Read More: Alex Gonzalez (SS – ATL), Rafael Furcal (SS – STL), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman reported on Thursday afternoon that the St. Louis Cardinals are pursuing free agent infielder Alex Gonzalez. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, citing his own source, later confirmed Heyman’s initial report:

Source: , , “all in play” on A. Gonzalez, confirming report by .

St. Louis’ middle infield situation is unsettled, and although the team would like to have Rafael Furcal back for another season, his price may be a problem, especially considering the potential weight of a big Albert Pujols contract. Gonzalez represents a more inexpensive solution.

Gonzalez spent the 2011 season with the Atlanta Braves, where he hit .241/.270/.372 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI. The 34-year-old shortstop is a career .247/.291/.399 hitter.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Read More: Jake Westbrook (P – STL), Octavio Dotel (P – STL), Kyle Lohse (P – STL), Edwin Jackson (P – STL), Rafael Furcal (SS – STL), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), Adam Wainwright (P – STL), Arthur Rhodes (P – STL), Jaime Garcia (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have offered salary arbitration to franchise cornerstone Albert Pujols (Type A) and starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (Type B), but have declined to make offers to Rafael Furcal (Type B) and relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes (Type B), per a Twitter report from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The only remaining player subject to arbitration is relief pitcher Octavio Dotel, but the team is not required to offer salary arbitration to Dotel because his compensation status was adjusted downward from Type A to Type B by the league on Tuesday.

The decision to approve or decline salary arbitration does not act as a proxy for the team’s interest in keeping each player in a Cardinals uniform, as MLB.com explains:

Of the four, the Cardinals retain some interest in return engagements with Dotel and Furcal, and possibly Rhodes, but Jackson isn’t expected to return. The Cardinals have five starting pitchers under contract for 2012 — Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook — and traded for Jackson with the expectation that he would depart via free agency.    

As noted by Dan Moore of SB Nation St. Louis earlier in the week, Albert Pujols is not expected to accept salary arbitration, and the site will have timely updates on any decisions made the other players and all other off-season moves as well.

For more updates and analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals, check out Viva El Birdos. Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more breaking news on all matters St. Louis sports. For MLB Off-Season news make sure to visit MLB Daily Dish.

Albert Pujols was recently offered salary arbitration by the St. Louis Cardinals, and while it’s possible that the most desirable free agent in Major League Baseball decides to accept a one-year deal at a price arbitrarily set by a salary arbitr—wait a minute—I think it’s important that we prepare for the outside chance that Pujols decides, instead, to continue negotiating for one of the largest contracts in the history of baseball. 

In that case, should the Cardinals fail to be the ones offering that large contract, they will receive two draft picks—even after the new collective bargaining agreement, which effectively banned the practice of offering Type-A relief pitchers salary arbitration and then laughing at them, very loudly, while they tried to find a team willing to sign them—and the sympathy of every other Major League Baseball team. 

Look, I know Albert Pujols will probably agree to play for one more year at a salary determined primarily by the worst season of his Major League career to date, just because the Cardinals offered it to him and he’s a very polite young man. But if it doesn’t happen, it’s important to know what happens next, is all. 

Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals have many reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving. As millions of Americans sit down to eat (dare we say it) a roast bird this Turkey Day, here are five things for which Cardinals fans can be thankful.

2011 World Series Game 6

The 2011 World Series was one of the best ever. Albert Pujols(notes) went wild in Game 3 and tied a World Series record with three home runs. Game 6 was epic as the Cardinals became the only team to come back from a two-run deficit not once but twice to win a World Series game. David Freese(notes) had a key triple in the bottom of the ninth to tie and then his solo homer in the 11th inning won it. I could create a list of top 100 things to be thankful for in the 2011 World Series alone for Cardinals fans.

Colby Rasmus(notes)

Colby Rasmus was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays just before the July 31 trading deadline. What the Cardinals got in return was a cadre of relief pitchers which helped the team make it through the playoffs. The Rasmus trade was a year in the making as he and former manager Tony LaRussa had sparring matches going back to the late summer of 2010. Had Rasmus stayed, the outcome of the 2011 season might have been different.

World’s Greatest Manager

Although LaRussa made some questionable managerial decisions in his lengthy career, no one can doubt what he meant to the Cardinals organization over the past 16 seasons. St. Louis made three World Series appearances while winning two of them. LaRussa retired days after winning the 2011 Fall Classic and Cardinals fans should be thankful for the never-give-up attitude LaRussa’s clubs brought to the Gateway City.

Pujols’ Decade of Excellence

Pujols may not be around next year. But for the 11 years St. Louis had him, fans can say he was the face of the franchise. Although Pujols shunned the nickname “El Hombre” in homage to Stan “The Man” Musial, the moniker certainly fits. If Pujols never plays another game in a Cardinals’ uniform then so be it. The years we had him will always be treasured.

Returning Players

Most of the players on last season’s team will be back. Plus Adam Wainwright(notes) will be back from his Tommy John surgery. Allen Craig(notes), Lance Berkman(notes), Yadier Molina(notes) and host of other key elements on the 2011 team will return for 2012 for a title defense.

William Browning was born in St. Louis and is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Read More: Albert Pujols (1B – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Florida Marlins

According Jon Heyman, the Miami Herald suggested this morning that the Miami Marlins believe Albert Pujols may have lied about his age:

@SI_JonHeyman: Dan lebatard writes in miami herald, marlins believe pujols is older than 31. me: wonder if they asked him that question (doubt it)

A free agent this offseason, Pujols has long been one of the league’s most durable and effective first baseman. He has played over 140 games in every season starting in 2001, collecting an impressive 445 home runs to go with a .328/.420/.617 slash.

Albert Pujols has played each of his 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, but several teams, including the Cards and Marlins, have been courting Pujols. According to the league records, Pujols was 21 when he entered the league in 2001, making him 32 at the beginning of next year.

Reports of the Marlins’ suspicion have yet to be confirmed.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

The MLB Hot Stove is heating up and the St. Louis Cardinals have some big questions facing them. Not only do the Cardinals need a new manager, they need to deal with their All-Star first baseman, Albert Pujols, who is a free agent for the first time in his career and is poised to become the highest-paid player in the sport.

In his “Rumblings & Grumblings” column, Jayson Stark of ESPN polled 28 separate MLB executives, and all but one agreed:

…[Pujols] won’t even have to bother forwarding his mail — because he’s not going anywhere (except back to St. Louis).

According to Stark’s research, the overwhelming majority of baseball executives polled expect the Cardinals to retain the face of their franchise, though the price promises to shatter the Cardinal’s modest piggy bank:

The Pujols [contract] prognostications were fascinating. They ranged from 10 years, $300 million to one (mostly tongue-in-cheek) prediction of three years, $90 million. But otherwise, nobody forecast a deal shorter than seven years. And the average contract worked out to 8.5 years, at just over $28 million a year.

A few weeks ago, former Cardinals infielder David Eckstein suggested Pujols would re-sign with the Cardinals if they promoted third-base coach Jose Oquendo to the manager’s position, but the Cards have yet to conclude their managerial interviews.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

By Bradley Woodrum

– Newsdesk contributor

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Nov 10, 2011 – The MLB Hot Stove is heating up and the St. Louis Cardinals have some big questions facing them. Not only do the Cardinals need a new manager, they need to deal with their All-Star first baseman, Albert Pujols, who is a free agent for the first time in his career and is poised to become the highest-paid player in the sport.

In his “Rumblings & Grumblings” column, Jayson Stark of ESPN polled 28 separate MLB executives, and all but one agreed:

…[Pujols] won’t even have to bother forwarding his mail — because he’s not going anywhere (except back to St. Louis).

According to Stark’s research, the overwhelming majority of baseball executives polled expect the Cardinals to retain the face of their franchise, though the price promises to shatter the Cardinal’s modest piggy bank:

The Pujols [contract] prognostications were fascinating. They ranged from 10 years, $300 million to one (mostly tongue-in-cheek) prediction of three years, $90 million. But otherwise, nobody forecast a deal shorter than seven years. And the average contract worked out to 8.5 years, at just over $28 million a year.

A few weeks ago, former Cardinals infielder David Eckstein suggested Pujols would re-sign with the Cardinals if they promoted third-base coach Jose Oquendo to the manager’s position, but the Cards have yet to conclude their managerial interviews.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league.

Read More: David Eckstein (2B – SDP), Albert Pujols (1B – STL), Jose Oquendo (PH – STL), St. Louis Cardinals

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. LOUIS — With hundreds of fans cheering and many urging him to stay, St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols watched the unveiling of a 10-foot statue of himself Wednesday and then said he wasn’t yet sure where he would wind up next season.

Pujols did not mention free agency during his speech as he stood near the 10-foot, 1,100-pound bronze likeness of himself outside his restaurant. He dodged the issue later with reporters.

“Just like my wife says, we’re going to be praying about it and whenever the time comes we’ll make that decision,” Pujols said.

One reporter noted that “you can’t pack the statue with you,” and wondered if the Pujols Family Foundation would remain in St. Louis if Pujols signed elsewhere.

“Hopefully I don’t have to make that decision,” Pujols said. “We’re just going to see where God takes us. I don’t want to get ahead of God’s plan and say ‘Oh, we’re going to be here,’ and then something happens and I look bad. Whether it’s here or wherever, I believe our foundation is going to help the city of St. Louis.”

The 31-year-old Pujols is a free agent for the first time after spending his first 11 major league seasons with the Cardinals. The two sides did not discuss a contract extension during the season, which ended with a World Series championship last week.

Funds for the statue were provided by an anonymous donor two years ago. The sculpture has religious overtones depicting a familiar pose with Pujols raising his arms skyward while crossing home plate. It was made by Harry Weber and is similar to Weber’s work on Cardinals Hall of Famers outside Busch Stadium. One of the Hall of Famers, Lou Brock, attended the ceremony with his wife.

“There’s going to be a lot of people asking, ‘Well, why is he not swinging the bat?”‘ Pujols told the crowd during his speech. “That’s to remind me it’s not about me, but it’s about Jesus Christ who gave his life so we can have eternal life. It’s really easy to lose focus when you have millions of people telling you how great you are.”

There are no statues of Pujols outside Busch Stadium, at least not yet. Only the team’s Hall of Famers are honoured, and there are two Stan Musial statues.

“That statue is unbelievable,” said Pujols’ wife, Deirdre. “For somebody to even want to do something like this, it’s pretty humbling.”

“Unbelievable job,” Albert Pujols said. “Look at that!”

The Cardinals won their second World Series of the Pujols era on Friday. Pujols said the days since have been “probably the best week of my life.”

Pujols said he spoke earlier Wednesday with Tony La Russa, who retired this week after 16 seasons with the Cardinals and 33 years overall. He said La Russa was “kind of down.”

“He wanted to make sure I was OK, and I was like ‘Yeah, I’m all right,”‘ he said. “I was asking, ‘Are you OK?’ What a way to go out.”

Pujols said La Russa has been a father figure for him.

“He’s been a mentor the last 11 years,” Pujols said. “Just because he’s not going to be here to manage, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop that relationship.”

ST. LOUIS With hundreds of fans cheering and many urging him to stay, St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols watched the unveiling of a 10-foot statue of himself Wednesday and then said he wasn’t yet sure where he would wind up next season.

Pujols did not mention free agency during his speech as he stood near the 10-foot, 1,100-pound bronze likeness of himself outside his restaurant. He dodged the issue later with reporters.

“Just like my wife says, we’re going to be praying about it and whenever the time comes we’ll make that decision,” Pujols said.

One reporter noted that “you can’t pack the statue with you,” and wondered if the Pujols Family Foundation would remain in St. Louis if Pujols signed elsewhere.

“Hopefully I don’t have to make that decision,” Pujols said. “We’re just going to see where God takes us. I don’t want to get ahead of God’s plan and say ‘Oh, we’re going to be here,’ and then something happens and I look bad. Whether it’s here or wherever, I believe our foundation is going to help the city of St. Louis.”

The 31-year-old Pujols is a free agent for the first time after spending his first 11 major league seasons with the Cardinals. The two sides did not discuss a contract extension during the season, which ended with a World Series championship last week.

Funds for the statue were provided by an anonymous donor two years ago. The sculpture has religious overtones depicting a familiar pose with Pujols raising his arms skyward while crossing home plate. It was made by Harry Weber and is similar to Weber’s work on Cardinals Hall of Famers outside Busch Stadium. One of the Hall of Famers, Lou Brock, attended the ceremony with his wife.

“There’s going to be a lot of people asking, ‘Well, why is he not swinging the bat?’” Pujols told the crowd during his speech. “That’s to remind me it’s not about me, but it’s about Jesus Christ who gave his life so we can have eternal life. It’s really easy to lose focus when you have millions of people telling you how great you are.”

There are no statues of Pujols outside Busch Stadium, at least not yet. Only the team’s Hall of Famers are honoured, and there are two Stan Musial statues.

“That statue is unbelievable,” said Pujols’ wife, Deirdre. “For somebody to even want to do something like this, it’s pretty humbling.”

“Unbelievable job,” Albert Pujols said. “Look at that!”

The Cardinals won their second World Series of the Pujols era on Friday. Pujols said the days since have been “probably the best week of my life.”

Pujols said he spoke earlier Wednesday with Tony La Russa, who retired this week after 16 seasons with the Cardinals and 33 years overall. He said La Russa was “kind of down.”

“He wanted to make sure I was OK, and I was like ‘Yeah, I’m all right,’” he said. “I was asking, ‘Are you OK?’ What a way to go out.”

Pujols said La Russa has been a father figure for him.

“He’s been a mentor the last 11 years,” Pujols said. “Just because he’s not going to be here to manage, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop that relationship.”

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS – With hundreds of fans cheering and many urging him to stay, St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols watched the unveiling of a 10-foot statue of himself Wednesday and then said he wasn’t yet sure where he would wind up next season.

Pujols did not mention free agency during his speech as he stood near the 10-foot, 1,100-pound bronze likeness of himself outside his restaurant. He dodged the issue later with reporters.

“Just like my wife says, we’re going to be praying about it and whenever the time comes we’ll make that decision,” Pujols said.

One reporter noted that “you can’t pack the statue with you,” and wondered if the Pujols Family Foundation would remain in St. Louis if Pujols signed elsewhere.

“Hopefully I don’t have to make that decision,” Pujols said. “We’re just going to see where God takes us. I don’t want to get ahead of God’s plan and say ‘Oh, we’re going to be here,’ and then something happens and I look bad. Whether it’s here or wherever, I believe our foundation is going to help the city of St. Louis.”

The 31-year-old Pujols is a free agent for the first time after spending his first 11 major league seasons with the Cardinals. The two sides did not discuss a contract extension during the season, which ended with a World Series championship last week.

Funds for the statue were provided by an anonymous donor two years ago. The sculpture has religious overtones depicting a familiar pose with Pujols raising his arms skyward while crossing home plate. It was made by Harry Weber and is similar to Weber’s work on Cardinals Hall of Famers outside Busch Stadium. One of the Hall of Famers, Lou Brock, attended the ceremony with his wife.

“There’s going to be a lot of people asking, ‘Well, why is he not swinging the bat?’” Pujols told the crowd during his speech. “That’s to remind me it’s not about me, but it’s about Jesus Christ who gave his life so we can have eternal life. It’s really easy to lose focus when you have millions of people telling you how great you are.”

There are no statues of Pujols outside Busch Stadium, at least not yet. Only the team’s Hall of Famers are honoured, and there are two Stan Musial statues.

“That statue is unbelievable,” said Pujols’ wife, Deirdre. “For somebody to even want to do something like this, it’s pretty humbling.”

“Unbelievable job,” Albert Pujols said. “Look at that!”

The Cardinals won their second World Series of the Pujols era on Friday. Pujols said the days since have been “probably the best week of my life.”

Pujols said he spoke earlier Wednesday with Tony La Russa, who retired this week after 16 seasons with the Cardinals and 33 years overall. He said La Russa was “kind of down.”

“He wanted to make sure I was OK, and I was like ‘Yeah, I’m all right,’” he said. “I was asking, ‘Are you OK?’ What a way to go out.”

Pujols said La Russa has been a father figure for him.

“He’s been a mentor the last 11 years,” Pujols said. “Just because he’s not going to be here to manage, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop that relationship.”

The St. Louis Cardinals were feted by hundreds of thousands of fans, two days after their determined triumph over the Texas Rangers in the World Series.

Not even the prospect that Albert Pujols could be lost to free agency could dim fans’ enthusiasm, as those who turned out cheered the slugger as he and their teammates made their way down the parade route ending at Busch Stadium.

“Hey, why not?” Pujols smiled when asked if he’d like to stay in St. Louis and try for another Major League Baseball title next year.

Whatever uncertainties hover over next season, the Cardinals faithful were keen to celebrate their team’s unlikely run to the 2011 crown.

The Cardinals didn’t even book their playoff berth until the last day of the regular season. They beat the favored Phillies in the National League playoffs, and were twice down to their last strike in game six of the World Series against the Rangers — who would have taken the title with a victory in that contest.

“This 11th Cardinals world championship will always be remembered as one of baseball’s greatest achievements,” Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt jnr said, noting that his team had to win four elimination games in the post-season.

Added manager Tony La Russa: “What these guys did so many times facing elimination, it’s a lesson for all of us,” La Russa said. “They never quit.”

David Freese, the hometown boy who was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series, recalled his joy in 2007 at learning he had been traded to the Cardinals.

Freese said he was sitting in a fast-food restaurant when “I got the greatest phone call of my life, that I had been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.”

Amid the music of high school marching bands and the cries of hot dog and peanut vendors, pickup trucks carrying the current players and Cardinals legends such as Lou Brock and Red Schoendienst received euphoric welcomes from the people they passed.

“I’ll never forget any of this,” said outfielder Allen Craig, who hit three homers in the World Series, said. “It’s been great.”

The St. Louis Cardinals and their remarkable comeback in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series will go down as one of the greatest ever. No team ever came back from a two-run deficit twice in one game in the World Series. St. Louis scored six runs in the final four innings to win 10-9 in epic fashion after 11 innings.

Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wikimedia Commons

There were plenty of heroes for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 . Here they are in no particular order.

David Freese(notes)

The most obvious hero was David Freese. His two-out, two-strike triple in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at seven runs each. His hit was just out of reach of Nelson Cruz(notes) and his outstretched glove. It seemed as though Cruz was more worried about the wall instead of catching a World Series-clinching out. Freese would step up again in the bottom of the 11th to win it on a lead-off solo home run .

Lance Berkman(notes)

Lance Berkman got a single in the bottom of the 10th to score Jon Jay(notes). A run scored the play before on a ground out to third with runners on second and third with one out. Berkman, like Freese, was down to his last strike of the last out. The Rangers were one strike away twice from winning their first title.

Albert Pujols(notes)

Albert Pujols hadn’t gotten a hit since his incredible three-homer performance in Game 3 Oct. 22. Then in the bottom of the ninth of Game 6, Pujols got the rally started with a double to left center with one out. Berkman walked a batter later before Freese’s triple. Pujols was intentionally walked in the 10th which backfired since Berkman got a single anyway one batter later.

Yadier Molina(notes)

Yadier Molina walked in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at four runs each. The bases were loaded at the time and Molin could have just as easily tried to make something happen. Instead, he was patient and walked in a run.

Allen Craig(notes)

Allen Craig should be called Mr. Clutch for the 2011 World Series. He pinch hit twice in the World Series before and had RBIs both times in the first two games When he came into Game 6 in the eighth inning, Craig hit a solo shot to make the game 7-5, still in favor of Texas. His only hit on the night was the homer.

Who will be the hero in Game 7? I can’t wait to find out.

We are Cardinal Nation.

William Browning was born in St. Louis and is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – The St. Louis Cardinals are going to need a comeback in this World Series.

They’ve done it before.

After a 4-2 loss in Game 5 on Monday night against the Texas Rangers, St. Louis is going home in a 3-2 hole. The Cardinals have faced that deficit five other times, and won the championship 4 of them.

“We’d rather be up 3-2, but we feel good,” outfielder Lance Berkman said. “Realistically, coming into this park, we won one and now we’re going back to St. Louis.”

Game 6 is Wednesday night at Busch Stadium.

“It’s tough. You don’t want to be in that situation,” slugger Albert Pujols said. “There’s a Game 6 and hopefully we can push it to a Game 7.”

The last time the Cardinals won Games 6 and 7 of a World Series was in 1982 against Milwaukee. They also accomplished that feat in 1946 against Boston, 1934 against Detroit and 1926 against the New York Yankees. The one time St. Louis didn’t pull it off was 1930 after a Game 6 loss to the Philadelphia A’s.

HARRY’S GAME: If the World Series extends to seven games, Rangers manager Ron Washington has no plans to alter his pitching rotation.

“It’s Harry’s game,” Washington said Monday, referring to Matt Harrison.

Even if potential weather issues in St. Louis were to push the series back an extra day, Washington said he wouldn’t change his pitching plans.

The question came up after left-hander Derek Holland threw 8 1-3 scoreless innings in Game 4 against the Cardinals. Harrison, who made it through only 3 2-3 innings in Game 3 on Saturday, would get his next turn in the rotation in Game 7.

“Matt Harrison earned it,” Washington said. “You think Derek Holland earned his start (Sunday) night if you want to talk about struggles. That’s the way we roll.”

In his previous start, Holland gave up four runs in 4 2-3 innings and got a no-decision in the Rangers’ AL championship series-clinching win over Detroit.

RUNNING OUT OF A RALLY: With Allen Craig on first base and nowhere for Texas to put Albert Pujols, the Cardinals appeared to be in position to set up a tiebreaking rally in Game 5 of the World Series.

Craig saw a hit & run sign, and then took off on the next pitch. Pujols never swung at the high and outside ball and Craig was thrown out on what would be ruled a caught stealing for the second out of the seventh inning.

“It was a hit & run and (Alexi) Ogando threw an unhittable pitch. It was a perfect play for them,” Craig said. “Those are the breaks.”

Explained Pujols, “He’s throwing 99 miles per hour away. It was tough to get that pitch.”

With two outs, the Rangers then granted Pujols his third consecutive intentional walk and St. Louis failed to score in the inning, even after a single by Matt Holliday and another intentional pass to Lance Berkman before David Freese’s inning-ending flyball.

Texas went on to a 4-2 victory Monday night, taking a 3-2 series lead.

What went unexplained was who called the hit & run play in a 2-all game. Did the signal come from the bench, or was it something Pujols decided on his own?

“It was just a mix-up,” manager Tony La Russa said. “On our team nobody gets thrown under the bus, so it was a mix-up.”

Pujols wasn’t saying.

“That’s something that I don’t know, (I’ve done) maybe 200 times. I play my game,” he said. “That’s secret. I can’t tell you how I play my game.”

AARON AWARDS: Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista joined Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds as the only players to repeat as recipient of the Hank Aaron Award that goes to each league’s top offensive players.

Bautista, who also won the AL award last year with 54 homers, had 43 homers this season and batted a career-best .302 with 103 RBIs and a majors-best .608 slugging percentage.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers was the NL winner after leading his league in homers (39), RBIs (126), runs scored (115) and total bases (353). His .324 batting average was third in the league.

The award were established in 1999 to honor the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record.

Commissioner Bud Selig presented the awards because Aaron was absent, unable to travel while recovering from knee replacement surgery.

“The surgery went well. He’s recovering comfortably, but he can’t travel, and he’s not going to be able to travel for a while,” Selig said of Aaron. “He said it’s the first time he’s ever missed a game due to an injury. He wanted me to say that.”

LOT OF RELIEF: The St. Louis Cardinals are getting a lot of use out of their bullpen against Texas.

With four pitching changes in Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night, Cardinals relievers have made 65 appearances – the most ever by a team in a single postseason.

St. Louis surpassed the previous record of 62 set by the 2002 San Francisco Giants.

As for the Rangers this postseason, they’ve used 58 relievers, fourth-most on the all-time list.

MO’ WORK: The St. Louis Cardinals will play their last game within a matter of days. Then the work really begins for general manager John Mozeliak, who will have little time to relish the success of a World Series season.

“It doesn’t seem fair, does it?” Mozeliak said Monday before Game 5. “When you look at this job, it’s sort of getting here and just trying to enjoy this moment as best you can. … Special as this is, it’s going to be a fleeting moment. And in time it’s going to be right back to it.”

Among the first things on the offseason agenda for Mozeliak will be deciding on the mutual contract option for manager Tony La Russa for 2012, an item that should determined by both parties within two weeks after the end of the World Series.

“At this point, hopeful that we can wrap that up rather quickly,” Mozeliak said. “And right now as far as what’s going to happen, every time he and I start to sit down and talk about it, we always realize and we sort of pinch ourselves that here we are in the World Series or having success in the postseason. So we just really haven’t stopped to focus on it at this time.”

There’s also the pending free agency for Albert Pujols.

“Our offseason strategy, it hasn’t changed dramatically just due to the postseason success,” Mozeliak said. “There’s certainly some things that when you look at putting this club together, the big question marks are going to be, will we get Albert Pujols re-signed or not? … There’s no doubt, he’s been the identity of this organization for the past decade.”

The Cardinals have already signed former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter to a $21 million, 2-year contract through 2013, and Lance Berkman to a $$12 million deal next year.

WALK AWAY: Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols was intentionally walked three times Monday night, the first time that has happened in a World Series since Barry Bonds got three intentional passes in Game 4 in 2002.

After Pujols had a flyball to center to end the first, he was intentionally walked in the third and fifth innings by Texas starter C.J. Wilson. Then in the seventh, when Allen Craig was caught stealing on a 1-1 pitch with Pujols standing at the plate, catcher Mike Napoli stood up and Alexi Ogando threw three wide pitches.

Wilson, finished with five walks, including the two intentional passes to Pujols. The 19 walks by Wilson, including five intentional, match Jaret Wright for the most ever in a single postseason.

NINE-HOLE HOMERS: With his homer nearly halfway up the second deck of seats in right field Monday night, Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland accomplished a World Series first.

Moreland is the first person with two World Series homers hitting from the No. 9 spot in the order.

Before Moreland homered in Game 3 of last year’s World Series to become the eighth player to go deep from No. 9 spot, there hadn’t been a player to do it since Mark Bellhorn for Boston in 2004.

BIRTHDAY BOYS: Cardinals pitcher Arthur Rhodes and shortstop Rafael Furcal both celebrated birthdays Monday.

It was the second time in this World Series that two players had birthdays. Texas’ Michael Young and St. Louis infielder Daniel Descalso both marked their birthdays last Wednesday during Game 1.

Rhodes, who started this season with Texas, turned 42. He is the oldest player to celebrate a birthday while in the World Series, surpassing Jim Palmer turning 38 while playing for Baltimore in 1983.

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Dear Mr. DeWitt,

Albert Pujols running the bases in 2008.
Wikimedia Commons

Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t have to wait 11 seasons and a World Series demolition derby to realize what a good player Albert Pujols(notes) is for baseball. His monster of an outing in Game 3 of the 2011 Fall Classic is a testament to how much Pujols means to this club, this league and most importantly to the City of St. Louis.

In short, Pujols is a national treasure right here in America’s favorite baseball city.

The bat and glove Pujols wields are both swords and paintbrushes he uses with a master’s stroke. The outfield is his batting canvas, first base his paint palette. He won two Gold Gloves, three MVP awards and leads all active batters with a career .328 batting average through 11 seasons.

El Hombre deserves whatever paycheck he wants. He’s earned it above and beyond this season. Despite his numbers being career-lows for batting average (.299) and RBI (99), what Pujols did for this team in August, September and now October is nothing short of spectacular.

Lance Berkman(notes) just signed a one-year, $12 million contract. Matt Holliday(notes) is the highest-paid Cardinal in history when he signed a seven-year, $120 million deal in early 2010. Those men are worthy and have done a lot for the Cardinals this year as well.

There are inevitable comparisons to Pujols and Stan Musial. They are both generation-defining players in Major League Baseball. Musial was such an ethical man, when he felt he underperformed in 1959, Sports Illustrated reported he took a pay cut the following year. Musial was the face of the franchise, but more importantly he was the heart and soul of an entire city.

Pujols is a modern-day Musial. He is a national treasure who should stay in St. Louis. What would have happened had In-Bev shuttered the Budweiser plant? What if visitors stop going to the Gateway Arch? Those institutions in St. Louis are what make the city what it is today. They are just buildings, but they give St. Louis pride in the city’s history and accomplishments.

Pujols is just one person, but he signifies everything great about the Gateway City. He has uplifted us when economic times are hard. He has performed on and off the field like no one else in Major League Baseball. Pujols is gracious, humble and works hard for the team and city he loves.

St. Louis without Pujols is like The Louvre without Mona Lisa, Athens without the Parthenon and New York City without the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty.

Mr. DeWitt, it’s time to realize how much Pujols means to St. Louis. No price can be put on more years of excitement, quality baseball and the pure joy it comes to watch the man swing his bat. Kids look up to him, the city adores him, and 40,000 fans per night in Busch Stadium know exactly what Pujols means to this city.

It’s time to pay the master what he’s due. Whatever Pujols wants, he rightfully deserves, but especially from the franchise that he carried on his shoulders for the past 11 years.

Sincerely,

William Browning of Cardinal Nation

William Browning was born in St. Louis and is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

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