Pujols' 11th and final ASG a full-circle moment

ST. LOUIS -- Not long after Albert Pujols got the call from Commissioner Rob Manfred that he was a legacy pick to represent the National League in Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game, the future Hall of Famer’s mind flashed to 21 years earlier as he thought about how his career had truly come full circle.

In the 2001 All-Star Game in Seattle, Pujols was a clean-shaven, fresh-faced rookie in complete awe of his surroundings. In addition to getting to meet Moises Alou -- one of his heroes while growing up in the Dominican Republic and dreaming of playing Major League Baseball -- the Cardinals rookie looked on in amazement as retiring legends Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were showered with ovations from fans and love and respect from their peers.

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Pujols, a 21-year-old third baseman/outfielder then, was thrown into that game as a second baseman. But his overriding memory from the first of his 11 All-Star Game appearances was the treatment Gwynn and Ripken received.

“My first one was the last one for Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., and that made it so special,” Pujols recalled. “Getting to see how those guys were idolized and admired for the way that they played the game always stuck with me.”

Now 42 and in the final season of a 22-year career that will eventually conclude in Cooperstown, N.Y., Pujols will be in a similar position as Gwynn and Ripken were more than two decades earlier. Pujols said his All-Star Game appointment -- his first since 2015 -- will be yet another high point in a season in which he has been honored by numerous opposing teams and has been greeted fondly by players who have idolized him for years.

“From the moment I got an opportunity to get drafted and make it to the big leagues, none of this was ever in my thoughts, but I’ve been able to accomplish so much,” Pujols said. “To travel around the country and be honored the way I have … it’s really special."

While SoCal native Nolan Arenado will skip the festivities because of a bad back, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will head to the All-Star Game as the leading candidate to win the NL MVP Award. Reliever Ryan Helsley will be one of the unlikeliest All-Stars in Los Angeles, despite his dominant season out of the bullpen. And Miles Mikolas was chosen to replace Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, who was scratched from the National League roster. Still, much of the celebration will be centered around the historic greatness of Pujols, one of the greatest right-handed hitters in baseball history.

Just as Pujols wanted nothing to do with his final MLB season being about a nostalgic farewell tour and instead about the hitting damage he can still do, he will go to Dodger Stadium as laser focused as ever. He’ll compete in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby for a fifth time -- and as the most accomplished home run hitter in the history of the event. Also, he’s likely already eyeballing an All-Star Game situation in which he’ll pinch-hit in a high-leverage situation and potentially launch another deep shot into the L.A. night.

After three NL MVP Awards and two World Series rings, and with his name firmly entrenched in the record books among some of the greatest players in the game’s history, Pujols will make one last trek to the All-Star Game. Like Gwynn and Ripken 21 years earlier, Pujols will be the object of affection among fans and fellow MLB players who want to show their affection for the way he’s played the game more than two decades.

“If I had to do the whole thing again, there would be no regrets,” Pujols said. “Even after the All-Star Game, I’m not done. I’ll have 3 1/2 months of the season left, and hopefully I can finish my career on a good note and win another championship. That’s still my main goal.”