ST. LOUIS • When his career ends and immortality starts to arrive, it will be Cardinals fans who get the first crack at putting Albert Pujols into one of baseball’s Halls of Fame, plaque and all.
According to current eligibility rules, Pujols will be on the ballot for the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame three years after he retires – two full years before he becomes eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the writers’ ballot. That means if Pujols completes his current contract and retires, he’ll be a part of Cardinals Hall of Fame Class of 2025, slipping on a red jacket with the embroidered redbird and posing with a plaque that features engraved pictures from his 11 years in St.