There never has been a day like Sunday will be at Busch Stadium because, as everyone on the continent surely knows, that might be the last day.
For the 854th time in his 11 seasons, Jose Alberto Pujols will hitch up the right hip of his pants, maybe take a hop step and then run to his position for a home game.
As much as those who live for the Cardinals might have taken his .329 career average and his unshakeable attachment to at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs for granted, those who clutch a ticket for the game realize they hold a potential keepsake, an emotional marker.
The greatest hitter of his generation — the greatest hitter ever, Matt Holliday would say — will stand before a crowd that has recognized him as a civic centerpiece, not just merely a three-time Most Valuable Player.
Two years after Pujols' contract status became a white-hot topic, barely seven months after negotiations for an extension went nowhere and little more than a month before Pujols reaches free agency, the best baseball city in America might see the game's best player in its home whites one last time. The day will stir emotion among the fan base but it has so far engendered mostly dispassionate comments from the club and its signature player.
Pujols insisted a week ago that he saw little benefit in addressing Sunday's significance with the team embroiled in a chase for the wild card. His manager and advocate, Tony La Russa, likewise held his tongue.
Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak offer reserved testimonials while acknowledging they have no idea where the next two-to-three months will take the relationship with a player who next year almost certainly would surpass Stan Musial as the franchise home run leader.
Pujols' impact is significant enough that ESPN will be on hand to chronicle Sunday's potential farewell.
"It's the era we're in,'' Dewitt said. "Many times they sign back with the same club. With a legendary player like Albert, you hope he stays his whole career with the Cardinals, like Stan did. But that process is going to take place and we're not sure how it's going to play out. I'm sure he's not sure either at this point.''
Mozeliak added, "I still look at this as a period that's very fluid. The outcome is still very open-ended. To reflect on this perhaps being the last weekend that Albert plays in St. Louis is not something I'm prepared to do."
Pujols carried 37 home runs, 98 RBIs and a .926 on-base-plus-slugging percentage into Saturday afternoon's game against the Chicago Cubs. He had reached base in 39 consecutive games, the longest such streak in either league this season.
After reaching the All-Star break with a .280 average and production numbers insufficient to earn an All-Star invite, Pujols has claimed the league lead in home runs while rejoining the top eight in all Triple Crown categories.
"When you reflect on his career, it's been a historic run for he and the St. Louis Cardinals,'' Mozeliak said. "As far as our mindset, we still believe there is a chance that Albert will be wearing a Cardinal uniform in 2012."
On a day whey they sign the National Anthem a capella, Cardinals fans will save their loudest voice for those times when Pujols approaches and settles into the box with his trademark squat stance and his tongue askew.
The next time they see him at Busch the relationship might have changed. The Cards and Team Pujols have not negotiated this season, per the player's request. Some might perceive the absence of talks as discouraging news. The club prefers to view it as only half-empty.
"In a lot of ways, if we had been negotiating during the season we might have come to a conclusion that didn't have such a pleasant ending. I don't think you can draw from that," Mozeliak said.
"I would expect between the end of the season and free agency we would make contact and determine whether it's appropriate to engage at that point,'' DeWitt said. "That remains to be seen,"
That said, the Cardinals finalized a one-year, $12 million extension with right fielder Lance Berkman on Wednesday, illustrating a refusal to be hamstrung by talks that loom as the industry's biggest story this winter.
"We were interested in retaining Berkman because of his production, plain and simple," Mozeliak said. "Regardless of whether or not we're successful in signing Albert back, we wanted to keep Berkman because of what he represents for our club. Sure, he offers us flexibility. But it doesn't dictate how we approach Albert's situation."
Mozeliak stated this summer that the club considers upcoming talks "independent" of last winter's abortive negotiations. The Cardinals then offered a nine-year deal worth $22 million-$22.5 million per season. Pujols and his representation thought the gulf immense.
The club is currently inclined to remain within that framework, even tightening its length while remaining around the same average annual value. Such a tactic assumes at least one of two realities: Last winter's bid would stretch payroll to its limit, or they believe Pujols' market overstated until further notice.
The Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals are frequently cited as potential bidders for Pujols. The Cards, wary of bidding against themselves, are not inclined to offer another bid until they know their competition.
Dan Lozano, Pujols' agent, did not speak with Mozeliak during a brief visit recently to St. Louis. Indeed, Mozeliak said he was unaware of Lozano's travel plans until he had left town.
DeWitt insisted on Thursday the club would use the window between the end of the season and the end of the free agent filing period to re-start talks with Lozano — or as DeWitt explained, "to see where they are."
Pujols told a dinner gathering during the Pujols Family Foundation's annual charity golf event that he wanted very much to remain with the Cardinals.
More recently, however, he described the process as "out of my control" to USA Today. The comment seemed at odds with a player who in January 2010 insisted he would entertain a discount to stay in St. Louis, albeit in the same conversation in which he underscored his willingness to explore free agency.
The Cardinals have failed to draw 3 million fans only once (2003) during Pujols' term with the club. With the club pointed toward 3.09 million attendance this season, internal projections suggest it unlikely the team would achieve the threshold in 2012 without Pujols. A drop of 400,000 would result in an estimated drop of $20 million in revenue derived from ticket and concession sales.
Retaining Pujols still represents Plan A in organizational parlance. Plan B probably would include Berkman at first base, Allen Craig in right field and the intention of trading for offensive help. Money otherwise dedicated to Pujols might go for a veteran closer and/or a middle infielder.
Eight years ago Pujols, on the cusp of his first bite of arbitration, famously said about affording the club a discount in talks for a contract extension, "This is business. ... There are no breaks."
The Cardinals ultimately signed Pujols to an eight-year, $114 million extension. Sunday they could witness his final act at Busch Stadium under their employ.
