Albert Pujols was so excited he could barely sleep, so he woke up just after 6 a.m., jumped into his Mercedes, and arrived to the Los Angeles Angels' camp by 7:30.
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He managed to find his way without getting lost, met a lot of new faces, put on a new uniform, became the first player to be fined when his cell phone rang during manager Mike Scioscia's meeting, had about 125 fans watching him hit two home runs in batting practice, and then sat in front of about 40 reporters and 10 TV crews at a press conference.
Life away from the St. Louis Cardinals organization is officially underway.
"I can't go back and feel sorry,'' said Pujols, whose desire was to stay in St. Louis, but the Angels and $240 million summoned him away. "It's time to move forward. That was one chapter in my life. This is another.
"I'm not going to look back over my shoulder and regret the decision I made.
"It was the best decision for me and my family.''
Still, it will take time to get used to the adjustment. The only arches in Southern California belong to a fast-food joint. The Angels have won only one World Series in franchise history, the Cardinals have won 11, including two during Pujols' 11-year stint.
"I have great memories there,'' Pujols said. "You just don't flip that page and move on. ...I look back at the memories, not the numbers, but the World Series championships.''
SOURCE: USA Today
Bob Nightengale
