ST. LOUIS – After the negotiations, questions about an icon's worth and fallout from Albert Pujols' decision – after news broke Thursday morning that he chose to leave the only franchise he has known since he made his major-league debut in 2001 – this Midwestern city faced the start of a new era.
The man who became baseball's most feared hitter while wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform was gone. After 11 seasons, Pujols agreed to a wealthy 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He leaves behind a legacy that drew comparisons to Stan Musial.
On a day when Pujols and the Cardinals changed, the impact here was felt both emotionally and economically. Street-side conversation downtown turned to the hitter's departure. A sporting-goods store in Chesterfield, Mo., gave away Pujols jerseys and T-shirts. In west St. Louis County, fans gathered at his restaurant and snapped pictures of the slugger's 10-foot bronze statue.
Late Thursday morning, Darren Politte walked near the restaurant's entrance wearing a red Cardinals windbreaker. Like many fans still excited about St. Louis winning its 11th World Series title in October, he thought Pujols would continue his Cardinals career. One day, Politte thought he would see Pujols slip on a bright red blazer before a soldout Busch Stadium and be showered with praise. One day, Politte thought he would see Pujols become a legend.
"I'm disappointed that he's gone," said Politte, 37, from Creve Coeur, Mo. "I thought he would be like Stan The Man. But he's not Stan The Man."A little later, Ben Newell approached the statue and waved his right hand as if to gesture "goodbye." He has lived in the St. Louis area for 10 years and has received ribbing from friends for being a Chicago Cubs fan. But he understood what Pujols meant to the Cardinals and the void left behind.
To Newell and others, the Cardinals will move on. New stars will emerge. But, with Pujols' departure, a piece of the past will be lost. "It's definitely going to be a big loss," said Newell, 31, from Maryland Heights, Mo. "It shows you that money is king. I think the Cardinals had the money – they just didn't want to invest it with him."
Said Dan Lebowitz, executive director of Sport in Society, a Northeastern University center: "If you look at the history of sport … every era comes to an end. When eras come to an end, new stars arise. … It's going to be painful for the city, but I think a new era will rise."
A new era for St. Louis will begin, because Los Angeles offered an enticing bid. Pujols, a three-time National League MVP, will earn $254 million over the next decade. His contract is the third in baseball history to break the $200 million mark and is the second-richest ever, trailing only Alex Rodriguez's $275 million deal signed with the New York Yankees before the 2008 season.
The Angels made a late push for the two-time World Series champion. The Cardinals and Miami Marlins were considered favorites for Pujols throughout the week at baseball's Winter Meetings in Dallas. Once the Marlins dropped their interest Wednesday, some projected Pujols would return to St. Louis.
However, on Thursday afternoon, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak entered an interview room deep in Busch Stadium and spoke about his disappointment in not making that happen. He talked about a bond that formed between Pujols and the organization in the years after the hitter was selected in the 13th round of the 1999 amateur draft. To Mozeliak, a relationship between Pujols and the Cardinals became personal.
"It's a disappointing day," Mozeliak said. "But it's a day that we knew was a possibility."The day Mozeliak wanted to avoid had arrived, and as a result, Pujols' exit will impact St. Louis beyond an emotional connection with the superstar. Brad Carlson, an assistant professor for marketing at Saint Louis University, said there could be a decline in merchandise sales once fans recover from their shock. (About 40 percent of items at the Cardinals' team store carry Pujols' likeness.)
But Carlson also views St. Louis' passion for baseball as larger than one player. With time, he said, fans will recover. And with time, the city will move beyond Pujols. "The Cardinals brand is not reliant upon a single player," Carlson said.
"As a comparison, you look at the (Cleveland) Cavaliers when LeBron James left. He was the hopes and dreams of the city. When he left, it was really deflating for the community. We shouldn't see that same type of fallout in St. Louis with Pujols."
Yet, on a day of questions about the Cardinals' future, some came to Busch Stadium to honor their past. Late Thursday afternoon, Gary Kost stood near a 10-foot bronze statue of Stan Musial in front of Gate 3. On the statue's base read an inscription, "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight," words spoken by then-Major League Baseball commissioner Ford Frick at Musial's retirement ceremony on Sept. 29, 1963.
Kost glanced at the statue. Did Pujols sacrifice a similar place in history? What is the price of a lost legacy? And what will be left behind?
"The game has changed," said Kost, 60, a Raleigh, N.C., resident. "What is good for the players isn't always good for the game. And what's good for the game isn't always good for the players."Kost took a few pictures before walking away. Pujols and the Cardinals had parted ways, and life around Busch Stadium carried on.