Australian team is well balanced, but it lacks any truly elite talent. We can expect that they will be able to keep the games competitive against their strong opponents in this pool, but they will eventually falter at some point in each game and walk away from the World Baseball Classic without a victory.

Bottom Line

So there you have it. Look for South Korea and Chinese Taipei to advance out of Pool B and into the quarterfinals of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Make sure to check back and see all the previews for each game of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

On April 27, Chris Carpenter will turn 38 years old. His major league career appears to be on its final legs, but on Tuesday Cardinal fans found out that the retirement may come sooner rather than later.

It was reported by Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak on Tuesday that Carpenter is still feeling discomfort in his arm and it is “very unlikely he will pitch in 2013.”

Now the question is: Will we ever see Carpenter pitch again?

Carpenter only started three games at the end of last season for the Cardinals. In those games, he went 0-2 with a 3.71 ERA and had 12 strikeouts. He missed the majority of the season because of nerve damage in his arm.

Carpenter has had a history of arm problems in the past as well. He had to have Tommy John surgery after hurting his arm on opening day in 2007. He missed all the rest of the 2007 season recovering from that surgery. He tried to make a return in 2008, but could only start three games and pitch 15.1 innings that season.

Carpenter made a full return in 2009. He pitched 192.2 innings and went 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA and helped lead St. Louis to the playoffs. In 2010, he pitched 235 innings, going 16-9 with a 3.22 ERA. Then, in 2011, Carpenter threw 237.1 innings for the Redbirds, recorded a 3.45 ERA and had a record of 11-9.

The numbers were not as good in 2011 for Carpenter, but he came up with some big starts in the postseason, including a complete game shutout against the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLDS and a Game 7 win against the Rangers to help clinch the World Series.

Chris Carpenter has had an amazing career with the St. Louis Cardinals, culminating in a 2005 National League Cy Young Award and two World Series championships.

Hopefully, Carpenter can make a return to the game one day, but the future does not look bright. If this is the end for Carp, it has been an outstanding 14 year career.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Skip Schumaker. The Dodgers have also reported that their shortstop, Dee Gordon, is available for trade.

With the limited amount of time that Schumaker played down the stretch in 2012 for the Cardinals, and the team’s desperate need for a shortstop, it appears that this trade could very well happen.

In 87 games last year, Gordon struggled for the Dodgers. He hit only .228 and had an on-base percentage of only .280. Gordon’s WAR was also an abysmal -1.3. Defensively, Gordon was not very good either. He made 18 errors at the shortstop position and had a DWAR of -1.1.

It was really a rough second year for Gordon in Los Angeles.

With all these awful stats, though, why would the Cardinals be interested in acquiring Gordon?

First off, the price is not too high. The Dodgers appear ready to be done with Dee Gordon, and the Cardinals may be able to trade away a 32-year-old player who is in the last year of his contract for a player who is 24 years old and is just beginning his career.

Secondly, Gordon has good offensive potential. In his first year in Los Angeles, Gordon hit for a .304 average in 56 games with the Dodgers and had an on-base percentage of .325. He is also a massive threat on the bases, having stolen 56 bags in only 143 major league games.

Sure, Gordon was terrible last year, but he was put under a lot of pressure from the start of the year. The expectations were fairly high for the second-year player, and he buckled under them early in the season and never quite recovered. The expectations will, of course, be very high in St. Louis as well, but the fans and media tend to be a little more compassionate in St. Louis than they are in Los Angeles.

Finally, Gordon has the potential to be not just a good shortstop, but a great one. The Cardinals have very good fielding coaches who can work with Gordon. Not to mention that Rafael Furcal can help him while Furcal is still in a St. Louis uniform. It was already mentioned that Gordon has tremendous speed, which is a huge key for shortstops. If he can combine that speed with a strong fielding ability, he could become a great shortstop for the Cardinals.

Skip Schumaker has done some great things with the Cardinals, but he is not likely to get much playing time with the team this year and would be an unlikely candidate to re-sign as a free agent next offseason. The Dodgers are interested in Schumaker, and they have a player the Cardinals could turn into a star.

It is obvious what needs to be done.

Dee Gordon needs to be brought to St. Louis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals are expecting big things in 2012. Coming off their wild postseason ride, the Cardinals believe they are once again one of the favorites to win the World Series in 2012.

Obviously, the loss of Albert Pujols this offseason was extremely disappointing for this franchise. There is not one player who can replace what Pujols brought to the Cardinals’ franchise, but a combination of players will need to step up.

Here are five players who need to have big season for the St. Louis Cardinals if they want to be competitive in 2012.

Begin Slideshow

On October 27, 2011 Cardinal Nation was thrown into a dream.

The Birds were down to their final two outs when their hero, Albert Pujols, came up to bat. Pujols doubled to start a rally that will never be forgotten by Cardinal fans.

Down to their final strike twice they battled back to force a Game 7 in the 2011 Fall Classic. In Game 7 the Cardinals defeated the Rangers to win their 11th World Series title. The title capped a wild 24-hour ride that saw the Cardinals go from the brink of elimination to being World Champions.

It was one of the greatest teams and one of the greatest moments in Cardinals history.

At the center of all the chaotic happiness stood Pujols, the hero who this city loved more than anything, the hero who loved them back, the hero they thought would be with them forever.

Forty-one days later the city of St. Louis was thrown into another dream—only this time, the dream was a nightmare. That hero who would always be there, suddenly was gone.

Albert Pujols was no longer a Cardinal, but an Angel, and there was nothing Cardinal Nation could do to change it. Here now is a look back at one of the greatest careers in Cardinal baseball history.

The Beginning

Albert’s journey as a Cardinal began when he was selected in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

He was the 402nd overall pick. Pujols quickly progressed through the minor leagues and made the big league roster for the Cardinals in 2001.

That year Pujols exploded to win MLB Rookie of the Year and make the All-Star team. The Cardinal rookie hit for a .329 average, had 37 home runs and drove in 130 runs. There was no doubt the Cardinals had a special player.

Pujols continued to tear through the major leagues for his first three seasons.

He helped lead St. Louis to the NLCS in 2002, where they fell to the San Francisco Giants. The Cardinal slugger won multiple awards throughout his second and third seasons, including the Hank Aaron Award, the Silver Slugger Award and another trip to the All-Star Game.

Pujols was turning into a premier player for the Cardinals. He was beginning to be looked at as a once-in-a-lifetime player; a player to build a franchise around.

2004-2006

In 2004 Pujols signed a seven-year deal with the Cardinals worth $100 million. The deal also included a club option of $16 million for the 2011 season, which was obviously exercised by the team just last offseason.

On the field, the Cardinals were a force.

Pujols, along with Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, became known as the MV3 in St. Louis. In the 2004 NLCS the MV3 stepped up and led the Cardinals to a seven-game series victory over the rival Houston Astros.

Pujols was named MVP of the series with his four home runs. In the World Series the Cardinals ran into a team of destiny, the Boston Red Sox. Disappointingly, the season ended with a four-game sweep.

In 2005 the Cardinals were contenders again. This time though it was not an MV3, but an MVP named Albert Pujols who led the charge. Rolen and Edmonds were still there and still productive, but Pujols had won the first MVP award of his career and was the leader of this franchise. 

In the 2005 NLCS Pujols gave St. Louis fans a highlight to remember.

In Game 5 the Cardinals were down to their final out against the Houston Astros; the season was almost over, but Pujols was up, and he delivered. On an 0-1 pitch from Astros’ closer Brad Lidge, Pujols hit a mammoth home run to silence Houston for the rest of the night.

The Cardinals ended up losing the next game in the series, but they were granted one last game at Busch Stadium in front of their amazing fans because of Albert Pujols.

In 2006 the Cardinals opened up a brand new ballpark. They were once again expected to be contenders, but the regular season did not go according to plan. The Cardinals started off hot in 2006, but fell apart down the stretch to just stumble into the playoffs with only 83 wins.

No team had ever won a World Series with just 83 wins, but St. Louis did not listen to the critics.

Pujols again stepped up when he jump-started the Cardinals offense against the Padres with a towering home run in Game 1 of the 2006 NLDS. The Cardinals went on to defeat San Diego in four games.

The Birds headed to their third straight NLCS in 2006; their opponent was the New York Mets. In a dramatic seven-game series, the Cardinals prevailed to go to their second World Series in just three years. People began to wonder if this team could really pull this off.

In Game 1 of the World Series, Pujols stepped up again.

With the score tied 1-1, Albert hit a two run home run off Tiger ace Justin Verlander to put St. Louis up 3-1. The Cardinals went on to win Game 1, but lost Game 2. The series was 1-1 headed back to St. Louis.

In St. Louis the Cardinals went on a magical three-game run where they capped off an incredible season and won the franchise’s 10th World Series Championship. Albert Pujols was not the World Series MVP, but he was a champion all the same.

2007-2010

The next two years were darker times for the Cardinals. The team did not make the postseason either year, and even ended up with a losing record in 2007.

Albert Pujols continued to produce though.

The slugger continued to earn multiple awards and honors throughout the two years, and he capped it off by winning his second MVP award at the end of 2008. The Cardinals did not stay down long though.

In 2009 St. Louis was back in top form. Pujols led the way with his third MVP award, and the team went back to the playoffs after clinching the NL Central.

The Cardinals also added Matt Holliday to protect their franchise player. Ultimately, the 2009 season ended in disappointment, as the team was swept from the NLDS by the Dodgers.

The 2009 season was not just about the results on the field though.

The Cardinals also hosted the 2009 All Star Game that year. Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Ryan Franklin were the three All Stars selected to represent the Cardinals. It was a great time for the city of St. Louis and Cardinal fans.

The city received huge publicity as the game approached, and the Cardinals were given the opportunity to show off their ballpark and franchise player on the national stage.

Pujols participated in the Home Run Derby as well as the All-Star Game in 2009. Although his performance was slightly disappointing, the St. Louis icon fought valiantly and ended up making the semifinals of the Derby.

In the All-Star Game Pujols did not perform extremely well either, but it was an awesome moment to see Stan Musial come out and hand President Barack Obama the ball for the first pitch, which was caught by Pujols. The game ended up with an American League victory though.

In 2010 the Cardinals again fell short of the playoffs, but Albert Pujols put up another historic season. Pujols became the first major league player to hit for a .300 average, have 30 or more home runs and drive in 100 or more RBI in his first 10 seasons.

Pujols again made the All-Star Game, which was held in Anaheim. Kind of ironic when you look back on it, St. Louis and then Anaheim.

The Offseason

The biggest offseason topic after the 2010 season was trying to re-sign Albert Pujols, who was to become a free agent at the end of the 2011 season.

Neither side was able to reach an agreement though, and Pujols received some backlash from the fans. This was quickly forgotten, as Pujols did not want to discuss contract negotiations throughout the 2011 season.

2011

For Cardinal fans, this is a season they will never forget.

Albert Pujols struggled for most of the beginning of the year as he dealt with some injuries. Many people thought that this was the beginning of the decline of Albert Pujols, and the season looked like it would have a disappointing ending again.

The Cardinals got healthy though, made some key moves and then made a historic run to the playoffs.

After clinching a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season, the Cardinals faced the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. The Cardinals went on to win the series in five games. Pujols hit .318, including a great Game 3 performance where he had three doubles.

The Cardinals then moved on to play the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.

In the NLCS Pujols had a hit in every game and hit .526 for the series. The Cardinals superstar also drove in nine runs over the course of the six-game series. In the end, Pujols helped the lead the Cardinals back to the World Series.

The World Series was a struggle for Albert, but like a true MVP does, he stepped up when his team needed him the most.

Pujols had a magical night in Game 3 of the World Series, where he hit three home runs in three consecutive at-bats.

When many people look back on the World Series and how Pujols performed, this is what they will look at, but Pujols had another hit that showed why he was a true MVP.

At the beginning of the article I mentioned Pujols’ Game 6 double against the Rangers. This double showed the kind of player Albert Pujols was.

The double that was indeed the final hit of his Cardinal career shows why Pujols is considered one of the greatest hitters of all time. Pujols took a 97-mph fastball from Neftali Feliz and stroked it into the gap in left-center field. It was the first pitch he saw.

Pujols was not concerned about having no hits through his last nine at-bats when he stepped in against Feliz. He came up to the plate with confidence, just like an MVP should. He was not going to let the Cardinals’ World Series dream die.

Feliz was going to have to strike someone else out, because Pujols refused to fail with the game on the line. He did not swing for the fences, but he just put the ball in play and gave his team a chance. David Freese will be remembered for his triple to tie the game, but do not forget about the quality at-bats from Pujols and then Lance Berkman that gave Freese the chance.

On the next night, after the wild comeback, Pujols and the Cardinals won the franchise’s 11th title. In his final game as a Cardinal Albert Pujols walked out a champion.

He would never step on the field at Busch Stadium again wearing the birds on the bat across his chest.

The Legacy of Albert Pujols

No matter what people say or think about Albert Pujols now, his achievements on and off the baseball field can not be forgotten.

In his career in St. Louis, Pujols won 75 major awards, hit 445 home runs, drove in 1,329 RBI, had a lifetime average of .328, broke many records and reached many milestones.

He is the only player in baseball history to hit for a .300 average, have 30 or more home runs and 100 or more RBI in each of his first 10 seasons.

Off the field, Pujols and his wife, Deidre, started the Pujols Family Foundation in 2005. The Foundation has raised millions of dollars throughout the years. The mission of the Pujols Family Foundation is 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. Along the way, God has blessed us richly, and for those of you who have been a part of that journey we offer our gratitude.” – http://www.pujolsfamilyfoundation.org/

The decade of Cardinal baseball known as the Pujols Era will go down as one of the greatest in Cardinals history. Pujols helped lead this franchise to six NL Central titles, seven playoff appearances, five NLCS appearances, three World Series appearances and two World Championships.

Throughout the past 11 seasons, Cardinal fans across the world were fortunate to see one of the greatest players ever wear the birds on the bat and dominate the game of baseball. A player like Albert Pujols will probably not come around for another 50 years, and a player like Pujols wearing a Cardinals jersey may never be seen again.

St. Louis fans should not stay bitter at Pujols for his decision.

It is extremely disappointing that he left our city, but we saw 11 amazing years. The Angels will take Pujols now, and see the rest of his Hall-of-Fame career, but no matter how many records Pujols breaks, no matter how many milestones he reaches and no matter how many championships he wins, Pujols will always be a Cardinal.

He may not have a statue next to Stan Musial on 8th Street, but Albert Pujols will still be one of the greatest Cardinals ever.

We may lose Albert for the next 10 years, but when everything is said and done, and the Hall of Fame comes calling; Albert Pujols will be a Cardinal again.

No matter what happens over the next 10 years in Anaheim, the story and legacy of Albert Pujols will start and end with St. Louis.

It began with a guy from Maple Woods Community College getting drafted 402nd overall in the 1999 MLB Draft. He became an icon to the greatest baseball city in the world. He was a three-time MVP and two-time World Series Champion.

He launched 445 home runs in the Cardinals’ colors. He represented our city in the 2009 All-Star Game. He was a hero to many.

Finally, when the day comes for Albert to go to the Hall of Fame, he will end everything has a Cardinal. As he stands up and speaks of his great career, it will be as a Cardinal once again.

Things will still go on in St. Louis.

When the Cardinals take the field at their home opener in 2012, Albert Pujols will be in New York leading the Angels against the Yankees, but the celebration will still go on. The Cardinals will still be the defending World Champions, the Cubs will be there and will still be hated and the famous Clydesdales will still make their annual march around the field.

Albert Pujols gave us 11 of the most exciting seasons of Cardinals baseball.

It may take many fans time, but someday they will all realize how lucky they were. With their own two eyes they saw the greatest player ever put the birds on the bat across his chest, watched him play in Baseball Heaven in front of the greatest fans in the world and watched him add to the legacy that his Cardinals baseball.

Thank you Albert Pujols for the past 11 years. We may never be lucky enough to see a player like you ever again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com