Now with Dodgers, Albert Pujols brings back memories for St. Louis Cardinals fans

Albert Pujols may be wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, but there are plenty of St. Louis Cardinals fans who still consider him one of their own.

That point was made crystal clear this week when the Dodgers pulled into St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in a pivotal series for both teams. From hugs with former teammates (including Yadier Molina) to a standing ovation on Tuesday night before his first at-bat, Cardinals fans took the time to show their appreciation to the man who spent 11 years in a St. Louis uniform.

Pujols bashed 445 home runs in a Cardinals uniform. On Tuesday night, just after receiving a standing ovation from the St. Louis faithful, the 41-year-old Pujols reminded them and everyone else around Major League Baseball that he still has plenty of pop in his bat.

With one swing, Albert Pujols showed Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals just how valuable he can still be.

In the first inning of what could be his final series in St. Louis, Pujols sent a 2-1 pitch from Cardinals starter J.A. Happ over the left field wall to give the Dodgers a quick 1-0 lead.

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There is some talk that, once the remainder of the one-year deal he signed with the Dodgers after being cut by the Los Angeles Angels concludes at the end of this season, Pujols could potentially return to St. Louis in 2022 to make one more run at a World Series with the Cardinals. His former manager in St. Louis, Tony LaRussa, has already made public that he hopes it happens.

We talked earlier in the season about the role that Pujols is serving for the Dodgers, and that’s smashing against southpaws. He did it again against Happ on Tuesday night in St. Louis, a city where he won three MVP awards, six Silver Sluggers, and a pair of World Series trophies.

The blast was the 679th career homer for Pujols and added another emotional milestone moment to his Hall of Fame resume. Will it be the last home run he hits in St. Louis? We’ll find out this offseason.