His hair not yet dry from the manager’s orchestrated Champagne ambush, Cardinals executive John Mozeliak stood near the team’s celebration – the spoils of a division title – and could see the future his staff had been preparing for, one they could no longer postpone.
Across the room from him stood the fixtures of past and present: two retiring greats, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols, and nearby was venerable starter Adam Wainwright. All drenched. Pujols picked up where he left off, back in the playoffs with the Cardinals just like he was the last time he wore the redbirds, in 2011.