st louis cardinals farewell tour

Yadier Molina gets farewell tour with St. Louis Cardinals

By david hill | aug 25, 2021.

Eventually, everything comes to an end. Even the greats get one last appearance, taking a final bow before heading off into the sunset. The St. Louis Cardinals are making sure that when that day comes with Yadier Molina , he will be a part of just one organization throughout his career.

The Cardinals announced a one year, $10 million extension with Molina for the 2022 season. That season is also expected to serve as Molina’s farewell tour.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is quoted in the team's official release as saying: "We are pleased to announce that Yadi has agreed to cement his career legacy with the Cardinals for a final season in 2022." — Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) August 24, 2021

Yadier Molina cements legacy with St. Louis Cardinals

Molina already had an impressive career. His resume is amongst the best at the position, as he is a ten time All Star, nine time Golve Glove winner, and has taken home four Platinum Gloves. He has produced a solid .280/.331/.403 batting line with 2089 hits, 168 homers, and 397 doubles. Molina is one of just nine players who where primarily catchers to notch 2000 hits in their careers, and one of only four to reach that plateau in games played behind the plate.

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It makes sense for Molina to remain with the Cardinals. He has been a key part of the organization since he debuted, emerging as not just one of their leaders, but one of the best players in team history. For an organization that focuses on their history as much as the Cardinals, it would have been a strange move to see him suit up for any other franchise.

But that came close to being the case last offseason. Before the Cardinals and Molina agreed to a contract for the 2021 campaign, he had been considering offers from other teams. The Yankees were amongst those aggressively pursuing the long time Cardinals’ backstop before he returned to the only franchise he ever knew.

The only way that Molina’s farewell tour will be any better is if the Cardinals bring Adam Wainwright back as well. Imagine the crowd at the final regular season game at Busch Stadium, as Wainwright and Molina team up as the Cardinals’ battery for one last time. Molina is already returning for 2022; now it is time for Wainwright to do so as well.

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Yadier Molina will retire with the only team he has ever known. The St. Louis Cardinals have made sure that Molina will remain right where he should.

Ghiroli: Yadier Molina will get his farewell tour with the Cardinals next season. He’s earned every bit of it

ST. LOUIS — A few weeks ago, in the sweltering heat and humidity of St. Louis, there was Yadier Molina out running. In the heart of his 18th big-league season as a catcher, the 39-year-old was pounding pavement in the middle of summer by himself.

You don’t get to play baseball at 40 like Molina — who agreed to a one-year extension with the Cardinals last month — without being a little overzealous. Superhuman, even. It is hard to fathom the pain Molina is in constantly or the fortitude it takes to catch at least two-thirds of the Cardinals’ games in every season since his rookie one in 2004. Molina is running in humid triple-digit weather not to punish himself, but to continue to separate himself. It’s not just about natural talent, but also what you do with it, how long you can squeeze every last drop of it out, like a toothpaste tube you can’t bear to throw away.

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After all these years, Molina is still putting down fingers, pushing through nightly beatings and pestering manager Mike Shildt to get into spring training games. “How does he do it?” young catchers constantly ask Shildt, as if there’s some secret they can scribble down to unlock a Hall of Fame career, some easy way to quantify what it’s like to walk into the team’s complex at 6 a.m. in January, with the lights on and Molina swinging.

The end comes for everyone. Only a precious few greats, particularly in the league’s most physically draining position, get to go out on their own terms. Like Molina. Next year will be his last , all 19 proudly with St. Louis, and Molina laughs when he conjures up an image of what his 21-year-old self would have thought about that, of getting to script — no, to enjoy — a final chapter.

“I never thought I’d be playing baseball at this age,” he said. “But I’m happy, I’m healthy. I’m proud of it.”

There wasn’t one moment that told Molina it was time, just a steady whisper that kept getting louder. Last year, he and his family moved back home to Puerto Rico. He hasn’t seen his wife and children in six months. If you think the pain of a backswing or a foul ball is bad, Molina will tell you it doesn’t have anything on that.

“That’s the hardest thing for me right now,” Molina said. “I’ll have to do it again next year. That’s why I made the decision (to retire). It’s time.”

Time can be cruel, unforgiving, particularly in professional sports. But it has never seemed to come for Molina quite that way. There he was Tuesday night, hitting a home run, hustling to take second base on an outfield error, and squatting behind the plate for what Shildt dubs “a nightly beating.”

It’s a thing of beauty isn’t it? Molina catching, Adam Wainwright pitching, former teammate Albert Pujols — who is now with the Dodgers — in the batter’s box. This could be Pujols’ last season. Wainwright announced Wednesday he’d play one more. The end comes for everyone, even for the greats.

And well outside St. Louis, Molina should be treated as one. He will get a retirement tour next year because he deserves it. Molina is the longest-tenured active player with one team. He’s been to 10 All-Star games, won nine Gold Gloves and has been part of four National League titles and two World Series championships. The pain has gotten worse over the years. How could it not? But Molina is a leader, an example, the proud face of the Cardinals ever since Pujols left in December 2011.

“Playing with pain is the hardest part of the game right now for me,” Molina said. “Being 39, it’s not easy. It’s not easy to just wake up every day with pain. It’s hard. It’s really tough. But you have to put that in the back of your mind, concentrate on the day, concentrate on your team and try to win. Whatever it takes. I can’t think about that (pain).”

Shildt thinks Molina’s toughness transcends physical grit and is more of a mentality. That’s the real secret, the uncomfortable reality Molina faces, no, embraces.

“Every night you are showing up and physically, mentally are just absolutely grinding it out at every turn, every decision. I just talked to him about it. This guy makes a thousand decisions a night, and he makes almost all of them exactly the right way,” Shildt said. “And because he cares so much, he wears the ones that don’t work out, even if they are the right thing. And that’s part of what makes him great.”

Molina has become synonymous with the Cardinals, the last link to the 2004 World Series team that lost to the Red Sox , one of the final pieces from the 2006 title-winning team. He’s been around long enough, along with Wainwright, to still be an active player when the Cardinals celebrate the 10th anniversary of their last World Series win (2011) in a few weeks. Molina is a living history book, a link to the organization’s past and present, the player who epitomizes hard work, whom my late father — a diehard Cardinals fan — would point to on television and say, “That’s who you want to play like.”

When Molina leaves my baseball screen for good, a piece of my dad I’ve been holding on to will too.

The end comes for everyone, even if you selfishly don’t want it to. Especially if you don’t want it to. Will we see another catcher play for nearly 20 years? Molina, fourth all time at 2,092 games at catcher, is one of just six backstops to hit the 2,000 mark. He could crack the top three before he’s done. Maybe even catch No. 2 Carlton Fisk (2,226) in five seasons fewer.

Regardless, Molina won’t have any regrets. He says, over and over, he’s blessed to have made it this far, this long. The real blessing, though, has been all of us getting to watch him.

“He’s an amazing, amazing, amazing person,” Shildt said, “to be able to deal mentally and physically with what he does every day for as long as he has.”

(Photo: Ralph Freso / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Brittany Ghiroli is a senior writer for The Athletic covering MLB. She spent two years on the Washington Nationals beat for The Athletic and, before that, a decade with MLB.com, including nine years on the Orioles beat and brief stints in Tampa Bay (’08) and New York (’09). She was Baltimore Magazine’s “Best Reporter” in 2014 and D.C. Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. She’s a proud Michigan State graduate. Follow Brittany on Twitter @ Britt_Ghiroli

All-Star week helps kick off a farewell tour for Cardinals’ Albert Pujols

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When Albert Pujols stepped to the batter’s box in the first round of the home run derby on Monday and in his only at-bat in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, he did so under the backdrop of a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd.

The fans were paying tribute to Pujols’ greatness. The designated hitter and first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals has 685 home runs, 3,333 hits, 1,889 runs scored and 2,170 RBIs in a career that will end after this season. The 42-year-old — the 2001 National League rookie of the year, 11-time All-Star, three-time MVP, six-time Silver Slugger winner, two-time Gold Glove Award winner and two-time World Series champion — is a lock for the Hall of Fame.

It’s been a career that Pujols said he’s been blessed to have. For many in baseball, he’s meant so much more than his numbers.

“He will forever have a legacy in this game,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a friend of Pujols and his manager last season when he played 85 games for Los Angeles. “One part of it obviously is the back of his baseball card … but I think the more important part is, being from the Dominican Republic and setting a standard for Latin players, that they can thrive in this game on and off the field.”

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Said Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías: “He’s the player that influenced me the most. His behavior every day, he shows you how to be a professional, how to control yourself in some aspects that you can’t control.”

Added Angels outfielder Mike Trout , who spent 10 years playing alongside Pujols after Pujols left the Cardinals following the 2011 season: “It means a lot to baseball, you know, what he’s done for the game.”

What happened when Pujols took his break before his final 30 seconds of round one in the home run derby gave a clearer, albeit brief, picture of what his impact on baseball has been.

Instead of just his usual friends coming out to talk to him through the break, the entire roster of All-Stars seated by both dugouts got up to greet Pujols. It wasn’t planned. It was just a feeling all the players had to pay their respects to a man invited to the All-Star Game under the Commissioner’s Legends Selection.

“It was pretty emotional,” Pujols said of the moment. “I tried to hide it because I still, as an athlete, need to go out there and compete, but it’s probably gonna be one of the top moments in my career, to tell you the truth, because it’s just pretty special.”

Pujols won’t leave the game as just one of the best to ever play it. He is an icon who, off the field, knows he’s been and will continue to be a mentor for other players from Dominican Republic and elsewhere; whose not-for-profit, the Pujols Family Foundation, has for years served the Down syndrome community and those impoverished in his home country.

Many players in the early months of the season called for a farewell tour. The recognition was slow to start, but seemed fully underway by All-Star week.

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The Cardinals don’t make a trip to Anaheim, but they do play at Dodger Stadium at the end of September. Roberts said the team would have some kind of celebration for Pujols .

For now, Pujols said he will continue to do what he’s done the last 22 years: put his team first and try to help them win — the Cardinals resume play Friday half a game out of first in the National League Central and tied for the final wild-card spot — and the weight of the emotions of his career will probably hit him the final week of the regular season.

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Sarah Valenzuela is the Angels beat writer for the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at the New York Daily News, where she covered the New York Liberty and contributed to coverage of the New York Mets and New York Yankees. Before that, the Queens native was a freelancer with bylines in Thrillist and Self Magazine, worked as a production assistant with SNY-TV and MLB.com and briefly was a general assignment reporter for the Bronx Times. Valenzuela graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

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Adam Wainwright kicks off farewell tour with awesome gesture for opposing player

By scott rogust | apr 2, 2023.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Erik Swanson idolized St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, and he received an amazing gift ahead of Sunday’s game.

Last year, the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated the careers of slugger Albert Pujols and catcher Yadier Molina, who announced that the 2022 season would be their last. This offseason, starting pitcher Adam Wainwright announced that he would be returning for 2023, but it would be his final campaign with the Cardinals.

Wainwright hasn’t pitched yet in the 2023 season due to a groin strain that put him on the 15-day injured list. But, he has been around with the team, even  singing the national anthem on Opening Day at Busch Stadium . But on Sunday, Wainwright had a cool moment involving Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Erik Swanson.

The Cardinals’ official Twitter account noted that Swanson grew up idolizing Wainwright, which is why he chose to wear the No. 50. Wainwright gifted Swanson with an autographed jersey before Sunday’s game.

Erik Swanson, Blue Jays reliever, grew up idolizing Adam Wainwright and wears number 50 because of him. Waino gave Erik a signed jersey as they met before today's game! pic.twitter.com/VYct3l5VYB — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 2, 2023

Adam Wainwright gifts Erik Swanson with autographed jersey

It’s cool to meet your heroes, as evidenced by the moment captured by the Cardinals’ social media team.

Swanson pitched in the first two games of the St. Louis-Toronto series. On Opening Day, Swanson struck out two-of-three batters faced on 17 pitches in one inning. But on Saturday, Swanson surrendered one earned run on two hits, struck out one batter, and issued one walk in one inning in Toronto’s 4-1 loss.

As for the series-finale, the Cardinals picked up the 9-4 win to improve their record to 2-1 on the season.

Wainwright is coming off of a 2022 season where he recorded a 3.71 ERA, a 1.283 WHIP, a 143 strikeouts and 54 walks in 191.2 innings (32 starts).

Before the final game of the series, Wainwright met with Swanson and gave him a memory he will never forget.

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KISS n’ Tell Review: St. Louis’ Sold Out Farewell Stop At Enterprise Center

The energy was palpable as the crowd poured into the sold-out Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. The buzz of excitement was deafening, and the air was electric.

The KISS: End of the Road World Tour is on is its final months of a four year goodbye. It’s down to the final 50 shows representing 50 years of entertaining fans. We were ready for one final OoRah with one of rock’s biggest brands.

The opening act is brand new to the scene. Amber Wild. The band is fronted by Evan Stanley. Yep, the son of Paul Stanley. They might be classified as a rock band, but we cannot deny undertones of jazz, folk and other genres. This was their third live performance of the tour, and the excitement of being brand new hit everyone’s soul in attendance. The short set featured some of the bands recently released singles. After their performance, they did a meet and greet  with fans, and STL took full advantage of this. The line formed before they even played their last song, and the crowd was wild. I appreciated how enthusiastic they were to take selfies and sign ANYTHING.

The house lights dropped and we heard the first notes of ‘Detroit Rock City,’ curtain dropped, and BOOM! an overwhelming pyrotechnic display becomes the backdrop as the band is slowly lowered from the ceiling!

The opening song set the bar for this entire show. It’s a display I’ve  only ever seen as a show finale, and this was the opening song! The stage is the most impressive I’ve bared witness to. This is the best possible scenario for seeing this band for the first time.  The setlist was jam packed with 21 songs and a 3 song encore. The pyrotechnics were intense and soul shaking throughout the entire show.  The boys performed songs seamlessly, and provided such showmanship that only well seasoned musicians can only dream about. These men are entertainers through and through.

Paul took many moments to thank the fans for the 50 years of support, and reminisced about the 18 times they have performed in Saint Louis. He brought up the checker dome, the arena, and really tugged at the heart strings of STL fans. I just cannot begin to fully give a full review worthy of the incredible details that this four year farewell tour offers without writing a book. It’s the best KISS goodbye a girl could ask for.  I highly recommend experiencing it while you can. The tour concludes December 2,2023 in NYC!!

In the end, the KISS concert was a triumph of rock and roll From the opening chords of “Detroit Rock City” to the closing notes of “Rock and Roll All Nite,” the band delivered an electrifying performance that left the audience screaming for more. The band’s energy was infectious, their musicianship impeccable, and their showmanship unparalleled. It’s KISS, need I say more. As the lights dimmed and the crowd dispersed, the lasting impact of the KISS concert will forever stay with me and everyone else in attendance.

Thank you for 50 years. St.Louis loves you too!

Melissa O'Rourke

Melissa O’Rourke aka WickedWitchofSTL is a jack of all trades. By day she’s an established tattooist and piercer, by night a mother to her amazing son (who is a hell of a guitarist). Melissa has a musical background and can often be found at a local karaoke joint, or a concert when she’s not driving across the country for an adventure. This social butterfly always welcomes conversation so come say hi! See y’all at the next gig!

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Cardinals enter year seeking a rebound from historically disappointing season

St. Louis Cardinals fans had to deal with the worst kind of disappointment last year: watching their team lose 90 games and end up in last place in the National League Central Division. It marked the first time the team had a losing season in 16 years.

During the offseason, the team added veteran starting pitchers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson and gave fans hope that the biggest weakness had been addressed.

But spring training saw injuries to Gray and hitters Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson. The team opens its season Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles, starting a three-game series against the Dodgers.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jonathan Ahl spoke to Rob Rains, editor at STLsportspage.com , about the upcoming season and what fans are expecting of their team.

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

Jonathan Ahl: Last year was a profound disappointment for the Cardinals and for their fans. What's your outlook for this year?

Rob Rains: I would hope that they would be better than last year because you got to think it's hard to be as bad as they were a year ago. But then again, when you're starting the year with as many players on the injured list as the Cardinals are going to have, it's these guys that you expected to be kind of your key performers led by the pitcher that you signed to be your ace. It's kind of just really a big unknown at this point is how long those guys are going to be out and how they're going to survive this tough stretch of games at the beginning of the season before they get those guys back.

Ahl: Even when those guys are back and they are healthy, do you think the Cardinals did a good-enough job addressing their weak spots over the off-season?

Rains: I think they're definitely better than they were a year ago. I think you look at Lynn and Gibson, the three free agent starters that they signed, they all have experience, they've all had success in the Major Leagues. They are all what you call “innings eaters,” which means they should be able to go deeper in games than some of the starting pitchers did a year ago. Which in turn should make the bullpen better. I like a couple of the arms that they picked up in the bullpen, that I think will make them better too. There's no question they should be better than they were a year ago. Trying to improve on a last-place finish, how can they not be better? But I don't know if they did enough to really kind of say that they're a pennant contender. Maybe they did enough to win the division. But then, you know, what does that mean in October? So I think that's, that's the question that we really don't know the answer to. They'll be better, maybe good enough to win the division. But then I don't know if they're better or good enough to go farther than that in the playoffs.

Ahl: Last year, one of the big things they faced was being without Yadier Molina for the first time in a long time. The new catcher got off to an incredibly rocky start. What is your confidence level that Wilson Contreras can produce both in terms of hitting and also in handling the pitching staff?

Rains: The second half of last year, especially offensively, he did really, really well, and I think he's accepted the challenge. That first year is always a rough transition, even if he didn't have to replace Yadier Molina. Look at the first year that Nolan Arenado had in St. Louis, the first year that Paul Goldschmidt had in St. Louis. Anytime a veteran like that changes clubs that first year, a lot of times can be kind of tough transition. So I think having that year under his belt will really help. He worked hard this winter to try and make himself a better catcher and do some of the things the Cardinals want him to do differently. Even though he's got some new pitchers that he's working with, he's working with a lot of veteran pitchers who know their own abilities and know their own games. So I think it's going to be a better year for him.

Ahl: Looking at the construction of this roster, how much do you think the Cardinals are banking on key players having bounce-back or even career years compared to expecting average production?

Rains: Don't kid yourself. This team is still built around Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. If the club is going to bounce back and be the team that everybody kind of wants them to be, those two guys have to have big years. But the club has a lot of good young talent that I think can have good seasons and be the kind of players that this club wants to move forward with for a long time. But right now this club is going to rise or fall based on how far Arenado and Goldschmidt can take them.

Ahl: How much patience do you think the fan base has after last season?

Rains: That's going to be a good question. I know that the season ticket sales were not as good and did not get the renewal rate that they usually get or that they expected to get. People are saying, “OK, let's go out and see it on the field.” The problem is they've got a monster schedule to start the season with seven games on the road in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and three in San Diego. Then they come home and play Miami, which was a playoff team last year, and then they got three against Arizona. The first 16 games of the season are really, really tough. And again, you're dealing with playing those games without some of the guys that you're expected to be in your starting lineup or in your rotation. Maybe fans realize that for the first part of the season, if they get off to a poor start they'll give them the benefit of the doubt because of that. But if they're sitting here in June or July, and they're still kind of languishing down, I think fans are going to be a little bit upset.

Ahl: Looking at the competition in the division, the most popular takes seem to be that the Cubs held serve in their roster construction. The Brewers took a big step back, and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are young teams that are really banking on young players to have breakout years. Do you get the sense that maybe the Cardinals tried to construct a roster that was good enough considering that the division is generally considered to be weak?

Rains: Well, one of the fans' criticisms I think of this team in the last few years is that they've always looked at it as if they want to build a team that can win the division and then take their chances when they get in October. I think for a lot of fans and that's probably what they've done again this year. It will definitely be an interesting race, and I think the Cardinals are good enough to compete in the division, but I just don't know how much farther than that they can go with the roster that they have.

Ahl: What's your take on how “ The Cardinal Way ” is useful or not useful in terms of where we see baseball right now, where there are five or six teams that are spending money like crazy, and then you have the second tier of teams that are trying to be good enough to get to the playoffs and see what happens?

Rains: “The Cardinal Way” is really just about playing smart baseball and playing fundamental baseball and teaching the game the right way at the minor league level. And the problem the Cardinals have had is that they've had a lot of really good, career baseball men who've left the organization or retired or moved on to other teams for one reason or another. So I think they've kind of lost their feeling for a little bit of how to teach the Cardinal Way. They have to draft well and develop well, and that's the way that you could build a team that can possibly compete with those teams that are going to spend a lot more money than the Cardinals are going to spend.

Ahl: How much pressure do you think is on manager Oli Marmol this year?

Rains:  Not as much as there would have been if he hadn't signed a two-year contract extension. Because of the injuries, because of the tough schedule, they didn't want this team to get off to a slow start in April and have all the pressure on him and have people call for managerial change. And that could still happen. He's still under pressure. I mean, this team has to win. If this team has another 90-loss season, and I'm not saying they're going to, but if they do, they're going to be massive changes, and it's not going to be just limited to the manager.

Chicago Cubs | Column: Albert Pujols’ impressive farewell tour…

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Chicago Cubs

Chicago cubs | column: albert pujols’ impressive farewell tour has many wondering if the st. louis cardinals great is really done.

Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

Cubs starter Adrian Sampson walks to the dugout after being pulled in the fourth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals outfielder Corey Dickerson (25) is congratulated by teammate Dylan Carlson (3) after Dickerson scored on a two-run double by Tommy Edman in the ninth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals right fielder Lars Nootbaar rounds second base on a two-run single by Brendan Donovan in the fourth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols looks at the scoreboard in the dugout during a game against the Cubs on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal sprints around the bases to score on a double by Rafael Ortega in the sixth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

The St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols prepares to pinch hit in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

The Cardinals' Albert Pujols prepares to pinch hit in the ninth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs catcher P.J. Higgins tags out Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt at the plate in the first inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

The Cardinals celebrate their 13-3 victory over the Cubs on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals third baseman Brendan Donovan drives in two runs with a single in the fourth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals designated hitter Nolan Arenado is tagged out by Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal in the eighth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals fans cheer as designated hitter Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols sit in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Cubs on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a double by Rafael Ortega in the sixth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs left fielder Rafael Ortega misplays a ball that went for a double by Cardinals outfielder Corey Dickerson in the seventh inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs left fielder Rafael Ortega drives in a run with a double in the sixth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs manager David Ross walks through the dugout in the fourth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Former Blackhawks broadcaster Pat Foley sings "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

Cubs designated hitter Franmil Reyes pitches to Cardinals pinch hitter Albert Pujols in the ninth inning on Aug. 23, 2022, at Wrigley Field.

The Chicago Cubs plan to honor Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina on Thursday before their final game at Wrigley Field, a fitting farewell for a couple of retiring St. Louis Cardinals stars who spent much of their careers being booed on the North Side.

Cardinals fans no doubt will be well-represented, and Cubs fans will curb their animosity for a few minutes to pay tribute to their longtime nemeses. Booing one or both remains optional once the game begins, as dictated by Wrigley Field etiquette concerning any member of the Cardinals who frequently destroys Cubs pitching.

The Pujols farewell tour has been relatively low-key so far, as one might expect for a player who seldom called attention to himself during a legendary career. It has paled in comparison with the celebrations Derek Jeter and David Ortiz received in their final seasons, a shame for a player widely considered the greatest slugger of his generation.

Pujols and Molina have been honored in nine ballparks, from Fenway Park to Coors Field, with gifts including checks to their foundations, scoreboard memorabilia, vacation stays and a basket of peaches and peanuts from the Atlanta Braves. Maybe the goodbye party will pick up in the final month, at least for Pujols, as he nears his last regular-season game Oct. 5 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Once the postseason begins, assuming the Cardinals hold on to a playoff spot, there will be no time for tributes.

Feting Pujols is rather awkward for teams that still fear his presence. He has shown lately he has something left in the tank at 42, and he probably could handle another season or two if he chose. A late-career statistical jump has made many wonder whether his retirement is written in stone.

Going into Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cubs, Pujols led the majors in batting average (.453), on-base percentage (.500), slugging percentage (.962) and OPS (1.462) since the All-Star break. He hit his 693rd home run Monday in the Cardinals’ 1-0 win over the Cubs.

“He’s swinging a hot bat and he’s locked in right now in the strike zone, swinging at good pitches,” Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright said Tuesday after the Cubs’ 2-0 victory in Game 1. “He’s also swinging at bad pitches and hitting them out of the park too. That pitch was above his head last night. Couldn’t believe that, even for him. Just a special player.”

Pujols had six home runs in 21 at-bats over his previous seven games entering Game 1, in which he doubled and went 1-for-4. The Chicago White Sox, meanwhile, had one home run in 228 at-bats over their previous seven games going into Tuesday’s series opener in Baltimore.

Pujols clearly could be a part-time player again in 2023 if he wanted to return. He also could become the fourth member of the 700-homer club with Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth if he doesn’t get there in the final five weeks of this season. Entering Tuesday’s nightcap, he was four homers shy of passing Álex Rodríguez for fourth on the all-time list.

But Pujols repeatedly has insisted this is it, no matter how many home runs he winds up hitting. It may sound cool to finish with a nice, round number like 700, and who knows — he could even surpass Ruth’s 714 with another season.

There are a few instances of players coming back from retirement to reach a statistical goal. Early Wynn was out of baseball after the White Sox released him with 299 career wins following a 7-15 season in 1962. But the Cleveland Indians signed him the following June and he notched one more win to finish with an even 300.

And Wynn wasn’t being paid millions of dollars to play, as Pujols would be if he came back.

Retiring on your own terms is important to many players, and age and money aren’t always the primary factors. Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander, who missed almost two full seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020, is favored to win the American League Cy Young Award at 39.

Last week I asked Verlander if he felt like he could pitch into his mid-40s.

“Do I feel like it? Right now, yeah,” he replied. “I was always thinking that. Nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is my appreciation for it now a little more, just knowing it can be taken away from you like that. One pitch in (2020) and my elbow kind of went. It can always be pulled out from under you.

“I think the game will tell me when it’s time to go. I definitely don’t want to be the guy who is hanging on for dear life at the very end. Unless … I guess there is a caveat to that. If I was really close to some really cool numbers, I might hang around to try to achieve something. But who knows what’s going to happen?”

Wainwright, who turns 41 next week, also remains at the top of his game with a 3.11 ERA in 25 starts. He hasn’t said he’s retiring, though many expect him to go out with Pujols and Molina after this season. When I asked Wainwright on Tuesday if he could pitch into his mid-40s if he desired, he hedged.

“You never know. (Verlander) throws a lot harder than I do,” he said. “His stuff is pretty good. He could probably pitch into his mid-50s if he wanted to.”

The decision to leave when you’re still performing at an extremely high level may be the most difficult one for any athlete to make. Wainwright pointed out that his kids are older than Verlander’s, including a daughter in high school.

“I’m not going to miss the high school experience of my oldest daughter and my second daughter,” he said. “I want to be there for that.”

Wainwright then quipped: “And I know what those boys are thinking, so I need to be there to be a speed bump on these guys.”

“But I just want to be there for them,” he continued. “They’ve been there for me my whole career, so I’m not going to play until my mid-40s.”

When he decides it’s time, no statistical goal that may be within reach will change his mind.

“When you get to where we are,” he said, “your most important stat is being a good husband and father first.”

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Albert Pujols new job should have Cardinals manager Oli Marmol shaking in his boots

A year has passed since the legendary farewell tour for Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, and there is no doubt that fans of the St. Louis Cardinals miss their legends.

However, there may be a path back to St. Louis for Pujols in a different role.

According to Hector Gomez, Pujols has taken a job as the manager of the Escogido Baseball Club in the Dominican Winter League.

Current Cardinals manager Oli Marmol is in the final year of his contract, while also sitting on the hot seat after a 71-91 season in 2023. Pujols' new gig should be a cause for concern for Marmol.

Albert Pujols becoming a manager adds to Oli Marmol's hot seat

Of course, everything will depend on how Pujols fares as a manager. But if he does well, perhaps he could be the one to replace Marmol if the Cardinals decide not to bring him back for 2025 .

Pujols is somebody who would instantly have the respect of the clubhouse, as many current Cardinals played with him in 2022, his final season, and Pujols' influence on the clubhouse certainly played a role in the Cardinals' success that year.

Another losing season for the Cardinals or a failure to reach the postseason will almost certainly spell the end of Marmol's tenure as the team's manager.

An important thing to keep in mind however, is that Pujols still has nine years left on his personal services contract with the Los Angeles Angels , and that could prevent him from being an option to replace Marmol if the latter is let go.

But if Marmol is ultimately not brought back, don't be surprised to see the Cardinals at least reach out to Pujols and approach him about the potential managerial opening.

Everything depends on how Marmol fares in the final year of his contract.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Albert Pujols new job should have Cardinals manager Oli Marmol shaking in his boots .