Sometimes you just have to write about Albert Pujols

Sometimes… you just have to write an article about Albert Pujols. Not because there’s breaking news. Not because it’s his birthday or an anniversary or anything like that. Just because.

I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic lately. Maybe it’s the season—the way summer starts to fade and baseball settles into that late-August haze. Maybe it’s the way the St. Louis Cardinals have been wobbling, and I find myself reaching back for something solid. Something legendary.

What I do know is this: as a Cardinals fan, I’ve been lucky. I’ve watched this team do some truly cool stuff. And today, I want to write about the cool stuff. Specifically, the coolest rookie season I’ve ever seen.

Let’s talk about 2001.

First let’s set the scene. The summer of 2001 in St. Louis was a strange kind of hangover