At 42, even an outstanding season on the field – one in which he joined the very exclusive 700 Home Run club – could not change Albert Pujols’ decision to retire. It was a decision he actually announced during spring training, and repeated in the final week of the season.
“I knew if I had a good year, or a lot of success, people thought I would change my mind,” Pujols told MLB.com late in the season. “But when I say something, I will do it. So, I’m going to retire after the World Series, enjoy my life, my career and my family.”