Pujols will get cheered in his return as an Angel to St. Louis
ST. LOUIS - The bronze of the statue glints atop a berm near the parking lot of a Sheraton hotel, in a shopping plaza about 18 miles west of Busch Stadium. The sculpture rises 10 feet high, weighs 1,100 pounds and recalls an enduring image of another era: Pointing skyward, posing for posterity, swaddled in the No. 5 jersey of the St. Louis Cardinals is Albert Pujols.
It was a gift, commissioned by an anonymous donor to Pujols' foundation, crafted by the same sculptor who built the statues of Stan Musial and other Cardinals that guard the gates of the ballpark. The re-creation of Pujols was unveiled in November 2011, a few days after he played his final game as a Cardinal and a month before he signed a decade-long contract with the Angels, near the entrance of a restaurant that bore his name. The name changed when he left. The place closed a couple of years ago.
Inside the plaza, Pujols maintains the headquarters for his foundation. He still does charity work here, nearly a decade after departing. But he has yet to return in uniform as a visiting player at Busch Stadium, where he celebrated two World Series titles and built a legend. That changes when the Angels come to town Friday. The impending reunion left the 39-year-old feeling wistful.
"St. Louis is always going to be home for me," Pujols said. "No matter where I play. It doesn't matter what
