glory to Jesus . '' His foundation raises large bundles of money to help kids with Down syndrome -LRB- and if you do n't believe this , ask anyone associated with Pujols . They 'll tell you . And tell you . And tell you . -RRB- . He has never , apparently , drowned a dog or shot himself in the leg . Over the past 11 years , St. Louis ' slugging infielder could do no wrong . And yes , it helped that he averaged 42 homers and 126 RBIs while leading the club to two World Series titles . And yet ... for the hundreds of people who work for the Cardinals , and for the majority of the thousands upon thousands of fans who have asked Pujols for an autograph or a handshake or the smallest of words , the three-time National League MVP is , well , terrible . Having now covered sports for 17 years , I 've witnessed few professional athletes who show greater disrespect and outright disdain for loyalists than Pujols . He is a man who , during spring training , walks from station to station with his head down
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The liberation of St. Louis begins now . Albert Pujols is leaving the city and you are free , dear people , to speak the truth . No longer do you have to cower . No longer do you have to worry about stern looks and furious retorts . No longer do you have to tiptoe around the mighty slugger and his Ruthian numbers , fearful that he might say to hell with riverboat casinos and go elsewhere , someplace warmer . No longer do you have to mindlessly utter the Cardinal company lines about all of Pujols ' charity work and family life and what a wonderful person he is . With Thursday 's news that Pujols has agreed to a 10-year , $ 254 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim , Cardinals officials , players and fans are finally permitted say what has gone unsaid far too long -- that Albert Pujols is a pain in the rear . I know . Albert loves kids . And puppies . And kids with puppies . He is a devout Christian who has written , `` My life 's goal is to bring