JUPITER, Fla. • Albert Pujols is in a great mood these days. He's the father of a new baby son, Ezra. Wife Deidra and all four children are with him in Florida. His elbow feels better than it has in several years. And Pujols is still warm on the possibility of remaining with the Cardinals beyond 2011.

Here are the highlights of multiple conversations I had with Pujols this week; some of his comments came during his visit to my radio show on WXOS (101.1 FM).

• On his contract, which is up after 2011:

"People in St. Louis and our fans around the country know where I want to be. And that's St. Louis. There's no city like St. Louis to play baseball. And the way the city has embraced me, and my family and our charitable foundation has been unbelievable. I am blessed. So why would I want to go anywhere else?

"I appreciate being a Cardinal. I appreciate wearing this uniform. I appreciate being part of the legacy over the last nine years and I want to continue to do that. I appreciate being around the Hall of Famers. I don't think there's many organizations who have that. I think we have the most (living) Hall of Famers, and they come around. You see Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Red Schoendienst all the time. They spend time with us. You appreciate talking baseball with all of those guys. So why would I want to go anywhere?

"Do I want to do this right now and take care of this so we don't need to worry about it? Of course. If it happens, it happens. But there are some things I am able to control and there are other things that are out of my hands that I can't control. And that's the truth."

• On manager Tony La Russa:

"I've been blessed to play for a Hall of Fame manager. A manager that has not only been my manager, but also like a dad to me. A man who has been instrumental in my success. I ask him so many questions, I throw so many things at him, and that's how you learn the game. And the relationship that we have is like a dad and a son, and I appreciate that. And it's been like that since 2001. And it's grown even more and more over the last five or six years. I just thank Tony for having that kind of relationship with me.

"Tony is our leader. We follow what he does. It's not just playing the games. There are things behind the scenes that you don't see. How Tony makes us comfortable. And we are excited to play every day for him. I know from a lot of other players who come from other organizations who say, 'I wish we had it like this.' And I'm blessed to be part of an organization that wants to win every year."

• On his nickname, El Hombre:

"I don't want to be called that. There is one man that gets that respect, and that's Stan Musial. He's the Man. He's the Man in St. Louis. And I know 'El Hombre' is The Man in Spanish. But he is The Man. You can call me whatever else you want, but just don't call me El Hombre."

• On his goals for 2010:

"I want to make the team. People laugh but that's my first goal in spring training. And that's the way it has been every year. That's a point you try to make with the young guys. How many times have you seen young guys have a couple of great years and they forget that they need to stay humble and hungry? They forget that there's next year. And it doesn't matter what I've done in my career. What I've done last year.

"When I come to spring training every year, I start at zero. Yes, I was the MVP last year. But you know what? It didn't help us win the World Series. So when I come to spring training my attitude is, what else can I do to help my team win the World Series? What can I do differently? What mistakes did I make last year that I can learn from? Those are things I need to concentrate on."

• On his surgically repaired right elbow:

"It feels great. I'm throwing baseballs and swinging and it feels great. It's good to say, 'Pain free.' It was something that has really bothered me over the last six, seven years. But I felt I could still help my ballclub to win. People have said, and my family has said, 'Why do you do that and sacrifice your body and play in all of that pain?' You know why — because I get paid to do a job. And that's to play baseball and represent the Cardinals. I have been willing to sacrifice my body for this organization."

Reading Time, 3 Minutes

Just a hunch, but I believe the decision on the Rams' No. 1 overall draft pick will come down to a choice between Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. ... Arizona (and formerly St. Louis) Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill is the winner of the Fritz Pollard Alliance's Tank Younger Award for promoting diversity and equality of job opportunity in the coaching, front office and scouting staffs of NFL teams. Rams executive Bob Wallace presented the award to Bidwill on Friday at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Interesting scoop by Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch on prospective Rams owner Shahid Khan quietly visiting St. Louis to meet with general manager Billy Devaney, coach Steve Spagnuolo and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff. I'll add a detail: Khan and Spags really hit it off. ... I believe Stan Kroenke will keep his 40 percent ownership stake in the Rams and partner with Khan, who is buying a 60 percent share. ... Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold is out with an entertaining book, "100 Things Cardinals Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," and you can buy it on amazon.com.

Cardinals coach Mark McGwire and special instructor Mike Matheny, who were St. Louis teammates in 2000 and 2001, have reconnected their friendship in spring training. ... Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin jokes that if Kyle McClellan becomes the team's fifth starter, the bullpen will have no choice but to disown McClellan. ... Franklin also tells us that lefty reliever Dennys Reyes' nickname is "Big Sweat."

Former Mizzou power forward DeMarre Carroll is playing 12 minutes a game as a rookie for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies. Carroll was the 27th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Carroll has outperformed Hasheem Thabeet, the Connecticut center who was the No. 2 overall pick. Thabeet was sent to the NBA developmental league this week. ... St. Louisan Larry Hughes was waived by his latest NBA team, Sacramento. But there's talk that the Charlotte Bobcats will sign Hughes. The Bobcats' coach, Larry Brown, drafted Hughes in Philadelphia.

The Nice Section

• Post-Dispatch sportswriter Dan O'Neill is the guest speaker at the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame dinner on March 20 at the Sheraton Westport Hotel. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by calling Larry Donovan at 314-645-1996. Inductees include Stephen Folle, David Hoolan, Ed Joyce, Ken Lehrmann, Jim Wahlig, Ed Mueller, Rich Sauget, Joe Taormina, Grayling Tobias, David Weiss, Terry Kasper, Ron Clifton, Gabby Haenssler and Keith Schildroth. Awards go to Marty McCabe and Bob Wiesler. Rising Star Award finalists for the top high school player include Kevin Pohle (Parkway South), Michael Failoni (Edwardsville), Danny Brennan (Fort Zumwalt South) and Jake DePew (Granite City).

• Tickets go on sale Monday for "A Night with Champions," featuring Kurt and Brenda Warner, Dick Vermeil, Bob Costas and members of the Rams' 1999 Super Bowl championship team. The event is at The Pageant on Delmar on Thursday, April 22. Doors open at 6 p.m. The evening includes food, a private auction of sports memorabilia and a discussion of the Rams' special season. Reserved seat tickets are $50 and go on sale Monday at noon at The Pageant box office or through Ticketmaster.com. And on April 23, Warner will host the First Things First Golf Classic at Norwood Hills CC. For information call 1-877-347-7813.