Nearly nine years after he last played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels first baseman stepped into the batter’s box at Busch Stadium on Friday night to a standing ovation.
In an emotional moment for the longtime Cardinal, his former teammates and Cardinals’ fans, Pujols made his first appearance at Busch Stadium since the Cardinals won the World Series in Game 7 on Oct. 28, 2011.
After being drafted in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Amateur Draft, Pujols made his MLB debut in 2001 and spent the next 11 seasons with the Cardinals. During his time in St. Louis, Pujols won the NL MVP three times and won the World Series twice.
He went on to sign a 10-year, $254 million deal with Los Angeles during the 2011 offseason, ending a storied career with the Cardinals.
While Pujols doesn’t have any plans to retire in the near future, he’ll be a lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and his No. 5 will likely be retired by St. Louis as well in the future.